Phase Tech EA-1
- Thread starter Bart77
- Start date
Basically an EA 1 without LCR (coil) RIAA a ea 1200, i.e. passive RC (resistor + capacitors) Riaa network. You can easily get 11 different answers from 10 people about which sounds better. The built-in step-up transformer T1 is basically the same as the T 1000 SUT (EA 1200), except it doesn't have balanced input and output. But any experienced technician can retrofit something like that into the case in 1-2 hours. Savings of 9k€ between the EA 1(used) and the EA 1200(new).you can buy nice pickups, tonearms, or LPs from them. Oh, by the way, the SNR (signal to noise ratio) is much better on the EA 1 if how clean the power supply works is important to you.
Last edited:
Being a user of this phono stage for 10+ years, I have been fully happy with its performance. I went through equipment upgrades in all other components of my system over the years, namely speakers, power amp, turntable, tonearms, cartridges (currently My Sonic Lab Signature Platinum), the only one I am still keeping is this EA-1 ii phono stage. It just holds ample potential to keep up with my other upgrades. That being said, I rolled tubes to make it sound to my preference.
Another thing that I was given candid advice from my local distributor several years ago was that EA-1 ii had been discontinued simply because the manufacturer found it hard to justify the production costs due to the parts they chose to use and labour cost (not using any PCB boards for internal wiring). Therefore they tried looking for cost savings initiatives and eventually rolled out the EA-1000 phono stage. My distributor even suggested me keeping my EA-1 ii without having to think of upgrade to EA-1000 as he said the latter was in no way able to match the quality of EA-1.
As far as real value is concerned as you asked, EA-1 ii could be your final tube phono stage within the reasonable price range - let alone the ultra high end models priced from $30,000+. The other thing is that you might be tempted to plug in some decent NOS tubes to make it sound from remarkable to exceptional.
I hope my sharing helps.
ELM
Attachments
Last edited:
ELM,
do you have any information about possibility to rewire EA-1 from 100V into 115/120V or 220/230VAC? I see on the pictures you posted and various pictures available online that there are additional windings available (covered with shrink tube), but I am not able to find any precise info which colour lead is responsible for which voltage. This is easy to check, but If you have any info - that would help.
HI Pr1nce,
The short answer is 'no'. I have no clue about re-wiring it to 120V or 220/230V. Even though I was based in a country of 220V mains voltage (so was the EA-1 imported version), my EA-1 was bought in Japan of 100V. I have been using a step down transformer to pair with the phono stage - which has already been giving me a stunning result, hence not ever thinking of going through the hassle of re-wiring.
In a visual check of the machine, each of the two power transformers was housed inside a metal casing. Yes you have to deal with two transformers because of the phono stage's duo mono design. The power cable actually connects with two separate sets of transformers and power supply units internally. Adding to complexity are the clustered components around each power supply unit - the 6X4 tube, the choke and the two large capacitors all joint together without a PCB board, it would be quite a challenge to get access to the transformer inside the sealed metal casing without completely dismantling the components. And you have to do this task twice for both channels. Personally I would choose to avoid the complications.
I hope my 2 cents help.
ELM
Last edited:
Hi ELM,
sure your answer helps, thank you.
I have ordered EA-1ii (100V) which is pending delivery now and I should receive it in 7-10 days from now. I will make my attempt to check if its possible to rewire as I believe it is and I will provide an update here in this topic.
I recently tried the old Phase Tech EA-3, dual mono, full of ELNA SILMIC II RFS Japan capacitors, RIKEN RMG resistors and other top components. I was highly impressed with the sound quality.
Hi Prince,
We shared a similar path in the Phase Tech journey as I also owned a EA-3 before moving on to EA-1 ii.
EA-3 is good while EA-1 is surprisingly impressive. I still remember the moment when I asked the salesman to plug in the EA-1 to a basic system in the shop just for a functional test. Even in such casually sounding occasion, I was thrilled by the marked difference in performance comparing to my EA-3 at home then sitting in a well set up system. It was no where near subtle.
As far as transformer is concerned, I am not sure if it was designed with multiple voltage output. You never know until you break into the metal casing.
I wish you good luck and fun in your new toy. The enjoyment should be immense.
ELM
Attachments
Hi LagondaStunningly simple design, if it sounds good, why not. Not much that can break.
You may be right. It was just my once personal experience in voltage change that brought me to the lack of interest in thinking about the move any more.
