Aesthetix Io Sig vs Manley Steelhead-opinions pls

I just re-read my posting about the three strengths of the Callisto Signature and realized that none of the three were directly related to the actual sound of musical notes.

You've probably seen Chinese brush paintings where the subject matter is typically bamboo and the medium for the painting is simply black ink? What makes one painting great and another poor is not primarily the representation of the bamboo nor the appearance of the black ink, it is nature of the white space, the empty space, around the black ink.

Dear Exlibris,
Oy!
I think you've been sipping the same suspect brew that used to affect HP's conceptual powers in strange ways. But, I got it (I think).

...the Tao of high fidelity :^)

It so happens that on the wall of my office, I have a Chinese letter painting that depicts the Chinese name bestowed upon me by my friend who created it, in black inkbrush. The white background is printer paper from Staples. Wonder how THAT sounds. Sorry this is off-topic.

I think you might be pushing the analogy a little too far. :^)

The point is that the white space between the brush strokes is as important as the brush strokes themselves to the aesthetic appeal of the overall painting.
For me, the 'empty' space between the sound of the images on the soundstage is as important as the sound of the images themselves to the aesthetic appeal of the overall presentation.

Here is a case in point: I can set the VTA and VTF on my arm such that my system can present a near perfect holographic reproduction of a violin. I can also alter the VTA and VTF such that the image of the violin is not nearly as distinct but now I can 'see' the violinist, the expression on her face, and the room she is playing in. Most visitors are more impressed by the former but I prefer the latter.