Electrocompaniet

Electrocompaniet is a Norwegian maker of hi-fi electronics, founded in 1973 by Per Abrahamsen and Svein Erik Børja and based today in Tau, near Stavanger. The founders set out to build transistor amplifiers free of transient intermodulation distortion, drawing on the research of Finnish engineer Matti Otala. Five decades on, the company covers amplification, sources, streaming and a wireless lifestyle range, all built in its own Norwegian plant.

Range & what it's known for

The core is the Classic Line of power amplifiers, preamplifiers, integrated amplifiers, streamers and sources. Integrated models centre on the ECI 6 MKII and the ECI 6 DX MKII, which adds a DAC and network streaming. At the top sits the AW 800 M monoblock, shown at High End Munich in 2022, paired with the EC 4.8 MKII preamplifier. Earlier milestones include the NEMO AW 600 monaural reference amplifier, the EMC 1 CD player from 1998 and the ECG 1 turntable of 2014. A separate EC Living family covers wireless products such as the TANA SL2 speaker-streamer and the SIRA L-1 subwoofer.

Who owns it and where it's made

After a bankruptcy in 2004 the brand was bought in 2007 by Westcontrol, an electronics production company also located in Tau. That link shapes manufacturing, as Electrocompaniet circuit boards run through automated lines with machine component placement, wave soldering, X-ray inspection and camera-based defect checks. Design and assembly both stay in Norway, and the factory scale is unusually large for a hi-fi maker of this size.

The lineup in this catalog

Amplifiers and DACs make up the listing here. The more compact models cost about USD 3,000, and the largest Electrocompaniet pieces go above USD 20,000.

Who it's for

Electrocompaniet is a fit for a system built around Norwegian-made amplification with a long design lineage and consistent factory production. A typical starting point is the ECI 6 MKII integrated, or the DX version for those who want streaming in one chassis. The upgrade path leads to separate preamplifier and power amplifier pairings, ending with the AW 800 M monoblocks, while EC Living serves rooms where a wireless setup fits better than a rack of components.