Aesthetix IO vs. Manley Steelhead vs. The Groove

Unit is back with me - plugged it in today and it sounds fantastic. Listening with headphones right now.

One issue - I'm picking up a radio station, especially audible between tracks on the phones. Any ideas how to deal with this? I'm running at max gain - a variety of tonearms and LO MCs straight into the Io, 121 ohm resistance, 80 db gain.

The arrangement at the back makes it very difficult to separate the power supply umbilicals and the signal cables. Could this be the problem?

I have to say, this is a hairshirt product on many levels, from its size and weight to its looks and ergonomics, to the number of tubes required, etc. but it sounds AMAZING. Blows my old Rogue 99 Magnum phono stage out of the water, and same with the Tom Evans Groove.

Actually.... duh... the radio station is being picked up by the headphone cable, which is acting as an antenna, and is draped over the Io boxes (currently lying on the floor between me and the headphone amp).

Some rearrangement is called for.

Patrick, I don't know if this will help but I thought I'd share it with you. When I got my Io Signature, it sounded GREAT as well, but I had a BAD problem with it picking up a classical radio station and it was LOUD! I tried changing phono cables (supposed better shielding) different grounding patterns, different power cords, locating the power supply even farther away all to no avail. THEN, one day the power cord on my SME turntable motor controller accidentally come unplugged and the sound stopped completely. I tried a different PC on the motor controller and the sound lessened a bit but was still there. THEN, I plugged the motor controller into an Audio Magic Matrix power conditioner and the sound stopped dead in its tracks.

So, now that I knew the RFI was entering there, I have since then bought a Versa Labs IEC Wood Block for $50.00 and it too stops the sound dead.

Maybe a passive power conditioner such as these may help you.

Frank

How can you trust anything someone who's using a Dynavector XV1-S is saying?

Guilty as charged! Oh, BTW, Gladstone, what NEEDLE is mounted on YER turntable at this time????????????