EMIA LR Phono Corrector (review)

[banpuku]

What is an LR Phono Corrector? It's a phono preamp where the RIAA equalization circuit is completely capacitor-free, only inductors and resistors. According to EMIA's LR Phono Corrector ("LRPC") web page, "the inside of our chassis contains the best parts in the industry… 80% nickel output transformers housed in non-magnetic brass end bells… mu-metal shielded internal black boxes encasing four 80% nickel inductors used in our capacitor-free RIAA equalization circuit... Teflon sockets... nickel power supply chokes... silver jacks… you know, the good stuff..."

This 2 box affair has a power stage (heavier than you might think) and a head stage (the LR corrector). A hearty power umbilical cord connects the two units which allows the power supply to be distanced (about 6') from sensitive electronics. In my system, the power supply was equally quiet immediately adjacent to the head-unit (aka it's quiet). Mechanically, the power supply is quiet and the head unit is an absolute rock (no sound at all). Inside the head unit, the smart use of a PCB topped with tubes, inductors and resistors is evidence of no-frills, meat-on-the-bones approach to design and component selection. Standard RCA jacks are silver. Two versions of EMIA's LRPC are available: copper windings at $15,000 or optional .9999 silver windings at $27,000.

EMIA's LRPC has a MM input. So, you must either have an MM cartridge or an MC step-up transformer. EMIA makes their own MC step-up transformers. With this review, I am using both an MM cartridge (Signet TK7USE) and Murasakino's state-of-the-art Sumile cartridge and Nobala MC step-up combo. EMIA wisely added an "load" RCA jack that connects in parallel with the input RCA jacks. This facilitates unlimited cartridge loading options, just solder your favorite resistor to the + and - terminals on an RCA connector, then plug into the RCA jack into the EMIA. Done.

For a frame of reference, this unit is being compared to my historical reference phono stages (Boulder 2008, Lyra Connoisseur and EMT JPA-66). One could argue that these 3 phono stages would occupy the top 5 in the world. So, how does EMIA's LRPC compare? 80% nickel inductors have a natural, true-to-life presence that, in my opinion, is unbeatable. Since the LRPC is early in the system chain, the 80% nickel inductors, resistors and no capacitors really makes it's presence known. It just sounds correct. Whereas the Boulder and EMT were possibly more "accurate" and extended top-end, the EMIA sounds more organic and natural. Again: lifelike, meaty, fast, nimble, yet a heavy weight champion. Of the 4 phono stages being compared, The Lyra Connoisseur (LCR design) had transparency, accuracy and a relaxed presentation. The Lyra lacked the heavy weight drive and (to borrow from the vinyl fanatics) PRAT. The sound of nickel is hard to describe. But, to these ear, EMIA's nickel implementation is more pleasing and easy to listen to for long periods. Bass if full, thrusting and not bloated. EMIA's high end appears to be natural, not etchy, edgy or exaggerated. The Boulder could be edgy at times. The EMT is probably the most non-invasive of the 4 phono stages, but EMIA has a special naturalness. Mid-range, especially the lower mid-range, is where the LRPC is a champion. It appears that the nickel inductors have extra drive and weight compared to other phono stages. Maybe this is where the EMIA gets its gestalt, in the lower midrange.

My preferred music genre is classical chamber (late 20th and 21st century). Think strings, strings and more strings. With late 20th and 21st century chamber music, the 12 tone structure, minimalist and modernist compositions do not rely upon harmonized mass strings. Rather, quite frequently just the opposite. Pizzicato, squeaky violin techniques, pianissimo and forte extremes dot the musical landscape. The Boulder and Lyra's transparency could make this genre of music unlistenable for extended listening sessions. The EMT would have a less extreme approach to transparency (likely because of the 3 x 12AX7 tubes per channel) and becomes more listenable with plenty of drive and dynamics. The EMIA, just lets the music flow without any added glare, highlighting or over punctuation. Once again, lifelike. EMIA LRPC uses 1 input and output tube per channel, specifics available in the manual on their website: http://myemia.com/LR.html . The combination of nickel and tubes has unrivaled, faithful tonality with strings.

