Mitch Singerman EAR 834p mod

the retail cost of an 834P plus full Singerman mods is over $3300, and that doesn't even include excellent NOS tubes. The sound may be pleasant, even euphonious, but no one claims the 834P is accurate or detailed. There are far better phono preamps available at that level.

Frogman, fair enough, I did not address the OP's question directly. I inferred that the OP was trying to make a decision on whether to do the mods, so I shared an opinion based on my own decision to go another direction. I used retail prices for illustrative purposes, but my thought was that if you have c. $1200 - $1500 to spend, you have many choices on Audiogon, many of which may greatly exceed the potential of a modded 834P. When I had an 834P and was considering the upgrades, I bought an AR PH-3 SE which had been upgraded by Great Northern (for $1250 – 1500, cannot recall exactly), on Audiogon. A bargain, perhaps, but similar in price to the ballpark figures you suggest (i.e., an 834P with upgrades, but not including serious power supply upgrades; I sold my 834P Deluxe on the Gon for $875.) The AR is vastly superior in every way to a stock 834P, and really opened my eyes to what I had been missing. I have not heard a modded 834P, but I talked to Mitch, and have no doubt that his mods improve the stock 834P (but I recall that including power supply mods would cost considerably more than $300.) I have been in the OP’s shoes, and am very glad I didn’t get the 834P mods done, so I am trying to convey that experience to the OP.

I agree that Frogman’s characterizations of the EAR and AR are spot on; he knows what he’s talking about! It is easy to imagine systems, or listening habits, where the EAR works very well. I would actually like to hear a “maxed out” 834P; surfing the web, it looks like some people have carried the concept to amazing lengths. Regards,