912 Tube

About the 912 Tube

The EAR 912 is a studio-grade valve preamplifier designed by Tim de Paravicini, optimized for both vinyl enthusiasts and modern multi-source line-level systems. It uses five PCC88 (7DJ8) tubes—three dedicated to the phono stage and two for the line stage—running in pure Class A single-ended operation. The phono stage supports both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges, with switchable gain and input impedance, including a step-up transformer for MC cartridges with selectable primaries (3, 6, 12, 40 ohms). The preamplifier features transformer-coupled line stages with both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) outputs, and relay-based input selection to minimize signal path length and noise. It includes dual analog VU meters built to studio ballistic standards for precise level monitoring and gain adjustment. The chassis sports a durable brushed anodized aluminum front panel available in silver or black, with solid aluminum handles. The EAR 912 offers four line inputs (RCA), two balanced inputs (XLR), two phono inputs (MM/MC), two line outputs (RCA), two balanced outputs (XLR), and a tape monitor output. It weighs 13 kg and measures 270 mm (L) x 490 mm (W) x 135 mm (H), consuming about 30 watts of power. The preamplifier is renowned for its very low noise, high headroom, low distortion (<0.1% at 1 kHz, 3V output), excellent RIAA equalization accuracy (±0.2 dB from 30 Hz to 20 kHz), and superb sonic detail retrieval, making it suitable for both audiophile and professional studio use.