Someday I might flash the cash for EMIA's silver windings, but for now, I am perfectly satisfied with the copper sister unit. For the foreseeable future, the EMIA is it. No other phono stage (nor line stage when compared with the EMIA Elmaformer) is tempting at this point. For $15,000 USD, the EMIA LR Phono Corrector is a steal and in my opinion sits a-top the phono stage ladder.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

great write up.....and not surprised.

i listen to my friend Jazdoc's Experience Music phono often and i think it's pretty much the same unit. always a lovely organic 'right-sounding' phono.

 

[Solypsa]

Nice comparo, and always good to see slagle and jackson get well-deserved attention!

Brings me back some 15 years when Bench and Slagle were posting about LRnoC designs on the intact forum. Enthralling technical talk...

Banpuku, will you try the Emia SUT too?



Small comment: parallel resistor loading allows one to lower the 'numerical' load value, which is super handy, but not quite 'unlimited'

 

[bazelio]

great write up.....and not surprised.

i listen to my friend Jazdoc's Experience Music phono often and i think it's pretty much the same unit. always a lovely organic 'right-sounding' phono.

Mike, they're not the same unit. Just wanted to put this correction out there.

 

[bazelio]

@banpuku great write up! These guys (Slagle and Jackson) deserve more recognition and visibility. Thanks for the thorough review!

Emia LR phono owner here, too. I bought mine after demoing numerous other phono units when I was looking to upgrade. This ranged from Ypsilon, Allnic with fancy rectifier, Zanden to a few nice solid state units such as the Merrill and VdH Grail and others in between. The Emia was my favorite regardless of price. I use it with the silver Emia SUT. And this combo is very transparent to the source. For me, the Emia LR phono just does everything well: Tone, PRaT, dynamics, scale and soundstage. In describing it to a friend (who now owns one, too), I called ot a jack of all trades. Can I find a phono with more slam? Yes. One with more immediacy? Yes. But in my attempts, I couldn't find a phono that does it all together this well. I loathe the word as a result of it's overuse in audio reviews, but: gestalt. This unit just sounds right. I knew it almost immediately, and I bought the demo unit not long after. I highly recommend the Emia AVC line stage with it, too. The two are designed to work together and my impressions are based on the tandem. (They really should combine them in a single box)

Jackson and Slagle are great to work with as well. Anyone (at least in the US) can demo this unit when they have a batch on hand. Dave will even send an appropriate SUT to match your cart at the time of demo. One recommended change I'd suggest: ask for the Siemens D3a and E280f tubes and roll them to find your preference. IMO the stock Russian tube they use is too laid back - though some may still like it.

 

[Tango]

What is an LR Phono Corrector? It's a phono preamp where the RIAA equalization circuit is completely capacitor-free, only inductors and resistors. According to EMIA's LR Phono Corrector ("LRPC") web page, "the inside of our chassis contains the best parts in the industry… 80% nickel output transformers housed in non-magnetic brass end bells… mu-metal shielded internal black boxes encasing four 80% nickel inductors used in our capacitor-free RIAA equalization circuit... Teflon sockets... nickel power supply chokes... silver jacks… you know, the good stuff..."

This 2 box affair has a power stage (heavier than you might think) and a head stage (the LR corrector). A hearty power umbilical cord connects the two units which allows the power supply to be distanced (about 6') from sensitive electronics. In my system, the power supply was equally quiet immediately adjacent to the head-unit (aka it's quiet). Mechanically, the power supply is quiet and the head unit is an absolute rock (no sound at all). Inside the head unit, the smart use of a PCB topped with tubes, inductors and resistors is evidence of no-frills, meat-on-the-bones approach to design and component selection. Standard RCA jacks are silver. Two versions of EMIA's LRPC are available: copper windings at $15,000 or optional .9999 silver windings at $27,000.

EMIA's LRPC has a MM input. So, you must either have an MM cartridge or an MC step-up transformer. EMIA makes their own MC step-up transformers. With this review, I am using both an MM cartridge (Signet TK7USE) and Murasakino's state-of-the-art Sumile cartridge and Nobala MC step-up combo. EMIA wisely added an "load" RCA jack that connects in parallel with the input RCA jacks. This facilitates unlimited cartridge loading options, just solder your favorite resistor to the + and - terminals on an RCA connector, then plug into the RCA jack into the EMIA. Done.