My Accuphase DP-720 CDP was a 100v version when I bought it. I had been using a step down transformer when I was based in a country of 220v mains voltage. A few years ago as I was about to move to another country of 240v mains, I decided to send the DP-720 to a local tech guy altering the voltage to 230/240v. With this change I could reap the convenience of transformer less.
To be honest I heard no sonic difference in the DP-720 between the two voltage settings given other system components unchanged. I know people would jump in to this point to add their views but please bear with me. I was just sharing my own experience which does not necessarily represent that of others. Maybe mains voltage would make more of a difference in amplifiers whose working nature requires drawing a lot of current than a CD player does. For not being an electric guy I am constrained in explaining further.
For this reason I just save the hassle of altering input voltage for my stacks of 100v/120v equipment.
ELM
Hi Bonzo75,
Happy to share my modest system.
Currently I use a TW Acustic Raven LS turntable 3 motor version installed with two arms. One is the TWA stock 10.5 arm while another is a 9" Glanz arm. The TWA arm pairs with a My Sonic Lab Signature Platinum cartridge whereas the other arm has a Miyajima-lab Infinity mono cartridge installed. I am also keeping a Stein Music Aventurin 6 cartridge.
As mentioned above, I have been happy with the EA-1 phono stage in which the tube complement was tuned to my sound preference: Maconi 6x4, Siemens E83CC, E82CC and the stock Matsushita 12AX7 for each channel. Lately a head amp called LIRICO was added to my stack. It was made by a Japanese company Fidelix. An interesting product with very high S/N ratio. That said, I felt that the internal SUT in the EA-1 yields a better sonic outcome when matched with the MSL Platinum and the Infinity than the head amp does.
In the aspect of amplification, I use Conrad Johnson products with the ET-5 to pair with the ART150. All the triodes in both amps have been replaced with the Siemens CCa.
The Accuphase DP-720 has been in my system for a good number of years. Because most of my time has been spent on vinyls replay these years, I have no incentive to replace the CDP at this time.
Speaker front I listen with a pair of Sweden made Marten Parker Duo. It fits in my listening room. Although Parker Trio would be an even ideal choice, wife-acceptance-factor is a key concern : )
ELM
Last edited:
I would like to report that yesterday I have rece
Hi Elm,
I wanted to report that my EA-1ii arrived two days ago and yesterday I made it working with my local electrical voltage (although I don't recommend doing that to anyone without practical experience, as EA-1 is very tight inside and to make any change its actually required to dissemble most parts of the chassis. Nevertheless I succeed. My unit looks exactly the same as yours, but I think mine is a earlier unit as handwritten numbers on the transformers are lower ( 3 and 4 If I remember correctly).
I hooked it up just to check if its working and indeed it works well and is super quiet. Its too early to write about the sound, however I can already say that its very relaxed, smooth and easygoing. I believe its also good time to change my Denon 103R for something more on the level of this preamplifier
I will report more in the coming days/weeks.
You mentioned about tube rolling. What is your experience with these MWT (Marconi) 6X4, how do they sound?
I was a tube guy years ago (SET and horns) and I remember that my favorite type of sound was reproduced by Amperes Bugle Boy D getter (all tube models had same/similar sound flavor). Sweet, thick, juicy, warm, engaging, fun, great timbre, top for rock and roll / hard rock.
Hi Elm,
I wanted to report that my EA-1ii arrived two days ago and yesterday I made it working with my local electrical voltage (although I don't recommend doing that to anyone without practical experience, as EA-1 is very tight inside and to make any change its actually required to dissemble most parts of the chassis. Nevertheless I succeed. My unit looks exactly the same as yours, but I think mine is a earlier unit as handwritten numbers on the transformers are lower ( 3 and 4 If I remember correctly).
I hooked it up just to check if its working and indeed it works well and is super quiet. Its too early to write about the sound, however I can already say that its very relaxed, smooth and easygoing. I believe its also good time to change my Denon 103R for something more on the level of this preamplifier
I will report more in the coming days/weeks.
You mentioned about tube rolling. What is your experience with these MWT (Marconi) 6X4, how do they sound?
I was a tube guy years ago (SET and horns) and I remember that my favorite type of sound was reproduced by Amperes Bugle Boy D getter (all tube models had same/similar sound flavor). Sweet, thick, juicy, warm, engaging, fun, great timbre, top for rock and roll / hard rock.
