Valve Phono EAR834P upgrade

[opt817]

We are also in Slovenia in this lockdown situation. I'm listening most of the spare time my vinyl collection, mostly jazz and blues.
I'm enjoing with Tannoy Turnbeery speakers, Sugden pre/final A class amplification, turntable designed by Tom Fletcher,
now produced in Ljubljana by Pear Audio, model Kid Thomas, Grado Reference V2 cartridge with 4mV output and valve phono EAR 834P, MM only type.

I need your suggestion for better valve phono, but still with valve cosy feeling? It can be MM only.
Budget up to 1500 GBP, possibility of purchasing used.

Stay healthy and thanks for advice.

[Lurch]

I would say go for a BigBottle mk3, it's a stunning piece of kit and the latest 1 box version come in at around £1k new. I picked one up recently and it's as good as my Tron Seven Ultimate, very detailed like the TSU but with smoothness, great texture and a rightness to the sound.

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[opt817]

Thanks John, for your input.

[Bigbird]

Yes as mentioned , the BB3 . Nothing ive heard gets close for the price . It’s amazing and you will have 500 spare for more records or a nice used MC cart to really hear it’s capabilities


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[opt817]

Hello Karl,

which type of NOS tubes are you using in Bigbottle Mk3 with best results?

[Bigbird]

Hello Karl,

which type of NOS tubes are you using in Bigbottle Mk3 with best results?

Hi buddy ,

I have a trio of NOS Telefunken.

2 x Siemens made telefunken pcc88 in position 1 and 3 , and 1 x early 60s Berlin made ecc83. I’ve had a play around with all sorts now of varying price and quality, from cheap old JJs to mid price genelex gold lion gold pins to NOS Russian military spec and and the Tele are by far the best sounding and quietest I have used so far . Wonderful valves . The ecc83 in position 2 has the most influence on the sound to my ears . If you like clean detailed and neutral and finesse the teles are the way. If you like warmth then the gold lions are fat and round sounding . It’s very responsive so you can really tailor it.

It’s just a brilliant phonostage and everything I have thrown at it sounds great. The Teles just give that little bit extra finesse and squeeze a few more drops out of it.

It destroyed my Whest 2.2 in every single way . One of the best upgrades I have made . I also requested Clarity cap CMR in mine too which give a big open soundstage and they just get out of the way leaving a lovely natural and neutral presentation.

For the price it’s an absolute Hifi bargain. As lurch said , he prefers it to his £8k Tron and it’s beaten a few others in the few thousand pound bracket too from what others have told me. It’s one thing that I can whole heartedly recommend to anybody looking to get more performance from their setup and I genuinely think you would be talking upwards of 3-4K in a retail environment . It’s also very quiet for a valve phono and measures very well too.

Oliver has just informed me that all phonostages he now builds now receive the kings treatment and every single component is precision ultra matched for perfect channel balance which elevates the performance higher and he now uses the CMR as his reference capacitor. They will also now be made in a one box version as he has found an o core transformer that doesn’t hinder performance.

You only have to read all of the positive reviews from owners to know that this latest mk3 version with multifet boards upgrade is a special piece of kit. I’m yet to see or hear a single person that doesn’t like it or has moved it on . That speaks for itself .

Cheers

[Iceman16]

+1 for the Bigbottle mkIII or BB3

[opt817]

I've contacted Oliver, but he is really busy with his projects and can't deliver Bigbottle mkIII before January next year.
Any other promising valve phono under € 1500?

+1 for the Bigbottle mkIII or BB3

[Bigbird]

I've contacted Oliver, but he is really busy with his projects and can't deliver Bigbottle mkIII before January next year.
Any other promising valve phono under € 1500?

Honestly mate I would be patient and wait . Put your order in and enjoy what you have for a few more weeks. He has a few more builds to do before Christmas but he can order your parts which sometimes take a few weeks to arrive anyway what with covid delays.

It’s not long now until January and you won’t get anything close to the BB3 performance for that kind of money. Somebody on another forum said yesterday that they now want to buy one too after hearing it in his system , and he has an Aurorasound Vida which retails around £4K , so it shows the kind of performance you get from this unit.


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[Lurch]

Ales, whilst I understand your desire/desperation to get this upgrade underway, I would say be patient, place your order, and wait for a BB3 to be delivered. There really isn't anything to touch it without spending atleast 3 times more, it really is that good.
I've owned a number of really good phonos over the last 4 yrs:
Icon Audio PS1.2SE
Icon Audio PS3SE
Tron Basic mm + Music First Baby Classic SUT
Tron Seven Ultimate

Also had a Sutherland 20/20 & Aurorasound Vida brought here by friends.
The BB3 is beyond any doubt the best PS that I've heard.

About the only kit I've had here that could run it close/beat it (to my ears) is a Music First Audio Reference mm (£10k) & MFA Classic SUT (£2800)

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