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Esoteric Audio Research 516 + photos of the EAR 802 (mm) and EAR "The Preamp" (mm/mc)

Bit pointless using the XLRs unless the power is so equipped, Peter. I know it is a bit jam-packed full of sockets, but there's still plenty of room (above, e.g.) to space the RCAs out a bit; doesn't need much. Yes, mine is the remote version, and I've recently acquired a new remote. Even though (courtesy of a U.P.S. refund) I paid around half price, it's bloody expensive for what it is. It's also teensy-weeny; too small and narrow to hold properly (120 x 35 x 8 mm), but volume graduation is controllably gradual; no plastic involved !. Didn't really need it as I sit by the machine but for completeness............ It does resemble a chocolate bar though !

Actually there are two choices of mm/mc, which was primarily my reason for having it.
 
Yes of course there are two tt inputs in the EAR 912. o_O If you tire of the tiny remote, any programmable remote will be able to stand in.

I am very pleased with the sound from the EAR 802 and 516 - both from my Thorens TD 147/Benz Micro Gullwing combo and Line Magnetic 502CA DAC. Both the line stage and the mm-stage are dead quiet. I sorted a hum from the Partridge 977 SUT by moving it up a shelf. So now there is only pure, full and detailed music.

I would like to listen to a few different SUTs at a later time. The EAR MC4/MC3, "The Head" by Tim de Paravicini and a Miyajima SUT.
 
Rosewind said:
Miyajima SUT.
Click to expand...

My local dealer friend brought this (the stereo version) round on Saturday to my bake-off (he's a Miyajima agent), but because a couple of others were trying out their home-made SUT plus head-amp into the line-in of my 912 (v my built-in stages) and with my Proteus, there wasn't time to put it into circuit.

Tom (Montescue) (of this parish and AoS) has this AND the mono one and puts it above the 912's m/coil input but with (I think) Ortofon SP and both his Miyajimas. Lots and lots of loadings on it but certainly overkill for me as I've just got rid of separate ph/stage, power supply and fancy (expensive) Naim I/Cs. Prefer the simple life !
 
Rosewind said:
So in conclusion, both my EAR 802 and EAR 516, which I bought in Munich, have been serviced and sound wonderful. The total outlay for service of the two s/h amps have been around 800£ on top of the purchase price. Would I have bought the two amps if I had known that within 5 months I would have to add 800£ to the price I paid originally? Probably not.
Click to expand...

What did they do for £800? Do you have an invoice with breakdown of costs?
 
You must take away shipping, which is around 185£ from and to Denmark.That leaves 615£ which was spent on a total of 10 work hours on the 2 amps. 8 hours on the EAR 516 and 2 on the EAR 802.

The EAR 516 was repaired and serviced with new parts and apparently Tim exchanged some inexpensive wrong values on bits and then calibrated the sound carefully to his standards. He said he spent more work time than he cared on the EAR 516.

The EAR 802 had a service, 2 resistors were replaced when the phono stage was repaired and the balance pot was repaired.

If you look at the photos of my EAR 516, it is evident that it needed some TLC. The EAR 802 looked and looks almost pristine inside.

When I bought the amps I hoped that they would work for a few years before service would be needed, but they both developed faults within a few months after I bought them from a guy in Munich.

Now I have two serviced EAR amps that have cost me around as much as a mint secondhand EAR 868PL would have cost me.
 
As some of you have noticed, I have put the EAR 802 up for sale. I am tempted to buy a Wall Opus 88 which has MC onboard. The only thing is that I may not have an opportunity to compare the Wall Opus 88 and the EAR 802 before making the switch.

I think the looks of the Wall Opus 88 is terrific - you can switch off the LED light completely. It only has 3 inputs, one of them an onboard MM/MC stage. The thing is that by exchanging my EAr 802 for the Wall Opus 88, I may only be changing the sound signature, not the sound quality which is what I hope for. The EAR 802 + EAR 516 sound very good into my Quad ESL 57s.

Then again, I have spottet some Wall M33 monos ... Those I can compare to the EAR 516.
 
Sounds to me like a dangerous plan... Replacing EAR kit with a different valve preamp without careful audition could result in a very different sound as the EAR amplifiers really don't have the traditional 'valve' sound that many people love. EAR amps are really like solid state amps without the things we don't like about (some) solid state amps. I personally think this is the right approach, and the fact that a lot of EAR stuff goes into recording studios suggests that others find the amps quite neutral in their 'sound', but when I sold my EAR890 I didn't (immediately) replace it with a valve amp, and the valve amp I now use, is a Radford, which again, doesn't sound valve-like either.
 
JemHayward said:
Sounds to me like a dangerous plan... Replacing EAR kit with a different valve preamp without careful audition could result in a very different sound as the EAR amplifiers really don't have the traditional 'valve' sound that many people love. EAR amps are really like solid state amps without the things we don't like about (some) solid state amps. I personally think this is the right approach, and the fact that a lot of EAR stuff goes into recording studios suggests that others find the amps quite neutral in their 'sound', but when I sold my EAR890 I didn't (immediately) replace it with a valve amp, and the valve amp I now use, is a Radford, which again, doesn't sound valve-like either.
Click to expand...

Inclined to agree that it's dangerous, for similar reasons. Straight-into-MC stages often disappoint too compared to decent MM + quality SUT. I use an EAR 912 into Radford STA100. The combo to me is the perfect approach, delivering what what valves do best, but without the stereotypical 'valve' sound.
 
You're turning into a bit of a box swapper, Peter and I still have no idea why you ditched the 912, which really has everything. Okay, of course, if your idea of excitement and entertainment is to keep changing things (I'm rather reactionary in this and most aspects), but the search for the holy grail is only valid if you can recognise when you've found it !;)

Nice to see this thread reactivated, though.
 
