The EAR 834L is an excellent sounding piece regardless of price. I found it to be clearly superior to the Audible Illusions L1 on direct comparison and, when used with the 834P, better sounding than the Audible Illusions 3A with the gold moving coil board (which I happened to own at the time). Which 12AU7s used in the line stage make a great deal of difference...NOS RCAs sound quite good as well as many others. The phono stage sounds best with EI tubes but these are difficult to locate post NATO. The new Sovtek 12AX7s work well also. Listen to these pieces before you buy anything in this price range. Good Luck!
