Preamp for Aesthetix / Atma-sphere


Hi

I have the Aesthetix Io Eclipse with volume and dual power supplies, Atma-sphere MA-1 monoblocs (140 watts) and Audiokinesis Dream Maker (93 db sensitive) speakers. These are great components. My question is about system synergy, how to make them play together.

I have been running the Io direct to my amps since I first bought the Mk2 version back in 2004. At the time, I had a Krell FPB600, and in that context, it was a blessing, and a great step up from the Krell KAV 250p preamp. I'll never forget my first impression with the Io - it was like going from the wooded hills up into the mountains. There was no going back.

With volume, the Io functions as a preamp. It looks like a preamp. Someone here on A-gon said going direct is best - which I interpreted as: it IS a preamp! So I thought, OK I have a combined phono and preamp - problem fixed. But it wasn't.

From recent testing I have finally become convinced that the Io does benefit from a separarate preamp. Even if clarity and detail is better going direct from the Io to the amps, the punch and "here-ness" of the music is clearly better with a preamp in the chain, at least in my system.

Trouble is, which preamp? I am testing a small solid state Musical Innovation preamp, which helps with the punch but veils the music. An optimal solution might be the Aesthetix Callisto, preferably with dual power - but I don't have the space, and I already have a lot of tubes and tube heat. I have space for one or possibly two boxes.

From what I have heard so far, a solid state might do the job well (in my tube-rich context), however it should not impart any s-state artifacts or reduce the resolution from the Io Eclipse.

The ideal would be to test a few tube and s-state preamps, and then decide. However, this is difficult where I live, so advice is welcome.

My question relates to my own setup of course, but is relevant for everyone with a top phono stage on the one hand and amps on the other. What is best in the middle?

From recent testing I have learned that problems that I thought were related to the speakers, the phono pre, the pickup and so on, were in fact related to the preamp issue. For example, the Dream Makers straight from the Io may sound a bit lazy and washed out in the bass, very clear in mid and treble but not fully embodied. Plugging in the solid state pre, the situation becomes dramatically different, now the speakers are driving, propulsive. Very enjoyable, but some detail is lost and some transistor things added that I don't want.

So I am looking for a solution with most of the plusses, and not much of the minuses. The preamp must be fully balanced with XLR in / out.
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Ag insider logo xs@2xo_holter
I have not auditioned or changed cables in 5 years. The system just sounds too good to have any desire to play the cables game any time soon.

For awhile I had all purist dominus cabling with the Aesthetix Io/Callisto, CAT amps and Manley DAC. I did have Joe Kubaka visit my home and fully install the KS emotion cables. This sounded wonderful but I ultimately prefer the Dominus overall even though i'd say the KS was the more "neutral" product line.

A year or so later, l I tried the mid level Stealth M5000 PC and it beat the Dominus at it's own game of 3D but with more bass foundation. From here the curiosity to try the Stealth Dream came and this PC brought on further refinements of tonal coherency. Little by little each Dominus cable was replaced with Dream PCs, the Indra Ic or Jade hybrid IC. I got a friend to try the Dream and he liked it but he told me to try the Dream State PCs. We swapped and shared each of these with each other and found that after a few months of playing, the dream state was unbeatable. They were very similar but the dream state, especially the Dream Catcher model, had phenomenal dynamic contrasts while giving up nothing in tonal coherency and 3D.

I use the Dream Catcher on the cat amps, the Running Spring Haley conditioner, Aria preamp and Lampizator DAC. The DS Veridical PC is for digital gear, but for beefy tube dacs, I prefer the Dream Catcher. But the Veridical worked best with the APL Denon player.

The DS Lucid Dream PC is the model targeted for amps but this cable was too colored for me every place I tried it except ironically for the Sound Lab speakers where it was perfect so I bought another for the other speaker. I was very surprised that a PC could have an effect here but it was only after all the other cable refinements in the system had taken place.
Jafox, my friend member name misternice just bought few stealth v-12 dream power cables, he lives in newzealand and austalia, He bought them used, I do not know how he did that, stealth just introduced the v-12 power cord?, anyway, he likes them alot, suppose to give me a run down of the sound when he comes back from vacation, cheers.
Jafox, I am not sure Dream State is still around. I tried contacting them awhile back, and I can no longer find a website for them. I guess Cable Company still carries them so??? Samtse, Jafox and I both owned the Stealth Dreams before we discovered Dream State. They Stealth are excellent cords, bettered on by Dream State in my experience.
On the 12BH7s, 1950's Brimars are recognized as the best, maybe followed by RCA white label 1950s D-getters...but I have both and still find the RCA red label, grey plates to be best. All, of course, is contextual (my relative context being a AirTight 300B 8W SET with WE300Bs & original Genalex Gold Lion B749s & 1940 black plate JAN RCA 5U4 rectifier), but here the RCA red label keeps winning....

The bonus? NOS RCA 12BH7 red labels in true matched pairs are pretty cheap, say $125/pr at most for good labels.

With that said, I'd still go for the MP-1...very spacious, very involving.
Damn Asa, that was one of the most informative post I was looking for here, Dude, Thankyou!