At the end of last year vacation time, we published a test of the outstanding Japanese preamplifier Phasemation EA-1 II, provided by the Krakow Eter Audio. This device left very good impressions and put the threshold so high, that besides the Polish, RCM Theriaa, we did not encounter anything similarly ambitious during our tests. But time does not stand still, and the catalogs of manufacturers change, more or less drastically, sometimes including their top offerings. That was the case with the EA-1 II, which was replaced by the tested unit, the EA-1000. The device is quite mysterious, as you cannot find any information about it on the global web pages of the Kyodo Denshi Engineering Co., Ltd., the owner of the brand. Only when you switch to the Japanese version of the page you will find a description, as long as you can read Japanese.

You can see at first sight, that this time the Japanese decided to move the borders even further, and offered an uncompromising product aimed at the most discerning clients. The modularity of the EA-1 closed in a more conventional form, in terms of size, evolved in the EA-1000 to something much more high-end, a more orthodox solution, based on an external power supply and two equalizing units. Due to that the manufacturer achieved very high channel separation and in addition all circuits have very comfortable working environment. This is especially important, because despite this not being visible from outside, and the manufacturer does not mention it in the materials supplied with the preamplifier, the EA-1000 is a tube device. The tubes are not only in the signal modules, but also in the PSU. In the sound path we have two JJ ECC 803S (12AX7) and one 12AU7 per channel, and in the power supply a rectifying tube 5U4G.
The front panel, made from thick, brushed aluminum anodized black, is housing only a plate with the company logo and a massive power switch, both located in the middle. The chassis of the unit is also varnished black. On the back panel you can find only an IEC socket, integrated with fuse housing, and two five pin sockets for powering the signal modules – the top one for the right channel, the bottom one for the left.
The correction curve monoblocks have brushed aluminum anodized silver front panels, with a very faint champagne note and satin-silver chassis. They look very elegant. The neutral, calm surface of the fascia is only jeweled by “golden” details in the form of the plate with the company logo and three beautifully made small knobs. Looking from the left the first one allows for setting the operation mode – you can select from two mono modes, one for Decca and the second one for Columbia correction curves, a stereo mode and the last one, dedicated to 78rpm discs. Between this knob, and the MC impedance selector, a blue LED was placed to indicate power. A source selector is the last knob on the front.
The back panels of the modules are rich in connectors. Besides the ability to connect two MC cartridges (one via RCA, the other via XLR sockets) and one MM cartridge, the happy buyer can lead the amplified signal by RCA as well as XLR sockets. There is also a bolt for connecting the grounding wire. There is also a dedicated five pin socket to connect to the PSU.
As you can see on the attached pictures, and hopefully read from the description above, the technologically advanced and uncompromised construction did not prevent the designers from creating a nice, and very intuitive device. The role of the individual knobs is so obvious, that there are not even the slightest concerns, that anybody would have any issues in operating them; even people starting to explore the vinyl world. In addition there is absolutely no need to perform any more advanced regulations, so the EA-1000 seems to be a high-end version of a plug and play device. And below, I will try to answer the question, how this simplification, meaning not allowing the user to influence the parameters of the unit too deeply (putting changing the tubes aside), influenced the sound.

