Aesthetix Io Users Group

[oldvinyl]

The only thing I notice is that they have slightly more lower listening level tube rush. It’s the same thing like others who roll vintage tubes in the Io…great sound, but low level tube noise.

My experience with NOS tubes has been quite good. They have been screened and selected and have very little tube rush. Much quieter than most new production tubes. The NOS tubes come from an era when the process control was very good and metallurgy got the best materials. Tubes from that era were designed and tested to be very quiet.
Unfortunately, some "NOS" tubes are either used or in extreme cases - counterfeit.
Guess I was lucky to have the chance to collect these 25 to 30 years ago when stocks were still good.
The VT-231 and especially the 5692 red or brown base are typically very quiet. The 5692 and some of the VT-231 have additional support rods that help eliminate microphonic noise.
One of these days I need to sort through the tubes and sell off some of the abundant spares.

 

[audioquest4life]

The Aesthetix supplied 6SN7 tubes in my unit are the Russian 6H8Cs. They are noticeably quieter but lack the midrange sparkle that the RCAs have. I mean this in the way that the vocals are crispier with the RCAs and seems as if the singer is literally speaking through a microphone live on stage in my room. While the Russian 6H8C produces the same affect, it’s as if the microphone level is turned up on the RCA which gives the impression of a slightly more lively and impressionable experience.

I was playing some Gipsy Kings, Allegria, the original European album release that I purchased somewhere when I lived in Europe (could have been Spain, Germany, or Italy), and selected the song Pharaon. This song is not on the U.S. version of the same titled album. You need to google it. I added a link to it. Well, this song is a live studio recording, as are all the songs on the original Euro version, and the guitars are just amazing. This is not an audiophile LP but sounds like one.

The acoustics and recording are amazing and the Io with either factory or NOS tubes can extract the sound from the grooves with perfection and will leave one in amazement with the sound attributes. There is a standing guitar riff in which you can detect the location and space in depth of the guitar which blows my mind. In fact, the entirety of the song is pretty much a long guitar riff and you can easily follow along the stage as the guitar/s are being played.

I think I am done tube rolling for now but my interest has grown to explore either a VT-231 or 5692…so much for leaving well enough alone,

Gipsy Kings - Pharaon

 

[Lagonda]

The Aesthetix supplied 6SN7 tubes in my unit are the Russian 6H8Cs. They are noticeably quieter but lack the midrange sparkle that the RCAs have. I mean this in the way that the vocals are crispier with the RCAs and seems as if the singer is literally speaking through a microphone live on stage in my room. While the Russian 6H8C produces the same affect, it’s as if the microphone level is turned up on the RCA which gives the impression of a slightly more lively and impressionable experience.

I was playing some Gipsy Kings, Allegria, the original European album release that I purchased somewhere when I lived in Europe (could have been Spain, Germany, or Italy), and selected the song Pharaon. This song is not on the U.S. version of the same titled album. You need to google it. I added a link to it. Well, this song is a live studio recording, as are all the songs on the original Euro version, and the guitars are just amazing. This is not an audiophile LP but sounds like one.

The acoustics and recording are amazing and the Io with either factory or NOS tubes can extract the sound from the grooves with perfection and will leave one in amazement with the sound attributes. There is a standing guitar riff in which you can detect the location and space in depth of the guitar which blows my mind. In fact, the entirety of the song is pretty much a long guitar riff and you can easily follow along the stage as the guitar/s are being played.

I think I am done tube rolling for now but my interest has grown to explore either a VT-231 or 5692…so much for leaving well enough alone,

Gipsy Kings - Pharaon

I just pulled that LP from the shelf, i don't think i have ever listened to it, i have hundreds of albums i have not gotten around to yet ! Thanks for the recommendation, i will spin it tonight. Without my Io though, it is still in surgery, i visited it at my repair guy yesterday and saw all the bits and pieces laid out for measuring and replacing. He keeps on advising me to sell the damned thing, his wife is ready to charge me rent for it i fear. It lives more at his house than mine.

 

[audioquest4life]

I just pulled that LP from the shelf, i don't think i have ever listened to it, i have hundreds of albums i have not gotten around to yet ! Thanks for the recommendation, i will spin it tonight. Without my Io though, it is still in surgery, i visited it at my repair guy yesterday and saw all the bits and pieces laid out for measuring and replacing. He keeps on advising me to sell the damned thing, his wife is ready to charge me rent for it i fear. It lives more at his house than mine.

Well, glad you have the LP, sad to hear that your Io is in for surgery. That totally sucks!! I

I hope that the repair technician is able to rectify whatever ails the unit and you will be able to listen in musical bliss thereafter. Hope is a course of action, isn’t it? May the audio gods bless this unit.

Listening to the LP on whatever setup you have now will make you even more anxious to get the Io back.

The Gipsy Kings Allegria LP I own is a Holland pressing.

