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Electrocompaniet ECD 1 vintage DAC … any reviews?

Barry_Sound

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Has anyone experience with the Electrocompaniet ECD 1 DAC?

It´s super old in DAC years (20y) without USB input.

The only measurements I found were published in 2010 by hifinews.co.uk

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Do you think it could still hold up to modern DACs in some ways (maybe certain sound signature) or just worse in all aspects?

 
I bought a similar thing from another brand that is 96, for $200 (new = 1250). But the measurements were perfect, old European brand that still exists. It has a more professional appearance, brushed aluminum front with XLR SOCKETS yay hey!
EC has no rating on the second-hand market, it's completely out of date, so don't pay a lot for it like I did for my 3D Labs.
 
The Electrocompaniet ECD1 is still a solid DAC, close to top-of-the-line in its day. Built like a tank and made in Norway, it featured the Crystal/CIRRUS Logic CS4398 chip along with additional upsampling circuitry to 192 kHz. While it upsamples signals to 192 kHz, it likely only accepts input data up to 96 kHz, which may be a limitation for those using modern high-resolution sources. Despite this, it earned high praise upon its release and remains a strong performer.

Inputs include optical (TOSLINK), AES/EBU (professional-grade digital audio), and coaxial SPDIF, with balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs.

I own one and find it subjectively delivers smooth highs and tight bass, with the ability to add a touch of warmth to digital audio without losing detail. Overall, the ECD1 is a well-built, great-sounding piece of gear that holds up nicely and was considered a benchmark for its time.
 
Buy it as cheap as possible for your decorum. 200$ max, it's useless and more than 20 years old.
Also be sure that it is still functional after 22 years. Mine uses very durable components, with real chassis cinch and the company is in my country and still exists. So I can have the schematic (3D LABS DAC 500).
The change from 44/48 to 96/192/384/768 brings NOTHING.
Except an unnecessary increase in the file size.
 
I have two that I got 15 or 20 years ago. Coincidentally, I put them in the computer desktop system this past week to see how they hold up. One of them was modified by a company called Empirical Audio when I purchased it second hand. Can confirm they accept only up to 96/24. Running balanced from an old usb-spdif converter, and through both my Focal desktop studio monitors and Stax headphones, the subjective impression was the stock ECD-1 gave a bit of a veiled presentation, with a touch of tubbiness in the bass, but very listenable, especially with large choral music, like the SACD of Cantate Domino, a seventies A-list LP favorite. I believe Electrocompaniet paid a lot of attention to the analog portion of this DAC, but the digital portion is probably hopelessly antiquated. I have a new Ever Solo Z-8 DAC coming in a week or so and will post about the noted differences. Still, I liked the sound from the stock ECD-1. The modded sample seemed a bit harsh in the upper treble region for me. Value is a relative thing, but I've seen these in the Euro used market trading around 500-600 euros.
 
Yes, it would be necessary to record some extracts but from what I know the brand is looking for a particular sound like Dartzeel or Wilson.
The veil seems to show a lack in the medium that the preparer tried to correct but it moved the problem to the treble.
Oh yes, still 500 to 600 euros, it's huge, you really have to be an ultimate fan to pay that.
They also really looked for an appearance that is (a little bit) out of the ordinary but I don't like it personally, I prefer blocks with a very professional brushed aluminum front.
Design is definitely not my thing.
But it can attract some.
 
"The veil seems to show a lack in the medium that the preparer tried to correct but it moved the problem to the treble."

Exactly. They threw the baby out with the bathwater.

Their style is unique, and continues to be iconic to this day. I do believe they are committed to basically "good" circuit design, electrically, but question the cost/value relationship of their present offerings. They do seem to retain a certain "high end niche," deserved or not. I got all my EC stuff (also ECI-3, the 4.7 preamp) second hand twenty years ago, and have just hung onto it for some unknown reason (packrat, maybe), but would never consider spending the required coin for today's lineup.
 
, the subjective impression was the stock ECD-1 gave a bit of a veiled presentation, with a touch of tubbiness in the bass, but very listenable, especially with large choral music,

Were any sight or level controls used in this comparison? If not, your results may not be as meaningful as you want them to be. What do you see in the measurements that indicate veiled tubbiness?

I have a new Ever Solo Z-8 DAC coming in a week or so and will post about the noted differences.

Here is a video that may help with future comparisons if you want to see if it's the sound waves hitting your ears or what's between them that makes them sound different.

 
Thanks for the video! Just to clarify my admittedly subjective appraisal, I had no assistance available so I could not conduct a blind test. What I did do was to stack the ECD-1 DACs above each other, and just as quickly as I could, swap input and output cables between the two DACs, listening to the same music at the same levels on both systems, the monitors and the Stax phones. Very subjective! At times I liked the definition of the modded DAC better, but overall, I found my ears "complaining" a bit more with the modded DAC, especially on the higher treble notes, especially on the Stax earphones. By the way, I understand and concur with what I take to be the scientific approach to audio in this forum, and have based several of my purchases (like a new Denon 3700 Home Theater Receiver) on Amir's rankings. I also sought out an additional pair of Bose QC-35 NC headphones for casual listening, based on this site's recommendations, as well as the sound I hear. It's a shame they aren't easily found anymore, especially as the QC-45s that replaced them are, imo, not as good overall.
 
Has anyone experience with the Electrocompaniet ECD 1 DAC?

It´s super old in DAC years (20y) without USB input.

The only measurements I found were published in 2010 by hifinews.co.uk

View attachment 416781

Do you think it could still hold up to modern DACs in some ways (maybe certain sound signature) or just worse in all aspects?

It doesn't measure that well compared to modern DACs, but it measures well enough for that to probably be inaudible in real world listening. It'l probably sound the same as any other competent DAC.
 
"The veil seems to show a lack in the medium that the preparer tried to correct but it moved the problem to the treble."

Exactly. They threw the baby out with the bathwater.

Their style is unique, and continues to be iconic to this day. I do believe they are committed to basically "good" circuit design, electrically, but question the cost/value relationship of their present offerings. They do seem to retain a certain "high end niche," deserved or not. I got all my EC stuff (also ECI-3, the 4.7 preamp) second hand twenty years ago, and have just hung onto it for some unknown reason (packrat, maybe), but would never consider spending the required coin for today's lineup.
If you live in Norway, you should be able to get them cheaply, there is a global cult rather for Anglo-Saxon brands given their advertising budget. In continental Europe, bankruptcies have followed one another for twenty years.
 
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