Electrocompaniet Inc. made a triumphant return to the U.S. with their $30,000/pr Nordic Tone Reference loudspeakers powered of course by Electrocompaniet electronics. The speaker is a thoroughly engineered product with drivers from SEAS and Scan Speak mounted in a sand-cast aluminum cabinet. The aluminum is “formed in thin curved surfaces that are extremely stiff. Internally, the walls are covered with vibration damping layers. The cabinet sections are coupled together with viscoelastic adhesive and then pre-stressed with rods to 2500N.” The crossover utilizes Mundorf silver/gold alloy capacitors. Playing my Ian Schumacher CD in this system, the energy, presence and full-range performance was very satisfying and among the best I heard from this CD.
http://www.6moons.com
By Jason Victor Serinus
After several years without distribution in the US, Peder Beckman of Norway's Electrocompaniet (kneeling on the left, next to company head Mikal Dreggevik) has quickly established a revitalized US dealer network that should number a good 10 by CES 2010. Without a long-standing reputation for affordable excellence, this would have been next to impossible to achieve in the current climate.
The company's newest product, which will debut in final form at CES 2010, is the Nordic Tone Model 1 Reference loudspeaker ($29,500/pair). This handsome, low lying baby thrilled attendees with its warm bass, outstanding woofer control that topped most other speakers I heard at RMAF, especially its strong lower midrange, and realistic depiction of air and space. Weighing approximately 155 lbs each, the Nordic Tones boast an outer 7 mm cast aluminum shell, and internal damping similar to that used for aircraft. Frequency response is 28Hz—35kHz ±2dB, sensitivity is 90dB, and nominal impedance is 6 ohms. A three-way design, its ports can be opened to give a bass reflex system. Given that Electrocompaniet's headquarters are in Oakland, CA, a few miles from my house, I'm looking forward to far more extended listening in the future. I expect Electrocompaniet's exhibit to be flooded at CES.
New Speaker Whets the Appetite for More
Posted by: Jonathan Valin
"We come now to one of my two big surprises (the second awaits you later on). In Room 2017 I heard a speaker I’d never heard of, Electrocompaniet’s The Nordic Tone, a $30k 3.5-way in a beautifully sculpted aluminum enclosure. Apparently, this speaker was a Norwegian state-funded project that’s been in the works for four years and, having been taken over by Electrocompaniet, is finally on the verge of coming to market. Folks, I played Track 7 of The International in many rooms, but none of them—including the fabulous MBL room—came close to delivering the extraordinary detail and extraordinary dynamics of this speaker. The experience was tremendous, astounding (which is what I wote in my notepad). I would’ve named this newbie Best of Show were it not that I wasn’t sure, on the basis of the short amount of listening I did, whether the slight darkness I heard with it was coming from Electrocompaniet’s own electronics or from the speakers. In any event, this is one I plan to review. It could well be one of the truly great ones."
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