Electrocompaniet - AW 800 M - Stereo or Mono Power Amplifier

Electrocompaniet was founded in Stranda, Norway in 1973 by a group of engineers and physicists from the Norwegian Institute of Technology who were dissatisfied with the state of audio amplification. Their founding paper, 'A New Approach to High Fidelity Amplifier Design,' proposed that the measurement methods conventionally used to assess amplifier quality were inadequate — that an amplifier could measure well by conventional standards and still sound wrong. The solution they developed, and have refined across fifty years of production, was a high-current, zero global negative feedback amplifier topology that remains the engineering foundation of every Electrocompaniet product made today. The factory is still in Norway. The engineers still argue about the same things. The music still sounds right.

ENGINEERING PHILOSOPHY

The decision to use zero global negative feedback in Electrocompaniet's core amplifier designs is not a historical quirk — it is a deliberate engineering position that the company defends with measured evidence and listening tests. Global negative feedback, used in most conventional amplifier designs, corrects errors after they occur in the signal path. Electrocompaniet's position is that it is better to design circuits that do not make errors than to correct them after the fact — that feedback-corrected distortion has a different character than low-distortion design, and that the ear detects this difference even when the measurements suggest otherwise.

The result is amplification of exceptional musical naturalness: effortless at high power, grain-free at low levels, and capable of driving difficult loudspeaker loads without the compression that feedback-dependent designs can exhibit under stress. From integrated amplifiers to reference monoblock power stages, every Electrocompaniet product is designed, assembled, and tested by hand in Norway.

WHY THE AUDIO TAILOR CARRIES ELECTROCOMPANIET

We carry Electrocompaniet because it represents one of the most compelling combinations of engineering integrity, sonic excellence, and genuine value available anywhere in high-end audio. It is the brand we recommend most confidently to clients who want the truth about their music without paying for someone else's marketing budget.

Electrocompaniet AW 800 M power amplifier

The AW 800 M is Electrocompaniet’s brand-new flagship power amplifier. It replaces the legendary AW 600 NEMO as our most powerful monoblock power amplifier. The amplifier showcases an updated, yet unmistakable and distinctive Electrocompaniet design that is a perfect match for all current and legacy Electrocompaniet products.

A UNIQUE SOUND SIGNATURE

The amazing sonic performance of Electrocompaniet is significantly improved in the AW 800 M.

The AW 800 M accomplishes this whilst at the same time manages to keep the unique design philosophy and signature sound, for which the company is renowned around the world.

We are confident that from the first note of any familiar recording, you will be captivated by the AW 800 M and by the musical enjoyment it will give you.

RE-DESIGNED

The AW 800 M encompasses the Electrocompaniet direct coupled high open loop bandwidth topology, further enhanced with high slew-rate and very high bandwidth amplifier stages. In addition, a brand-new output stage is designed that heavily shields the input and driver stages from the load and makes the output extremely stiff and unaffected by the connected load. This has the added benefit of significantly simplifying the
workload of the already gently working feedback system and thus provides
vanishingly low distortion figures.

HEAVILY UPDATED

To feed the output stage the power supply is heavily updated and now has a total of 210000 uF supply filtering.

Mains power input is DC and RF filtered. The twin toroidal, wire gauge upgraded transformers are magnetically and electrostatically shielded to keep any noise from intruding.

The internal ground reference has been vastly over dimensioned and kept fully free of rectifying and output currents. The result is a very clean, noise free output signal regardless of output power, providing a very stable sound stage with the blackest background possible at any sound level.

MONO, STEREO AND BI-AMP­ING OPERATING MODES

An intriguing new attribute of the AW 800 M is the ability to switch between mono, stereo and bi-amp­ing operating modes, enabling you to upgrade your system or change your configuration while retaining your initial investment. Comfort upgrades are on/off switchable auto power down and switchable feature lighting, user switchable 115/230V mains voltage input as well as trigger input - output.

IMPROVED

CONSTRUCTION

The AW 800 M also features design upgrades, including a new front plate design with a 3D logo and the new power button design. The chassis has a new modular design construction and is re-engineered from the ground up.

The chassis design is enhanced by two black brushed aluminium rods over the top, which not only gives a much more rigid chassis, but also adds a beautiful decorative element. All housed in a matte luxurious finish that imparts the timeless Electrocompaniet look.

MADE IN NORWAY

SOUNDCARE® SUPERSPIKES™

is an all-in-one spike foot. The unique construction of the SuperSpikes eliminates the most common problem experienced when using a conventional spike: damaged surfaces, while offering the benefits of isolating the equipment from external vibrations in the environment.