For sure the EA-1000 can be regarded not only as a worthy replacement for the EA-1, but also as a next, important step towards the vinyl and audiophile absolute. But it is also worth remembering, that each one of us creates his or hers ideals based on our own preferences and tastes. This is also the case here – talking about ideals or masters, we should have in mind, that we deal with a reference made according to the design rules, preferences and so called ‘sound school’ of the manufacturer. In case of Phasemation, the trademark of this Japanese manufacturer is the above average spaciousness offered by their devices. That, what in case of the EA-1, was defined by Jacek as “endless stage depth” progressed further, evolved. The amount of air surrounding the musicians reached a level known from stadium or open air projects. There were no ensembles pressed together on a few square meters, no sultry atmosphere of mini-clubs present anymore. Instead we get limitless spaces with extremely precisely placed virtual sources, with their contours drawn with very thin, yet distinctly visible lines. The smoothness and pastel colored timbres resemble in their delicacy the Japanese kakemono (掛け物)/kakejiku (掛軸) drawings made on silk or paper.
In case of the EA-1000 we deal with the same homogeneity and coherence, without any, even the slightest, traces of nervousness or hurriedness in the sound. But this ethereality, full of intrinsic balance and calmness, has also a second face. I am talking about a certain delicacy of the transients, softening of the culmination moments of the attack. Although the contours and details remain on the same, very high level, when we reach for more brute repertoire, the mentioned characteristic of the sound will become more visible. For example, the album “Hail to the King” Avenged Sevenfold sounded very sublime with the Phasemation, what, at first, caused my surprise, which later changed into curiosity, about that form of interpretation, quite far from the general canon of music, but on the long end I missed the power and brutality associated with heavy metal esthetics. On this field the RCM Theriaa and the Octave Phono Module, I used in parallel with the Phasemation, offered more. But I hope you will understand me well, this remark is directed towards a small target group, as the probability, that in a system, where the tested phonostage will be installed, music like Slayer, My Dying Bride or Avenged Sevenfold will be played, can be regarded as very small.
Going back to the more civilized genres, we cannot go around complementing the preamplifier for refinement and reverence, with which it concentrates on each and every reproduced sound, not losing anything from its coherence and above average musicality. It was enough to play the Rodrigo y Gabriela “9 Dead Alive” to hear, how many sounds two guitars can produce, and how many tasty things, how much wealth is hidden in them. Each touch of a string, each movement of a hand on the neck or tap on the body can become an event on its own, when the listener wants it to, and can become a perfect reason to try and find more tasty bits in the sound. But it is enough to change the focus, look at things from a broader perspective and we can become engulfed in a very dynamic spectacle in a more global way.
The above mechanism was also true for bigger, more demanding ensembles. “Hatari!” and the jubilee, pink version of “The Pink Panther” of Henry Mancini did not leave anything to brag about in terms of dynamics. The insight into the parties of the individual musicians was masterful, while the stability of the stage and the precision of localization of the instruments could not be criticized at all. Adding to this the mentioned spaciousness, where the musical spectacle was played, sitting in your listening chair was making you think you are in the middle of one of the biggest music halls in the world.

Looking at the capabilities of the tested phonostage from a purely analytical point of view, I have to admit, that such smoothness, glued together with a crystalline pureness and almost laboratory resolution in the top registers cannot be found every day. Due to that, at least if the rest of the stereo system will permit (owners of loudspeakers with diamond and ribbon tweeters are favored here), we will not lose anything from things that are happening on the verge of our perception. Delicate noises, sounds of cymbals or the highest sounds achieved by trumpet players will not lose anything from their openness, and if needed, will show their rapacity.
The balance of the midrange and its sewing together with the edges of the sound spectrum were almost ideal. The tonal balance was set in the true middle between analyticity and musicality, so the influence on the final result will depend mostly on the rest of your system, with heavy emphasis on the performance of the used cartridge. There will be reduced fare here, and despite the whole refinement and undeniable, noble manners, a cartridge that does not handle dynamics well, or does not extract all information from the vinyl groove, can destroy all expectations put in the system. It is worth thinking about products that have a dynamic and juicy sound, because in connection with the Phasemation it will allow to listen comfortably even to less well mastered albums.
I left the lower octaves to the end, because they will bring even overly slow and dark sounding systems to life with their differentiation and nimbleness. Their detail and ability to show nuances, which were escaping our perception before, will be also admired by people, who own fully balanced systems, that do not need any extra correction. However people who like laboratory and arctic climates should watch out, because too much can be too much.

