Doug Schroeder recounts the many facets of the

Eastern Electric M520

tube hybrid integrated amplifier

April 2007

Specifications:

Power Output: 2 x 24W RMS (8Ω, Pentode), 2 x 18W RMS (8Ω, Ultra Linear)

Frequency response: 15Hz~35kHz

THD: 1% at 1kHz

S/N ratio: 82dB

Input sensitivity: 160mV, 750mV (Pre-in)

Input impedance: 220kΩ

Output impedance: 8Ω, 16Ω

Power requirement: AC 117V±5%, 50~60Hz

Weight: 22.5 kg

Dimension: 412 x 185 x 415mm (W×H×D)

Power consumption: 220W

MSRP: $1,799

MANUFACTURER:

Eastern Electric

URL: www.eeaudio.com

Email: alex_eeaudio@yahoo.com

U.S. DISTRIBUTOR:

Morningstar Audio Imports

44 East University Drive

Arlington Heights, IL 60004

Tel: (847) 255-1150

 URL: www.morningstaraudio.com

Email: info@morningstaraudio.com

Back in the 1950’s a movie character in a sci-fi film was just that, a character, one persona which was fixed throughout the movie. Fast forward fifty years and things have shifted a bit, and there is a fluidity to characters. With the utilization of digital effects in movies, “shape shifters” or “changlings”, beings that can instantly transform themselves, have become commonplace. One minute the shape shifter is a humanoid, and the next an animal of some sort. It all adds fun and mystery to the sci-fi genre.

There’s been a bit of fun and mystery added to the audiophile’s experience over the years, too. The ardent fan of two-channel in years past might pony up some serious cash to obtain good tube performance in audio. Two-chassis designs were often the answer, although meaning two price tags. By and large, the components produced a fixed sonic signature. Each piece had its limitations, and if you wanted to alter the sound more than tweaking it by changing some tubes or cables, you had to go hunting for a new component.

No longer, not when there are shape shifters, components with such fluidity, and potential to sound good in an entire range of operational settings, that they would fit into any system. That is precisely what the Eastern Electric M520 does; it comes into your home looking like a well-built, well laid-out integrated created for utilization of some of the most loved tubes of the past 50 years, and it nestles into your system with such ease that you’ll feel it was made for it.

If ever there was an integrated built for flexibility, the M520 is it. Alex Yeung, the creator (remember Star Trek episode #37, “The Changeling” in which a probe named Nomad mistakes captain Kirk for it’s creator?) of the M520, made no mistake in his utilization of tubes (per channel): 5AR4 rectifier, EF86 first driver stage, 12AU7’s as the preamplifier splitter, and a pair of EL34’s.

Upon startup, the amp is muted for 30 seconds while the tubes warm up; the LED then remains solid and the CD indicator is lit. There is an ever so slight hiss that leaks through the speakers and can be heard from 1-2 feet away, but it is completely inaudible at my listening position twelve feet away. The noise is negligible; I have heard similar tube effects in separates costing five times the amount of the M520.  Indicators are cleanly displayed via LED’s:  blue for power, green for volume and input, red for pentode mode, and yellow for ultra linear mode.  These functions are also found on the matching remote, which is intuitive and uncluttered. On top of the chassis, on both sides of the tower housing the transformer(s), each tube type is clearly marked at the socket along with optional replacements for the rectifier (GZ34) and splitter (ECC82).

There are inputs for CD, TAPE, TUNER, AUX, as well as PRE INPUT and TAPE OUT. The M520 can operate solely as power amp by selecting the PRE-IN button on the remote control. The MUTE button is located on the remote. The amp generates heat, but not nearly on the order of some tube power amps. Nevertheless, this is not a unit that should be put anywhere within reach of small hands.

Two functions of the M520 which are indispensable to tailoring sound are the NFB (Negative Feed Back) switch, and the choice of either 8 or 16 ohm poles for output. The manual suggests that 6 or 8 ohm speakers be connected to the 16 ohm poles, and 4 ohm speakers be connected to the 8 ohm poles.

