EAT E-Glo Petite Hybrid phono stage

hi: bumping to see if anyone can share insights on the Pro-Jecl Phono Box RS2. I have the E-Go Petit and love it. Am wondering if the more expensive RS2 could be worth it.

I have no experience with the Sutherland, but I can’t imagine it outshining the Petit with the right tubes. I would get the Petit with an 18v Chinese linear power supply for around $120 and spend the difference on nos tubes with the savings of the price difference vs getting the sBooster. I have a Chinese linear ps I bought on eBay and it’s been working great and does slightly improve the Petit dynamics. I think in the long term, you’ll appreciate the ability to tailor the sound of Petit with tube rolling with future cartridge or other component changes that you likely will make down the line.

Based in part on the great insights offered up in this thread (and my fondness for my E.A.T. C Sharp with a Clearaudio Maestro ebony MM), I’m leaning hard in the direction of a Petit (with Sbooster and maybe some rolling down the road). Out of curiosity (and in the same proice range), does anyone have experience in comparing the E-Glo Petit to a Sutherland Insight with linear power? I would be running one or the other through a (new to me) PrimalLuna EVO 400 power amp and pre; my speakers are Dali Euphonia MS4s with (mostly) Acoustic Zen interconnects & power line; also added a REL S/812 sub last year. I’m already pretty close to maxed out in terms of the cash I can pitch at the system right now, but suspect the Sutherland KC Vibe Mk2 that I’ve got on order may be a bit underwhelming when run through the top-line Prima gear. Any thoughts specifically between the more midrange Sutherland and the Petit? Or is the basic Sutherland an appropriate match to get me started with the tube side of things?  Tempting though it may be going further up the line in either E.A.T. or Sutherland is not in the (rapidly melting credit) cards right now.

“So I am using the Rega Ania Pro on an RP6 and have solid state Rega Aria preamp.  Will i see improvement going to one of these tube preamps?  I have no tubes in my set up.”

I had a ss Parasound jc3+ phono pre and it was excellent. The problem was that I was stuck with a single sound signature that worked well for some music, and not so much for other music. This is why I ended up going with a tube phono pre. It was easier for me to fine tune the sound to my liking simply by installing the right tubes in it. There is a tonality to tubes that ss cannot duplicate ime so long as they are the right tube match for the phono pre.  My former Project DS2 tube phono pre with 1960 Baldwin tubes was much better than my more expensive Pro-ject RS ss phono pre. To me, tonality is most important along with low noise. The EAT Petit with the Baldwin 1959 tubes is even better than the Project ds2 tube phono pre, but not by a whole lot (pre 1994 Ei tubes are also very good). The Project would be the better value of the two.tube rolling can be fun (and sometimes expensive) and can also be a pita! It’s a good thing when you can find a tube that works extremely well but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The Baldwins (Raytheon) are such a tube.

So I am using the Rega Ania Pro on an RP6 and have solid state Rega Aria preamp.  Will i see improvement going to one of these tube preamps?  I have no tubes in my set up.

I verified they are round halo getters for my 1959 Baldwins.

“I mean, ink black background with the volume cranked with the Petit set at 65 db gain using my Hana MC cart. Sound was crystal clear, vocal texture detail came through nicely, and elements like reverbs really seemed to extend deep, giving me the impression of a more 3 dimensional space.”

This is great and I’m not a bit surprised that you are hearing what I hear. It’s what I’ve been saying all along. More holographic and also more headroom. I never mentioned them being quiet, but that was an oversight on my part. They are most definitely quiet. If these are actual NOS, just wait till they hit the 30-60 hour mark! They just get that much better. Listen to texture of percussion instruments, horn tonality and guitar body. Best I’ve heard. I don’t think my 1959 Baldwins had D getters. Pretty sure they’re halos like yours. I’ll have to look again.

