Electrocompaniet EC1M MkII streamer & DAC
The ECM 1 MkII is not a new product but my attention was drawn to it by someone whose ears I have come to trust, namely Rich Trussel of Network Acoustics. Rich has a pretty fancy system with Vivid G2 speakers and a Soulution power amplifier, he must be investing most of the income from the business in hardware. Yet he chose this streamer rather than one of the many more expensive and well regarded examples on the market, a streamer that isn’t really designed to be used with a separate DAC albeit it does have some basic digital outputs.
Electrocompaniet is the oldest extant Norwegian hi-fi brand, it was one of the wave of successful companies that launched in the early seventies alongside the likes of Naim, Linn and Rega. The brand has never had a particularly high profile but has long had a good reputation for making decent amplifiers. Electrocompaniet got into streaming ten years ago and was the first to incorporate Qobuz natively into a control app, this is because they developed their own software rather than using a third party option as is commonly the case. With the likes of JPlay it has become clear that control apps make more difference than merely how good a GUI is and how much metadata is presented, they have a fundamental influence on the sound of streamers and this is something that Electrocompaniet appears to have grasped earlier than most.
The EC Play app operates a range of their products as well as the ECM 1 MkII. It’s not the slickest looking of apps and didn’t really seem to enjoy sorting the metadata from music files on my Melco N10 library, but it sounds better than JPlay which usually outperforms manufacturer’s dedicated apps in my experience, so they must be doing something right. Possibly this includes not sharing data back and forth between app and player all the time but remaining in relative radio silence when playback is occurring, as is the case with JPlay.
A bit like Auralic’s Lightning app EC Play needs to scan an attached library before presenting its contents, I have a good few files on the Melco but was nonetheless surprised at how long this took. It could be that the Melco is designed to run at audio rather than IT speeds of course and more importantly it’s not something that needs to be done often.
The ECM 1 MkII is simply adorned on the control front and in practice only the standby switch saw any action in my system, all other controls can be carried out with the remote handset and EC Play app. The back panel is not a lot more complicated with analogue outputs in both the usual flavours, these are variable by the way so can be connected directly to a power amp or powered speakers. There are coax and optical digital inputs but only a coax output, a AES or USB output would be useful here for DAC upgrades. The key streaming connections are the RJ45 ethernet port and a USB for external drives, an alternative is to install a drive inside the ECM 1 MkII which has a dock for 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch examples, a useful feature for those who appreciate the sound quality benefits that locally stored files always bring.
The ECM 1 MkII is an unusually big slab of kit at 470mm (18.5 inches) wide, but it fitted into the broader of my two racks, it is usefully deep too which makes installation easier. Build quality is solid rather than particularly fancy although the acrylic front panel and brass buttons go some way to enhancing its appearance.
What is not obvious is that this device has the ability to connect to the network without a cable and to accept Bluetooth and Airplay signals. Outside of Qobuz which remains native it offers Connect services from Tidal and Spotify, you don’t get some of the less common services such as Amazon Music or High Res Audio, however as a Qobuz enthusiast myself this doesn’t seem much of a hardship.
Sound quality
The ECM 1 MkII sample supplied for review did not have an onboard drive so I hooked it up to my Melco N10 and let it churn through the files, the first selected for audition was Shenandoah from guitarist Bill Frisell’s East/West album. The energy of this live performance was immediately apparent thanks to the Electrocompaniet’s ability to resolve immediacy and atmosphere in the context of exceptional timing. I particularly enjoyed the way that the dynamics are handled, this track starts out fairly quietly before the band joins in on bass and drums, here the soundstage expanded with speed and precision to make space for the new sounds, and this made the performance all the more convincing in the process.
Expectations had been raised by Rich Trussell but as I had previously been enjoying a far more expensive streamer and DAC the ECM 1 MkII surprised me with its natural vigour and engaging qualities. Another track from East/West called Pipe Down followed, this sounded very crunchy (with a chewy underside) in a good way, the sound being very real and tactile with plenty of the torque that Frisell brings to his playing. The sound may not be quite as refined as gear that costs more than twice as much but it’s questionable whether it’s any less enjoyable for it.
If you like depth of image and three dimensionalities of soundstaging then there is a lot to like about the ECM 1 MkII, the forthcoming Bugge Wesseltoft album Am Are is not an audiophile recording but it sounds pretty good in this streamer’s hands. The placement and shape of keyboard, drums and bass is precise and each has its own acoustic field, the Electrocompaniet making space for the various elements in the mix to inhabit. And the female vocal on Is Anyone Listening really shines.
The ECM 1 MkII manages to combine sparkle and solidity in an entirely cohesive presentation that is remarkably clean given its price point. Generally what makes a streaming source better is lower noise, by which I mean the noise floor that is not directly audible but which becomes obvious once it has been reduced. Here the noise floor is lower than usual for a streamer in this class and that allows the results to be that much more natural and engaging. Especially when you play something upbeat like the Moses Yoofee Trio’s debut album MYT where the snap of the snare and body of the notes from piano and bass are rendered without lag or blur but have an immediacy and intensity that is thrill powered, you just have to sit up and take notice. It’s not short of dynamic punch either and manages all this without sounding grainy or edgy which can often be a streaming failure.
The results appear to be entirely even handed and natural, play something beautiful like Lenny by Stevie Ray Vaughn and you will be impressed with both the weight of the bass line and the restraint of the guitar playing, this really sounded beautiful. Ditto current favourite The Old Country (More from the Deer Head Inn) by Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian on ECM. Their rendition of I Fall in Love too Easily is an absolute beauty, it’s hard to imagine anyone playing this Chet Baker standard with more grace and finesse. Another quality that really appeals is the ECM 1 MkII’s supreme timing, it’s this alongside the low noise that allows it to play relatively complex pieces and make them sound musical. This is a fundamental quality that divides audio sources, those that do it well make listening far more pleasurable than those that don’t. Detail and tonal finesse without coherence do not hit the spot in the same way.
Conclusion
I am very impressed with the Electrocompaniet ECM 1 MkII and suspect that it will outperform many competitors in demonstration. The company’s deep heritage gives one confidence in long term reliability and the sound it produces is of a sort that doesn’t seek to impress with excitement but rather allows you hear more of the music in such a way that listening becomes far more engaging than other domestic pursuits. If you want to find out why streaming is now the most popular medium for musical entertainment for the sound quality conscious, I heartily recommend you give it a listen.