If a purchaser enamored of the idea of owning a tube amp with lots of glowing orbs on it, buys the M520 without a care to tube rolling or working with the parameters of the outputs, the pentode/UL mode, or the NFB switch, he may draw a wrong conclusion – that the sound they are hearing is all the M520 can produce. If they don’t happen to think that sound is to

Therein lies the beauty of the shape shifter; its essence is that it can be all things to all people. No, this amp won’t be the ultimate in power, the end-all in detail, or the last word in dynamics, but the M520 will make a Herculean effort in all those categories, and will do so with the flick of a switch or the push of a button. One minute, it can be a more ethereal-sounding ultra-linear, and the next it can be a pentode amp with maximum feedback to take control of the bottom-end. That chameleon-like adaptability is wonderful! Toss in tube rolling and the amp has a makings of an audio Rubik’s cube; seemingly endless possibilities.

Don’t get a knee jerk reaction when I say distortion, since all electronics possess it to one degree or another. When I say distortion as a “quality” of the sound, I mean its existence as an artifact of the choice of mode in which the amp is operated. If the M520 is operated in ultra-linear mode, there is more of an open/spacey sound to the instruments. The treble and bass become less distinct with a millisecond of echo-like afterglow. This is not an accident, it is the way a signal sounds when sent through the M520 acting as an ultra linear amp. It can be a very pleasing sound, and many individuals are drawn to this kind of sound. With the proper crossover-less speaker, it may be your ticket to paradise.

Conversely, move the NFB selector to the “max” setting, where there will be more damping control over the speakers’ drivers, and instantly the presentation crisps up, the bass is more distinct, the treble most sparkling. But some of the gorgeous openness and “air” of the midrange accentuated in the ultra-linear mode will be sacrificed.

Hence, from the inherent difficulties of being a shape shifter, this amp cannot be all things at the same time. No tube amp can simultaneously operate in ultra-linear operation and pentode operation, or zero feedback and positive feedback at the same time.

Whereas many amps give you no options, and you get what they consider good sound, the M520 gives you options aplenty.

Want an expansive soundstage with an accentuated midrange? Set the NFB switch to zero, or for even more of the same, you can move it to the negative position. Want a dynamically tempered presentation which seamlessly integrates the instruments? Take your 4 ohm speakers off the 8 ohm poles and put them onto the 16 ohm poles. You will lose some of the dynamic punch but will gain an evenness across the sound spectrum that may appeal.

The Pentode/Ultra Linear operation, as well as the NFB switch, can be operated while listening. There is a distinct pop as the unit switches between Pentode and UL, and the volume changes slightly as one moves the NFB switch to the zero feedback position. I recommend lowering the volume when making this adjustment.

As tube rolling is added, things get downright personalized. If ever there was an amp that could make you feel it’s your very own, it’s this one, because the likelihood that many people out there are using the same output poles, the same NFB setting, and the same tube configuration is slim. One advantage to all this adaptability is that the need to hunt for the “perfect” speakers to compliment the amp is obviated. This amp will mate up nicely with just about any class B or higher speakers. It is so flexible that you can quite literally move it from a vinyl rig with floor standers to a solid-state system with monitors and it will complement both. All you need to do is shift the settings a bit and it will fit right in.

Audiophiles typically enjoy equipment showing up at their door, so it was the ultimate for me to have the M520 hand delivered by jovial Bill O’Connell, the U.S. distributor for Eastern Electric. When we learned that we lived relatively close to each other, Bill practically begged me to allow him to deliver the amp. How could I refuse? It certainly spoke volumes to me that Bill believes in customer service! Along with the amp came a compliment of tubes to roll. Bill had set up the amp with a  tube compliment he enjoyed using with his Omega Superhemp speakers: (Front of amp to back) Mullard EF86’s first drivers, Amperex Holland 12AU7’s preamp splitters, EI Industrija Magnoval 6CA7 as the quad for push pull operation, and Phillips Miniwatt G234 rectifiers.

The sound was lovely, with midrange buoyancy, but being the bass lover that I am I longed for more emphasis in the bottom-end. My first exchange was to replace the EI quad for a set of JJ Electronic KT77’s. I was listening to Celine Dion’s A New Day has Come disc as a reference while I did each tube exchange. The KT77’s brought more weight to the bass and a touch cleaner treble. Celine sounded as though she had moved from a smaller venue to a larger hall, but not yet at the ballroom at Caesar’s Palace.