Re the EAR 912: money, money, money that I needed back to pay off debt. I have said this before and I do not mind admitting it: I overspent by a significant margin. So there was no way I could allow myself to keep the 912.

Box-swapper: yes! Guilty as charged!

I think that my current EAR 802 and 516 are very, very good-sounding, yet perhaps a little on the dry side with my Quad ESL 57s. The same goes for the EAR 868 and 912 by the way, if my memory serves me well. I fancy a bit of warmth and a change of the power amp would perhaps where I should be heading. Still, I am liistening to you level-headed people, and will make sure that if I go to have a listen to the Wall Audio Opus 88 in Hamburg, I will make a point of bringing my EAR 802 to be able to make a comparison. Hell, I may even bring my EAR 516. Although I better leave the Quad ESL 57s at home.:rolleyes:

By the way, I will open my EAR 516 and snap some photos of the serviced innards. Tim de P spent 8 hours on that compact amp and the result should be apparant.
 
When I was suffering some pain in my system I was VERY tempted to sell off my EAR amps; I only did not take this route due to a dealer I phoned who expressed his doubt, he was quiet right. You have spent time and money making sure the amps are working well, if I was looking to adjust your system I think the amps would be staying .....obviously your call.

Have to say, I do not find my 868/534 to be dry.

Best wishes Peter.
 
I have parted with the Ear 802 on good terms, however I thought it sounded a little too even-handed and emotionless. Without it music playback directly into the Ear 516 sounds, at least as good as through the Ear 802. I have agonised over what to replace it with. In a few days I will receive a Herron VTSP2a, and if that does not work, I will look for a Yamamoto CA04. I plan to hold on to the Ear 516 which Tim d. P. says is a perfect match with my Quad ESL-57s .
 
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Here is what the German buyer of my EAR 802 has to say about the EAR 802 with "the Head" SUT:

"The internal phono is impressingly good, therefore Rega Ios is history for me. The combination of "the Head" + internal 802 is better than "the head" + pb88 as well. Pb88 alone could be better depending on cartridge, its a matter of taste I guess."

That does sound like there may be something else going on with my turntable set-up since I did not like the EAR 802 better in my system.

I will know a little more tomorrow when I get a Herron VTSP2 preamp. If it does not sound better in my system, I will have to look at my turntable set-up, including the Partridge SUT.
 
Rosewind said:
Having just packed up my EAR 802 pre for the journey to pre-Brexit UK, I remembered a list of EAR Yoshino amps I gathered a while ago:

Power amps: EAR 509 (1x100) + Mki + Mkii (1x110) + Jubilee (1x100), EAR 510, EAR 511 (1x100), EAR 516 (2x50), EAR 518 (?), EAR 519 (1x100), EAR 521 (1x500), EAR 529 (1x500), EAR 534 (2x50), EAR 549 (1x220), EAR 861 (2x32), EAR 890 (2x70), EAR Yoshino 30A + 30B (2x30), EAR G32/G34, Paravicini M100 (1x100)

Integrated amps: EAR 8L6 (2x50), EAR 834 (2x50), EAR 834T (2x100), EAR 859 (2x13), EAR 869 (2x15), EAR 899 (2x70), EAR V12 (2x50), EAR V20 (2x24)

Preamps: EAR "the Preamp", EAR 802 mk. I +Mk II, + Mk III, EAR 834L (+ Deluxe), EAR 864, EAR 868L/PL, EAR 912, EAR G88, EAR P52 (with 52 valves in the circuit), Paravicini 312.

Phono pre-amps: EAR 324, EAR 834P Signature + Deluxe, EAR 88PB

Headphone amp: EAR HP4
Click to expand...
.............
The 518 is a 2 x 100W
 
Thanks Alain!

Power amps:
EAR 509 Mki + Mkii (1x100) + Jubilee (1x100)
EAR 510
EAR 511 (1x100)
EAR 516 (2x50)
EAR 518 (2x100)
EAR 519 (1x100)
EAR 521 (1x500)
EAR 529 (1x500)
EAR 534 (2x50)
EAR 549 (1x220)
EAR 861 (2x32)
EAR 890 (2x70)
EAR Yoshino 30A + 30B (2x30)
EAR G32/G34
Paravicini M100 (1x100)

Integrated amps:
EAR 8L6 (2x50)
EAR 834 (2x50)
EAR 834T (2x100)
EAR 859 (2x13)
EAR 869 (2x15)
EAR 899 (2x70)
EAR V12 (2x50)
EAR V20 (2x24)

Preamps:
EAR "the Preamp" (MC)
EAR 802 mk. I+mk. II+ mk III (MM)
EAR 834L + Deluxe (Line stage),
EAR 864 (MM/MC)
EAR 868L (Line stage) + EAR 868PL (MM/MC)
EAR 912 (MM/MC)
EAR G88
EAR P52 (52 valve circuit)
Paravicini 312

Phono pre-amps:
EAR 324 (MM/MC)
EAR 834P Signature + Deluxe (MM or MM/MC)
EAR 88PB (MM/MC)
EAR Phonobox (MM/MC)

MC-step-ups:
EAR "The Head"
EAR MC3
EAR MC4

Headphone amp:
EAR HP4
 
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That's a nice list, Peter. My 509 mk 2s are listed as 100watts (not that 10 W is anything), but maybe later ones were different. There's a pair of mk 2s on Ebay currently at £5K (!!!!) and they seem marginally different to mine aesthetically.
 
Mike Reed said:
That's a nice list, Peter. My 509 mk 2s are listed as 100watts (not that 10 W is anything), but maybe later ones were different. There's a pair of mk 2s on Ebay currently at £5K (!!!!) and they seem marginally different to mine aesthetically.
Click to expand...

Mine also say 100.
 
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