EAR 834L

EAR 834L

Tube Pre Amplifier

EAR 834L
EAR 834L
EAR 834L
2.495,00 Price include 21% VAT Price exclude VAT € 2.061,98
AVAILABILITY1 DAY

Line-level preamplifier. Five line inputs plus tape monitor circuit. Available in deluxe chrome or economical "black box" versions. The EAR 834L line preamplifier is designed to complement any of the EAR 834P phono preamplifiers and an EAR power amplifier or, indeed, any other high quality source or power amplifier. It has facilities for up to five line inputs, and offers a genuine tape monitoring circuit, making a total of six inputs. A high quality volume control is fitted, as well as a panel mounted power switch. Input and output terminals are gold plated. Designed by Tim de Paravicini in his usual robust style, the EAR 834L is the perfect match for any high end system, whether biased towards analogue or digital. The electronic architecture is minimalist, so that the absolute minimum sonic degradation takes place. There are three double triode valves, arranged in a classic 'de Paravicini circuit'. Special attention has been given to the input circuitry. All inputs are at the rear of the chassis, on the same circuit board as the selector switches, which are operated remotely by long control shafts. The power supply is a unique arrangement; a high quality toridal transformer feeds a double DC power supply, that provides the low-tension (LT) heater current, and the high-tension (HT) anode voltage. It is critical in a preamplifier that both the HT and LT supplies are pure DC, and free from AC ripple. This is the case with all EAR products, not just this preamplifier. The circuit is designed used in such a way as to have a minimum life of five years* continuous operation for the valves. The preamplifier has more than enough output for any power amplifier, transistor or valve, and is ideal for driving long interconnect cables to remotely located power amplifiers. The unit is available in Classic and Deluxe specification. Deluxe builds on the Classic's specification with a superior chrome and gold finish, with extra outputs to facilitate bi-amping systems, and a neon power monitor light.

*Discounting occasional random premature failure of valves.


HP’s Workshop III. Editor’s Choice: Electronics by Harry Pearson

... In our line stage survey, we’ve found the competition to be intense.

There is, at or near the head of the class, the conrad-johnson ART (not reviewed in these pages), which has served as a reference for more than a year now.... But of late, there have been some serious contenders for top slot, among them, the Burmester 808 Mk V, which has fewer sonic shortcomings than any unit we’ve heard in these parts; the intriguing new Boulder 2020, which not only doesn’t betray its solid-state op amp origins with the usual distortions, but manages to be both dynamic and creamy (in the non-pejorative sense); the Esoteric Audio Research - again, a unit with a modest price (but exchange those factory-supplied tubes) and immodest performance, a genuine steal from Baron Tim de Paravicini (he really is a baron, by the way). But those are hardly the lot; there’s the Coherence from Jeff Rowland, his finest and most formidable work to date, and the now nearly legendary fully balanced Resolution edition from Manuel Huber’s FM Acoustics....

The Esoteric Audio Research 834 Line Stage and Phono Preamplifier

They took homely, externally, in their standard finish (is it worth the steep increase in price for a chrome-plated front panel?), and, internally, there ain’t much there. But with new tubes... some kind of magic brick or other absorption device over the transformer, and an isolation device underneath, this pair reminds me of the early Audio Research gear in its (relative lack of) tonal coloration and overall purity....

The strengths: continuousness; hop-to-it dynamics in the midbass; grainlessness; and a fine representation of image dimensionality, the soundstage, and the vital middle frequencies.... These are the kind of audio toys you can (and will) fall in love with because they are just so got-rocks musical.

The disadvantages are what you might expect, including the all but inevitable roll-offs at both frequencies extremes.... Given their strengths, I am inclined to forgive their small sins.