For a frame of reference, this unit is being compared to my historical reference phono stages (Boulder 2008, Lyra Connoisseur and EMT JPA-66). One could argue that these 3 phono stages would occupy the top 5 in the world. So, how does EMIA's LRPC compare? 80% nickel inductors have a natural, true-to-life presence that, in my opinion, is unbeatable. Since the LRPC is early in the system chain, the 80% nickel inductors, resistors and no capacitors really makes it's presence known. It just sounds correct. Whereas the Boulder and EMT were possibly more "accurate" and extended top-end, the EMIA sounds more organic and natural. Again: lifelike, meaty, fast, nimble, yet a heavy weight champion. Of the 4 phono stages being compared, The Lyra Connoisseur (LCR design) had transparency, accuracy and a relaxed presentation. The Lyra lacked the heavy weight drive and (to borrow from the vinyl fanatics) PRAT. The sound of nickel is hard to describe. But, to these ear, EMIA's nickel implementation is more pleasing and easy to listen to for long periods. Bass if full, thrusting and not bloated. EMIA's high end appears to be natural, not etchy, edgy or exaggerated. The Boulder could be edgy at times. The EMT is probably the most non-invasive of the 4 phono stages, but EMIA has a special naturalness. Mid-range, especially the lower mid-range, is where the LRPC is a champion. It appears that the nickel inductors have extra drive and weight compared to other phono stages. Maybe this is where the EMIA gets its gestalt, in the lower midrange.

My preferred music genre is classical chamber (late 20th and 21st century). Think strings, strings and more strings. With late 20th and 21st century chamber music, the 12 tone structure, minimalist and modernist compositions do not rely upon harmonized mass strings. Rather, quite frequently just the opposite. Pizzicato, squeaky violin techniques, pianissimo and forte extremes dot the musical landscape. The Boulder and Lyra's transparency could make this genre of music unlistenable for extended listening sessions. The EMT would have a less extreme approach to transparency (likely because of the 3 x 12AX7 tubes per channel) and becomes more listenable with plenty of drive and dynamics. The EMIA, just lets the music flow without any added glare, highlighting or over punctuation. Once again, lifelike. EMIA LRPC uses 1 input and output tube per channel, specifics available in the manual on their website: http://myemia.com/LR.html . The combination of nickel and tubes has unrivaled, faithful tonality with strings.

Someday I might flash the cash for EMIA's silver windings, but for now, I am perfectly satisfied with the copper sister unit. For the foreseeable future, the EMIA is it. No other phono stage (nor line stage when compared with the EMIA Elmaformer) is tempting at this point. For $15,000 USD, the EMIA LR Phono Corrector is a steal and in my opinion sits a-top the phono stage ladder.

Given what you hear and have in your own system, this phono is very interesting indeed. I like your write up. May I ask if you have tried your EMT with different 12AX7.

Your tt and speakers are very interesting to me. Hope one day you can describe how they sound for us.

Kind regards,
Tang

 

[CKKeung]

@banpuku great write up! These guys (Slagle and Jackson) deserve more recognition and visibility. Thanks for the thorough review!

Emia LR phono owner here, too. I bought mine after demoing numerous other phono units when I was looking to upgrade. This ranged from Ypsilon, Allnic with fancy rectifier, Zanden to a few nice solid state units such as the Merrill and VdH Grail and others in between. The Emia was my favorite regardless of price. I use it with the silver Emia SUT. And this combo is very transparent to the source. For me, the Emia LR phono just does everything well: Tone, PRaT, dynamics, scale and soundstage. In describing it to a friend (who now owns one, too), I called ot a jack of all trades. Can I find a phono with more slam? Yes. One with more immediacy? Yes. But in my attempts, I couldn't find a phono that does it all together this well. I loathe the word as a result of it's overuse in audio reviews, but: gestalt. This unit just sounds right. I knew it almost immediately, and I bought the demo unit not long after. I highly recommend the Emia AVC line stage with it, too. The two are designed to work together and my impressions are based on the tandem. (They really should combine them in a single box)

Jackson and Slagle are great to work with as well. Anyone (at least in the US) can demo this unit when they have a batch on hand. Dave will even send an appropriate SUT to match your cart at the time of demo. One recommended change I'd suggest: ask for the Siemens D3a and E280f tubes and roll them to find your preference. IMO the stock Russian tube they use is too laid back - though some may still like it.