Now things were getting good, and I could hear that Celine’s voice had aged. That may sound like an unusual term to use in describing the sound, yet that was the impression. I’m sure you’ve heard an artist rerecord a hit 15-20 years after their first recording. The voice matures, changes, deepens, opens up with the years. And yes, the venue sounded like Caesar’s Palace. This was the kind of change that was occurring with the M520 as I rolled tubes. I could literally determine if I wanted a young Celine or a more mature-sounding Celine singing.

Lifting veils to reveal more clarity through tube rolling can reveal more than you might want to hear! On Chris Botti’s Midnight Without You, vocalist Paul Buchanan, on the title track, “Midnight without You”, sounds so emotionally tortured that I felt like putting him out of his misery by swapping back to the original EI quads!  At least with them it didn’t sound like he was having his trachea torn out!

Over time I was instinctively tuning the sound to move toward the sound of my bridged Pathos Classic One’s, a sound I’ve gravitated toward over the years, and with only two changes was I getting closer. I was amazed at how swiftly the Eastern Electric had morphed into an Italian integrated running as monoblocks! For the M520 at 25wpc (8 ohms) pentode to remind me of the Pathos amps generating 170wpc (8 ohms) was highly commendable! While there is a discernable difference in power between the two setups, the M520 carried more power into the performance than I expected from a sub $2,000 integrated.

After ample experimentation, I kept the amp on Pentode mode almost exclusively. Similarly, I returned time and again to the “Max” setting on the negative feedback switch. While on the “Min” setting, the presentation had a subdued bottom-end with sweetly blended mid/highs.

This presents a perfect option for those in close living quarters. On the “0” (zero) setting, the midrange exploded with air and the lower mid’s and mid-bass was emphasized. This made vocal duets enchanting. Every saxophone or piano became a center stage solo.

On the “Max” setting, the midrange moved back again and the strong, clean lower bass predominated, moving in the direction of a solid-state amp more so than the other two settings. This tri-fold effect reminds me of the fat pens I used in grade school, the ones with three separate color cartridges in one barrel - click whichever color desired and go with it. Similarly, choose the NFB setting you want and the M520 will oblige.

This is an amp that can accommodate many people with less than ideal system configurations. If you own a CDP that is detailed but a bit harsh, with the M520 you can tone it down. If your speakers are light on the bass, you can operate in “max” NFB to increase the damping on the woofers and improve it. Where there’s an audio ill, this amp can likely address it, if not perfectly then significantly. Before the M520, if some aspect of an amplifier’s sound is displeasing, the owner can do virtually nothing about it short of trading components. With a shape shifter like the M520, the possibility of redemption of the system is not just a hope but a reality.

Conversely, for those who are constantly shifting to different components in search of some elusive sound, they may find that an amp like the M520 will sate appetite for change. If they just have to keep changing things, they can change the output, the NFB setting, or tubes rather than change components constantly. That can save some serious change (or shall we say morph your budget?)!

At one point I thought I had pushed the envelope of the M520’s performance to its limits; but no, there was another surprise to come. And it came in the most unexpected way.

For many years I have been a firm believer in cleaning discs prior to play. When I get a new disc it’s cleaned even before first playing, since I’ve heard way too many times the not-at-all-subtle differences (and oh, what a glorious difference on a decent rig) between treated and untreated discs.

I have a lovely kit provided for review from Jena Labs, their Esoteric 3D-X disc enhancer (for CD/SACD/DVD). I thought I would test the enhancer while I had the Eastern Electric set up. It is difficult putting into words just how radically the M520’s sound morphed. I had been listening previously to a Dussun V8i, a 250Wpc-monster of an integrated, a brute with seemingly bottomless, abysmally deep bass. The poor M520 seemed a lightweight in comparison.

But then the 520 did it again, it morphed into a completely different amp. After one simple treatment, it sounded uncannily like the 250Wpc Dussun! Granted I never would have heard this formidable side of the Eastern Electric had I not experimented with the disc. I was all set to say the bass was respectable, not earthshaking, to cede the deep-end to the Dussun, etc. “Wow,” I thought, “I had better be careful with this component, it’s dangerously deceptive!”