Ok, here's some quick impressions of the Baldwins. Mine are a NOS matched pair from 1953, so not exactly the same as @hifi59 but very close. I think the only difference is the getter shape - halo instead of D. I listened to them yesterday for a couple hours, and just left the Petit on overnight to burn in for today's session. The first thing that struck me was that these are, hands down, the quietest tubes I've tried in the Petit. I mean, ink black background with the volume cranked with the Petit set at 65 db gain using my Hana MC cart. Sound was crystal clear, vocal texture detail came through nicely, and elements like reverbs really seemed to extend deep, giving me the impression of a more 3 dimensional space. The tone was very balanced, nothing tilted nor lacking. Perhaps the most interesting difference, to me anyway, was that I could push the volume of my tube amplifier much louder with these tubes in the Petit without any hint of harshness. With the other tubes I've tried, I could only go so far before things started to sound a bit harsh. Though I don't normally listen at those loud volumes, it was fun to push my system and it really sounded incredible. So, thanks to @hifi59 for the reco! They are a better match for my system and have officially dethroned the Gold Lions. They were also one of the cheapest sets I've bought. Can't wait to try my other cartridges with these tubes in.

“I think 7 different sets in total. I kept coming back to the new production Gold Lions.”

I also have the Gold lions. They are very good current production tube as used in the Petit, but don’t quite have that nice tonality of the 59 Baldwins (percussion, guitar body, horns) . High end is less grainy or edgy too with the Baldwins, not that the Gold Lions were that bad in that area. There’s more breathing room (headroom) with the Baldwins.with these tubes in the Petit, it competes very closely to my other phono preamp (Modwright PH9.0x) with excellent 6922 Philips nos tubes. Tonality is actually a little bit better with the Petit/Baldwins vs my Modwright while the soundstage is a bit larger with the Modwright /Philips tubes, but it’s plenty big with the Petit/Baldwin combo.

I should add that with my Soundsmith zephyr 3 cartridge (2.4mv) output, the best setting for the Petit with the 1959 Baldwin tubes are 50db gain and 50 pf and no rings on the tubes,  although 150 pf works if you want a little more zing that doesn’t go overboard. I feel my settings have just the right amount of control without losing soundstage. This will likely be cartridge output dependent.

Nice to see some more posts and experimentation here. Following up on my posts from last March - Since then I have rolled several more sets of tubes, from some very expensive Mullards to some uncommon RCA 7058s. I think 7 different sets in total. I kept coming back to the new production Gold Lions. On my system, they just flesh out vocals in a way all the others I've tried cannot. Naturally, curiosity got the best of me and I have a pair of Baldwins out for delivery today. Thanks @hifi59 . What's one more pair added to the collection? :) Will report back later.

Oh and the Petit did end up replacing my McIntosh MP-100. After making those changes, the holography and more natural sound of the Petit won out. By comparison, the MP-100 sounded a bit too lush and recessed. I have no desire to try any other phono stages at this point, though continuing to tinker with the Petit's tubes is sort of the itch I need to scratch.

hifi59, that is good info, thanx 4 sharing.  I’ve a Petite for a while now and run a pr. of Bugle Boys from a Bob’s Sky SUT and a VPI Traveler, Dynavector 20xL.  Those 59’ Baldwins sound like something I should check out…  I can’t see moving on from the Petite as the unit is so flexible and functional.  Mullards we’re to warm and slow but the BB’s were just right, never to zingy, but right on the money.

