Soulnote · E

E-3MC

The world's first completely separated dual-mono ground phono equaliser.

Vinyl playback is ultimately an exercise in recovering microscopic voltages without introducing interference, a challenge the Soulnote E-3MC answers through radical electrical isolation. Standing proudly in Soulnote’s flagship 3 Series, the E-3MC represents the zenith of their analogue engineering. While the acclaimed E-3 focuses entirely on optical cartridges, the E-3MC is designed strictly to extract the ultimate performance from traditional moving coil and moving magnet designs. It completes the 3 Series ecosystem, allowing listeners to build a system where the left and right channel grounds are never connected from the cartridge stylus all the way through to the loudspeaker. Sonically, this extreme isolation manifests as a breathtakingly expansive soundstage and striking transient speed. By deploying a discrete, high-gain, ground-referenced balanced circuit—dubbed the MC Type-R—the E-3MC presents music with uncoloured immediacy. The total absence of global feedback preserves the natural decay of instruments and the raw dynamic energy of the original recording, resulting in a sound character that is intensely vivid, profoundly quiet, and remarkably alive.

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Key Features

World-first separated ground architecture

The chassis, left channel, and right channel grounds are completely isolated. This creates a system where grounds never meet, unlocking an exceptionally vast soundstage.

New MC Type-R circuit

A discrete, high-gain, ground-referenced balanced amplification circuit without negative feedback. By eliminating push-pull circuits, it preserves the transient speed of the delicate music signal.

Over-engineered triple power supply

Despite consuming only 25W, it features the power supply capacity of a 500W amplifier. It utilises three dedicated toroidal transformers with copper shorting rings to suppress noise.

Ultra-high precision naked foil resistors

Based on satellite-grade components, these bespoke resistors are stripped of their usual resin moulds to eliminate mechanical damping and sonic colouration.

Reference RSR-2-12D relays

Custom-developed glass tube sealed reed relays are used for all signal switching. Performing similarly to mercury relays, they offer absolute signal transparency.

Mechanical floating structure

The amplifier blocks, terminals, and covers are left unfixed and floating. This relieves mechanical stress on the chassis, allowing for a naturally open presentation.

Chapter 01

Design & Philosophy

At the heart of the E-3MC lies Soulnote's relentless pursuit of dynamic performance. Traditional measurements of static performance often fail to capture the true emotional weight and temporal accuracy of music. Soulnote’s chief designer insists that preserving the original waveform on the time axis is paramount. By eschewing global negative feedback completely, the E-3MC avoids the time-smearing effects that plague conventional phono equalisers, rendering analogue playback with startling immediacy and transient attack. The defining breakthrough of the E-3MC is its approach to electrical grounding. It is the world’s first phono equaliser to completely separate the left channel, right channel, and chassis grounds. A front-panel chassis ground button ensures compatibility with all tonearms, but when fully isolated, it achieves a level of spatial presentation and channel separation previously thought impossible.

Chapter 02

Build & Materials

Hand-assembled in Japan, the E-3MC is built without compromise. The bespoke Type-R circuit is fed by an extravagantly over-engineered power supply featuring three independent transformers, custom high-voltage filter capacitors, and next-generation silicon carbide rectifier diodes. This ensures an ultra-fast, robust current delivery that anchors the musical performance even during the most demanding dynamic swings. Mechanically, the chassis embraces a completely unfixed, floating architecture. Rather than damping vibrations heavily, the top cover, bottom plate, and internal amplifier blocks are mechanically decoupled. Premium components like artificial satellite-grade naked foil resistors and custom glass-sealed reed relays ensure that every physical element serves absolute signal purity.

Chapter 03

Sonic Signature

The Soulnote E-3MC does not impose a romanticised warmth or an overly analytical glare upon the music. Thanks to the absolute ground separation and zero-feedback design, the most immediate characteristic is an astonishingly wide and deep soundstage. Instruments materialise in three-dimensional space with precise location and lifelike scale. Listeners will note a visceral transient speed where snare hits, plucked strings, and brass bursts arrive with explosive, uncompressed energy. The noise floor is imperceptible, allowing micro-dynamics and the subtle ambient cues of the recording venue to emerge effortlessly. It is a confident, fiercely resolving performance that brings the listener remarkably close to the original master tape.

Specifications

Input (MC)BALANCED x 1, UNBALANCED x 2

Input (MM)UNBALANCED x 1

OutputBALANCED x 1, UNBALANCED x 1

Input sensitivityMC: 0.4mV, MM: 4mV

GainMC: 72dB, MM: 52dB

Rated Output VoltageBALANCE: 2.8V, UNBALANCE: 1.4V

RIAA deviation±0.15 dB

MC load resistance3 Ω, 10 Ω, 30 Ω, 100 Ω, 300 Ω, 1 kΩ

MM load capacitance100 P, 200 P, 350 P

Power Voltage230V AC 50Hz / 115V AC 60Hz

Power Consumption25W

Dimensions454(W) × 189(H) × 431(D) mm

WeightApproximately 26.0 kg

Included AccessoriesSpikes, Spike board, Setting spacer, Power cable

MM load resistance47 kΩ

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