Here’s an illustration in an attempt to explain how significant the changes can be with the M520. Recall, if you will, the laudable performance of Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in the biographical movie Walk the Line. If you were tuning in to the singing, he did a very commendable job as the man-in-black. It was only when the credits rolled and the real Mr. Cash sang that you hear the deep gravelly rumble of his voice. It’s quite a noticeable difference. It’s that kind of distinction in performance the M520 can pull out of its pocket.

When the M520 was first walked into my listening room, upon first listen I gauged it to be a respectable but middle-of-the-pack performer. With time, as I watched it morph into its many configurations, I heard it as an overachieving middleweight. Now that I’ve heard what appears at this point to be the outer limitations of it, I judge it to be exceptional.

I have put many dollars and many years into building an immensely satisfying sound from components that I culled after many A/B comparisons; and here in the space of several weeks, the M520 has gone from okay to outstanding! I have heard very few components that are capable of such fundamental improvements in sonic attributes as the M520. The truth of the matter, is that set up poorly, this amp will sound respectable. However, set up properly, with quality selection of tubes and utilizing premium cables, this amp can impress.

This is one reason why sometimes reviewers must give plenty of time with equipment. An hour or two will simply not do it justice. One must hear a piece over longer periods of time, with different tubes, with different speakers... and, of course, (as I heard) different CD treatments! But this opens up an entirely new can of worms…which CD treatment is the most exceptional? (See how we audiophiles drive ourselves crazy?)

With time, as my respect for this amp has grown, my caution in reviewing it also has grown. I do not want to misjudge it, to pronounce categorically it’s only capable of so much… because every time I’ve thought that, I’ve been proven wrong. When I didn’t feel there was enough “weight” to the performance of the amp, I kept moving the NFB switch until it showed up. When I wasn’t satisfied that “all the players were on the same field” spaced properly, I changed quads until they arrived. And on it went. When I felt it was cool in the midrange and voices were uninspiring, I put the Mullards in and vόla, there was the flesh on the bones! I’m sure if I could live with this amp for an additional year, I could find yet untold riches in it. For the record, the best configuration I have heard on my system to date was as follows: Mullard EF86’s, Siemens E80F’s, Electro-Harmonix 6CA7EH’s (two pair), and Phillips Miniwatt GZ34’s.

This has been one of the very few components which, since its arrival, had the effect of morphing me as a reviewer. It has altered my perceptions of what is capable at the sub-$2,000 price point. It has changed my dogmatism regarding how much bottom-end presence is possible from a tube 25-watt integrated. I adjure you, be very cautious in approaching this rare creature, it’s not what you think, it’s something else!

Associated Components:

Source: Rega Saturn cdp

DAC: Benchmark DAC1

Preamp: Melody Hi Fi P1688 tube pre; Dussun V8i ss pre stage

Amp: Melody Hi Fi S88 monoblocks

Integrated: : Pathos Classic One MkII stereo tube hybrids (2) bridged; Eastern Electric M520 tube Hybrid; Dussun V8i solid state

Speakers: Chapman Audio Systems T-77; Von Schweikert Audio VR-4 SR MkII; Eminent Technology LFT-8A;  Art and Audio Fusion Technologies “Picture Art System”

IC’s: MIT AVt MA; Jena Labs Java, Tice Audio IC 1A

Speaker Cables: MIT AVt MA; Jena Labs Jazz; Tice Audio 416

Power Cables: Xindak PF-Gold, Jena Labs Bumblebee

Power Conditioning: MIT Z-Stabilizer; Tice Audio Solo

Also read Doug Schroeder’s article on:

 Dussun V8i

Solid-state Integrated amplifier

Jena Labs "Dussy" jumpers

with Dussun V8i

Jena Labs "Jazz" & "Java" cables

with "Bumblebee" & "Dussy"

Melody Hi Fi P1688 & S88

tube amplification system

Rega Saturn

CD player

Von Schweikert VR-4 SR MkII

loudspeaker system

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