SilverStone Ensemble EB01 & EB02 Audio System Review

External Impressions (EB01)


It should be noted right off the bat that the design and styling of both Ensemble audio components is very symmetrical since they are intended to be used together (hence the name "Ensemble"). The EB01 Digital to Analog Converter has extremely clean lines and a heavy duty build quality with its milled chassis and hex key construction. Indeed, the look and feel of this component is very much akin to the high-quality SilverStone cases we have come to know and love. The EB01’s I/O section is simplicity in and of itself; the DAC is self powered through your system's USB port and there is a pair color coded stereo RCA outputs for connection to other audio components.


The front sports blue indicator LED's which are not bright enough to be overly annoying in a card room that show system Power and Play. Basically, the use of the Power LED is self-evident while the Play LED shows when the DAC is receiving audio data from the USB port. At least they are shielded somewhat and not those incredibly bright LED’s that burn into your eyes.


External Impressions (EB02)


The EB02 Amplifier follows the same basic design principles as the EB01 with the milled chassis and hex screw construction. The EB02 is about twice as tall as the EB01 and also features a volume control on the top housing panel. The Rear I/O panel of the EB02 features power input Right and Left stereo inputs and 5 way binding posts for connecting stereo speakers. All the connectors featured on the Ensemble series are gold plated to ensure a solid signal transfer.


The EB02 Desktop amplifier also features a small indicator panel that shows when power is applied and when the system is in an error condition. We are unsure how an analog amplifier can get into a error condition and this indicator never lit up during any of the tests. Not that we really wanted to cause any type of error with the products...


Together at Last


Once the whole Ensemble system is put together, you get a compact audio station which sports clean lines with simple, understated design concepts. There are not many controls or other distractions on these units which gives the whole setup a distinctly modern look and feel. The entire audio system is streamlined and matches many of today’s desktop PC cases with ease and laptop users can also appreciate the lack of huge bundles of cables.


The Ensemble system spares no expense in build quality and as we can see, these audio components feature rubber vibration isolation and dampening feet. The feet have rubber on both sides of the metal which isolates and prevent any vibrations from transferring from one component to another. These are commonly seen on higher grade audio components that transmit vibrations and units that are sensitive to it such as CD players. The use of these “feet” and other details on the Ensemble system shows that SilverStone has a commitment to building solid audio components.