Hi Pr1nce,I would like to report that yesterday I have rece
Hi Elm,
I wanted to report that my EA-1ii arrived two days ago and yesterday I made it working with my local electrical voltage (although I don't recommend doing that to anyone without practical experience, as EA-1 is very tight inside and to make any change its actually required to dissemble most parts of the chassis. Nevertheless I succeed. My unit looks exactly the same as yours, but I think mine is a earlier unit as handwritten numbers on the transformers are lower ( 3 and 4 If I remember correctly).
I hooked it up just to check if its working and indeed it works well and is super quiet. Its too early to write about the sound, however I can already say that its very relaxed, smooth and easygoing. I believe its also good time to change my Denon 103R for something more on the level of this preamplifier
I will report more in the coming days/weeks.
You mentioned about tube rolling. What is your experience with these MWT (Marconi) 6X4, how do they sound?
I was a tube guy years ago (SET and horns) and I remember that my favorite type of sound was reproduced by Amperes Bugle Boy D getter (all tube models had same/similar sound flavor). Sweet, thick, juicy, warm, engaging, fun, great timbre, top for rock and roll / hard rock.
Congratulate on your EA-1ii arrival and the success in voltage alteration. Very impressive indeed.
The 6X4 belongs to the rectification circuit. Before Marconi, I rolled TungSol USA and Ericsson Sweden. The Tung-Sol came with the pre-amp when I bought it. I would say all three brands are nice sounding tubes. The Tung-Sol offers a bit more dynamic while the Ericsson sounds more gentle and descent. I settled with the Marconi ultimately because it approached the sound with the best of both worlds plus a bit of syrup (typical Great Britain tube sounding).
Given the much more voice focused GB tubes in the rectification circuit, I opted for something more on the analytical front for the amplification circuit, which goes for the Siemens triple mica E83CC, the stock tube Matsushita 12AX7 and a Siemens long plate E82CC.
I had rolled different combinations like Mullard in the 12AX7 short plate or 12AU7 long plate square getter plus a German Valvo or Lorenz ECC83. I also tried Mazda ECC83 silver plate for a short while. While those complements sounded good in certain genres, they lagged behind in others. Looks like they fell short of tipping the balance in frequency response. Eventually I went back to the Siemens and Matsushita combination. It has turned out to be the most pleasing to my ears. Having said that, the pre-amp with the stock tubes is already remarkably sounding.
It may be a good idea to align cartridge performance with your EA-1ii in order to fully exploit its potential. Have fun in tube rolling and your new pre-amp. It won't let you down.
Look forward to further update on your listening experience.
Cheers
ELM
@ELMET5
Hey Elm,
few weeks have passed since I have received EA1ii and a short summary of my so far experience is that I feel fully satisfied and there is nothing I miss in the performance of this device. I liked it when it came with stock tubes it arrived, few days ago I replaced Philips 6X4 ECG with Marconi U78 and while this indeed is an upgrade - I can only say even with stock Philips it sounded sooo good it would be unfair to complain at all.
My imagination several times helped me to understand what I miss in the sound of digital and therefore my path to satisfaction with digital was quite long and tough, even recently forcing me to sell my Reimyo DAP-999EX Limited D/A converter (which is one of the most "musical" transistor D/A ever produced) in favor of my DIY tube DAC which sounds even more "musical" and analog than Reimyo.
I am a tube guy in my preference and I like to use tubes (not all, just some exact types) in the front end. and class A (tube like) transistor amplifiers in the back end.
EA1ii is a simply amazing application of good old ECC tubes. It delivers super smooth, lush, dynamic, powerful, detailed sound. What I like in this design is that it focus on music, music is first and all these "audiophile" kind of discussions about bass, treble, resolution are 2nd priority.
Its difficult for me to leave a valuable advice here to others but, let me just say in the last 3 months I evaluated several high end digital cables (Transparent Reference, Reference XL, Acrolink Mexcel 6300, Furutech Digiflux, AAI Estremo, Tiglon MGL-D10 and few others). All are good, some are special, but none is perfect to my taste and critical evaluation is required before purchase.
EA1ii ticks all the boxes. Its super silent, easy to use, looks great, sound it state of the art.
We all are different, so are ours preferences, therefore I can understand that someone will chose CH Precision phono instead of Phase Tech, but I simply cannot imagine that anyone with good sense of art would claim EA1ii is bad or not a pinnace of what there is.
