advertisement


EAR/Yoshino

Mr Underhill

pfm Member
I went up to Cambridge the other day as my EAR534 power amp was off song. How did I know this? The music just wasn't grabbing me, where normally I HAVE to listen I could happily sit and read a book!

My initial thought was to replace the main valves, as I bought a spare set of NOS (New Old Stock) tubes when I bought the amp, 2nd hand.

Having opened her up and replaced four of the valves I then approached the other four, and found an awkwardly placed stripped screw head, so I dropped Mr de Paravacini an email and asked if I could bring the amp back for some TLC.

EAR Yoshino's premises is on a small industrial estate near Cambridge, although the EAR logo outside adds a certain something for my money!

I arrived at 0900 and carried the amp through onto the shop floor. We are talking about a UK manufacturing business, and the premises reflects that. The guys work on a series of benches to one side which has been set up to allow a certain workflow.

The main man wasn't in when I arrived, although I know he was working to gone 2000 the previous evening as we had a quick chat. My feeling was that this was a group of characters who got on with the job in hand, but with a certain level of banter that made the atmosphere professional and friendly.

By the time Tim arrived my amp had been tested and was in the process of being stripped.

It was great to stand there and watch the amp being taken apart, gave me some insight for my next valve swap, and respect the design of the uber-heavy beast that allows easier handling for access and disassembly.

Having sorted out the stripped screw head it was back for more testing, one of the channels being slightly on the noisy side.


At this point Tim came over to see what non-EAR valves had been fitted. He is NO fan of valve modifications, as he said, 'Do these people not think we know our business, and haven't tested what we use?'.

Of course if you can persuade a potential customer that you have some mystic knowledge and possess some magic ingredient then there is money to be made - as we all know.

Two of the valves fitted were GEC military spec. Tim pointed out that military spec refers to a certain more rugged build, and the existence of deep supply chains. He then popped upstairs to do some research on the valve, the results of which he later shared with me.

The amp was tapped and valves swapped as we watched a couple of oscilloscopes, looking to identify the cause of the raised noise floor, and remove ringing.

The result? Three new valves and a cleaned and fettled amp - that sounds great.


I bought my pre, an EAR864, 2nd hand and that needed some valves replaced eighteen months ago. It too had been subject to some valve swapping, and came with some additional valves. Having played with some alternatives I bought a set of EAR valves, for a very reasonable price, and they are what I now use. The others do shade the sound, but whether that is an 'improvement' is debatable.

Tim & I spoke about the state of the HiFi industry, and some of the hair raising issues he had with UK dealerships; as well as his experiences in Japan, a place for which I have an abiding affection.

I was very happy to spend a half day with EAR, and feel privileged to meet a man who has worked around the world with so many top people and companies. I honour him for retaining his manufacturing in the UK, and exporting the majority of his produce.

The only downside was almost breaking my back getting the amp back onto its shelf, which sits above all the other HiFi on its own shelf eight feet up the wall!
 
Thanks for the story. I'm kind of surprised there is enough work for more than a couple of people, I suppose as you say most is exported. Was the experience of Japan a good one for EAR?
 
I had my 509's fettled by Tim just this time last year, when I went in there was two full pallets ready to ship to Asia. Maybe 30+ boxes, I bet there was a couple of hundred grands worth on those pallets. They do all right.
 
Bet they do very well. What surprised me when I owned EAR kit was how poor the build quality was, cheap parts, poor printed circuit boards sqeezed into boxes that did not fit, rough soldering. Maybe I was just unlucky. But I wouldn't buy EAR stuff again.My 'techie' who repairs a lot of amps, is rather ruder...so I will stop there. Glad others have had different experiences.
 
Thank you for that, MR UNDERHILL; an interesting and illuminating narrative.

Unfortunately, you've just reminded me that Tim last looked at my 509s when I bought them nearly four years ago, and I guess it's time for a once over, though I doubt they get more than ten hours' use a week on average.

Trouble is, apart from one's ears, there's little apart from the biassing LEDs to tell you something is amiss. Moving recently from cone speakers to electrostatics muddies the waters somewhat as well.

Luckily for me it's only a 60/70 mile journey to E.A.R.
 
Cereal Killer: Why?
Well, I think the 534 looks GREAT - my wife doesn't. I used to use a brace of Naim 250s that I sat on a turntable wallshelf above the main source components, and this is where the 534 now lives. Out of sight.


Mike:
Tim is very hospitable, and the cost for the work was very reasonable.


Paskinn:
For me the proof of the pudding is in the listening, and I had NO hesitation is putting my Naim amps to one side for the EAR gear.

I was a regular caller at my local dealer and listened to a selection of the top of the range equipment, and never heard anything that made me wish to change.
 
Cereal Killer: Why?
Well, I think the 534 looks GREAT - my wife doesn't. I used to use a brace of Naim 250s that I sat on a turntable wallshelf above the main source components, and this is where the 534 now lives. Out of sight.

Thats commitment!! Just hope it doesn't ever ever fall! an 8ft drop would surely kill the amp and anything or anyone under it!!!!!
 
