My response from another thread:
I have gone from the Calypso/Atlas to the Aesthetix Mimas with a pit stop in between. I owned the Calypso/Atlas for many years driving a pair of Vandersteen cloth Quatro’s. It was a great combination and I lost all system envy for those 5 years. My Aesthetix pieces were the standard versions.
I had to sell the system when I moved to Italy and when I came back I moved into a loft and no longer had a dedicated listening room. I bought a different system with an Ayre Integrated and Harbeth SHL5+ speakers. Harbeth’s play better at low volumes than any other speaker I have heard and that was important to me. I lived happily with that system for a few years.
Last year I heard the Aesthetix Mimas integrated paired with Vandersteen Treo CT’s and decided to make the change. I have always loved the Aesthetix/Vandersteen combination and missed it when it was gone. The Mimas seems to have a more musical character than what I remember of the separates though not by much. Since I had the standard version of those pieces it may be that the Eclipse versions sound much better than the standards.My dealer thinks that the simpler circuit and the use of only 1 tube per channel may be the reason. Aesthetix now makes a preamp, the Pallene, that uses the same circuit and he likes it better than the Calypso. AGON member tomstruck uses this combination with his Quatro’s.
I have heard the Vandersteen 7’s with an Eclipse Atlas and the new Aesthetix Metis preamp and I think it sounds better than any of the amps I have heard with the 7’s. The Metis may be the best preamp I have ever heard. This system also has the Io phono stage with the AMG Viella turntable, the Aesthetix Romulus and it is the best system I have ever heard. Just my opinion of course.
I have just ordered the internal DAC board for the Mimas and will be looking into the phono board as well.
Good Luck with your updated Io!
I have gone from the Calypso/Atlas to the Aesthetix Mimas with a pit stop in between. I owned the Calypso/Atlas for many years driving a pair of Vandersteen cloth Quatro’s. It was a great combination and I lost all system envy for those 5 years. My Aesthetix pieces were the standard versions.
I had to sell the system when I moved to Italy and when I came back I moved into a loft and no longer had a dedicated listening room. I bought a different system with an Ayre Integrated and Harbeth SHL5+ speakers. Harbeth’s play better at low volumes than any other speaker I have heard and that was important to me. I lived happily with that system for a few years.
Last year I heard the Aesthetix Mimas integrated paired with Vandersteen Treo CT’s and decided to make the change. I have always loved the Aesthetix/Vandersteen combination and missed it when it was gone. The Mimas seems to have a more musical character than what I remember of the separates though not by much. Since I had the standard version of those pieces it may be that the Eclipse versions sound much better than the standards.My dealer thinks that the simpler circuit and the use of only 1 tube per channel may be the reason. Aesthetix now makes a preamp, the Pallene, that uses the same circuit and he likes it better than the Calypso. AGON member tomstruck uses this combination with his Quatro’s.
I have heard the Vandersteen 7’s with an Eclipse Atlas and the new Aesthetix Metis preamp and I think it sounds better than any of the amps I have heard with the 7’s. The Metis may be the best preamp I have ever heard. This system also has the Io phono stage with the AMG Viella turntable, the Aesthetix Romulus and it is the best system I have ever heard. Just my opinion of course.
I have just ordered the internal DAC board for the Mimas and will be looking into the phono board as well.
Good Luck with your updated Io!