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Aesthetix IO Eclipse

Hi,

I'm seriously considering this Phono preamp (with the additional line input and volume control), and would like to get in contact with potenial owners of the IO-series from Aesthetix. I believe the IO is what I'm looking for sonically (and I love the design and user experience). But, I'm slightly concerned about earlier reports of noise/hum issues, as well as riability and the practical side of things related to tube life and generated heat.

So....

- Is the IO Eclipse (still) up there among the best on the market?
- Will the possibility of driving a poweramp directly offer any disadvantages, or be as good as or better than a separate preamp of the same caliber?
- Are the tubes worth the expense, effort and potential hassle...?

What I'm looking for is a high degree of naturalness, musicality and flow combined with great dynamics and a large, holographic soundstage.

My system:

Brinkmann Bardo + 10.5 tonearm + Pi-pickup (Analog)
Audio Aero La Fontaine (CD/DAC/Pre)
Karan KA M2000 (Monoblocks)
Sonus Faber Futura (Speakers)
Kubala Sosna Elation (Cables)

Thanks!
sidekick_i

Showing 11 responses by sidekick_i

sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
@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's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
Regarding heat generation. Is it at all possible/recommendable to place the power supplies in a cabinet (with an open back)? This works well with my Karan monos, but I do expect the Aesthetix units to get significantly warmer.
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
@Suteetat

OK, thanks. May I ask (out of curiosity) what your friend is partnering the Karan monos with?
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
@Suteetat

Interesting :) I believe Karan has sold about 10-15 pairs of the M2000 world wide so far, which makes them quite exotic. I've had mine for about 2-3 months now. They do need quite some time to open up and "relax", as they did sound rather stiff and hard around the edges at first. They're also extremely transparent and a hard judge on their partners, which makes careful matching critical.
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
@Programmergeek

I'm really sorry to hear about your troubles! But, based on the respons I've got from other IO-owners (as well as a great amount of customers cheering about the great service provided by Aesthetix in general), I'm also quite surprised hearing about your experience.

What does Aesthetix have to say about all this? I can't imagine them sending you a unit that's not 100% OK. Is it "only" a noise issue, or do you experience other problems with it sonically as well?
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
Hifi news(UK) has a recent review available online:

http://www.hifinews.co.uk/news/article.asp?a=9345

Hifi news and What hifi has only praise for the IO Eclipse, besides mentioning the practical issues as well as the potential back sides of the highly purist design.

I believe Stereophile has the IO Eclipse for review as we speak. Looking forward to that.
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
Well, personally, I'm not very interested in turning a high end investment into a DIY-project. I prefer to put my trust in Jim White (Aesthetix :)
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
After much research and soul searching during the last couple of months, I'm going to make a final decision this weekend, where the final battle stands inbetween the discussed IO Eclipse and the Pass Labs XP-25.

In the right corner:

Aesthetix IO Eclipse with dual power supplies

+ the beauty of tubes
+ superior build quality and aesthetics (IMHO)
+ additional line input (for a digital source) making it a fully functional preamp (which in the end almost justifies the price...)

- twice as expensive as the Pass
- large boxes - 3 in total
- a LOT of tubes, which means a lot of heat and potential sources of hum and/or failure

...and in the left corner:

Pass Labs XP-25

+ half price compared to the Aesthetix
+ less (and smaller) boxes - 2 in total
+ less heat and less potential problems...

- no additional line input (which means you'll need a dedicated preamp for a digital source)

Your advice please.

Many thanks.
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
Well, if being a snobbish arse makes you an audiophile, I think I'll pass.
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
Thanks for valuable responses!

As I live in Scandinavia/Europe, the possibility of auditioning equipment on this level in my own home and system are extremely limited. Even so, I've managed to make most choices so far based on careful evaluation in my own home. In this case though (looking for a high end phono), it's impossible, as there's almost nothing available on my local market. So, basically, I have to make a decision based on listening on trade shows and auditioning the systems of my friends, partnered with advice from the hifi community.

So again, thanks for valuable input!
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
59 posts
 
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