2. analog
  3. 1198345880

Improve your ear with these. 834p

I just realized I don't need to buy a better phono stage than the ear 834p!
A friend kept insisting I install nos tubes in my phono stage, and I finally did. Don't think I have heard a better phono stage than what I have at home!!!
Can it get better?
What are some tweeks a'goners have discovered?
Was wondering if moving the power supply away from the signal board could improve things some more?
Or taking the 834p apart and hard-wiring it!
Also had my ear suspended with rubber bands to decouple it from the room!
pedrillo
mingles
791 posts
 
I've heard that Thorsten's EAR 834P Modification Guide is one of the best.
aball
2,016 posts
 
A friend and I did the 834p mods ourselves just a couple weeks ago. We basically replaced all the caps with audiophile versions, replaced the jacks with Cardas versions, and put nice tubes in it. The difference was signficant in the treble - smoother and less grain - and better soundstaging in general. I think next up we may enclose the transformer in a copper shield.

Arthur
pedrillo OP
560 posts
 
Arthur,
Are you referring to the power supply transformer?
I would think separating the power supply from the ear chassis and running an umbilical chord from the power supply chassis would yield better results.
If you are referring to the mc transformer why not do the same with a better transformer in a separate chassis?
Can you tell us which caps you used and tubes as well?
Peter
pauly
1,012 posts
 
Pedrillo. I have hard wired the driver stage of my Audionote 6550 SEP amp using tara labs solid core silver wiring. There was a definite and noticeable improvement, but I had to be very cautious as not to introduce noise. Sloppy wiring will act as aerials, which pick up stray airborne RFI and EM noise.

If you do attempt this I would recommend you start by identifying the signal path and restrict this mod to the signal path.

Good luck
Paul
More to discover