EAR Yoshino 834L Deluxe Preamp Review

[D!sco]

It is marketed and sold at a high price. The review is an important teaching point for those who deny the audio electronics progress of the past fifty years. Thank you Amir.

Why preach to the deaf? The review is as boring as the product.

 

[Ler0ck]

Hope someone owned McIntosh ma352 and give to Armir for measure how good it be.

 

[TheWalkman]

Over three thousand dollars for this?

@amirm, can you share the owners address so I can mail a sympathy card?

 

[amirm]

I think that's a very simplistic way to look at it. I think most folks who would purchase a product like this well understand it won't achieve the objective performance of many solid-state units.

Many people buy these products because they read nothing but positive praise for them. So they automatically think they must be better than solid state preamps. The data in this review should give them strong pause. This is why I test them.

 

[MacClintock]

I don't know if it really can be taken for granted that high 2nd harmonics are "what tubes are supposed to do". Tube amps were historically used because there was nothing else around. Their purpose was amplification. Supposedly as clean and powerful as possible. Any feature of higher harmonics as a positive thing was invented after the fact and not by the brightest people. Take Peter Walker, for example, Quad made excellent tube amps for the time, but when solid state amps took over, he readily (not Quad itself, alas) abandoned tube amps, calling them surpassed. That's how it is.

 

[amirm]

In their evaluation it might be better.....sounding.

What "evaluation?" They read a subjectivist review and they think this is gift from heaven. then they check on forums and few owners rave there as well and the sale is made. With that kind of preconditioning, they think what they bought is far better than it is.

 

[JSmith]

Well... a bit of a mess and pricey. Noise isn't too bad though, mostly high 2nd harmonic distortion. Thanks @amirm for testing this, some pics;

JSmith

 

[GXAlan]

Did you also test the phono section? I have a bare bones 834P phono-only box, which I assume has the same or similar design as the one here.

I didn’t think there was an actual phono preamp in this?

Looking up this product, I think it’s a bit fairer to point out a few things

line stage amp, Five line inputs plus tape monitor

Built to take you to the next level of listening experience, the EAR 834L Preamplifier is available at TTVJ Audio with free shipping and a 30-day guarantee.

www.ttvjaudio.com

The base model is $1900, it’s a $900 upcharge for the chrome and gold finish (!) and the Deluxe model reviewed here adds a second output for biamping.

It has a genuine tape monitoring circuit, which is a great feature if it works well. @amirm, I am curious if the tape loop is cleaner.

Last the specs mention
“The circuit is designed used in such a way as to have a minimum life of five years* continuous operation for the valves.”

Amir, any idea what the identity of tubes are in this?

 

[the_brunx]

Could have sent a few tubes to test the effects of tube rolling

 

[digicidal]

Amir, any idea what the identity of tubes are in this?

Not sure on that middle one, but the other two are these.

 

[usersky]

At least it doesn't have ugly meters

It's the only ugly thing it misses. The back panel has a soviet '60s vibe to it with that uneven back paint. RCA plugs manage to look so pre ww2. Even the fonts mix make it look totally tasteless. This guy manages to look bad on every dimension but hey, it's tubes, we should judge it by some different criteria, shouldn't we?

 

[DualTriode]

It is not what "I" want. So I rated it accordingly. It also has a cheap enclosure especially for its cost.

If it is not what you want why review it in the first place.

It is a 12AU7 tube pre-amp, from your point of view it will not ever measure up.

 

[Hart]

Many people buy these products because they read nothing but positive praise for them. So they automatically think they must be better than solid state preamps. The data in this review should give them strong pause. This is why I test them.

Amirm I really appreciate what you do. I am still reeling over all the magazine reviews I have read over the decades that turn out to be fictional or really stretching the truth. You can't really give an honest review (stereo mags) on something that is actually paying your salary through advertising, so it was ever a good setup from the get go. For me the point is to reproduce something live in the most accurate way possible. Sure the recording may not be perfect, but adding "warmth" or whatever it is I think will most always get you further from the most acurate reproduction. We have unbelievably good amps/pre-amps these days at very reasonable price points with no coloration, it seems hard to understand why someone would spend a lot more money for more distortion and coloration in any direction. I think maybe there is something appealing about owning something more exotic even if it is inarguably not as good.

 

[JSmith]

If it is not what you want why review it in the first place.

For the membership and the fact it was sent in.

It is a tube pre-amp from your point of view it will not ever measure up.

A tube based pre doesn't have to measure this way and for the price, it probably shouldn't either.


JSmith

 

[Hart]

If it is not what you want why review it in the first place.

It is a 12AU7 tube pre-amp, from your point of view it will not ever measure up

I think it was the pre-amp that did not measure well, not the reviewer.

 

[amirm]

Well... a bit of a mess and pricey. Noise isn't too bad though, mostly high 2nd harmonic distortion. Thanks @amirm for testing this, some pics;

He has soldered grounding wire to those shafts that turn??? Wonder how long they will last.

 

[DualTriode]

For the membership and the fact it was sent in.

A tube based pre doesn't have to measure this way and for the price, it probably shouldn't either.


JSmith

It is a classic 12AU7 tube pre-amp. The FFT is a signature stair step plot.

Tube amps are not required to measure this way but 12AU7's do.

If you do not like it do not buy it.

DT

 

[amirm]

If it is not what you want why review it in the first place.

I don't want or need it either way. You are that confused about what I do here? I provide a service for the membership by testing equipment. If I just wanted to test things for myself, this site wouldn't exist. By member request, I provide a summary judgement of whether I would recommend someone buy or not buy what I am testing.

 

[DualTriode]

I think it was the pre-amp that did not measure well, not the reviewer.

No comments were made about the reviewer.

 

[Mnyb]

Why is it always assumed that a lot of 2nd harmonic will sound good on all kinds of music and all recordings ? I think this assumption is not very well supported ? Even if it’s repeated all the time everywhere.

If it where so is this still enough of it to be prominently audible on music ?

And afaik you can’t have THD without IMD as the root cause is usually the same .