Aesthetix IO Eclipse

Sidekick_i, I have owned the Io Signature phono stage with dual power supplies, volume controls and additional line input since Aesthetix first made this version available to the market. It is superb, which makes me believe that the Io Eclipse is incredibly, deliciously exceptional.

Since the very earliest units, Aesthetix has had no problems with noise. Those early reports came from the resistors as provided to Aesthetix by the manufacturer and Aesthetix has long since changed to another brand and replaced under warranty the original resisters in all of those early units.

My units are 10 years old and continue in perfect condition, so I rate it very reliable.

The Io is NOT hard on tubes. I use the stock tubes in mine and find the sonics marvelous without going down the route of esoteric old stock tube experimentation. Jim White says his owners split about 50/50 in preferring the stock tubes for which the unit has been optimized (as do I) and preferred selected vintage tubes. Choose your poison on this topic and trust your ears.

Yes, with so many tubes, the Io puts off some heat. With the second power supply I have, there is even a bit more. So, be sure to keep good air flow around them and don't trap them in a closed cabinet.

Are tubes worth it? To my ears, emphatically YES! For my sonic preferences, I strongly prefer the active tube phono amplification to any solid state unit I've heard and most decidedly as compared to any transformer-based gain element.

Tube rush can be a bit of a challenge given the 82db of gain from this all-tube phono stage. This means using carefully selected low-noise gain stage tubes (which Aesthetix provides with their stock tubes).

It also means being reasonable in choosing your cartridge for a reasonable level of output. The Io will work with very low gain cartridges (down to 0.2mv), but it and you will be happier with a cartridge with a bit more output than those lowest output cartridges (e.g., 0.24 and above). I use a cartridge with a medium 0.36mv output and do not have any issues. With lower output, gain stage tube selection for low noise is critical.

I drive dual mono-block amplifiers directly with the Io and have never felt any limitation in doing so. And, I've heard from some Aesthetix owners who have carefully listened to the Io solo versus the Io in combination with the Aesthetic Callisto linestage. They report greater dynamics when coupled with the Callisto. For me, I find the Io with dual power supplies to have seemingly UNLIMITED dynamics. But, I haven't heard the alternative with the Io feeding a Callisto linestage. There are some limits to each of our resources...

How does the Io Signature compare to the Io Eclipse? I haven't yet heard the Exlipse but everything Jim White has ever described to me sonically has matched to what I also have heard. So I trust what he says are the improvements coming with the Eclipse.

If I could afford to have Aesthetix upgrade my Io Signature to the Eclipse, I would do it in a heartbeat. The changes from Io Signature to Eclipse will be the same order of magnitude or greater than the improvement from the standard Io to the Signature.

Good luck!

@Rushton

Thank you! That's very, very valuable.

As this will be a long term investment, it's very comforting to hear that you've been happy with the IO sign. for such a long time. Reability, support and upgrade possibilites are very important to me.

Do you have any experiences in using the line input for a digital source?

For me, the possibility of using the IO as a fully functional preamp is of major importance. Adding the Callisto (another 2-3 boxes) is not an option practically or financially.

If going for the single power supply, could you easily add a second one later, or does it require modifications to the main unit (I guess so...)?

Sidekick_i,

I use the line input for a CD player. No problems at all. I will occasionally swap to a tuner on this input by switching the interconnect (I do so at the source, not at the Io). It would certainly be possible to have a source switching box precede the input to allow multiple device selection, but I don't have the need. The Io with alternate input is a purist's device, to be sure.

The only thing one might miss is that this set-up is not conducive to making recordings of one's LPs. There is no line level "Record Out" connection like one would find in a full function preamp (e.g., the Callisto). The only output is the variable output through the volume control to the amplifier. For me, this has been the only limitation and I'm pleased to accept that.

Since I listen principally to vinyl, and since adding a Callisto was not a financially practical option for me either, the Io with volume controls and high level input has been a perfect choice for me. It has given me one of the best phono stages available to optimize listening to my preferred source (vinyl), but doesn't restrict me from listening to a digital or other source when I choose.

The second power supply can be added later. There is a modification that has to be made both inside the head unit and inside the original power supply, but it is not major surgery. Glenn (Aesthetix's pre-eminent technician and master of customer support) has been known to step a good technician through making the change, or send the Io to the factory and they will make the changes, check out the unit and ship it back with the second power supply.
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