Hey Bebop, I have seen the Io, non-signature version with one power supply sell here from time to time in the $3000-3500 range. I own this model and with the stock tubes replaced, it is phenomenol; my gut feeling is that it is more impressive than the stock Io Signature. The Io Signature sells from $5-8k on the used market depending on whether or not it has volume controls, 2 power supplies or fully decked out with NOS tubes. So keep your eyes open for deals here.
I also agree that the phono stage is very important in the system due to the need for an accurate RIAA circuit and amplifying a very low signal. However, we can talk theories all day long. My experiences from listening to, borrowing and owning some great preamps, line stages and phono stages, time and time again, the line stage makes a far more significant "make or break" musicality presence in my system. I can go back to a previous phono stage that I owned such as the BAT P10 or ARC PH2, or even the built-in phono board I used to have in my BAT 31SE, and the music is still quite impressive. These phono stages do not have the awesome 3-dimensionality of the Io, but still the music is very enjoyable. I can not say this at all about any solid-state line stage I have heard in my system....and several tube line stages too. The space around the instruments and decay of notes is flat out gone in so many of these other cases. Why this is I don't know and I would not have believed it until I heard it.
I would have bet everything on the fact that the phono stage and its associated cabling makes the bigger impact on the system due to it amplifying the smallest signal. But it just has not been the case for me. Two preamps, 4 phono stages and 4 line stages in 24 years and the outcome has been consistent.
And I will make the same claim about cables. The cable from line stage to amp is far more significant than the other ICs. Several years ago when I had just enough money to try out one NBS cable, I tried this vs. the Cardas Golden Cross, SilverAudio and 2 pairs of cheapo Belden XLR cables. The NBS was a huge improvement from line to amp and quite surprisingly, the Belden worked very well from phono stage to line. When I swapped the NBS and Belden, so much of the 3-dimensionality and harmonic richness that the system was capable of was significantly reduced. With the NBS back in the line-to-amp link, the magic was back. After this change, tonearm cable differences were far greater to appreciate as well. So again, I don't understand why, but there's something very signifcant about the line stage and the cable from it to the amp that has a greater effect on my system over the years than other links in the system. m. For SS based systems where harmonic richness, decay of notes and volume of space are not so prevalent, this all could be a non-issue. You just need to try this all out in your system and find what areas benefit the most from changes and what others benefit much less.
John
I also agree that the phono stage is very important in the system due to the need for an accurate RIAA circuit and amplifying a very low signal. However, we can talk theories all day long. My experiences from listening to, borrowing and owning some great preamps, line stages and phono stages, time and time again, the line stage makes a far more significant "make or break" musicality presence in my system. I can go back to a previous phono stage that I owned such as the BAT P10 or ARC PH2, or even the built-in phono board I used to have in my BAT 31SE, and the music is still quite impressive. These phono stages do not have the awesome 3-dimensionality of the Io, but still the music is very enjoyable. I can not say this at all about any solid-state line stage I have heard in my system....and several tube line stages too. The space around the instruments and decay of notes is flat out gone in so many of these other cases. Why this is I don't know and I would not have believed it until I heard it.
I would have bet everything on the fact that the phono stage and its associated cabling makes the bigger impact on the system due to it amplifying the smallest signal. But it just has not been the case for me. Two preamps, 4 phono stages and 4 line stages in 24 years and the outcome has been consistent.
And I will make the same claim about cables. The cable from line stage to amp is far more significant than the other ICs. Several years ago when I had just enough money to try out one NBS cable, I tried this vs. the Cardas Golden Cross, SilverAudio and 2 pairs of cheapo Belden XLR cables. The NBS was a huge improvement from line to amp and quite surprisingly, the Belden worked very well from phono stage to line. When I swapped the NBS and Belden, so much of the 3-dimensionality and harmonic richness that the system was capable of was significantly reduced. With the NBS back in the line-to-amp link, the magic was back. After this change, tonearm cable differences were far greater to appreciate as well. So again, I don't understand why, but there's something very signifcant about the line stage and the cable from it to the amp that has a greater effect on my system over the years than other links in the system. m. For SS based systems where harmonic richness, decay of notes and volume of space are not so prevalent, this all could be a non-issue. You just need to try this all out in your system and find what areas benefit the most from changes and what others benefit much less.
John