Uping the Ante'

[Masterlu]

Looks like I'll be uping the Ante on my new Phono-Pre.

I was just enlightened to the Aesthetix Jupiter IO Eclipse w/ all the options including:

Volume controls
Dual Phono Inputs
Separate Twin Power Supplies
Silver w/ Rose Gold bead blast accents
Fully optioned, this comes in just under $20K

Here are some pics:

[Masterlu]

IO TUBE PHONO STAGE


Io is an all-tube phono stage suitable for the most demanding cartridges, including low-output moving coils. It is in the Jupiter Series (link to Jupiter Series description), sharing common design characteristics with the Callisto. It has won numerous awards, receiving worldwide acclaim for its superior sound quality.


• High gain / low noise capable of handling low output moving coils.
• Zero global feedback.
• 80dB maximum gain, internally selectable down to 56dB
• Flexible user selectable loading on the back panel from 47Kohms down to 10ohms.
• All tube amplification and output (16 tubes total).
• Separate vacuum tube regulated power supply utilizing 8 tubes.
• Two sets of XLR and two sets of RCA outputs per channel.
• Input can be either RCA or XLR.
• Optional: Innovative and unique mechanically switched discrete resistor volume control with 46 positions using Roederstein resistors, one for each channel.


Io is available in three versions: Mk II, Signature and Eclipse. The Mk II version uses high-grade Rel-Cap polypropylene coupling capacitors. The Signature version uses exotic and expensive coupling capacitors and other critical parts to bring the performance to a higher level. Eclipse is the ultimate realization of the true capabilities of the io, incorporating constrained-layer damped machined aluminum panels and Peter Moncrief's Stealth Capacitors. All versions of Io can be factory upgraded to Signature or Eclipse.


Io and Callisto ECLIPSE VERSION DETAILS


The Eclipse versions of Io and Callisto are the next evolution of these industry standard products. The transformation includes two main parts: internal parts and chassis / casework.


The bulk of the internal changes revolve around the new Stealthcap(TM) from Peter Moncrief. So, what is StealthCap(TM) all about? As you know, when you stand at one end of a gymnasium and your friend stands at the other end, the two of you can hardly understand what the other one is saying. Why? The multiple reflections from the gym's boundaries garble the sonic message, so it's a mess after the long trip along the gym's length. The same reflection problem happens in all other capacitors. The plate in a typical capacitor is actually as long as a gymnasium, and the signal's many reflections off the boundaries of this long plate cause many echoes that garble and corrupt your music.


StealthCap cures this reflection problem. StealthCap uses radical new Stealth Technology(TM) (patents pending), with exotic new conductors and dielectrics, to dramatically reduce reflections, just as stealth aircraft do. You see, the electromagnetic wave that carries your music signal throughout the long capacitor plate is just like the electromagnetic wave we call radar, so stealth technology can control one as well as the other. The new Stealth Technology in StealthCap dramatically reduces corrupting signal reflections in the capacitor plate, just as stealth technology in an aircraft dramatically reduces radar signal reflections. StealthCap even employs exotic composite resins to reduce reflections.


These capacitors bring your Io to new levels of performance. First, you'll notice the incredible intertransient silence, the inky black quiet background, that StealthCap gives you. Other capacitors, plagued by internal reflections, add a haze of noise (just like the echoing noise from the reflections in that gym), to what should be a black, quiet background.


Second, you'll probably notice the amazing transparency of StealthCap, revealing a wealth of subtle musical information that you never heard before from your recordings, and revealing rich spatial imaging that you never heard before. Other capacitors veil and obscure this musical and imaging information, just as the reflective echoes in that gym obscure the words your friend was speaking.


Third, you'll hear the clear focus and articulate coherence of StealthCap. All parts, of every musical note and every musical transient attack, cohere together and are all articulately focused and united at the same moment. You'll hear how other capacitors blur, defocus, and time smear the parts of a musical note, so these parts can't sound together as a united, coherent, articulate single whole note (that's just like the echoing reflections in that gym, which time smear your clearly spoken words, so they become garbled and less articulate). StealthCap's focused, tactile coherence gives you a musical realism you've never heard from any other capacitor.


Fourth, you'll hear the stunning dynamic impact of StealthCap. Because all parts of every musical note and transient attack are united at the same moment, they all sound together and add up to a higher transient peak, with a higher dynamic crest factor and impact, thus reproducing the recording's dynamics much more accurately. Other capacitors smear some of the energy from dynamic peaks to later moments in time, thereby robbing those peaks of their true dynamic range and true impact (just like the echoing reflections in that gym take some of the peak energy from your articulate speaking, and transplant that energy to later moments in time, where it becomes obscuring background noise).


