Both are excellent, having owned the Aesthetix and now owning the ARC 5se, I can honestly say the ARC is way superior. Bass, soundstaging and portraying a sense of realism are just some of the areas the ARC beats the Aesthetix. Also, Aesthetix customer service was not up to high end standards.
Aesthetix vs ARC
I have a general question for those familiar with the two companies listed above. I'm currently using an Aesthetix Calypso which I consider a top tier preamp. Recently I've been thinking about trying an ARC reference preamp. To be more specific a reference 5 or 5se. I expect the ARC 5SE to rate higher but i'm not sure how their sound signature compares to the Calypso. Please don't ask what is that I don't like about the Calypso or how much do I have to spend, etc. I just want to know the sonic signature of the Ref 5se compared to the Calypso. I do change equipment from time to time like everyone else.
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Actually, The correct comparison would be the Aesthetix Callisto Signature or Eclipse to the ARC Ref 5se, not the Calypso. Here’s a link to a comparison of the Calypso to the Callisto: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-aesthetix-callisto-signature-tube-preamp The ARC uses the 6H30 tube. If you like that tube then ARC might be right for you. You can’t change it for anything else, though. The Callisto has a bunch of tubes that you can roll to tune the sound to your taste, maybe too many tubes for many people. |
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