Need troubleshooting help go easy on me... Newbie

It sounds like something related to your phono preamp. I notice you didn't mention what line stage preamp you are using. 1) As someone else mentioned, You can't plug the phono directly into the amplifier without a volume control. 2) You could have a bad tube in the 834P -- you could swap the respective channel's tubes and see if the distortion/loudness changes sides -- if so, you may need to replace the tube(s). 3) Perhaps the 834P is set to the higher MC gain position and you need to set it to the MM low-gain position. If you are on the MC position you are likely overloading the phono preamp. 4). On the "line-level" preamp you are using, make sure the EAR 834P is plugged into an "AUX" (Tuner or Tape inputs will work too) high-level input -- NOT "PHONO". If you plug the 834P into a phono input it will surely overload it. That's all I can think of aside from rechecking all the connections. Good luck, and let us know how you fare.

Well then check that you're on the MM position for both channels. If you still have a problem, reverse the L&R phono interconnects and see if the distortion changes channels. If it doesn't switch, its your amp. If it changes, I'd suspect the tubes in the 834P, but it could possibly be a bad phono cartridge too. If you reverse the channels at the phono cartridge and the distortion and low output reverse at the speakers, then you have a bad phono cartridge. Using this procedure you should at least be able to isolate the problem to the faulty component in the chain. Good luck!

Wksesq, If the fuzz is in both channels and you have confirmed that you are indeed in the MM and not the MC mode, then there may be a problem with the EAR. I think what I'd do would be to try new tubes and if that doesn't work you might have to send the EAR in for service. Do you have another phono stage you can try in the system, just to be certain it's the EAR?