EAT E-GLO S PHONO STAGE

what they say ...

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Hometheater-Hifi.com

Piero Gabucci  |  August 6  2018

 

"In 2013, EAT introduced the E-Glo, an all-tube phono preamplifier, the frontrunner to the Hybrid E-Glo S. The predecessor sells for about $7,000 while the new “S” hybrid is $3,000. The big difference is the outboard power supply for the E-Glo, whereas the E-Glo S is one chassis with an 18V power adaptor.

 

Note : Since the beginning of my time with the E-Glo S, I’m told E.A.T. is coming out with the LPS [ now available ] – a dual linear external power supply as an option to the hybrid adding $1,300 for a total of $4,300. When purchased together, there is a savings of $500, bringing the package price down to $3800.

 

The EAT E-Glo S I must say, is just fun to use. I’m impressed immediately by the on-the-fly setup, and simplicity. But getting to serious listening, I thought about clean instruments, John Coltrane’s Blue Train LP is easy to listen to with an easy tempo presented a modest challenge. Although highlighted by Coltrane’s tenor sax, there is so much subtleness in the complimentary instruments; go right to Side B, Locomotion, the opening track features Joe Jones on drums, is quick and weighty, tightly controlled by the Eat preamp. The thwack of the drum skin sounds crisp and taut. It doesn’t take long before Coltrane flares up the sax, brassy and sweet. Kenny Drew on piano sounds full and rich.

 

I’m a big fan of the big voice of Jonny Hartman; I’m puzzled why he doesn’t get more recognition as a true great American baritone singer. I listened to the 45 rpm version of, I Just Dropped By To Say Hello, features his ability to show deep strength, delicate details and control, the EAT E-Glo S simply nails it! The fine texture in his voice is sumptuous and throaty.

 

A favorite contemporary album is Beck’s Morning Phase, a bit folk, a bit rock – melodic, melancholy, mellow. The EAT E-Glo S brings out the lushness of the music, the instruments mysteriously slide across the soundstage, especially in the ethereal track, Heart Is A Drum. Yet the delicate acoustic guitar and banjo plucking are clearly delineated on the following track, Say Goodbye. The E-Glo S does this album justice as a modern masterpiece of music, at least IMHO by expressing some rangy dynamics.

 

Donald Fagen’s, The Nightfly is a must for anyone wanting to show off their system, especially on vinyl. It is a tight and polished recording, but also very rich acoustically, drop the needle on the first track I.G.Y. The speakers light up, the EAT E-Glo S goes to work, so well balanced, so musical, so enjoyable. Excellent tempo and fullness, the EAT preamp expresses the highs cleanly."

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Conclusion

"Most sub-$1k phono stages are frankly, simple metal boxes. This is not a glamorous component I suppose, but the EAT E-GLO S elevates the status of the phono preamplifier both visually and in performance. To most, $3,000 for a phono preamplifier may just be too much, given so many products for so much less, even counting the phono stage included in a good quality integrated amplifier or preamplifier.

 

This I will tell you with a straight face, there is a difference sonically that once you hear how greatly the hybrid E-Glo S sounds and elevates your system, you may not think twice about the upgrade and cost.

 

I can’t imagine a significant difference between the flagship EAT E-Glo and this new hybrid. But I will say if the pricier E-Glo sounds “better” than the E-Glo S, then I’m intrigued, because this Hybrid unit is thorough across the spectrum. I felt it resolved bass beyond adequate, clean and natural highs and especially finite detail.

This is an elevate-your-system kind of product.

I highly recommend it. "

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Tone Magazine - AnalogAholic

Jeff Dorgay  |  May 1  2018

 

"While there are a number of intriguing phono stages in the $1,000 range, stepping up to the five figure models reveals a level of tonal sophistication that the lesser models do not. Of course, you need a system capable of resolving the detail, and for many analog enthusiasts, this is overkill. Comparing the E-Glo S to a number of top range phonostages we have on hand from Simaudio, Audio Research, Conrad-Johnson and Pass, the EAT is an excellent balance.

 

The E-Glo S is like one of my favorite cars, the BMW M2. It doesn’t offer the ultimate level of performance of an M4 or a Porsche 911, but at real world driving levels, the experience is unmatched. Ditto for the E-Glo S. If you’ve got a mega system, with a top line turntable and you’re running a Goldfinger, Atlas or similar cartridge, you will need more performance than the E-Glo S has to give. (Though even in that context, you will be impressed at just how good it is). VANA’s Nancy Weiner suggests we take the larger E-Glo ($7,000) for a spin, so watch for a future review on this.

 

Acoustic instruments and complex musical selections really come to life via the E-Glo S. The speed of fast plucked acoustic guitars, or a gently bowed violin has the necessary delicacy to immerse you in sound. Yet there is also enough resolution to discern the difference between a Marshall stack and a stacked pair of Fender cabinets.

 

The low noise floor makes for great dynamics. Drums sound particularly lifelike, both on attack and decay, whether listening to the tubby drum solo of “In-na-gadda-da-vida” or the intricate work of Neil Peart. And it’s tough to beat tubey goodness for small ensemble and vocal pieces; the amount of texture and breath that the E-Glo S contributes is impeccable.

If you’re working within the context of a well-crafted system, and looking to put together a great analog front end in the $6k-$12k range, that includes the table, cartridge and phono stage of your choice – you will be hard pressed to find anything more revealing than the E-Glo S. The only qualifiers here are a single input, will RCA inputs and outputs work in the context of your system, and do you prefer tubes over transistors.

 

Speaking of tubes : JFets in the first gain stage keeps the noise lower than can be achieved in an all tube design. Even when placing my ear right up to the horns in the Pure Audio Project TRIO15s used for most of the listening in this review, the tiny bit of noise coming through is almost non-existent. Part of this can be attributed to the high level of quality present in the premium EAT tubes that are supplied with the E-Glo S.

The two supplied ECC83 tubes are a 12AX7 equivalent, and because the supplied EAT tubes are so good, I doubt you will even want to bother tube rolling – another bonus. While many manufacturers are using $10 tubes in their wares, these are premium tubes – a $400 upgrade on their own. Taking this into consideration, the E-Glo S is an even bigger bargain. For those of you that aren’t familiar EAT makes their own vacuum tubes, and you can watch a short video on their home page. Good stuff.

 

Summary

A $2,995 Marvel

"Running the E-Glo S through its paces with about a dozen different phono cartridges and hundreds of varied musical selections, it confirms its excellent first impression.This is a fantastic phono stage that is without compromise at its price. It’s easy to award this beauty one of our Exceptional Value for 2018."

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