E-Glo

First shown privately to the trade at CES in Las Vegas this past January 13, E-Glo is now ready for its public debut at the Munich High End Show. E-Glo is an all-tube design completely free of semiconductors in its signal path. Its tube complement consists of the classic glassware beloved of audiophiles: four ECC83s and two ECC88s. The use of these valves will ensure that supplies of replacement tubes are always readily available, while experimentation is encouraged for those who love to fine-tune the sound of their systems by changing tubes, such as EAT’s premium offerings.

In the fully-balanced input stage, we fitted a Lundahl step up transformer with an amorphous core, type LL1932. The unit’s gain is 45db, plus the voltage gain of the step-up transformer. E-Glo’s amplifier section uses split, fully passive equalisation, without any equalisation in global negative feedback loop, which can harm the sound.

At this level of performance, only the best components will suffice. The choice of output capacitor is the highly-praised Mundorf. All other capacitors are WIMA. Mundorf Connectors with Teflon insulation have been chosen for their unparalleled integrity.

To ensure the utmost flexibility, to ensure perfect matching to a wide range of cartridges, the E-Glo provides capacitance loading for moving-magnet types in six user-switchable steps from 47pf to 900pF. ‘The loading resistance for moving-coil cartridges is continuously adjustable,’ says Lichtenegger, ‘as we already have on our Phono Box RS.’

Ensuring quiet operation is the use of an external power supply, connected to the E-Glo via a special 9-pin connector, familiar to those who recall the legendary Cello Palette preamplifier. Its heart is a custom-made toroid transformer. The transformer features double shielding between the primary and secondary windings. This avoids the intrusion of RFI, while acting as superior mains filter.

Separate power supplies feed the tube phono preamplifier because the best way to shield a mains transformer from electromagnetic radiation of is to distance it from the electronics. Metal shielding alone cannot perform the task as well as a separate power supply.

For the rectifying circuitry, EAT fitted special diodes with noise suppressing resistors. Also employed are high-quality electrolytic capacitors, followed by a voltage regulator with capacitor multiplier. The power component is a FET transistor.

A feast for the eyes, the handsomely styled E-Glo is housed in a 435x60x250mm chassis, is valves peering through cleverly design heat sinks that recall the two spools of a reel-to-reel tape deck. Across the front section are rows of switches for instant access to all settings – no need to ‘get inside’ to set the E-Glo for your cartridge of choice.

E.A.T.’s E-Glo is a state-of-the-art phono stage able to extract the ultimate performance from any cartridge it asked to accommodate.