I have had a Linn Linto in my system for the last 15 years. Loved it. But always wondered if tubes could add more midrange warmth and give those saxes more body and real world sexiness.following the reviews of @mulveling I ventured forth with the Hagerman Trumpet MC a year ago. After 3 weeks it went back as it made music as sweet and musical as my linto but was only marginally different and certainly the midrange was not improved.
One year later a friend of a friend brought a modified EAR834p into my system and WOW! all my dreams were answered. Saxes were sexy. I heard deeper into the grand piano and Tom Waits was in my living room. I found a Scott Frankland modded EAR834p with Telefunken tubes and I can't imagine changing this. The only thing I'm trying now is SUT's. An Ortofon ST-7 was not an improvement so I wait for a SKY 20 to see what that brings.
Amazing that a design as old as an EAR834 can deliver so powerfully!