Hello Banpuku and Bazelio,
Many thanks for your reviews!
Very useful!

I have poisoned a LP audiophile friend in Hong Kong successfully. He is in the process to buy an Emia LR Phono Corrector now.
May be the 1st unit in Hong Kong.
He will probably get the silver wiring model!

Will post photos and share with you its sonic performance on WBF for sure!

 

[banpuku]

Banpuku, will you try the Emia SUT too?

I will eventually get an EMIA SUT. That said, I just started to enjoy Murasakino's state-of-the-art Sumile cartridge and Nobala MC step-up combo, so it might be a while.

 

[banpuku]

Given what you hear and have in your own system, this phono is very interesting indeed. I like your write up. May I ask if you have tried your EMT with different 12AX7.

Your tt and speakers are very interesting to me. Hope one day you can describe how they sound for us.

Kind regards,
Tang

Tang, I did try a few different 12AX7 tubes with the EMT. The Mullard CV4004 was quite nice with a lush, rich tonal pallet. I did not try any NOS tubes. The one thing that the EMIA has over all phono stages, including the excellent EMT, is the nickel inductors which have a distinct and "right" sound. Hard to describe, but certainly the way I am moving my system.

 

[bazelio]

Dave is going to be upgrading the RIAA modules in my Emia next week. I'm getting the silver wound nickel inductors, while keeping the copper wound output transformers in place for now. Should be interesting.

 

[Tango]

Given what you hear and have in your own system, this phono is very interesting indeed. I like your write up. May I ask if you have tried your EMT with different 12AX7.

Your tt and speakers are very interesting to me. Hope one day you can describe how they sound for us.

Kind regards,
Tang

Believe it or not the tone you describe for the Emia is what I would describe when I put the Nos Mazda silver plated 12AX7 Triple Mica in the EMT. Maybe doesn't sound as good as the Emia but the Nos is $550 a pair. Should improve your EMT and sound close to it. Might want to try it. I am sure someone will after hearing this.

 

[bonzo75]

Emia horn at ETF 2019 getting best speaker, front firing horn with Altec woofer, like with most ETFs

https://www.audiostream.com/content/secret-societies-audiophile

 

[bazelio]

Emia horn at ETF 2019 getting best speaker, south front firing horn with Altec woofer, like with most ETFs

https://www.audiostream.com/content/secret-societies-audiophile

"But the sound was once-in-a-lifetime real, vivid and uncompressed. Best midrange I’ve ever experienced."

 

[bonzo75]

I wish I can again find the EMIA stacked quads video. One of the best speakers heard on videos.

 

[bazelio]

Just FYI, those are not an official Emia product, per se. Jeffrey Jackson, of Emia, does make some beautiful horn (and other) speakers, however. Dave may have collaborated to some degree as well, but I don't know the particulars.

One thing I'm looking forward to next is Dave's phono cartridge. Next time we chat, I'll get an update.

 

[bazelio]

@bonzo75 - interestingly this shows up in the Emia photo gallery:

 

[bonzo75]

Just FYI, those are not an official Emia product, per se. Jeffrey Jackson, of Emia, does make some beautiful horn (and other) speakers, however. Dave may have collaborated to some degree as well, but I don't know the particulars.

One thing I'm looking forward to next is Dave's phono cartridge. Next time we chat, I'll get an update.

No things at ETF are put up by enthusiasts for that particular show

 

[bazelio]

I received my Emia LR phono back from Dave Slagle today. He had upgraded the inductors in the RIAA to silver. And my initial reaction is: "bass and space"! Improvements in both areas.
Bass texture and resolution of timbral gradations takes a nice step up. Soundstage ambience and sense of space takes a step up too. And noticeably more fine detail retrieval overall. None of this results in a more fatiguing sound in any way. Just more realism with generally the same tonality it began with. So I guess there's only one thing left to do now, and that's upgrade the OPTs to silver also! Some day. Some day....

