"The Sound Grabbed Me Above All Else"
In a world of plain-jane metal boxes, the new E-Glo S phono preamp from the European Audio Team – or EAT, for short – stands out as one-of-a-kind. The E-Glo S is definitely a head turner. The finish of the metal work and the polished natural wood side panels are magnificent, far surpassing any phono preamp we’ve seen priced under $10,000.
But the E-Glo S is much more than just a pretty face. Inside the ultra slim chassis, EAT's engineers created a saucy blend of old fashioned tube circuitry and advanced solid-state technology. This combination gives the E-Glo S unparalleled flexibility at the price point with on-the-fly adjustments for phono cartridge load impedance, capacitance, output gain, and even a subsonic filter.
Each of these adjustments is controlled by high-precision toggle switches near the front panel. Adjustment settings are clearly displayed on the front panel with micro-LED lights. YouÂ’ll never have to guess what your phono settings are, since they are clearly displayed right in front of you. Set your phono cartridge exactly to the cartridge manufacturer settings or play around with the settings to find ones that please your ears.
"Truly Superior Sounding"
"This is not a budget phono stage by any means, but it is a great one, blessed with styling and ergonomics showing cognizance of needs beyond absolute sound quality – such as usability," reports Ken Kessler in his review for England's Hi-Fi News magazine. "I fell in love with it within 15 seconds, but it was still the sound that grabbed me above all else. Elegant high-end tube phono pre-amplifier with ultra slim design!"
"EAT E-Glo S simply nails it!... truly superior-sounding preamplifier... so well balanced, so musical, so enjoyable," notes Piero Gabucci at Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity. "Excellent tempo and fullness, the EAT preamp expresses the highs cleanly. There is a difference sonically that once you hear how great the hybrid E-Glo S sounds and elevates your system, you may not think twice about the upgrade and cost...clean and natural highs and especially finite detail. This is an elevate-your-system kind of product. I highly recommend it."
"IncredibleÂ… the Experienced is Unmatched"
"European Audio TeamÂ’s E- Glo S is incredible... the experience is unmatched. ...the amount of texture and breath that the E-Glo S contributes is impeccable," raves Jeff Dorgay in TONEaudio magazine. "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."
"That the E-Glo S adds some tube sweetening is what makes it, in my books, so special," reports Jason Thorpe, SoundStage! Ultra. "In the 21st century, phono stages that use tubes to actually amplify a cartridgeÂ’s signal rather than using tubes only as buffer stages seem somewhat quaint, considering that itÂ’s far easier to slam out 70dB of gain with transistors. But EAT has managed to use vacuum tubes -- that century-old technology -- as the gain devices of a great-sounding, thoroughly modern phono preamplifier."
True Dual Mono Design
The circuit design of the E-Glo S is a dual mono design. Both gain channels are independent of one another. Even the rear panel RCA connectors are spaced far apart. The E-Glo S features a hybrid circuit with the ECC83 twin triode tube providing gain for the first and second gain stages, followed by an ultra-low noise J-FET transistor output stage. The preamp gain stage does not use any global feedback. To keep noise to an absolute minimum, EAT includes an advanced external linear power supply with anode voltage regulation and three stages of voltage filtering.
The ECC83 is a fairly common tube type. However, the supplied EAT tubes are anything but common. EAT manufacturers its own vacuum tubes using advanced Swiss-made equipment and featuring zircone anodes instead of the usual graphite for purposes of precision and long life. Each EAT-supplied tube is wrapped in an EAT Cool Damper to improve cooling efficiency, reduce microphonics and enhance tube sound.
Clever Engineering, Great Sound
The RIAA curve is equalized via a fully passive approach and split in two steps, which allows the E-Glo S to achieve perfect impedance matching between the gain stage and the equalization block. The subsonic filter works effectively yet subtly and doesnÂ’t affect audible frequencies in an unpleasant way. This gorgeous preamp also boasts a massive aluminum chassis.
