I cleaned the tube pins and sockets, cables and connectors on my amp today. Doing the Io and the amps is an additive effect. Also cleaned all the AC power plugs and sockets.
Here is the amp.
Here is the amp.
Aesthetix Io Users Group
- Thread starter audioquest4life
- Start date
@oldvinyl
In this picture you posted, on the interior of the chassis is what appears to be some taped down or glued down material. My assumption it is that is damping material on the chassis rail. My IO does not have that material on the interior chassis rail.
That is actually velcro to secure the top lid. Nothing high tech.
You should use cotton bud cleaning your ears every now and then too Ked. That should gives much more effect than cleaning tube pins.
Okay, I guess my expectations were driving my conclusion. But, I do have some ideas about using 3M on my chassis when returns from Asthetix in its partial Eclipse form.
The cleaning applies to pins, sockets, cables (power and signal), outlet (with AC off), connectors.
Cleaning removes oxidation. This results in a better conduction of electricity, better ground connection.
Benefits: ultra quiet inky jet black background, significant reduction of noise floor, better coherence of sound, more palpable imaging, improves detail (without negative side-effect), smoother high frequency. In short - everything we like about high end audio improves.
Note that this works for solid state amps, power conditioners, and CD players too (cleaning their connectors and cables).
And maybe all those evaporating cleaning fluids add a small high that also enhances the sound experience !
Oldvinyl, thanks for your photos of the cleaning process - very useful. Kcin - you mentioned other methods, with maybe less work?
I will not start cleaning next weekend, but I will do it, the next time I need to open the boxes. Oldvinyl's post made me think of an interview I read with the Lyra cartridge people, Jonathan Carr perhaps, about the need to clean all contacts in the system, and do it thoroughly.
Oldvinyl - your shot shows "standoffs to allow clearance needed for KT66s (in place of EL34)." I have not done this modification in my power supplies. Is there overall agreement that the 66 sounds better than the 34? Plusses and minuses?
I will not start cleaning next weekend, but I will do it, the next time I need to open the boxes. Oldvinyl's post made me think of an interview I read with the Lyra cartridge people, Jonathan Carr perhaps, about the need to clean all contacts in the system, and do it thoroughly.
Oldvinyl - your shot shows "standoffs to allow clearance needed for KT66s (in place of EL34)." I have not done this modification in my power supplies. Is there overall agreement that the 66 sounds better than the 34? Plusses and minuses?
The only overall agreement in audio is that there is no overall agreement.
Try a Google search for "aesthetix io kt66" or "aesthetix io tube roll" etc. Lots of different opinions.
In my experience, it was well worth it. Bass was tighter and more defined, overall the presentation of loud passages were more relaxed. I have quads of factory matched KT-66s that I bought 20 years ago when they were still reasonably available and priced. If I were going to do it today, I would start with something like the Gold Lion KT-66. For $100 per power supply, this can easily be tried. If the result is favorable to the listener - then enjoy.
I have an Aesthetix Io Eclipse with single power supply and no volume controls which I have owned for about 5 years. I use balanced cables to go from the Io output to an Allnic preamp. I love the sound and do not find it noisy as some have stated. A couple of years back I had some trouble with the unit and took it to a repair facility on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The repair man previously worked for Naim in England but couldn't repair the unit due to not having circuit diagrams. After some initial misunderstandings, I returned the unit to Jim and Glenn in the US. Just want to give them a shout out for how professional they have been and what they did to get the unit back up and running. I have had the unit back for about six months now and the sound has improved considerably over that time. I made a mistake and left it powered up for a fortnight while I was away and this has actually improved the sound considerably. Who said burn in doesn't make any difference.
Anyway, thanks to Jim and Glenn for their repair work and the supply for the additional set of tubes. They have restored my faith in American High End audio manufacturers.
Anyway, thanks to Jim and Glenn for their repair work and the supply for the additional set of tubes. They have restored my faith in American High End audio manufacturers.
Similar threads
- Sticky