Given that my 509s have sat behind various speakers for the last 20+ years I guess a trip to Cambridge wouldn't go amiss.

Did you have to book your visit? If so what sort of notice did they require?
 
Thought I'd mention this, simply as I feel it gives some insight into Tim's thinking.

I am currently ripping my vinyl, a long and tedious job - although, as a friend said to me last Friday when playing him some streamed music via my Naim NS01 & nDAC, that sounds like an LP12.

In the back of my mind I am thinking that I might listen to Tim's Dacute. If I like it I could then rationalise from the NS01, nDAC + TeddyXPS, EAR864 to the Dacute.

I dropped Mr de P. an email asking whether the pre section on the Dacute was up to the 864. His reply was, 'If it wasn't I wouldn't have produced it'.

I think this is pretty counter-cultural, where most companies build an item to a price point.

When I was looking for a power amp I was thinking of an 890, but there was a dearth of them, and then i saw the 534. The reviews indicated that it is was very good, in fact one reviewer bought the amp, but that it was probably shaded more towards classical and jazz. I asked Tim about this when I visited. His reaction? That people are obsessed with reviews. That as far as he is concerend the sound from the 534 & 890 are not different, one has more grunt than the other.

My feelings about the 534 are that it is stupendous, and I listen most to rock music.

Further, I fell that Tim's philiosophy is that he will only produce some kit if it meets his exacting standards. So that if you buy a piece of his kit you are buying the best he can do - no upgrade path, no PSUs. Got to say that since I got my kit I haven't thought about upgrading once.

M
 
Cereal Killer:
Same here!!

Stunsworth:
I dropped him an email and gave a couple if weeks notice.
I think the visst will be well worth the effort. I suspect you will be very pleased with what some TLC will do to what you are hearing!
 
Tenson:

Hi. Hope things are going well - still remember popping down to see you and listen to the Kensai's - one hell of a good pair of speakers. I am quiet tempted by your Supertweeter special offer at the moment!

We didn't discuss Tim's days with Lux too much. He loves Japan, and I have had the luck to visit Tokyo a couple of times and so we exchanged some reminiscences. Lux, like many of the great names, has been bought out by a holding company.
 
Thanks for the compliment. Not meaning to hi-jack this thread but if you have Quad ESLs the supertweeters are well worth it IMO.
 
Just as a matter of balance, I have owned two 834p phonostages that failed, both had broken printed circuits apparently caused by the boards being crammed, insufficiently supported, into the case.A friend has just bought the 834L linestage and found a similar broken circuit board.Perhaps we were both unlucky, but when you look at the components and build quality of these goods you might feel otherwise. Don't know about the power amps but on the basis of my own experiences I wouldn't wish to put EAR forward as exemplars of great build quality.
As for Mr D' P being friendly and helpful......like most of the industry's great individualists, there are a range of contrasting stories.
 
paskinn:

build quality
The 864 & 534 look good to my eyes. I have never owned the phono stages.

Friendly & Helpful:
I can only speak as I find.

I have contacted Tim about a few issues over the last four years and he has been informative and polite.

M
 
I have an 864 too and it feels and looks very robust to me. I haven't looked inside though. I bought the 864 out of interest to replace a Naim 202 and it is certainly a considerable improvement from my point of view. I have no grudge against Naim - I started with a 5i and then progressed to a 202/200 combination - I found them to be good amps. I still have the 5i in my front room connected to the TV/CD5i and my 200 is currently partnering the 864, although I am hoping to move to an EAR power amp too in coming weeks.

I called EAR about a service the other week and Tim came on the phone. I too found him helpful and charming - his estimate for a full service and to replace one of the output transformers was very reasonable indeed (£150 or so).

Cheers

Andy
 
It's interesting that many EAR owners are ex-Naim. In fact EAR as an operation reminds me of visiting Naim in the late '70s. The way they build their kit also reminds me of he early Naim kit. The fact that they use valves is relatively incidental. Talk to Tim deP on that subject if you ave a few hours spare. Great products, great service, and good value too... My EAR 890 service including valves, a new fuse holder, and a few other bits cost half what Naim charged me to replace the tants in my NAC82.
 
Hi Jem,

When I as thinking of trying the 864 I remeber having a conversation with a long time tube fan and he was less than glowing (sic) about EAR as they did not sound 'valve-like'.

I remember reading a interview with TdP in one of the mags years ago where he said that he didn't mind designing in solid state or valve.


M
 
Hi Jem,
When I as thinking of trying the 864 I remeber having a conversation with a long time tube fan and he was less than glowing (sic) about EAR as they did not sound 'valve-like'.
I remember reading a interview with TdP in one of the mags years ago where he said that he didn't mind designing in solid state or valve.
M
Indeed, I'd describe the 890 as a valve NAP250 - all the same qualities, just a bit more detail and sense of being there - and it'll drive my Martin Logans without getting into a sulk. I don't think I'd want an amplifier that had a "sound" and if I did, I don't think the warm and wooly sound I got from my old Canal valve amp would be what I was after. I used a Leak Stereo 20 for some years, but mainly because it sounded less valve like than the more popular Quad II.
 


advertisement


Back
Top