So, I found a great deal on the Eat Petit and as good as my DS2 sounds with the Baldwin 1960 tubes, I sold it. The Petit with the stock tubes is very good. A little less grain and a slightly larger soundstage than the ds2, but it just didn’t have the rich tonality of the ds2 with the Baldwin 1960 tubes that became so addictive. So, I put those tubes in the Petit and it was better, but didn’t sound quite the same as they did in the ds2. Too much body and that clouded the lower midrange area a bit. Tonality was still excellent though and almost as good as they sounded like in the ds2. I had a pair of 1959 Baldwins that were not quite as good when I had tried them in the ds2. A little too much upper midrange drive. So, I decided to try them in the Petit. WOW! Perfection! These tubes were made for this phono pre. Outstanding tonality that even my $4k phono preamp using a variety of nos tubes couldn’t match. It’s like the 1960 Baldwins were sounding when used in the ds2, but only with a bit less grain, larger soundstage, less congestion and a bit smoother sounding overall. Along with the tonality, the Petit and the 1959 tubes still have excellent dynamics, soundstage and bite. Deep and powerful bass and a sweet top end that is fully extended. I then tried some nos Ei tubes than are said to be identical looking and sounding as NOS Telefunken smooth plates.They sounded great too, but just didn’t have that rich tonality of the 1959 Baldwins. No wow factor, but nothing to complain about either. Also tried 4 different current production tubes, to include Gold Lions. Gold lions were best of the lot but couldn’t hold a candle to the Baldwins. If you really want to experience what the Petit is capable of, do yourself a favor and grab a pair of the 1959 Baldwins. You can find these on eBay for around $100 a pair or so. So worth it! *Note..my system audio is professionally calibrated and is very neutral, thus letting the tubes do most of the talking without much influence from improper eq and bright/warm speakers.

1. I’m sure the Baldwins would sound at least as good in the EAT Petit.
2. 12ax7 tube matching is not as critical as some suggest. My first choice would be to buy a matched pair though.3.Their are several pairs on eBay. They are from 1959 and 1960. I’m sure they would sound every bit as good as the 1961s. Looks like the word got out about these tubes. Prices a bit higher and less quantity available than what I normally see on eBay. Even at higher prices, they are still well worth it, IMO. I can only speak for the yellow labeled ones. Haven’t heard the green ones. You can always look at actual Raytheon tubes from that era as they are the ones who made the Baldwins. Here’s the link.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=baldwin+12ax7+tub...

Some more Baldwins also comes up on a Raytheon search
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=rayrheon+12ax7+tu...

@hifi59 - Regarding the Baldwin (RAYTHEON) NOS 1961 12ax7 you found on Ebay, there are a lot of offers, I'm a bit lost. Can you provide a link? (I see this one, at $59)
Should not they be matched?@echorec said the E-glo to be "very sensitive to tube noise,  so noise-graded tubes are essential"
Thanks!

Thanks, @hifi59,So as the tubes in the EAT E-glo Petit are 12ax7 too, what you said does apply to the E-glo Petit too, I guess.
I previously owned the Pro-ject Phono Box RS too, and found it very (too?) precise (you even wrote ’mechanical’). That’s why I was looking to the E-glo Petit, which is said to be very musical.

CONTEXT
Actually, my Phono Box RS is out of order and under warranty. I have an opportunity to upgrade towards either the RS2, or the E-glo Petit (with an additional financial cost, of course).

My wife has the Pro-ject Tube DS2 phono pre. We put at least 7-8 different sets of tubes in it, some current production and some NOS. Of the current production tubes, Mullards from Upscale audio sounded best. But one day. I took a gamble on some Baldwin (RAYTHEON) NOS 1961 12ax7 tubes off of eBay. These things took it to a much higher level! Fantastic. They are amazing. Extremely low grain. Sweet high end and yet detailed. Bass for days! Very good gain. Much better than any other tube I’ve tried and much better than my former Pro-ject Phono Box RS that I compared it to. The RS sounds somewhat mechanical in comparison. I like the tubes so much that I bought a back up pair and have no desire to look any further. The best part is they only cost around $60 a pair. My system audio is professionally calibrated and so I am mainly hearing the differences the tubes themselves contribute to the sound. You just can’t go wrong with these tubes.

[please excuse my bad English]

E.A.T E-Glo Petit (2019) vs Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2 (2021)?

