Aesthetix IO vs. Manley Steelhead vs. The Groove

All right, Frank, by now you must have made the switch. Your verdict please:

Still no word from the great one.

Sorry Gladstone, didn't mean to leave you hanging :o) But dare I ask what your asking of me?

Very amusing. You're supposed to call me, by the way.

I shouldn't even comment yet. I just got an Io Signature and literally installed it 10 minutes ago. But the music has just jumped out of the speakers and filled the room - warm, rich, huge, intense, colorful. (It's an early '70s recording of Congolese soukous or rhumba, Vicky & OK Jazz.) I had previously been listening to the same record on the phono stage of my Rogue 99 Magnum (Tungsram 12AX7s and Amperex Holland 12AU7s), and the difference is enormous.

I will say that the bass is tubbier and tubier, but I think that this my Dynaco ST-70 (next in line for upgrading) exaggerating the fuller sound of the Io.

I auditioned the Groove a few weekends ago for a few days in my own system, and did not like it - in my system and room - it was hard-etched, bright and hard. This was a demo unit making the rounds and was said to be broken in. However I have read that Tom Evans's products require over 500 hours of burn-in. That said, I believe that the other customers demoing it were going ahead and buying it. So it is probably just a taste thing.

Anyway, the Io Sig is all with stock Sovteks, medium gain setting (68 dB) and Bent Audio/S&B TX-103 step-up transformers - I left the trannies in because I wanted to compare apples with apples. Turntable is Acoustic Solid One, tonearm is Graham 2.2 and cartridge is the Shelter 901.

I will post fuller impressions when I have had a few weeks with the unit, but am initially extremely pleased.

Patrick