ELECTROCOMPANIET EC 4.8 MKII/AW 800 M > Hi-Fi News review

Celebrating a legacy that stretches back 50 years, the Norwegian brand stamps its authority with the heavyweight AW 800 M flagship amplifier – a solid cube of power!

Glorious power
Push the limits of the amp with the dramatic ‘A Call To Arms’, which opens the James Horner score for the 1989 film Glory [La-La Land Records; LLLCD 1560], and it pulls together the angelic high trebles of The Boys Choir of Harlem and the room-shaking bass of the orchestration to spine-tingling effect. The consistent sense of effortless power that just keeps on giving is undiminished by playing this demanding track at high levels. But then that’s what this remarkable power amplifier – and its preamp partner – brings to everything played: effortless enjoyment.

Verdict
There are larger high-end power amps, and more than a few that are smaller, just as there are many that cost more. Yet, the sheer flexibility of the Electrocompaniet AW 800 M is hard to beat. Use it in stereo, then upgrade to mono if you wish, and add the partnering preamp for a bighearted, refined sound. This system is an excellent buy, capable of a hugely entertaining listen with almost any music.
-Andrew Everard, August 2023

ELECTROCOMPANIET EC 4.8 MKII
ELECTROCOMPANIET AW 800 M
Hi-Fi News