EAR vs Audio Note preamp

I (and Art Dudley & Robert Levi) stand corrected, montesquieu! Do both use transformers to create their balanced outputs?

Yes both use output transformers a tim de p speciality. 

I know I’m very late on this thread but I thought it may help someone else looking for either of these brands, or others. I have an EAR 912 and it is a stellar performer. It’s mind boggling how many other preamplifier and phono stages I’ve had but all mentioned in this thread have been in my system at some point or another. Audio Note preamplifiers sound very organic and “right” but AN does not believe in wide sound stages outside of the speakers that I consider to be mandatory. AN believes it isn’t real and not true to the real source. It’s a shame because the AN pieces I’ve owned are wonderful, some of the best I’ve had but sound too limited in terms of expansiveness of the stage in front of me. They are good front to back but not in width. EAR’s presentation is amazing in all facets where ARC
Ref preamplifiers and others I’ve owned miss the organic side of the music and sound lean or thin in comparison... Just my two cents!