 

[Lagonda]

Well, glad you have the LP, sad to hear that your Io is in for surgery. That totally sucks!! I

I hope that the repair technician is able to rectify whatever ails the unit and you will be able to listen in musical bliss thereafter. Hope is a course of action, isn’t it? May the audio gods bless this unit.

Listening to the LP on whatever setup you have now will make you even more anxious to get the Io back.

The Gipsy Kings Allegria LP I own is a Holland pressing. View attachment 143315View attachment 143316

I have the same version.

 

[audioquest4life]

That’s great. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

 

[thekong]

I just pulled that LP from the shelf, i don't think i have ever listened to it, i have hundreds of albums i have not gotten around to yet ! Thanks for the recommendation, i will spin it tonight. Without my Io though, it is still in surgery, i visited it at my repair guy yesterday and saw all the bits and pieces laid out for measuring and replacing. He keeps on advising me to sell the damned thing, his wife is ready to charge me rent for it i fear. It lives more at his house than mine.

Your Io broke down again even after you lowered the power voltage?

 

[Lagonda]

Your Io broke down again even after you lowered the power voltage?

Yes about two month ago a bunch of component in the left channel this time, different channel different type of faults this time.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Yes about two month ago a bunch of component in the left channel this time, different channel different type of faults this time.

It seems you got one of the company's Monday units, you should listen to your technician. I would recommend selling it as soon as it's repaired. Take a look at a Manley Steelhead RC. Three separate phono inputs, two with sut, one with resistors and one linestage input with skipjack, expandable to 4 line stage inputs. Only 6 tubes in there. And so that it doesn't get empty in your rack, a separate power supply. I have two friends who have had them for over 10 years, no failures, not even a single tube.

Manley Steelhead® RC Phono Stage — Manley Laboratories, Inc.

Clean, quiet, and bulletproof with enormous flexibility, the Manley STEELHEAD is both a tweak-o-holic tube-lover’s dream, and a reviewer’s reference.

www.manley.com

Skipjack

Skipjack RCA Switcher — Manley Laboratories, Inc.

The Manley SKIPJACK® 4 into 1 or 3 into 2 audiophile source selector. Too clever and very useful!

www.manley.com

 

[Lagonda]

It seems you got one of the company's Monday units, you should listen to your technician. I would recommend selling it as soon as it's repaired. Take a look at a Manley Steelhead RC. Three separate phono inputs, two with sut, one with resistors and one linestage input with skipjack, expandable to 4 line stage inputs. Only 6 tubes in there. And so that it doesn't get empty in your rack, a separate power supply. I have two friends who have had them for over 10 years, no failures, not even a single tube.

Manley Steelhead® RC Phono Stage — Manley Laboratories, Inc.

Clean, quiet, and bulletproof with enormous flexibility, the Manley STEELHEAD is both a tweak-o-holic tube-lover’s dream, and a reviewer’s reference.

www.manley.com

Skipjack

Skipjack RCA Switcher — Manley Laboratories, Inc.

The Manley SKIPJACK® 4 into 1 or 3 into 2 audiophile source selector. Too clever and very useful!

www.manley.com

If or when i give up the Io i will probably go all SS i have lost all interest in tubes, not that big a fan of the sameness i hear coming from SUT"s either. Too much hassle with tubes when you are not a electric wizard and can do your own maintenance. I also find bass better with good SS, the Io is better sounding in some areas, but in the bass range my 37 year old SS built in phono section is superior, there is also a coherence in the tone range that the Io misses out on, with all its tubes. I would probably buy Burmester, Gryphon or Moon if i go SS. I will research the Manley, but not a big fan of it in the looks department. Thank you Stephan.

 

[DasguteOhr]

If or when i give up the Io i will probably go all SS i have lost all interest in tubes, not that big a fan of the sameness i hear coming from SUT"s either. Too much hassle with tubes when you are not a electric wizard and can do your own maintenance. I also find bass better with good SS, the Io is better sounding in some areas, but in the bass range my 37 year old SS built in phono section is superior, there is also a coherence in the tone range that the Io misses out on, with all its tubes. I would probably buy Burmester, Gryphon or Moon if i go SS. I will research the Manley, but not a big fan of it in the looks department. Thank you Stephan.

The steelhead is for me,still one of best top 5 phonos ever heard.
Then definitely listen to the Moon 810LP, this phono is spooky with its total absence of noise. I was caught checking twice to see if it was even switched on. If you listen to music quietly, you'll hear details with other phonos can't, I promise. I'm big fan of it, but for me expensive.

810LP Phono-Vorverstärker | Bester Plattenspieler-Vorverstärker | MOON

Ein wahrhaft puristisches Design, das dazu bestimmt ist, die neue Referenz für die analoge Wiedergabe zu werden. Erstaunliche analoge Wiedergabe kombiniert mit unübertroffener Flexibilität

simaudio.com

 

[Lagonda]

The steelhead is for me,still one of best top 5 phonos ever heard.
Then definitely listen to the Moon 810LP, this phono is spooky with its total absence of noise. I was caught checking twice to see if it was even switched on. If you listen to music quietly, you'll hear details with other phonos can't, I promise. I'm big fan of it, but for me expensive.