Almost two months with the Phasemation EA-1000 passed very quickly, but everything good must come to an end. That was also the case this time, and I had to pack the nice Japanese trio into its boxes and send back to the distributor. The refinement and trademark ethereality of this phonostage showed, that High-End is very differentiated, and on the level presented by this device the differences between products are of purely esthetic value – those are defined by the preferences of their manufacturers and the target groups. In small Japanese, and not only Japanese, rooms, the EA-1000 will create an illusion of much bigger space, than the one owned. It will create a sound stage much bigger than the setup of the speakers and the room space would suggest. Emphasis on finesse and delicacy will for sure find a broad spectrum of followers, and the smoothness and homogeneity of the whole sound spectrum, combined with the elegance of the devices themselves will for sure provide a long term satisfaction from their purchase.

Marcin Olszewski

Distributor: Eter Audio
Price: 44 900 PLN

Technical details:
Cartridge type: MM/MC (Low/High)
Input sensitivity: MM – 2.3 mV; MC Low – 0.09 mV; MC High – 0.22 mV
Input impedance: MM – 47 kΩ or less; MC Low – 10 Ω or less; MC High – 10 Ω or more
Gain: MM – 39 dB; MC Low – 67 dB; MC High – 59 dB
Equivalent input noise: –115 dB (MM); –143 dB (MC Low); –135 dB (MC High)
Maximum input voltage: MM – 250 mV; MC Low – 11 mV; MC High – 25 mV
Rated output voltage: 200 mV (1 kHz)
Deviation from RIAA curve: ±0.3 dB (20Hz to 20kHz)
Output impedance: 750 Ω
Channel separation: >100 dB
Power consumption: 40W (100 VAC, 50 – 60 Hz)
Dimensions:
– Phono Equalizer Units (WxHxD) – 210 x 103 x 347 mm
– Power Supply Unit (WxHxD) – 210 x 103 x 333 mm
Weight:
– Phono Equalizer Units – 4,5 kg (x2)
– Power Supply Unit – 7 kg

System used in this test:
– CD/DAC: Ayon 1sc
– SDigital source selector: Audio Authority 1177
– Network Music Player: Olive O2M; laptop Dell Inspiron 1764 + JRiver Media Center
– Turntable: Double synchronous motor Transrotor ZET 3 + 12″SME + Transrotor MC Merlo Reference + external power supply Transrotor Konstant M-1 Reference; Dr. Feickert Analogue Woodpecker + SME M2 – 9 R + Dynavector DV – 20X2 H
– Phonostage: Octave Phono Module
– Integrated Amplifier: Electrocompaniet ECI 5; Ming Da MC368-B5
– Preamplifier: Moon EVO 740P
– Power Amplifier: Moon EVO 870A
– Loudspeakers: Gauder Akustik Arcona 80 + spike extenders; Raidho S-2.0
– IC RCA: Antipodes Audio Katipo; Siltech Classic Anniversary 770i
– IC XLR: LessLoss Anchorwave; Organic Audio; Amare Musica
– Digital IC: Fadel art DigiLitz; Harmonic Technology Cyberlink Copper; Apogee Wyde Eye; Monster Cable Interlink LightSpeed 200
– USB Cable: Wireworld Starlight; Goldenote Firenze Silver
– Speaker Cables: Organic Audio; Signal Projects Hydra;
– Power Cables: Furutech FP-3TS762 / FI-28R / FI-E38R; Organic Audio Power; Siltech Classic Anniversary SPX-800; Acoustic Zen Gargantua II
– Power distribution board: GigaWatt PF-2 + Furutech FP-3TS762 / FI-28R / FI-E38R; KBL Sound Reference Power Distributor
– Wall Outlet: Furutech FT-SWS(R)
– Table: Rogoz Audio 4SM3
– Ethernet cables: Neyton CAT7+
– Accessories: Sevenrods Dust-caps; Furutech CF-080 Damping Ring; HighEndNovum PMR Premium; Albat Revolution Loudspeaker Chips; Acoustic Revive RAF-48H