EAR 834P + Bent Audio Stepups = greatness?

I had planned to do just that. My EAR is not my only phono pre and I had planned to sell it but instead, just for fun, I decided to do all of Thorsten's upgrades, including Romy's air capacitors. I always did really like the EAR. However, in audiophile terms, it could not stand up to my Loesch style FET phono front end. The rebuild made it reasonably competitive with anything I've heard - different from the Loesch but still very good.

All that to say: that I recently scored a set of S&B stepups (Copper) from a guy in Switzerland who was also offering a set of S&B's 600R LCR modules. (Not the 10K set that was recently here on Audiogon). Instead of rebuilding the EAR again with the S&B stepups, I decided to build Thorsten's LCR RIAA phono design with E810F and D3A. I will post it to my system soon.

MIke

I decided to build Thorsten's LCR RIAA phono design with E810F and D3A.

Please keep us posted, even on developments if possible. Good luck

Dear Zanth: I understand that you own over 1K Lp's and this means that you have a good investment on software.
You own a Michel/SME/Koetsu analog rig that tell me you really care about music sound quality reproduction.

At the same time ( with all respect to EAR and EAR owners. ) you own the 834P that almost destroy the cartridge signal integrity: it is heavy colored, noisy ( signal to noise ratio of 66db ), RIAA eq. deviation higher than 1 db, high output impedance, etc, etc, etc.

I think that you want to grow-up on the overall quality performance level when you hear LP's, right?, well if you want it then IMHO is that you forget about the 834P ( and up-grades to it ) or step-up transformers and goes for a real better phono stage with out step ups.
Btw, +++++ " if paired with exceptional step ups.... " +++++

IMHO there is no single " exeptional " SUT at any price/any design, the best step up is NO step up at all.

Like always my advise is that you put your money ( as much you can ) where it counts more: the phono stage, the reward is worth it.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I have read several of Raul's posts with great interest - even preserving his post about the best MM carts in my archive. I tried to open a dialog with him regarding his own phono pre some years back but he did not see fit to respond.

In this case, re the 834P, I must say that this is just his opinion. The 843P may have not worked in his system but that is no reason to slag it off once and for all. IIRC, someone responded to one of Raul's posts saying that Raul's choice of reference loudspeakers was rubbish - so to each his own. I was careful to report in my post above that my main phono is FET based, yet there are things about the XF step-up that I still like very much. I would be the last one to tell someone not to try something just because it didnt work for me - specs notwithstanding.

Gregm - I am only about 2 weeks away, I'll make sure to report...

Mike

Dear Mike: I don't like the people that give " facts " that are false like the ones you posted.

Here is what you ask me ( by email ) on 03-03-2006:

+++++ " I have been following the thread about your preamp. Mostly, I am curious about your implementation (schematic)........" +++++

and here is what I answer you on 03-06-2006:

+++++ " Dear Mike: Tks to your interest on my phonopreamp. I can't give you the schematics, as a fact we are in the process to get 4-5 patents about.

If you really liked I can send info about and I can build one unit for you. " +++++

I don't want to follow this dialogue with you: I don't like a lying like you. Period.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.