You probably know that manufacturing each B-2 bomber requires ridiculously time consuming precision handiwork, working with expensive exotic materials, in order to minimize radar reflections for its stealth technology. That's why the B-2 has to be ridiculously expensive, costing far more than other non-stealth aircraft of similar size. Likewise, ridiculous amounts of time consuming precision handiwork is invested to craft each individual StealthCap, using expensive exotic materials, in order to optimize radical breakthrough Stealth Technology. So the cost of each StealthCap has to be ridiculously high.


Internal changes to the Io start with .22uF / 600v Stealth coupling capacitors. These are made of exotic copper foil. These are used between the second and third gain stages, and the third gain stage and output stage. Eight total of these exotic capacitors are used.


There are four 4uF / 400v coupling capacitors used in the output stage of the Io. In the Eclipse version, these are replaced with Stealth copper foil.


The casework of the Io is the next change in the Eclipse. In previous versions, the top cover was a formed U-shaped sheet of steel. This top cover, while serviceable, is not well damped or rigid. Any vibrations reaching the cover will easily be conveyed into the preamp with little reduction in amplitude. In the Eclipse version, this single-piece top cover is replaced with separate machined side panels and top cover, which greatly improve chassis rigidity and damping. The side panels are 3/8" machined aluminum billet, constrained layer damped with advanced 3M adhesives. The constrained layer damping involves the labor intensive application of heat and pressure to achieve proper mating and mechanical properties. The top cover is 1/8" machined aluminum billet, constrained layer damped. This is attached to the side panels and chassis through advanced 3M interlock material and machine screws. The top cover is thus much easier to remove for tube access. A new three-piece front panel is added which includes detailed machining of the front panel casing, inlay and logo. The power supply also receives the above casework treatment; new side panels, top cover and front panel.


The casework changes bring the preamps to new levels of articulation and clarity. It also allows each piece to ventilate better, improving longevity and reliability.


The four rubber feet are replaced with Harmonic Resolutions Systems' Nimbus Couplers specially made for Aesthetix (Earlier Eclipse pieces did not incorporate this, please contact Aesthetix for this free upgrade if you have an earlier piece without the Nimbus Couplers). This change results in a lower noise floor and more air and space.

[Vintage Pete]

Looks pretty darn serious Ivan!

Pete

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by Vintage Pete

Looks pretty darn serious Ivan!

Pete

The price sure is...

[jdandy]

Ivan.......A real work of art. You have truly gone off the vinyl deep end.

[Masterlu]

A job worth doing is worth doing well.

[dpgstereo]

Ivan, do you expect your new phono setup to equal or surpass your best digital source?

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by dpgstereo

Ivan, do you expect your new phono setup to equal or surpass your best digital source?

That is the goal.

[cmalak]

Ivan......I tip my hat to you. When you do it, you do it right . The IO is a statement phono pre . Congrats!

[dpgstereo]

A round 10 years ago I was at a hi-end A/V store in Tampa, FL. Just so happen that I walked in during a demo of Digital vs. Vinyl. With seemingly daily improvements in both technologies, I am out of the loop. At that time Mark Levinson seemed to have the wow factor with their 33 mono blocks, Wilson Audio speakers, ect. Clear audio from team analog was present as was the lasest and greatest digital format and hi-res components.
What ai experenced that day was the bass and lower frequencies were noticablly more musical in digital fromat. However upper frequencies seems more "airy", sitting slightly above the mix. And highest frequencies seemed to be less constrained. So I concluded in my short listening time, the the bass / lower frequencies from the digital sources seem to be more musical with more punch if you will. However with digitallly formatted sources, mid/level to higher frequencieswere there but with restricted output. We are talkings about 20 bit sorces.
When A/B same information digital vs, vinyl, I found vinyl to be clean but not a much information extracted in the lower Hz to lower mid Hz renge. Howeverup moving up the scales, things quicky began to change. 3k and up took sound to the next level. Higher frequencies seemed to be more realist, closer to the original recording. More airi, more open at the higher frequencies.

It is kind of a tricky situation with most studio recordings using digital control mixxers and digital processores and some form of Pro Tools to optomize individual parts and the overall mix. So If we pull off the same rerez masters with say 24 bit CD vs. vinyle what do we get?


Keeping in mind the d/a converted to put info on a phono, then th different a/d vinyl preamps of vering degrees. Seems like a lot of ducks (expensive ducks) need to be in a row to make this happen??

I hope you pull it off, seems like with this passion for mustic quality allways looking squeese that extra ------ of sounds, make us musicians in our own right.

Forge on my friend and report back to the troops.






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