 

[CKKeung]

I received my Emia LR phono back from Dave Slagle today. He had upgraded the inductors in the RIAA to silver. And my initial reaction is: "bass and space"! Improvements in both areas.
Bass texture and resolution of timbral gradations takes a nice step up. Soundstage ambience and sense of space takes a step up too. And noticeably more fine detail retrieval overall. None of this results in a more fatiguing sound in any way. Just more realism with the generally the same tonality it began with. So I guess there's only one thing left to do now, and that's upgrade the OPTs to silver also! Some day. Some day....

Hello Bazelio,
Big Congrats!

What you have described is exactly what I experinced when comparing Copper vs Silver Slagleformer passive preamps!
The bass and dynamics of the silver version is much much better than the copper version.

Very surprising. Not our previous experience of the "Silver Sound" at all.

 

[bazelio]

Interesting, @CKKeung . Dave sent me an anecdotal story on the sound of silver. Folks might find it interesting. I've removed names other than his, in order to protect the innocent:

My first experience with silver was with jewelers silver in teflon sleeving. It was dreadful, brittle, and harsh…. all of the bad things people say about silver. I swore off it for a decade or more until I came about some .9999 magnet wire from High performance conductors (the medical and aerospace arm of phelps dodge). I wound an identical pair of silver and copper SUT’s and fully expecting my ears to get ripped off by the silver was shocked by what I heard. I took the SUT’s to RMAF (the year Silbatone took the WE 757’s) and I did the A/B of the copper vs. the silver. Everyone preferred the silver. One boisterous chap went as far as insisting I had the two mixed up since it i was actually the copper that had the “cheap silver” sound. The pure silver sound was silky smooth and initially seems like it was quieter and lost some detail but what it lost was a grit that was hiding much of the music. I have had dozens of people compare the silver to the copper and almost universally the silver was preferred. The only exception to the rule was Art Dudley in his Stereophile article.

Now on to the possible why the cheap jewelers silver is so different sounding than the pedigreed stuff. The answer I am leaning towards comes down to my collection of a bunch of thoughts assembled together that amounts to little more than hearsay. It comes down to one word…. Cadmium. The first mention of Cadmium came from [redacted]. This story involved both listening tests and a relative at university in Germany that had access to mass spectrography. The general pattern was that trace amounts of cadmium was directly connected to the cheap silver sound. Next up in this story is [redacted]. He posed to me that the absolute purity of the wire may not be as important as what the trace impurities are and the current silver I get from him is mined so its entire chain of possession can be traced. At a lower purity 0.9999 this wire sounds better than the 0.99999 wire he has sourced. He is big on Assays and looking at the trace elements. The third prong on this came from the source of the silver wire I bought to do cartridge coils. This came from [redacted] and was only specified as 0.9999 pure. Since drawing wire that is 0.001” thick is something only a few places do, I asked if I could get them some #26 in high purity silver that they could draw down to #50 and insulate for me and they categorically declined stating that much of their work is medical and they need 100% certification of everything that goes through their dies for legal reasons. Draw down some silver with cadmium in it and then draw some gold to go in a medical device inserted into a body and there could be problems.

Next we have the one I haven’t looked too much into but it is the question of Why Cadmium? Well it seems that small amounts of cadmium added to silver helps with its ductility and it also prevents it from tarnishing. Most of the references I have found refer to sterling silver (0.925 silver balance typically copper) so it is entirely possible that much of the bad silver experience is from this. When I bought the wire here in NYC from [redacted], I asked for fine silver (0.999) but who knows what I got. I also found a few references to coatings containing cadmium being used to prevent tarnish which could explain why the jewelers silver stays shiny so long but any other silver wire seems to go black after time. Look at the connectors on your phono…. that discoloration tells me it is probably cadmium free silver plating. Units that are 5-10 years old go almost black. Much of what comes up in relation to Cd and jewelry has to do with cadmium being toxic which leads right back to the medical wire manufacturers making sure they know what is in their wire. Finally along the lines of the shiny silver wire, I hear that the sole purpose of the 99% silver 1% gold alloys has to do with cosmetics and the fact that that 1% gold keeps the silver from going black.

I should probably reach out to the people involved and confirm and publish this on the blog….

dave