Any of you Digital Amp Guru's heard the Emblas?

Rob Babcock · « **on:** 12 Oct 2003, 05:36 am »

Someone here, can't recall who, posted an info link to Embla Audio's site, and I was looking at the Amp-2 (250 W digital monobloc). Aside from the goofy industrial design, it sounds intriguing. Anyone have any direct experience with one? Barring that, I'd settle for conjecture, rumor or innuendo!

azryan · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 Oct 2003, 03:18 pm »

1) Man, that's ugly. hehe.

2) It uses the ICEpower design used in the eAR amps from Acoustic Reality (I own the eARTwo and it's astounding IMO).

3) This monoblock appears to be $460 US Dollars according to this site which is a stunning deal if it sounds the same as my eARTwo which is a stereo amp but far more expencive.

Gotta find out if that price it really right, and if it's power supply'll work in the U.S.

4) This company doesn't seem to have any connection to Acoustic Reality, but they'd HAVE to know about the eAR amps as they all seem to be in the similar European area- (this company, Ac. Real., ICEpwr, etc..) and this company has a remote called the EAR1? Weird.

5) The .pdf data sheet looks very good if it measures what it says it does. Very much like the eAR amps.

6) They don't show the back (that I could find?) but looks like they're using the analog input ICEpower just like Acou. Real. too and not the digital in ICEpower.

7) Wonder if the guts are at all the same/similar though?

The core dig. amp module's the same type, but no idea about the power supply. Says 50A max power though.

Oh... it says 250W @ 2.7 Ohms?

Maybe then this is the module that Acous. Reality uses in their eAR250 which is ~120W x 2 and I think ~220W 2.7 Ohms?

And I think that stero amp is about ~$1,000, so if these monoblocks are half that price I'd MUCH rather trust in the eAR250 amp which having several eAR owners out here (the eARtwo pro reviewed and called ref. quality) and being the longer ICEpower amp on the market (the first) that it's the same or better sounding than this one.

It also looks a LOT better than this (what seems to be a-) knock-off.

I wonder though if there's any connection to Peter Thomsen of Acoustic Reality? Hmmm...

Hey, did Rowland ever come out w/ those ICEpower amps they were going to?? SUPER expencive list price (as to be expected) but it showed how good the module looked to be compared to SS from even a very famous highly respected company.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 Oct 2003, 08:01 pm »

Okay, I did say speculation & innuendo were okay!

I did miss that power spec, didn't notice it was at 2.7 ohm...that's disappointing. I agree that the "styling" (if making it look like a quansit can be called style) is pretty funny.

Still, sort of interesting. That would be a good price if the amp is nice and that price is correct.

Jay S · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Oct 2003, 03:03 am »

I think their basic preamp is very interesting. The specs are very good, it accepts commands from a remote control, and it is very inexpensive! If I decide to take more money off the table I'll get this pre and compare it to my Joule....

Dmason · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Oct 2003, 03:20 am »

I was the one who posted the URL a while ago during the Sony Wars.

I spotted Embla stuff when in Norway last year, in an audio shop in Oslo. I thought the amps were quonset huts for my GI Joe. What did intrigue me was the little Ear pre amp which is micro processor controlled but really cheap and also well made. I also had the impression I would get killed on duty upon entry into the US, as those two countries do not have the best (some of the worst) treaty arrangements. (Norway being a whaling nation is all part of that.)

Anyway, the Embla stuff is for real, and they had it going strong with some Dynaudio speakers, it sounded fantastic, as most of you could imagine with 250 watt ICE monoblocks into Contour 1.8 MkII

wshuff · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Oct 2003, 03:46 am »

Can somebody give me a link? I found a site for Embla Audio, but the only thing that shows up looks to be an amp module, not a completed product. The specs also don't match what you guys are writing, so I'm not sure I'm seeing what you are seeing.

Thanks.

Dmason · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Oct 2003, 04:05 am »

www.emblaaudio.no

wshuff · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Oct 2003, 04:17 am »

Thanks, that's the site I found, but all I can find on the site are OEM amp modules. Is that what you guys are discussing? Because it seems like these are just parts, that would require more work before they could be used.

JoshK · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Oct 2003, 03:38 pm »

Looks like they sell just completed OEM modules now.

Their prices are $300 for the 1.1 and $413 for the 2.1 (with current exchange). Of course this doesn't factor in the taxes or duties imposed.

wshuff · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Oct 2003, 03:50 pm »

Yep, that's all I saw on the site. Guess I missed what they were discussing to begin with.

doug s. · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Oct 2003, 06:10 pm »

from embla's site, click on this:

http://www.mamut.com/dynabel

then click on nettbutikk (?!?) at the top; embla link will be on the left...

doug s.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Oct 2003, 01:08 am »

Damn! They went and changed it. I wonder if they changed just the site or have pulled the completed amps from the market? Might have to email them & find out.

grkn · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 Mar 2004, 11:04 pm »

Here I have something for you, EMBLA AMP REVIEWS!
IN NORWEGIAN!

http://monzter.net/johan/embla.pdf

If you ask me very nicely I'll translate.

cab · « **Reply #13 on:** 16 Mar 2004, 01:18 pm »

please please?

grkn · « **Reply #14 on:** 16 Mar 2004, 01:42 pm »

Safely connected behind the excellent parasound P3, firmly bounded with Duelunds silk spun signal cables, it was time to be amazed.
The first thing the Emblas did was to bring heavenly sound out of Tannoy Sandringham, and not just that, they did it with a obviousness I can't remember I've ever heard on this side of 250 Watt. It was so silky smooth, that I became utterly fascinated over the beauty of Losa Ekdahls voice. Either almost every other amp is rough and muddy, or the Embla is a silky smooth liar. But that's hard to believe, when you're fed with such a calm and detail, so incredibly much better than almost anything you've previously listened to. Surely in this price segment!

I want to get to the bottom of this silk phenomena, and used the Klipsch RF5 instead of the Tannoys. These speakers don't sound as soft, that's for sure. But with Embla they're soft as air at the top, and smooth as teflon in the mid tone, precise as a rolex in the bottom tones. There's full "steel control" over the entire sound scape.

At last I hooked up Audio note M5 in front of the Emblas, and the last pieces falls into place. This amp compares to the most expensive Krells and Dynamic Precisions, with a cost that's a joke compared to them.
Because Embla makes a intense love pact with the Audio Note preamp, here there's not just openness and control, Embla also shows us the tubes wonderful and intense mid tones in a way I've never heard from transistor amps ever before.

I've just heard the sound of the future, and Emblas amps are just the first edition of a relatively new type of amp and
there's still unused potential here.

cab · « **Reply #15 on:** 16 Mar 2004, 01:46 pm »

Wow, all that and only $1600 or so for a set of monoblocks!

grkn · « **Reply #16 on:** 16 Mar 2004, 02:08 pm »

http://www.hififorum.nu/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24524
Check it! Nice speakers paired with the Emblas.