Does EAR324 phono stage sound like tubes ?

Dan, I had already checked your threads. I'll wait for your post to appear in Audio Asylum. Thanks.

Opus88, it's already been posted in Tubes Asylum...
VBR
Dan

An entertaining interview to say the least. He doesn't mince words, does he? An interesting point too about FETs having the same measurement curve as 12ax7 tubes. Does he feel FETs sound similar to the 12ax7s? I'd like to mention something about his manual for the 88pb. Beyond simply stating the unit has phono one and phono two buttons on the front panel, there is no explanation that while phono one allows for moving magnet and low output moving coil performance, phono two provides settings for only moving magnet output(52db or so)or perhaps moving magnet and high output moving coil. An owner may eventually come to realize this, but these things should be explained in the owner's manual. I've already mentioned this to Dan Meinwald and Mitch Singerman, but the people at EAR/Yoshino need to generate a printed revision.

I understand both the 88pb and 324 has international step up for use of low output mc carts.
Has anyone compared the internal step up of these two units with an external step up transformer available ?
Is the external better or worst than the internal step up ?

THis is getting interesting thread.

To me, the 324 is very revealing and never sounds analytical. I've yet to discover any tube bloom. The spatial distribution of notes is incredible - Music is never messy or compressed together. Compared to my previous Pass Xono, the 324 thrashes it left right center making the Xono sounds amateurish and unrefined. By the way, the 324 is far more queiter. My current cart is the Lyra Helikon SL.