Third-party coverage of the early Electrocompaniet amplifiers and Norsk Radiofabrikk
This page collects historical third-party coverage of the early Electrocompaniet amplifiers and Norsk Radiofabrikk, including links to magazine articles, as well as other people’s articles, blogs, and websites that are worth reading.
Where original online sources could not be found, scanned copies of historical magazine and newspaper articles have been included to help preserve this material. Permission has been requested from the copyright holders where possible.
Press coverage of the early Electrocompaniet “Otala” amplifier.
Articles
These are copies of magazine articles, as they have not been found online.
In some cases you can download issues, and links to that are in each underlying page.
Links to articles which relates to the history, including blog posts, and some interesting other related audio stuff
Tracking Angle, by Jan Omdahl, 2023 How a Small Norwegian Hi-fi Brand Ended Up With Credits on Michael Jackson’s Album Covers, includes the early start up story.
The links here require a subscription for Aftenposten, A-Magasinet is a part of Aftenposten. The article is in Norwegian.
The Norwegian “A-Magasinet” had an article March 3rd 2017about the 100 best Norwegian designs, judged by a brioad expert jury, with designs ranging from 1920 to 2014, nearly 100 years, and among them “The 2 Channel Audio Amplifier.
Subsections of Early Electrocompaniet — Press & Links
The Absolute Sound (1979)
This is an extract from The Absolute Sound, Issue 16, 1979. The amplifier is listed as a recommended amplifier on the reference list.
The copies of this is mangled, and the first page of the review is missing, but the rest is there.
The Audio Critic (1976-77)
The Audio Critic tests, including the “Okey, audio freaks, eat your hearts out. Here’s what we think is the world’s best-sounding power amplifier”, which triggered the international fame of the amplifier and company. This was the real start!
If you want, you can download the older issues of The Audio Critic here, and below I state in which year and edition.
“Norsk idealisme bag ny forstærkerserie” (“Norwegian idealism behind new
amplifier series”) — a profile of Electrocompaniet in the Danish magazine
high fidelity, issue 12, 1978, pages 35-36. Covers the company’s origins,
Per Abrahamsen, Svein Erik Børja’s introduction to Matti Otala’s work, and
the early production process, with Terje Sandstrøm (then the company’s
udviklingsingeniør — development engineer) pictured working on a prototype.
By Leif Bomberg.
Hi-Fi News: "Electrocompaniet 'Electro'" (2012)
“Electrocompaniet ‘Electro’” — a Vintage Hi-Fi retrospective review and lab
report on the original 25W “Otala” pre/power combination, published in
Hi-Fi News, January 2012. Review by Steve Harris, lab report by Paul
Miller, including an interview with Terje Sandstrøm about the amplifier’s
early history and the Audio Critic review — see
the Otala story for the same events from the
designer’s side.
Other Norwegian press articles
A series of Norwegian press articles from 1976 to 1978, from many different Norwegian magazines and papers.
They are not technical, some are from daily papers and some are from popular ordinary magazines.
HiFi Nytt - Norsk Ukeblad, nr 34 1977
Lyd Og Bilde nr 39, 24/9-2/10, 1977
Dagbladet Weekend 27. Mai 1977
Express #12/13 1979
Norsk Radio Fabrikk
Norsk Radio Fabrikk — Press Coverage, 1980/81
Press coverage of Norsk Radiofabrikk and its modified Electrocompaniet
amplifiers — see the History section for the
story of the company itself.