Hey Elm,
few weeks have passed since I have received EA1ii and a short summary of my so far experience is that I feel fully satisfied and there is nothing I miss in the performance of this device. I liked it when it came with stock tubes it arrived, few days ago I replaced Philips 6X4 ECG with Marconi U78 and while this indeed is an upgrade - I can only say even with stock Philips it sounded sooo good it would be unfair to complain at all.
My imagination several times helped me to understand what I miss in the sound of digital and therefore my path to satisfaction with digital was quite long and tough, even recently forcing me to sell my Reimyo DAP-999EX Limited D/A converter (which is one of the most "musical" transistor D/A ever produced) in favor of my DIY tube DAC which sounds even more "musical" and analog than Reimyo.
I am a tube guy in my preference and I like to use tubes (not all, just some exact types) in the front end. and class A (tube like) transistor amplifiers in the back end.
EA1ii is a simply amazing application of good old ECC tubes. It delivers super smooth, lush, dynamic, powerful, detailed sound. What I like in this design is that it focus on music, music is first and all these "audiophile" kind of discussions about bass, treble, resolution are 2nd priority.
Its difficult for me to leave a valuable advice here to others but, let me just say in the last 3 months I evaluated several high end digital cables (Transparent Reference, Reference XL, Acrolink Mexcel 6300, Furutech Digiflux, AAI Estremo, Tiglon MGL-D10 and few others). All are good, some are special, but none is perfect to my taste and critical evaluation is required before purchase.
EA1ii ticks all the boxes. Its super silent, easy to use, looks great, sound it state of the art.
We all are different, so are ours preferences, therefore I can understand that someone will chose CH Precision phono instead of Phase Tech, but I simply cannot imagine that anyone with good sense of art would claim EA1ii is bad or not a pinnace of what there is.
Hi Pr1nce,
Thank you for your encouraging report on the EA-1ii. I am happy to know the phono stage to your liking.
Enjoy your musical experiences with the EA-1ii. I am sure you will be getting more out of it from finding the final tube complement you like.
Happy listening.
ELM
P.S. I won't mind trying out a CH Precision phono stage if such opportunity arises one day Lol.
If you like EA-1, I a not sure, that you will like any CHP phono assembly at all .
Current Phasemation EA-2000, Airtight ATE-3011, Allnic H-8000DHT or Engström Monica phono are the ones to potentially look for
Thank you for offering some great suggestions for consideration.
Life is short, so it is absolutely tempting to try out these brands. As for CHP, I have not heard of their sonic flavour but was only met with some user comments that they tend to sound clinical. Not sure though. Hope I could personally experience one day, along with those you suggested.
Cheers
ELM
@shakti @ELMET5
I would like to ask you for advice.
Which cartridge would you recommend as an upgrade over Denon DL103R with similar sound signature, which I precieve as fun, engaging, emotional, dynamic, great for rock and roll, hard rock with good body, mass. I am not seeking ultra high resolution, neither I am listening to ECM jazz. I want pure fun and enjoyment.
Tonearm I use is Audio Creative Groovemaster III
Phasemation PP-500?
IKEDA 9TS or 9TT?
I would like to ask you for advice.
Which cartridge would you recommend as an upgrade over Denon DL103R with similar sound signature, which I precieve as fun, engaging, emotional, dynamic, great for rock and roll, hard rock with good body, mass. I am not seeking ultra high resolution, neither I am listening to ECM jazz. I want pure fun and enjoyment.
Tonearm I use is Audio Creative Groovemaster III
Phasemation PP-500?
IKEDA 9TS or 9TT?
The Ikeda 9TS would be my recommendation from the above shown carts.
but Groovemaster ist great with SPU.
Go for the SPU Century
Hi Pr1nce,
I may not have much to chip in as my listening leans towards orchestral music/ mainstream jazz and high resolution is something I look upon favourably, hence the cartridge choice. And I wish I played with the legendary DL103 before.
From my limited experiences with a few major Japanese cartridge brands over the years, Shelter and My Sonic Lab may not fit in the sonic flavour as you aspire to. Shelter tend to go for the musicality whereas MSL highlight resolution and dynamics. Phasemation can be a nice fit between the former two since sonically they are close to what you are looking for from my recollection. It is probably a good idea to start with PP-500 moving up the ladder over time.
Ikeda is a good contender in your tonearm quest, along with others like ortofon, glanz or even some newer models of SAEC all within similar price range. If you go for the SPU, tonearm pairing needs to be carefully looked into as this kind of cartridges generally require a high mass arm to make them sing, typically the Glanz upper series arms.
Hope my two cents help.
ELM
Similar threads
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |