The Gearhead

Aesthetix Calypso Stereo Tube Hybrid Preamplifier I’ll admit I didn’t let the normal random chance determine my little listening session with the Aesthetix Calypso preamplifier here. I happened to be walking by the photo area when I spotted the machine, and our photographer Jeff said I could borrow the little she demon for a minute to satiate my audio curiosity. It’s not that I haven’t heard the Calypso before — I have. I’ve seen a few sprinkled in high end demo systems at audio shows, and there used to be one hanging out in Music Room One over at PS Audio down the street. But I’d never gotten a chance to fiddle with one on my own, even briefly. Fiddle is the wrong word- I don’t want to press buttons and spin knobs, I wan to hear this amazing piece of circuitry. And amazing it is. See I knew about the special nature of this preamplifier because it served as a major inspiration for Bascom King when he designed his BHK Signature Preamplifier for PS Audio. Both preamplifier...

Aesthetix Atlas Tube Hybrid Power Amplifier I don’t know if it’s just me, but when I see a serial number on a amplifier or speaker that is less than 5 digits, I start to feel like I have a special audiophile experience in store. Such was the case today with an Aesthetix Atlas stereo amplifier, serial no. 4176. Now I know that serials often depict the month and year of manufacture, the revision number and other things. I know it’s not perfectly sensible of a feeling. But I still have it. Massive, sparse and straight-to-the-point back panels like the Atlas lend seriousness to my observations and especially when the sparse features are individually well-chosen, like seeing those Cards binding posts on the back. I get those feelings when I encounter a big Ayre amplifier or PS Audio’s BHK series, which actually has a few things in common with this Aesthetix. I have a wonderful supply of binaural reference recordings, and I go straight to them when I test an uber high end piec...