EAR Yoshino 834L Deluxe Preamp Review

[Postlan]

"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. "

Was the bolded design goal? If so, it was clearly missed by a mile.

It doesn't appear to be explicitly stated anywhere whether Amir could actually hear the sonic degradation with this equipment. However, if he couldn't hear it, there would be no need for him to dispute the term "absolute minimum sonic degradation." In other words, if he has a disagreement with this phrasing, it suggests that he can clearly hear the difference in the level of sonic degradation of this equipment, and I find this to be quite interesting.

 

[DualTriode]

This is stated by one of their retailers:

"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. "

Was the bolded design goal? If so, it was clearly missed by a mile.

Clearly this is advertising copy or in todays vernacular "click bait".

When it comes to glossy ads, engineering and measurements are boring.

It doesn't appear to be explicitly stated anywhere whether Amir could actually hear the sonic degradation with this equipment. However, if he couldn't hear it, there would be no need for him to dispute the term "absolute minimum sonic degradation." In other words, if he has a disagreement with this phrasing, it suggests that he can clearly hear the difference in the level of sonic degradation of this equipment, and I find this to be quite interesting.

No such suggestion was made. Or perhaps the Strawman made the suggestion.

And the reverse. Push noise and hum into a speaker and you will hear it. Push the amp to clipping point and you will hear it. Screw up the frequency response and you will hear it. Distortion in speakers is also dominated in bass. Distortion in electronics can be full spectrum and heavily high frequency dominated. Again, audible.

I completely agree, noise and hum, push an amp to clipping or screwed up frequency response all would be audible if not held to a minimum point or level of performance; a harmless amplifier, not a broken amplifier.

My "point" was about a "harmless" amplifier of course.

Thanks DT

 

[amirm]

It doesn't appear to be explicitly stated anywhere whether Amir could actually hear the sonic degradation with this equipment. However, if he couldn't hear it, there would be no need for him to dispute the term "absolute minimum sonic degradation." In other words, if he has a disagreement with this phrasing, it suggests that he can clearly hear the difference in the level of sonic degradation of this equipment, and I find this to be quite interesting.

I didn't listen to it but any design goal of absolute minimum degradation would call for minimizing distortion, not pumping it out far more than thousands of other audio products.

 

[Cbdb2]

I can see some people like some distortion but this preamp distortion changes almost 25db with output level.
So different listening levels, different sensitivity amps or speakers will have different distortion amounts. The sound (amount of distortion) will even change in a song fade out. This is hifi?

 

[fpitas]

This is hifi?

Nah. Sound effects. But if you like that kind of thing...

 

[Cbdb2]

Not even good sound fx. And ugly too.