Ear Yoshino 868PL Phono Linestage Pre Amp

Up for sale is an EAR 868PL Phono Linestage Pre Amp.

Model:
868PL

Color:
Mirror silver front, gold knobs and black body

Voltage Input:
100-120V 50/60Hz

Tubes:
4x EAR ECC88

Condition:
7/10
The knobs have some smudges (I did not try a brass cleaner yet, so might come off), the 868 lettering on the front has 3 very small parts missing on the 8 and 6, there is a tiny chip on the right top edge towards the rear, on the top there are a few rub marks (scratches that did not go through the paint.
The mirror front, under the right angle with bright light and up close, there are 2 or 3 small areas (1/4” by 1/4”) where it shows a few 'dots' in the finish.

Side note: the rub marks on top and the 'dots' are very hard to notice (if at all), unless you look for them under the right angle and light.

Please copy and paste the following Dropbox Link for more pictures:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9i43oqgydbnchn4/AACMFeLjvxAl5bvXa-JQxgeJa?dl=0

Functionality:
I have tested it and functions as it should.

Age:
3-4 years with only 20-30 hours of use

Repair History:
None

No. of Owners:
1 (I am selling it for the original owner)

Tobacco/Pet Free:
He owns a dog, there is no dust or hair inside the EAR and the outside is clean.

Included are:
EAR 868 PL
Remote
Manual
Original Double Box

Description:
The EAR 868 is a transformer-coupled linestage and phono preamplifier ($5795 USD linestage only, $7595 with phono stage) that employs two pairs of the somewhat unusual 7DJ8 tube (PCC88) instead of the ubiquitous 6DJ8 (which can be directly substituted). According to the 868’s page on the website of Audio Revelation, a longtime EAR dealer in Carlsbad, California, the linestage gain is 17dB, the phono gain a variable 50-80dB, and the output impedance a relatively low 600 ohms. The 868 doesn’t invert phase. Also, rather than using another set of tubes for a third gain stage in the phono section with its attendant risk of noise, EAR’s legendary designer, Tim de Paravicini, chose to handle that with custom-designed step-up transformers, with selectable primaries of 10/1, 20/1, and 30/1. The settings are determined by a DIP switch inside the chassis, toward the rear: As you change the gain, the internal impedances also change, to 50, 125, and 500 ohms, respectively. For cartridge loading, however, the default resistive impedances are the standard 47k ohms for moving-magnet cartridges and 40 ohms for moving-coils. All of these features have been trickled down from the flagship EAR 912 preamp, which has essentially the same circuits but even more features, for the most discerning of analog freaks.

Specifications:
Type: Vacuum tube stereo preamplifier with MM/MC phonostage
Tube Compliment: One ECC82 and four ECC83
Inputs: One phono and five line level unbalanced via gold-plated RCA
Outputs: Two sets balanced XLR, two sets balanced RCA and one tape monitor
SNR: 90dB (1V out reference)
Phono Section Noise: -80dB (IHF)
Input Impedance: Phono 47 kOhms MC input, 40 Ohms standard
Maximum Output: 5V into 600 Ohms (Both balanced and unbalanced)
Dimensions: 15" x 5" x 12" (WxHxD)
Weight: 22 lbs.
Price: $5795 as standard, $7595 with phonostage

Review:
Enjoy the Music: “The EAR 868 line stage is capable of sound reproduction nearing the state of the art. It is the phono stage that undoubtedly sets the unit as 'state-of-the-art'. In combination with the Haniwa HCTR01, it raises the level of performance beyond any other phono stage that I have ever heard. To my ears within the system, the Shure V15 did indeed extract more dynamic life out of vinyl records. I was able to hear deeper into the subtle details of the recorded music. Let us refer again to that cut by Sting "If You Love Somebody Set Then Free". Within the orchestral arrangement, it was easy to groove to the sound of a tambourine as it drive the tempo forward. The Haniwa HCTR01 not only conveys the startling transient impact on the tambourine, I could better delineate the sound of the tambourine's individual metal disks hitting each other. The explanation must lie in EAR's very ingenious combination of a tube phono stage that send the signal to a third stage of amplification and two dedicated moving coil step up transformers. EAR's 868 moving coil transformers provide dead quite amplification plus serve as the resistive load seen by the cartridge. The Ear 868 works beautifully.“

MSRP $7595, I am asking $3499.99
(Offers below $3000 will be ignored, there is a little wiggle room in the asking price)

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Shipping:
Shipping inside the USA is done by USPS or FedEx.
International Shipping is done by USPS, please contact me for details.
Shipping weight is 30 lbs and the box measures 25x25x12

Payment:
I accept Paypal, Credit Cards, Zelle, Cashier's Checks or Money Orders.
When Cashier's Checks or Money Orders are used, the item will ship once the C.C. or M.O. clears.
Please add 3% to the total when PayPal or Credit card payment is used.

Please do not send payment until I have added the exact shipping cost (Audiogon does not add insurance to the total) and until I have added the 3% PayPal/Credit Card/Express Checkout fees.

International Shipping:
When I ship International I am not responsible for any loss/damage during shipping and any Customs duties/fees/charges/taxes.