I have to make a decision rapidly.Did someone heard the new Pro-Ject’s flagship: the RS2?Pro-Ject and E.A.T are sisters companies. the EAT E-glo Petit is manufactured by Pro-Ject ( < Ken Kessler, in HiFi News).NB: the EAT E-glo Petit has been compared by an Audiogon member to the tubed Pro-Ject phono box DS2, but the latter uses op amplifiers, no discrete components as the E-glo does.

FEATURES COMPARISON
The Phono Box RS2 >< EAT E-glo Petit are very different though (to be displayed on a larger screen than a smartphone’s):
solid state >< hybrid (tubes + solid state); fully balanced >< unbalanced; BOTH are: highly configurable and use discrete components.

In this table (in French!), I tried to sum up the differences to have a clearer view over those two devices.

CONTEXT:-turntable Pre-Audio DE1800NG (terrific affordable linear air arm turntable)- cartridge Ortofon 2M Black LVB- amplifiers: NuPrime AMG-PRA & AMG-STA- Speakers Harbeth M30.2 Anniversary (terrific midrange and treble)MY NEEDS:-very beautiful and lifelike midrange & treble.-holographic soundstage-bass is not that important (limited by the speakers anyway)-balanced (XLR) mode is just a nice to have (no must have at all)
[sorry for the layaout, the website packs my very clear and readable layout and all paragraphs are now coggled together - a pain in the A...]

I wanted to follow up to my previous comments now that I've had the Petit for a few weeks:
The Petit responds very well to tube rolling with the caveat that phono-grade tubes MUST be used. It is very sensitive to tube noise, so noise-graded tubes are essential. The stock tubes, which appear to be Slovakian JJ type 12AX7s, are very quiet, however I found them to be lacking depth and space. Out of several matched sets, new production Gold Lions were far and above the better sounding tube in my system. They had more depth, space, and female vocals were simply outstanding, goosebump territory. I'm currently using some new Tung Sols, and they are nice, but don't have that lifelike vocal midrange that the Gold Lions do. So, if you have a Petit, tube rolling can be of great benefit as long as you are using the best noise-graded tubes possible. I look forward to rolling some more exotic tubes in the coming months and will report back on those results.

In addition to rolling, I recently replaced the stock wall wart with a nice linear power supply (SBooster). The results were very subtle, but gave me the impression of a more organized soundstage (especially during complex passages) with slightly more depth. The noise floor was also slightly improved, but is still very dependent on the tubes being used. For me, this was also a worthwhile upgrade.

To sum things up, I probably would not have kept the Pettit had I not been able to roll the tubes and improve the power supply. Those two "upgrades" gave me the results I had hoped for and more, and make the Petit perform at the level I need for my system. The upgrades I did bring the Petit to $2,000, so that must be considered. My testing was done using MC carts: Hana SL, AT-ART9, and AT-OC9/III. 65db gain seems to be the sweet spot for all these carts.

I’m interested in your feedback as well echore. I was in the same position a few weeks ago with a max $1500 budget (or so). In the end I decided to buy an American made product, the Sutherland 20/20 with their LPS power supply. Yes it was about $800 more but I don’t think I’ll ever have to upgrade again (famous last words I know). It’s hard to demo this stuff in good times, basically impossible now. So....for what it’s worth I know Ron Sutherland has been doing this for a long time and has many great reviews and makes these things in the . Sounds damn good with my Dyanvector 20x2l.

Thanks for the input! I'll give it a few more days and see how things shape up. Will report back later in the week.

No, I wouldn't.  The Petit is made by the same company that makes Pro-Ject- not knocking them at all.  
I owned a Pro-Ject Tube Box DS which was a nice unit for the price and under the hood quite similar to the Petit.  
I tube rolled a dozen or so NOS tubes and none of them sounded any better than the stock Tung Sols.  

