2. amps-preamps
  3. 1397501648

Preamp for Aesthetix / Atma-sphere

Hi

I have the Aesthetix Io Eclipse with volume and dual power supplies, Atma-sphere MA-1 monoblocs (140 watts) and Audiokinesis Dream Maker (93 db sensitive) speakers. These are great components. My question is about system synergy, how to make them play together.

I have been running the Io direct to my amps since I first bought the Mk2 version back in 2004. At the time, I had a Krell FPB600, and in that context, it was a blessing, and a great step up from the Krell KAV 250p preamp. I'll never forget my first impression with the Io - it was like going from the wooded hills up into the mountains. There was no going back.

With volume, the Io functions as a preamp. It looks like a preamp. Someone here on A-gon said going direct is best - which I interpreted as: it IS a preamp! So I thought, OK I have a combined phono and preamp - problem fixed. But it wasn't.

From recent testing I have finally become convinced that the Io does benefit from a separarate preamp. Even if clarity and detail is better going direct from the Io to the amps, the punch and "here-ness" of the music is clearly better with a preamp in the chain, at least in my system.

Trouble is, which preamp? I am testing a small solid state Musical Innovation preamp, which helps with the punch but veils the music. An optimal solution might be the Aesthetix Callisto, preferably with dual power - but I don't have the space, and I already have a lot of tubes and tube heat. I have space for one or possibly two boxes.

From what I have heard so far, a solid state might do the job well (in my tube-rich context), however it should not impart any s-state artifacts or reduce the resolution from the Io Eclipse.

The ideal would be to test a few tube and s-state preamps, and then decide. However, this is difficult where I live, so advice is welcome.

My question relates to my own setup of course, but is relevant for everyone with a top phono stage on the one hand and amps on the other. What is best in the middle?

From recent testing I have learned that problems that I thought were related to the speakers, the phono pre, the pickup and so on, were in fact related to the preamp issue. For example, the Dream Makers straight from the Io may sound a bit lazy and washed out in the bass, very clear in mid and treble but not fully embodied. Plugging in the solid state pre, the situation becomes dramatically different, now the speakers are driving, propulsive. Very enjoyable, but some detail is lost and some transistor things added that I don't want.

So I am looking for a solution with most of the plusses, and not much of the minuses. The preamp must be fully balanced with XLR in / out.
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Ag insider logo xs@2xo_holter
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Hi,
I've heard my friend's (Jwm, see his system page) IO Eclipse with the dual power supply version often. To be clear, I wasn't trying to be argumentative at all and I enjoy reading your thread comments. Reading what you've written it just seemed as though the IO was omitting important characteristics that the Einstein revealed(and this got your attention). It was only my interpretation based on you comparative comments and nothing more. I'm sure that your system sounds terrific.
Charles,
Ag insider logo xs@2x
o_holter OP
977 posts
 
Thanks! The enjoyment is mutual. Looking at your system, I feel I might have gone your way too, into SET, after I quit solid-state, but I was sort of hung up by OTL - but enjoying it a lot so far. I guess it is no coincidence that it excels with 'big' type of recordings, like the Pink Floyd: Pulse LP box. I have SET at my cottage, an integrated Ming Da MC34A, modified by Roar Malmim / Musical Innovation here in Norway to great effect, it became much more clear and linear especially in triode mode. Although this is of course "beginner level" compared to your system, it sounds very good. The presentations are different from my home system, but mainly, the best music shines through on both systems.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
o_holter OP
977 posts
 
"Sort of hung up on OTL" - this could be better explained. I had the Krell FPB600, the Dynaudio Consequence mk2, and should have been happy ever after. Trouble was, I wasn't. A main reason was, the Krell and the Consequence speakers only came into their own on high volume levels - too high for me. The Krell needed juice to get into true class A operation and then the complex 5-way speakers needed a lot of juice too. Fremer commented in a letter "get another Krell", he was right, but the speakers could not take biamping. So I sold the system. I had heard an OTL amp, Italian Graaf, at a friend's place, and liked it. I then got a small OTL amp for my desktop, the Audiotailor Jade. As I have written on the Headfi thread on this preamp, I think it deserves a prize. Listening through AKG 701 headphones and active single-driver Sony desktop speakers, I gradually came to the conclusion that this was really a big step up in musicality, including unrestrained clarity, compared to my big solid state rig. So I bought the Atma-sphere MA-1s even if I had never had the chance to hear them, and for me, this was a good choice, even more so with the 3.2 upgrade.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Hi O holter,
I can appreciate your audio evolution, I once had a Symphonic Line SS amplifier and it was pretty decent. My present SET based system is honestly two levels above and beyond in terms of enjoyment,realism, true musical emotion and involvement. I believe that you've moved in a better direction and are very happy with your outcome . congratulations!
Charles,
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,555 posts
 
O_holter, Oh No, you are confussed with what I tried to say, I use to have a very exspensive Ayon digital player that had 4 6h30 tubes that were Russian tubes stock, I bought another vincent digital player, same model that I had before the Ayon player, I did this because the vincent is way, I mean way more musical and real sounding for less money!,the vincent digital player has stock harmonix tubes and then chinese tubes, and then an american tube in the power supply, I have two 12ax7 tubes, one 12au7 tube, and a rare 6z4 tube in the power supply, This player has real tube magic to the sound, 3-dimensional, huge sound stage, very deep, tall, and wide, puts the Ayon to shame!,thats why I bought it the second time, I regreted tring to move up the tube digital food chain, The vincent model is the cd-s7, they just discontinued it, I got the last one in america that my dealer held for me, believe it or not, I learned the hard way, It's not about how much a componet cost, It's what the componet does!
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