Wow! You have a Sony TA-E80ES too? I love mine! Bought it new in 1990 along with the matching tuner, CD and cassette deck. The pre and tuner I couldn’t bear to part with. Right off I did change the audio coupling caps; just 4, 2 on the phono board and 2 on the single-ended outputs. I used Wonder Caps, the best that were available at the time. Never changed the NE5532 in the phono board though.
Over the years I compared the Sony with more than a few megabuck preamps. I remember spending time with Krell, CJ, Audio Research, etc, but none were really better, maybe slightly different. The Sony was certainly more quiet than the tube models. I always thought the Sony had one of the best MC phono stages that I have heard with my LP12/Troika vinyl rig in those days. With that unassuming 5532 in the signal path. It took a high-bux Luxman to shake that Sony loose and get demoted to the den where it shines with a lovely pair of rebuilt Heathkit EL84 monoblocks.