The Petit arrived yesterday afternoon and I listened throughout the evening and left it on all night to burn the tubes in. I've been listening all morning today and I'm just not getting good depth (compared to my McIntosh MP-100). Sound stage feels a bit flat and is not as spacious. For reference, I'm currently using a Hana SL and ART9 carts, and I cycled through both with similar results. I'm not using an SBooster, but have good, clean power. Now the dilemma, do I risk spending another ~$600 on NOS tubes and an SBooster hoping to achieve more depth and space, or do I cut my losses and return it?

I have an E-Glow Petit en route and plan on rolling some tubes over the next few weeks. Has anyone else tried rolling with theirs? Would love to hear/share experiences.

I concur.  Running mine with the Sbooster as well.  I just picked an eat c sharp.  And trying to decide on getting another Sbooster for it or pick up the lps to power them both.

Currently running a dynavetor 20xl2 with Jan philps tubes.  Never heard with the stock tubes as I bought it used and they weren't included.

This a little after the first post but FYI. I also have the Petit, with EAT Jo No 8 cartridge, Rogue RH 5 preamp and it is a great sounding combo. And then I added the Sbooster BOTW P&P ECO MKII power supply that Kevin at Upscale audio gave a rave review. He is right! It took it to yet another level. It's hard to believe but I think it had great impact on the performance of the Petit, which is already outstanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFEC-uQhAAA

Added a pr. of Audio Envy phono cables from RMAF to a Bob’s Sky SUT.  Very, very good!  Smooth, open, detailed.  The ‘Captain’ makes very nice cables, nicely engineered, great values.  Together, Bob’s device adds refinement, space, a certain relaxation which creates the space for inner detail to ‘flower & flow’,  Van Morrison’s ‘’Versitile’ lp goes from a good lp to a current fave...  the E.A.T Petite has a beautifully nuanced midrange, sweet treble, and plenty of textured bass 4 my needs.  The Dyna 20xL sounds so musical & involving...

Still breaking it in but I’ve immediately noticed how real the instruments sound and more separation. I hope after breaking the vocals stand out a bit more, they seem a little pulled back at times right now. 

As as far as the phono cable, the one from the TT is hardwired Rega and I know it isn’t the best. I would love to change it but haven’t found an easy replacement solution yet. The cable going from the phono to power amp is a True Zen that I’m trying out. 

Congrats, don’t think you’ll b disappointed.  Really enjoy a pr. of
Bugle Boys n the Petite, Mullards were a bit too rich, a bit sluggish, but the Amprex takes the whole thing up a notch, very transparent, dynamic.
None of the harshness, or glare, I’ve sometimes heard in preamps.  Very musical, yet dimensional.  May look into another phono cable, what u using...?

I ended up going with the EAT E-glo S model. Just got it and am breaking it in but right out of the box more detail and real sounding than my previous phono. 

Wow, what you wrote is really enticing me to get one now. I’d love to get the petit because it’s very affordable. I’m sure the E glo model S will step it up a notch but at double the cost. It would be great if someone can add some advice between the 2 levels. 

Thanks,
Rick

No comparisons, but I love my E.A.T E-Glo Petite.  I run a VPI Traveler w/Dynavector 20x2XL. The Petite is pretty phenomenal imo.  It’s a musical ‘ear opener’ on many records.  Herbie Hancocks recent RSD release Dedication had me looking around as the deep grooves washed wavelike, throughout the room.  The Petite has bandwidth and dynamics galore, never sounding hurried but seamlessly unravels the textures and nuance, the musical intention of the artist.  The small switching supply is not an issue, whoever designed this, knew what he/she was doing.  Treble is beautifully rendered, ever so slightly sweet, ethereal, delicately precise w/bite.  It unravels instrumental layers in an unhurried ‘slow strip’ manner, that makes the listener desirous, wanting for more.  Effortlessly musical, darkly confident, seductive, the Petites JFET, hybrid tube nature, allows music thru the 20X2L VPI Traveler to breathe.  It’s really brought my vinyl to life.  Way fun!