Electrocompaniet EC 5 Preamplifier At AXPONA 2026
BE AMONG THE FIRST IN THE USA TO HEAR THE ELECTROCOMPANIET EC5 PREAMPLIFIER AT AXPONA 2026
Norwegian HiFi brand Electrocompaniet, our coverage sponsors for AXPONA 2026, will be giving show visitors the chance to hear their long-awaited new flagship preamplifier, the Electrocompaniet EC5.
The Electrocompaniet EC 5 Preamplifier has been ten years in the making and is now ready to start rolling out to customers in May, with the exact shipping date TBC. You can find specs and multi-region pricing below.
ELECTROCOMPANIET EC 5 PREAMPLIFIER
Designed to complement thir flagship Electrocompaniet AW800 M and AW300 M monoblock models, the $25k preamplifier will make its AXPONA debut in a full Electrocompaniet rig, paired with Børresen M1 loudspeakers.
The headline feature is the volume system: a fully electronic design with no relays or mechanical switching. Instead of altering the signal path as volume changes, it keeps that path fixed and adjusts level via a resistor network, offering very fine 0.1dB steps across a wide range. In practical terms, that’s about consistency and avoiding the usual side effects of traditional volume controls rather than chasing novelty for its own sake.
The circuit itself is fully discrete, dual mono, and runs in Class A throughout. Each channel gets its own power supply, backed by separate toroidal transformers and substantial capacitance. It’s a pretty purist layout, no capacitors in the signal path, minimal feedback, and high bandwidth design, clearly aimed at keeping distortion and noise as low as possible while maintaining stability into real-world loads, including long cable runs.
Connectivity is generous without being over the top. There are multiple balanced and single-ended inputs and outputs, plus tape loops and trigger connections, so it’ll slot into complex systems easily. Control is partly modernised with Ethernet for app control and updates, but otherwise it’s a conventional analogue preamp in use, with source naming, level matching, and balance adjustment onboard.
Physically, it’s a big, heavy unit with a split internal layout separating analogue circuitry from power and control sections. The return of a proper volume wheel mounted through the acrylic front defines the look. The measured performance is predictably strong: very wide bandwidth, low distortion, and high channel separation, but that’s more confirmation than surprise at this level.
ELECTROCOMPANIET EC 5 PREAMPLIFIER TECH SPECS
Frequency response: 0.5 Hz – 450 kHz
THD+N: 0.0002%
Signal-to-noise ratio: 113 dB
Channel separation: >120 dB
Maximum gain: 20 dB
Input impedance: 47 kΩ
Output impedance: 22 Ω
Maximum input voltage: 10 Vrms
Maximum output voltage: 10 Vrms
DC output voltage: <1 mV
Volume Control:
1000 steps total
0.1 dB resolution (within main range)
Adjustment range: –100 dB to +20 dB
Dual 80VA toroidal transformers
15,000 µF capacitance per channel
Idle consumption: 80 W
Standby: <0.5 W
Weight: 36 kg
Size: 470 mm (W) × 190 mm (H) × 420 mm (D)
Pricing is set at 21.999€ / £18,499 / $25,499.
ELECTROCOMPANIET EC 5 PREAMPLIFIER AXPONA 2026 LOCATION
Electrocompaniet will demonstrate the EC 5 in room 494 with Antal Audio Group.
Electrocompaniet are also present with Holm Audio in room 716: (Nordost Demo Room, Triangle, Electrocompaniet, Salamander Designs) and 720: (Monitor Audio, Electrocompaniet, SOTA Turntables, Ortofon, Eversolo, Rogue Audio, Audioquest, Salamander Designs).
AXPONA 2026 TICKETS & OPENING TIMES
AXPONA 2026 takes place from April 10 – 12 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, IL
1 Day – $32 online, $40 onsite
Multi-Day – $60 online, $75 onsite
Gen Z Pass – $15 online, $20 onsite
All general admission tickets grant access to exhibits including Listening Rooms and the Expo Hall, as well as educational seminars, live music and special events.
AXPONA opens Friday, April 10 (10 a.m.–6 p.m.), Saturday, April 11 (10 a.m.–6 p.m.), and Sunday, April 12 (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).
