‘Impressively sleek, “classy”,’ ‘and emphatically preferred with high end speakers.’ Total isolation confers and the immediate advantage is that each channel has it’s own power supply, which reduces signal distortion, and gives the power – amplification section infinite channel separation’. The output tubes are industrial broadcast types.’ ‘There are very unusual things about this amp. The frequency response and power bandwidth, with no feedback around the output transformer borders on the incredible!’ ‘This must be the most fantastic audio output transformer ever made.’ ‘Test reports have verified the unit’s remarkable measured performance.’ ‘The first thing that hit me – and I mean right between the ears! – was the truly incredible depth of the reproduction. Front-to-back perspectives are rendered with almost shocking realism, and the instruments or voices have a roundness to them that makes most (other) depth reproduction sound like cardboard cutouts….flat by comparison.’ ‘Musical timbres ……were rendered with remarkable accuracy.’ ‘Deep-bass reproduction was very tight.’ ‘This amplifier is one of the best.’

FURTHER COMMENTS: ‘The specificity of depth reproduction is as startling as observed.’ ‘The instruments and voices sound more well-defined. This effect can be addictive – once you get used to it, it may be hard to give up.’ ‘Concerning low bass performance, they do go very low… and with lots of guts. It’s hard to believe you’re listening to a tube amp.’ ‘Many music listeners will feel it makes their speaker sound more like music.’ ‘You may find they do wonders for your speakers.’ STEREOPHILE MAGAZINE

‘Most modern valve amplifiers are no more than old designs rehashed.’ ‘EAR twin mono valve power amplifiers are different,’ and ‘originate a new design.’ ‘They are unique, sophisticated designs that don’t plagiarise application notes and don’t rely on the copying of other manufacturers circuits.’ ‘The output transformer and the output stage design are the piece de resistance of this amplifier.’ ‘The transformers use a thirteen section bifilar wound bobbin on a grain oriented core and is massive.’ ‘The EAR amps appear to use about the most sophisticated output stage ever designed.’
TEST REPORT: ‘The power bandwidth was astonishing, extending from 8Hz-100KHz.’ ‘The frequency response was flat, and there were no peaks, oscillations or funnies up to, or past 100KHz’. ‘And they don’t use masses of overall feedback to achieve this either.’ ‘I think the (astonishing bass distortion residual) figure must break all records for 100W output form a valve amplifier.’ ‘There’s no doubt that the circuitry and output transformer do offer the promised performance – quite amazing.’ ‘The measurements show just how well valves can perform in objective terms, and this achievement is in itself fascinating.
SUBJECTIVE REPORT: ‘The EAR’s gave a great sense of image depth and a feeling of dimension to the stereo stage.’ ‘They certainly don’t lack a beautiful feeling of openness and clarity.’ ‘The bottom-end delivery surprised me when using the amplifiers. ‘They have one of the tightest and most powerful bass deliveries I have heard for a long time.’ ‘They have ample power, and don’t show any sign of strain, even when delivering very high levels.’ ‘I found it telling that a large number of people (involved in the music business) simply preferred the EAR’s to any other model in a group of amplifiers with which they were being compared over a period of a few months.’ ‘Many of the best solid-state amplifiers currently available did not have the sense of depth and solidity of imaging, nor did they have the bass delivery, of the EAR’s.’
CONCLUSION: ‘After a few months use I am still finding out how good and how different the EAR’s can sound.’ ‘They are beautiful to listen to and bring back the excitement and dynamic quality to music that other amplifiers hid so well. They also bring back life and the dynamic quality in reviewers suffering boredom.’ HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW

‘THE LOUD, THE FAT AND THE SUBTLE’ – review describing EAR amplifiers in professional studio use, driving both playback monitors and the mastering cutter head itself!’ ‘Discs mastered at Island Records’ Sound Clinic have been cut on a system which features electronics designed by Esoteric Audio Research.’ ‘EAR amplifiers offer state-of-the-art performance. ‘They are fast, dynamic and powerful, with an elegant visual design and a high standard of finish.’ ‘They have a very important emphasis on phase coherence.’ ‘The vocal quality was sweeter and more natural, with no false bass end.’ ‘The mid-range clarity and openness separated similar-sounding instruments beautifully and made dense clusters of multi-tracked instruments more coherent.’ ‘Voice quality was excellent, with plenty of detail and inflexion preserved. Bass instruments came over as deep and powerful, always sounding clean and controlled, and allowed the more delicate aspects of the signal – such as ambience and instrumental timbre – to shine through. Treble end was ‘fast’ and detailed without being wearing.’ ‘Tracks sounded firm, detailed and ‘together’ with a sense of ‘continuity’ or ‘momentum’.'''' HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW

‘The EAR is fast’ and ‘lays (noise and hum level) problems to rest with a very good figure equivalent to – 106dB below 100W.’ ‘The tight delivery and control of bass notes, totally unlike the flabby boom heard from so many valve amplifiers, contributed to the clear and open sound and powerful bass.’ ‘The EAR gave excellent imaging both of stereo staging and of depth, and a transparency that made listening through this amplifier very rewarding.’ STAN CURTIS

‘The EAR excels in overall stereo staging’ and ‘in the reproduction of dynamic contrasts. Its overall dynamic range gives one the impression that it has twice the rated horsepower.’ THE ABSOLUTE SOUND

‘EAR is responsible for much of the electronics in The Sound Clinic (Island Records mastering studio), and the record mastering system that makes The Sound Clinic unique.’ ‘What The Sound Clinic has accomplished was later dramatically demonstrated on the cutting room monitoring equipment,’ ‘The Sound Clinic is no ordinary mastering facility.’ ‘This began when the studio manager and mastering engineer who runs The Sound Clinic visited an EAR equipped demonstration room at an exhibition. “I had been shocked at Hi-Fi exhibitors in little rooms filled with people who all thought they knew it all.” “I found the whole thing really a bit unnerving, coming from a professional environment where people don’t spend all their time bitching about each other.” “All the others sounded like they were trying – EAR succeeded.” ‘The EAR disc cutting electronics are the key part of The Sound Clinic’s mastering system.’ ‘No amount of feedback will cure high resonance (normally induced by the cutter.)’ ‘EAR modelled the mechanical attributes of the cutter system, predetermined the resonance coloration’s and cancelled them electronically.’ “There was a kind of unison between what EAR was doing and what we wanted, what we had been working towards all along.” For the Studer mastering recorders EAR developed “Class A line drivers that sound far better than any permutation Studer have ever made.” “They are stunning.” “We get more headroom, slew rate is very fast, they’re cleaner and quieter.” HI-FI ANSWERS