Aesthetix Calypso vs ARC LS25 MK2

Perfectionist and all, if the aledged upcoming LS26 will truly be related to the new Ref 3, it will prove to be quite a treat. I listened to the ref 3 last week and found it astonishingly good. See my findings at:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1123254379&openfrom&58&4#58

Magnepanmike;

ARC

"I have never known such sheer madness," Dishwalla.


I was not a happy camper up until Saturday evening with the Calypso. I generally leave my system on all day on Saturday's and Sunday's, so it's nice and toasty when I sit down to listen at night. Upon arriving home late Saturday from a night on the town with my gal, it was immediately obvious that the Calypso had blossomed from a cocoon to a butterfly and the music was just flowing effortlessly.
I was very apprehensive about selling my LS25 (which sold in four hours Friday), because I felt that the Calypso was just marginally better, and not in all areas. I'll even go a step further and say that I was longing to put my LS25 back in and dump the Calypso, but I wanted to give it a chance. What a difference a few hours makes! I've said this repeatedly regarding my JC1's which took an obscene amount of time (approx. 1500 hours) to break-in, people dump gear before it's ever broken in and never really know what it sounds like. Had I turned tail and ran prior to Saturday, I would never have known the sheer bliss I am now experiencing.
I have NEVER heard a system this good in my life. I know that's a bold statement, but I have not had the opportunity to hear all that many TRULY high-end setup's as some of you have, nor do I have the experience of many of my fellow Agoner's.
I had been tube rolling between Brimar, Tungsram, and GE longplate 12ax7's.
I know many of you will think I'm crazy, but I liked the Tungsram's the least.
But there's a big BUT here.
All the tube rolling I did was a moot point up until Saturday. The GE's were installed when the pre finally opened up, and I LOVE them. But now I need to revisit the tube issue and am going to ask my dealer for an extension on the tube sets that he loaned me. I need to also mention that I put a Supra LoRad pc on my cdp (was using a stock 12awg pc that came with the JC1's) Sunday, wow! I am so hard headed sometimes. I fought this pc issue for quite a long time before I did anything about it with regards to my pre and amps. This is a fantastic pc, especially for the money. I did try one on the pre before it opened up, but again, moot point. A bud lent me three of them, but I have not experimented with the others, yet. Back to the pre, but I don't know where to start. I hate throwing around esoteric audiophile terms, but I guess I'll have to. Or, perhaps I should just write a review in a couple of weeks. Otherwise this is going to get really long here.
Oh hell, just a few...Air, sparkle, space, expansive soundstage, detailed, smooth, tight, taut, musical, PRaT. It's all there and it's all good. And when the non-audiophile girlfriend sits up and takes notice and actually starts getting into it, you know it's going in the right direction.

So the LS25 is but a distant memory, a good pre in it's time perhaps, but it is not on the same level as the mighty Calypso.

I welcome your response...

Wow, it's great to hear how happy you are with your purchase. Sounds like you will own this for quite a long time.

Ahhhhhhh! Joe, this is such good news. I am almost as glad as you are that you stuck it out. When I so highly recommend a piece of gear, it always leaves me with butterflies until it all works out. Just think how home life is for the few who are fortunate enough to own the Callisto and Io Signatures, wow.
It's tough sometimes when the music and the synergy in you system is all a kilter. A lot of wild accusations are made on the A’gon and some times it is also difficult to cipher out what it all means and how much of it is real. But when someone hears the music as your (not so audiophile) gal, I agree that pretty well sums it up.
I really can’t believe more people don’t find their way to Aesthetix but, they will. One at a time. Jim White is a rare gentleman with an even rarer ability. I could not be happier for you and for myself having chosen Aesthetix above all others. Again, I also own the Rhea phono amp (sister) to the Calypso and can share the same accolades for Jims’ work on this piece that I do for all the others. This gear is truly remarkable IMHO.
We will look forward to a more comprehensive review in the weeks to come and I am interested in how the power cord trials and tube rolls will ferret out as I have not yet been that thorough. My pair pretty much blew our minds right from the get go and I didn’t experience the tube noise that quite a few have been plagued with. Thank my lucky stars.
And just to note that I was comparing them against his high end Signature series in a good friends' home. Well, here’s to listening to the music. Cheers!