EAT E-Glo 2 Phono Stage Debuts After 12 Year Wait with Reference-Level Performance and a Serious Price Tag

In the upper echelon of analog playback, where $10,000 turntables are considered entry points and the price of a reference-grade phono cartridge rivals a used car, the EAT E-Glo 2 arrives with a very specific target in mind: the analog purist who’s already deep into the worlds of Brinkmann, Kuzma, VPI, Clearaudio, and Thorens, and who views phono preamps not as accessories, but as critical instruments in extracting every nuance from vinyl.

With a $11,000 sticker and a pedigree rooted in tube-first, feedback-free circuit design, the E-Glo 2 isn’t aiming for mass-market appeal—it’s built for the committed collector who’s pairing it with an $8,000 MC cartridge from Ortofon or Koetsu, feeding it into an all-tube chain from Audio Research, Luxman, or Nagra. This is no generic upgrade. It’s a precision tool for those who already know what they’re chasing—and what it costs to get there.

Jozefina Lichtenegger, CEO of EAT (European Audio Team), may not be a household name, but in the audiophile world, her influence is impossible to miss. If the name rings a bell, it’s because she happens to be the better half of Heinz Lichtenegger—founder and CEO of Pro-Ject Audio Systems. While EAT and Pro-Ject are technically independent companies, their partnership—both personal and professional—has quietly powered a surge of innovation across the analog space for over a decade.

Czechia, Slovakia, and Austria each play a key role in this cross-border analog alliance. From turntables and tonearms to phono preamps, cartridges, and even vacuum tubes, this trio of central European countries has become a hotbed for high-value, high-performance analog gear. If you ever assumed Pro-Ject was just a budget brand and EAT was its boutique cousin… you’re only half wrong. The DNA overlaps. The ambition doesn’t.

What Jozefina has built with EAT is a clear declaration: not all high-end analog gear needs to come from Japan, Germany, or California—and not all innovation in this space is coming from 40-year-old circuit designs with a fresh paint job.

Precision Tube Design and Balanced Topology Set the EAT E-Glo 2 Apart

After a 12-year wait, EAT (European Audio Team) has finally unveiled the E-Glo 2, a long-anticipated update to its original tube phono stage that earned cult status among analog connoisseurs. Now available in the U.S. through VANA Ltd., the E-Glo 2 retains the sonic architecture and all-tube signal path that defined its predecessor, while incorporating several key upgrades based on direct feedback from serious vinyl enthusiasts.

At its core, the E-Glo 2 remains fully discrete and devoid of semiconductors in the signal path, preserving the tube-driven transparency that has become EAT’s hallmark. The circuit employs four ECC83 and two ECC88 tubes—components prized for their tonal warmth, harmonic complexity, and responsiveness to tube rolling. For users who enjoy fine-tuning their sound, this flexibility is critical.

One of the most significant upgrades is the addition of a balanced XLR input for MC (moving coil) cartridges. This new input stage, built on a true balanced topology, reduces the noise floor and improves rejection of electromagnetic interference—an essential feature for revealing the full potential of today’s low-output MC cartridges from brands like Hana, Miyajima, Dynavector, and Ortofon.

The phono stage also continues EAT’s commitment to split-passive RIAA equalization—eschewing active or feedback-based designs in favor of a purist, high-transparency approach. This ensures more accurate EQ tracking across the tube’s lifespan and contributes to the E-Glo 2’s natural, unforced sonic character.

Internally, the unit sees key component upgrades as well. Mundorf capacitors with a Teflon dielectric now handle the output stage, while polypropylene film capacitors replace the previous MKP types in the signal path and EQ network—offering ultra-low loss factors and minimal temperature drift. These refinements are not about spec-sheet bragging rights, but about long-term performance stability and sonic integrity at the highest level.

As before, the power supply is housed in a separate chassis—now with a redesigned aluminum enclosure that visually matches the main unit. The power stage features a capacitor-multiplier filtered, FET-regulated design that delivers clean, stable voltage to the sensitive tube circuitry, further shielding it from noise and ripple.

At $11,000, the EAT E-Glo 2 isn’t just a sequel. It reflects a deep understanding of what its audience values: tonal refinement, tube-driven texture, and a design philosophy that favors transparency over trickery. This is a phono stage for systems where every component is selected with intention, and every note matters.

EAT E-Glo 2: Key Specifications

• Inputs
  • MM Input: RCA
  • MC Inputs: RCA, XLR (balanced)
• Input Impedance (MC)
  • Gain 2 (70 dB): 10, 20, 40, 80, 150, 300, 600, 1200 ohms
  • Gain 1 (76 dB): 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 150, 300 ohms
• Load Capacity (MM)
  • 50, 150, 270, 370, 520, 620, 740, 840 pF
• Gain
  • MM: 46 dB
  • MC Gain 1: 76 dB
  • MC Gain 2: 70 dB
• Output
  • Output Impedance: < 150 ohms
  • Output Type: RCA
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio
  • MM: 74 dBV (95 dBV IEC-A weighted)
  • MC: 74 dBV (85 dBV IEC-A weighted)
• THD (Total Harmonic Distortion)
  • MM / MC: < 0.1% @ 1V RMS
• RIAA Accuracy
  • Within ±0.3 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz
  • Subsonic Filter: 12 dB/octave
• Power Supply
  • Voltage: 230V / 115V AC selectable (rear panel)
  • Frequency: 50/60 Hz
  • Power Consumption: 52 VA max, < 0.5 W in standby
  • Type: External, in separate chassis
• Dimensions (W × H × D)
  • Phono Preamplifier Unit: 395 × 86 × 262 mm
  • Power Supply Unit: 395 × 61 × 280 mm
• Weight
  • Phono Preamplifier Unit: 5.3 kg
  • Power Supply Unit: 5.4 kg

The Bottom Line

Having spent considerable time with the E-Glo Petit—a phono stage that sold for roughly one-tenth the price of the new E-Glo 2—I can say this with confidence: if EAT has meaningfully scaled what made the Petit so impressive, this might be one of the most compelling high-end tube phono stages on the market today.

What did I love about the Petit? Exceptional build quality, a dead-silent noise floor, and the kind of cartridge loading flexibility that let me match anything I owned—none of which cost over $750—with total confidence. Sonically, it struck a rare balance: accurate and neutral, but with just enough warmth and texture to bring analytical systems to life. Bass extension was tight and authoritative, while the top end was airy and sweet without ever veering into glare.

The fact that I would never need anything beyond the Petit only makes me more curious about the E-Glo 2. At $11,000, this isn’t for casual vinyl listeners—it’s for those running multi-thousand-dollar tables, arms, and carts where every upstream decision matters. If your system can justify this level of investment, the E-Glo 2 could very well be a final-destination phono stage—one that pushes what’s possible in tube-driven analog playback even further.

For more information: europeanaudioteam.com

Related Reading:

• Preview: E.A.T. Fortissimo S Turntable Is Now Available To North American Vinyl Listeners
• My Dinner With Denon: Why The DL-A110 Made Me Dump My Overpriced Cartridges And Embrace Japanese Restraint
• Nagra’s Compact Phono Stage Offers A “Taste” Of The Ultra High-End For Only $4,950
• Musical Fidelity’s M8x Vinyl Is The Swiss Army Knife Of Reference Phono Preamplifiers