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It would be costly but you could have Aesthetix install the volume control upgrade to your IO. With the volume controls you can adjust output signal to manageable level so the Calypso is happy.

Option two is keep the IO and buy a better line stage that's compatible.

Compare cost of IO volume control upgrade with cost to upgrade to a better preamp and decide.

Another option is to insert an inexpensive passive attenuator between the phono stage and the preamp, such as the balanced version of the Rothwell 10db attenuators.

I'd be very surprised if the input stage of any reasonably designed line-level preamp would be overloaded by the output of a nominally 0.6mv cartridge amplified by 40db (corresponding to the IO's minimum gain setting of 50db, with a 10db attenuator between phono stage and preamp).

The Calypso, however, has a relatively high gain, which could still result in your having to use its volume control at undesirably low settings. In that case, another passive attenuator could be inserted between preamp and power amp.

Regards,
-- Al

Thanks for the responses. I have one main system and it is wife proof so I need to keep the Calypso since it has a HT bypass and can be totally remote controlled. However my Wadia s7i and now the IO seem to have trouble with it. This pre is turning out to have many compatibility issues.

I think the gain on the input side of that is way to high. I just wish there was some standard. The IO is to high and the Calypso is to sensitive. It is a pain that even with in the same manufacture they can't figure out the most basic things like line level and at least make their lines compatible.

Anyhow I think I am going to dump some of this Aesthetix equipment it has been causing nothing but headaches. When set up right sounds amazing but if I can't get it set up and keep it running what is the point takes the fun out of the hobby. My system has been down more than up the past 3 years.

One follow-up to my previous comment. Are you completely certain that you have set the jumpers in the IO for minimum gain (approximately 50db), as indicated on page 4 of the manual?

If the specs on all of the components are accurate, according to my calculations the Calypso should not be getting overloaded by a 0.6mv cartridge amplified by the IO at its minimum gain setting, even without the 10db attenuator I suggested.

I am interpreting "overloaded," btw, to mean that distortion is present, as opposed to just having to keep the Calypso's volume control at a very low setting.

Regards,
-- Al

I have it on att4 62db. Aestheix told me and does not recommend att5 the lowest they told me it doesnt sound right and not to use it they should of never put it in. So att5 is not an option.

Yes overloaded I ment distortion is present at high volume parts of the record. When the record his about 85% volume I start getting a static like breakup of the sound. The calypso's volume is irrevelent.

Al thanks for your input.

OK, good clarifications. Given that, I think putting a 10db attenuator at the inputs of the Calypso stands a good chance of resolving the distortion/overload problem, possibly with another pair of attenuators at the power amp inputs to allow you to operate the volume control at higher settings. I'm basing my calculations on the statement in the Calypso's manual that it accepts inputs up to 7 volts balanced or 3.5 volts unbalanced.

I think there are some line-level inline attenuators available that offer more than the 10db provided by the Rothwell's, but I'm not sure if they are available in balanced form.

As far as the Wadia is concerned, not sure why there was a problem, as its brochure indicates that its maximum output level can be adjusted to as little as 0.3 volts via internal switches.

Hope that helps. Regards,
-- Al