[Rafale]

Now review of the ET3SE phono by Steve Harris Hi-Fi News May 2011
Sound Quality : 85/100 ( AR anniversary Edition Ref : 89/100 by KK in April 20011 issue)

'my listening started vinyl using the Benz Micro SL in the SME10 turntable. Though it's mono the 1955 jazz classic Dinah Jams seemed as good a way to warm up a system as any. Recorded with an invited audience, this was an attempt to capture the excitment of a live session with studio sound quality. With the ET3SE, the sound was smooth yet flowing and detailed and it really drew me in.
Switching from the ET3SE's own phono stage to the always-pleasing Acoustic Signature Tango gave a relatively flattened and laid-back perspective, or rather less mono stage depth. I felt that the ET3SE's phono stage gave more details, more feeling of a real event, even though of course you were still listening down a mono ''tube'' rather to a real stereo spread. Many valve products give a mono image rendition that is worryingly vague, but is not the case with the ET3SE preamp.
...With Christine Collister's 2005 "Rega project' album Love the ET3SE really projected the darkly-rich almost cloudy texture of this singer's distinctive voice, and it was nicely revealing of the different production sound achieved on different tracks. It made you appreciate the versatile musicianship of Gary Bennett, from his wistful-clunky banjo on 'Time in a A bottle' to his lovely yearning electric guitar line in 'i've got you under my skin'.....
With Famous Blue Raincot i felt that Jennifer Warnes's amazing voice was equally well served, with that magical combination of sweetness and commanding presence well conveyed and again with never a hint of hardness or edge.
The title track now seemed a particularly fabulous vocal performance, while Paul Ostermayer's definitive sax was free of stridency that's often heard on the CD version.....