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EAR vs Audio Note preamp

Friends,
I am contemplating getting a preamp with in-built high quality phono stage. I have shortlisted EAR 868/912 or Audio Note M3/M5 phono. I plan to buy pre-owned so I am flexible about the models. The power amp that will be driven will be a Nelson Pass First Watt F6 initially and slowly I may get into the SET domain. Can someone tell me about the sonic difference between EAR and Audio Note preamps ? I value speed, dynamics and purity of tone. I am neither for artificial warmth or artificial clarity. 



pani
montesquieu
22 posts
 
Just to correct a mistake above, the phono sections in the EAR 868P  preamplifier and 88PB phono stage are valve + FET designs, whereas the one in the  EAR 912 is all valve. All are so-called LCR designs which use an inductor rather than relying on series resistors and capacitors for RIAA correction, but the 912 does not use the same phono stage as the other two.There's a lot of misinformation out there on this but a look inside the box settles it.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,821 posts
 
I believe that is incorrect, @montesquieu. My 868L (line only) contains two 7DJ8 tubes, the 868PL (phono and line) contains an additional two 7DJ8's for RIAA amplification. 
montesquieu
22 posts
 
No I’m absolutely correct. The 868PL is a tube-FET hybrid along with the inductor in the phono stage (four tubes, two each section) the 912 has five tubes and an all tube + inductor phono stage. The phono sections are different designs. 
montesquieu
22 posts
 
To add, the SUT sections are different too, with four ratios rather than three ... though still marked 3, 6, (12) and 40 ohm the ratios in the 912 are higher, but can be attenuated 0, -6 and -12 dB via the intermediary transformer between phono and pre sections for even greater flexibility.

Not the same thing at all. 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,821 posts
 
I (and Art Dudley & Robert Levi) stand corrected, montesquieu! Do both use transformers to create their balanced outputs?
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