EAT E-GLO PHONO STAGE

what they say ...

​

hifitest.de

Holger Barske  |  July 5  2014

 

"The Rowland Capri 2 and the D’Agostino Momentum Stereo - two extremely low-noise amplifier components -- were connected downstream. As such, any expected noise would be primarily attributable to the phono stage. Or would this be the case ? 

It turned out that, although we did not experience Dead Silence, the overall noise level was astonishingly "calm"... and, given that we are dealing with here is a all-tube circuit stage, this "in situ test" delivered an absolutely excellent result.

 

Next, we decided to see haw the EAT would "adapt" itself to the Lyra Atlas. This was no problem at all for the E-GLO thanks to its "on the fly" impedance selector switch feature. Unfortunately, my favorite 100 ohms for the Lyra was missing, but felt that perhaps the 80 ohms setting should actually do the job. That was not the case, as the EAT "acknowledged this attempt" with a sound that was clearly too constrained and lifeless. However, the difference to the neighboring, and higher 150 ohms setting was truly striking ... here, everything was suddenly there: spaciality, an exquisite sense of ease, and a lifelike vibrancy.

 

Motivated by what we heard at 150 ohms, we turned the knob up to 300 ohms - This turned out to be a step back : The sound was disjointed and bloated, as if someone had pressed the loudness button. However, what is really comforting is that we were able to dial in the correct value so easily.

 

The device delivers transparency in abundance, but that is what you can expect from a device with this price tag. In terms of tonality, the manufacturer allows himself a degree of freedom and poetic license :

 

The "E-Glo" does not cling slavishly to the ideal of the straight line. I mean by this that it sounds a little more dramatic than "purely and strictly academic". That doesn't have to be a disadvantage, as the new Springsteen album “High Hopes” proves: With “The Wall”, the EAT brings the voice into the front row in a dream-like way, and provides a little extra shine in the presence area, whilst not emphasizing the bass line excessively, but only a little. I like that very much, as it keeps the album from drifting into mediocrity.

​

Summary

These Czechs have dared to do something for which they deserve our gratitude. Yes, someone at EAT when voicing the E-GLO has dared to very successfully [and tastefully] "code-in all the glory and character of

classic tube sound".

 

This device notably has a lot of drive in the lower frequency registers, and exhibits a sense of confident power and personality.

Bonus : It can also, if invited, be playfully flattering in that it gives practically all "popular" contemporary music an often welcome 

qualitative "morale boost" -

I think it's great !

​

​

​

Tone Magazine - AnalogAholic

Jeff Dorgay  |  August 22  2018

 

"Directly out of the box, the E-Glo manages to keep me on the couch well into the wee hours, and that’s a great sign. Where some vacuum tube electronics have a decidedly soft, warm, and well, tube-y sound, the E-Glo is like a delicate fragrance. Enticing enough to catch your attention, but not so much, with lingering beauty that always wants you to return for more"

 

"So, what does $7,000 get you?

A lot more of everything we love about the EAT E-GLO S model. Bigger, better, deeper, more engaging sound – as it should be when you spend more money. The apparent difference is the dual box design and massive external power supply that accompanies the E-Glo. A sizeable umbilical cord connects the two, and with any two box phono stage, moving it a few feet away if possible, provides the quietest operation. Those not using upgraded power conditioners or cords, take note – the E-Glo is one of the quietest all tube phono stages we’ve used, even just plugged straight into the wall with supplied power cord"

​

"When making a quick comparison, how well does a product at any given price point reveal the music played through it? That’s where the E-Glo performs well beyond its price tag, and if you didn’t know better, you’d think this one has a five-figure price tag. Playing side by side up against some phono stages from more established models in the $10k – $13k range, the E-Glo holds its own on all fronts. Some very renowned phono stages offer more input flexibility, balanced outputs and a remote to make adjustments, some a slightly bigger sound, and some are solid state, but none of us walked away from the E-Glo feeling disappointed."

​

"There are so many audiophile clichés to describe sound, yet when you hear something that indeed takes you out of your element, and for that brief period of time, convinces you that you are just listening to music, real music. Not all components, regardless of price can deliver this experience. It’s more than just “going to 11,” the E-Glo goes right to the core of the center of your brain that loves music.

The highest compliment I can pay the E-Glo is that it takes me there"

 

This is that part of the review process that can’t be backed up by measurements. The six-minute drum battle in “Bernie’s Tune,” between drum greats Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa shows off nearly every aspect of the E-Glo to perfection. It does an impeccable job of capturing the sheer speed of these two drummers, never losing the power of the bass drums, while simultaneously retaining the texture of the cymbals, still holding the rhythm section together as the fade in and out of the tune. Too often, this track just crowds together in a big ball of sound, but not here."

 

Summary

"Rather than waste your time on a lot of tracks, you might not know anyway, the major strong point of the E-Glo is that it is equally competent in all aspects of vinyl reproduction. It combines low noise, major dynamics, tonal accuracy, and high resolution with real ease of use. And by keeping the casework minimalistic, yet very attractive and forgoing a remote, along with the associated control electronics required, have kept the price down from the $10k range where it easily could be.

 

So the seven thousand dollar question is, is it for you? That will depend on your budget and associated hardware. I bought the review sample and will be using it as a permanent reference component, so you’ll be hearing a lot more about the E-Glo as time goes on. It’s a perfect fit for my system."

​

​