Both are excellent, having owned the Aesthetix and now owning the ARC 5se, I can honestly say the ARC is way superior. Bass, soundstaging and portraying a sense of realism are just some of the areas the ARC beats the Aesthetix. Also, Aesthetix customer service was not up to high end standards.
Aesthetix vs ARC
I have a general question for those familiar with the two companies listed above. I'm currently using an Aesthetix Calypso which I consider a top tier preamp. Recently I've been thinking about trying an ARC reference preamp. To be more specific a reference 5 or 5se. I expect the ARC 5SE to rate higher but i'm not sure how their sound signature compares to the Calypso. Please don't ask what is that I don't like about the Calypso or how much do I have to spend, etc. I just want to know the sonic signature of the Ref 5se compared to the Calypso. I do change equipment from time to time like everyone else.