810LP Phono-Vorverstärker | Bester Plattenspieler-Vorverstärker | MOON

Ein wahrhaft puristisches Design, das dazu bestimmt ist, die neue Referenz für die analoge Wiedergabe zu werden. Erstaunliche analoge Wiedergabe kombiniert mit unübertroffener Flexibilität

simaudio.com

Yes you put that one on the map for me with a earlier post, i have been looking for a used one since, the Burmester 100 is on my radar too, on Ked's recommendation, they can occasionally be bought for about € 10 K, as can the Gryphon Legato Legacy

 

[thekong]

Yes you put that one on the map for me with a earlier post, i have been looking for a used one since, the Burmester 100 is on my radar too, on Ked's recommendation, they can occasionally be bought for about € 10 K, as can the Gryphon Legato Legacy

Amidst all the problems I have with the Io, I have just bought a Gryphon Legato Legacy and it is still being run in. I like it a lot, maybe not as much as the Io yet, but hopefully it would have much less trouble

 

[Lagonda]

Amidst all the problems I have with the Io, I have just bought a Gryphon Legato Legacy and it is still being run in. I like it a lot, maybe not as much as the Io yet, but hopefully it would have much less trouble

And another one bites the dust ! Are you keeping your Io as a spaceholder ?

 

[bonzo75]

Yes you put that one on the map for me with a earlier post, i have been looking for a used one since, the Burmester 100 is on my radar too, on Ked's recommendation, they can occasionally be bought for about € 10 K, as can the Gryphon Legato Legacy

You could simply get an ear 834p and add telefunken valves. Even though you don’t want tubes, at the price of 1 - 2k if something happens to it (it has been sound for decades) it won’t hurt you.

It has seen of some extremely high priced phonos

 

[Lagonda]

You could simply get an ear 834p and add telefunken valves. Even though you don’t want tubes, at the price of 1 - 2k if something happens to it (it has been sound for decades) it won’t hurt you.

It has seen of some extremely high priced phonos

Too simple and straightforward for my taste i wont be happy unless i spend at least €10 K for something used, it is a mental deficiency that i have Must have spent over 3 K on Io repairs/ tubes last year alone, i am not giving up yet And no way i am getting into the whole Telefunken tube scam situation, most of those are probably counterfeit these days anyway.

 

[thekong]

And another one bites the dust ! Are you keeping your Io as a spaceholder ?

After the last repair, I have prepared a 3KW step down transformer to take the voltage down from 220V to 200V, but I haven’t summoned up the courage to set it up yet

 

[bonzo75]

Too simple and straightforward for my taste i wont be happy unless i spend at least €10 K for something used, it is a mental deficiency that i have Must have spent over 3 K on Io repairs/ tubes last year alone, i am not giving up yet And no way i am getting into the whole Telefunken tube scam situation, most of those are probably counterfeit these days anyway.

If you pay me 15k I will get you a dual mono Ear834p with genuine telefunken. I will even cook two meals for you

 

[Salectric]

Reading stories about persistent maintenance problems with tube gear makes my blood boil. There is simply no reason for properly designed tube equipment to have failures like those reported in this thread. A phono preamp should be just as reliable as a solid state unit and it should require no maintenance other than occasional tube replacement every several years. Furthermore, in the rare instance where something does go wrong, it should be easily repairable. I.e. no solid state garbage that becomes obsolete after five years.

My all-tube phono preamp is my own design and it has been problem-free for over 15 years. It also happens to sound great. Of course, you can’t buy my unit but you can buy a very similar commercial offering—-the EMIA phono stage called the LR Phono Corrector.

 

[Lagonda]

Reading stories about persistent maintenance problems with tube gear makes my blood boil. There is simply no reason for properly designed tube equipment to have failures like those reported in this thread. A phono preamp should be just as reliable as a solid state unit and it should require no maintenance other than occasional tube replacement every several years. Furthermore, in the rare instance where something does go wrong, it should be easily repairable. I.e. no solid state garbage that becomes obsolete after five years.

My all-tube phono preamp is my own design and it has been problem-free for over 15 years. It also happens to sound great. Of course, you can’t buy my unit but you can buy a very similar commercial offering—-the EMIA phono stage called the LR Phono Corrector.

But regretfully a lot of tube gear seams to be badly designed, so some of us end up passing on those endless repair/shipping situations when we make future purchases,. I will probably never buy anything with tubes again. I have a total of about $20 K sunk into this piece of crap at this point. I keep paying for repairs in hope of a couple more roles in the hay with the Io, she sounds great when she works.