VAC Signature Preamplifier mkII

The new [janus] signature is a whole different animal. They sound just as good as the IO.

As some parts updates in the new Janus will no doubt improve the performance, no matter what is done here, the Janus will NEVER have the magic of an Io or Callisto, signature or not. So much of what is going on in the Jupiter series products is about the power supply design. And this is what gives the Jupiter products the incredible dimensionality that comes off quite flat upon returning to the Saturn series.

Kurt_Tank, I agree with the issue of the Aesthetix products not having the ultimate in a low noise floor, due to tube noise, but once the music gets going, it quickly becomes irrelevant. Many claims of noisy Aesthetix products has been the issue of the old resistors used and people not taking care to find the required quad of ultra-low-noise tubes on the input of an Io or Rhea. But I agree, even with getting the tube noise way way down, as I did with an Io and Callisto signature pair, the background was not at all "black" as it is now with the Aria preamp.

If I could only hear the Ren Sig preamp vs. the Aria. Now this would be interesting.

Where are you located Jafox? I would love to hear both together as well! Michael was not in a position a couple years back to get me a demo or I could easily be an Aria owner today as I am a VAC owner...

Twin cities here.

Ahh, bummer...Texas here, would have been a fun comparison to do!

"Janus will NEVER have the magic of an Io or Callisto"

Not true just ask Jim White how close the Signature is to the IO and Callisto. This is why the Eclipse came out. You should not commit on something unless you have heard first hand and on gear your use too, like your own. I never commit on models I have never heard, that's how rumors and assumption start. You see this all the time on these threads.

Email me and I will give you pictures of all the preamps I have owned and compared.

Now the Eclipse Is much better then both and the best I have ever heard just edging the Dartzeel. Both are fantastic and regret selling my Dartzeel preamp.

You don't need a massive power supply in preamps for them to sound good. Your Aria doesn't have the power supply that the VAC has or even the Aesthetix has but that would stop it from being a great sounding product. Dartzeel runs on batteries and it one of the very best if not the best.

I used the VAC Ren sig MKII with my 300.1 and loved it with the right speakers but the preamp had too much gain for some other amps. The 300.1 is stellar and the best product VAC as ever made, they fixed all the bass issues. I used Tung Sol 6sn7 round plates and it really extended the top and bottom. The output tubes didn't make much difference.