To Aesthetix users

OK further updates... no response from Jim via email, I'm gonna try calling him next week. I love Aesthetix and they have been nothing but incredibly helpful when I've managed to get in touch with them. That said, and I know they are a small boutique firm, they could use a website with a FAQ and customer service email address which could get questions to Jim and back. (Even when you do call you usually have to leave a voicemail and get a call back.) All this said, I have to say that Aesthetix has handled every complaint and repair for me gratis aside from shipping the unit to them in California. My only problem with them is communication.

I've ordered Caig ProGold (which is now called DeOxit Gold) for the contacts.

Njk, I'm sure that positioning is a problem, since I only discovered this when I moved the entire system across the room to fire the speakers from the long wall. But as I'm sure you're all aware, it's a black art to arrange components regardless of their RF-susceptibility... right now the cables just reach from component to component. I don't have a rack, and all the components sit on amp-stands and footers which are directly on the floor - except the turntable, which sits on top of an (unused) subwoofer.

Add to this that the Io Sig is 2 heavy boxes... well, I guess I have to do it. Positioning is key. I'm just scared that I won't avoid the antenna effect without going all the way back across the room (and throwing out my back again!)

And then there's the cryotweaks recommendation from oldvinyl. I am trying everybody's suggestions, one by one.

Best
Patrick

A new clue!

I just realized that the RF noise has a soft "chuff-chuff-chuff-chuff-" sound to it, like a steam train but speeded up, as if something were cycling in and out.

This is more akin to very soft white noise and occurs at the same time as the radio station reception.

It is limited to the Io ... when I switch the input selector on the BAT linestage it vanishes.

Any ideas, anyone?

Patrick

Hi Patrick ,

This is classic and could be endimic to the design. As I had mentioned you are running very high gain for very fragile (small) signals as they get swamped by the RF energy.

The line stage is orders of magnitude greater in amplitude so the RF is riding underneath the line stage signal ..It's still there..

Cables , positioning (think a tuned circuit like an antenna) are bombing the fragile signal and getting through your system. If you had lower gain or inefficient speakers you may not hear it at all. Different cables,tubes, or positioning alter the tuned circuit and may make it go away all together. It is not easy when you are in such a RF rich environment running very high gain of such a minute signal.

Keep trying...try some different front end tubes too...Good luck ,Nkj

Hi Nkj!

I've lowered gain to 72 dB on the Io.... this is fine for both the 103R and the Helikon mono in my system.

Paradoxically though, I have to turn the volume higher on the linestage, which means that I can hear more of the chuff-chuff-chuff and radio station... even though I think the music actually sounds better, more natural and less overdriven.

So it's positioning, cables and tubes now...

Patrick

So Jim White from Aesthetix got back to me last night with some recommendations:

- swap tubes around to locate the "popping" tube (this has gone away for some reason - maybe it was an appliance in the apartment cycling on and off)

- plug the Io Sig into the ExactPower unit so long as I don't overload the EP with its 400W power draw. I think I'll be fine since I'm currently only using 250-300 watts of the 1300-watt max on the EP

- check to see that my phono cables are shielded; I know the Cardas are; I've written to Ikeda to find out if his is

- if this doesn't work, he can make up shielded power umbilicals for me (for the Aesthetix PS to the Io Sig) - the current ones are unshielded

- in other news, Cello is generously lending me some VersaLab Red Rollers to try

- and (always RTFM) I just realized that the ExactPower manual stresses the importance of locating the unit somewhere far from any preamps or any other components that carry low signals. Duh. I have it sitting next to the BAT linestage and not much further away from the Io itself.

Lots of stuff to try here, and, yes, I will continue to be reporting back. I also have to say, after 48 hours, that 72 dB on the Io Sig is making music sound much more beautiful - on both carts - than 80 dB. Ah.... gain matching. My favorite.

Patrick