When I had one IIRC I ended up with a GE 5751 in P1, a Sovtek 12AX7LPS in P2, and a black-plate RCA 5814A (actually an ECC82 type) in P3. Definitely worth experimenting a fair bit and good NOS can pay off. P1 is the input gain, which is why I used a 5751 as I had a high output cart (2M Black), P2 is the RIAA curve, and this has to be a ECC83, P3 is the cathode-follower/output and I felt the 5814A drove my preamp far better.
There is a wealth of real geekery over on Audio Asylum about this phono stage. I learned a lot of things to try there.
By coincidence, I was swapping valves around in my EAR 834P yesterday. I tried the combination recommended by @Tony L and thought it sounded dull, closed in and a bit lifeless. I ended up reinserting the Td'P stock valves - 12AX7s of some sort - and it came back to life. I will now leave it alone.
Yes, I should have qualified my comments along the lines of "my ears, my kit and my room"! Having said that, I've never experienced the apparently dramatic differences with small signal tubes which others hear. I think TdP has used different brands in his kit over the years, and I'm pretty sure that my 834P came with Sovtek 12AX7LPS tubes. I've always regarded Sovteks as pretty decent sensibly priced current production tubes. Hunting out decent NOS stuff has become a bit of a nightmare and, for me at least, simply not worth the cost and risk.Do bare in mind I was deliberately trying to drop gain a bit with the 5751 (the 834P was way louder than my CD player with the 2M!), that change may well not suit a different cart.
Regardless I’d certainly have a listen to any options you have available. IIRC the stock TdP valves are current production JJs. These are really not hard to better if you are prepared to look at NOS.
I think TdP has used different brands in his kit over the years, and I'm pretty sure that my 834P came with Sovtek 12AX7LPS tubes.
In my case dialling in the cartridge loading resistance and capacitance made by far the biggest improvement
"You're not one of those tube-rollers, are you?"
was Tim de Paravicini's mocking reply to me when I asked him years ago (by email) about replacing his ax7 with an au7 in the front tube position. He was right. 3 X 12ax7 is what you want in his phono stage, may he rest in peace.
You are right, there aren't any user adjustable settings as such, just the MM/MC switch. Anything else would mean a soldering iron and swapping out resistors and capacitors etc. You'd have to know what you were doing, thus excluding people like me!I wasn't aware you could alter any settings, I assumed it was just MM or MC. I'm new to this so learning as I go. At the moment I've got it switched to MM, as I'm using a Soundsmith MI cartridge which I believe is similar to a high output MC.
I'm going to have to pop the lid off and have a look at what's in there.
You are right, there aren't any user adjustable settings as such, just the MM/MC switch. Anything else would mean a soldering iron and swapping out resistors and capacitors etc. You'd have to know what you were doing, thus excluding people like me!
FWIW the EAR 834P and Croft (which one!!?) are very similar indeed.
The same.LOL - indeed, which version.......
Usually 2 x ECC83 in a Croft MM phono, what are the equivalents in the EAR? P1 and P2?
LOL - indeed, which version.......
Usually 2 x ECC83 in a Croft MM phono, what are the equivalents in the EAR?