Aesthetix Io - Manual (Page 8)

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
NOTE: The following is a detailed technical description of the circuitry employed in the Io.
It is intended for technically inclined readers for informational purposes only.
The Io comprises two separate units, the phono stage itself and the power supply unit. The
units are connected together via two detachable umbilical cords.
The phono stage contains three main amplification sections and an output buffer section.
The first section is a high gain, low noise, zero feedback single ended amplifier composed of
two low-noise 12AX7 vacuum tubes. This then feeds a high gain, low noise differential
amplifier (two 12AX7 vacuum tubes) which amplifies the signal and produces a
complementary minus phase signal. Thus, the unit is balanced from the second amplification
section through the output. The signal is then applied to the third amplification section which
is nearly identical to the second. It also contains two 12AX7 vacuum tubes. The filter is next
in the signal path, a purely passive design with the highest grade capacitors and non-inductive
wirewound resistors throughout. Lastly, the signal is buffered and sent to the output jacks in
balanced form. Each separate amplification section has its own power supply filtering
network and regulated heater supply to isolate the individual sections and prevent them from
interacting.
The Power Supply has two main sections, the heater power supplies and the primary plus
and minus power supplies. The heart of the heater supply
is its massive, low flux, 210 volt-amp power transformer which has no less than fourteen
separate secondary windings that are individually regulated and supply both the power supply
and main unit tubes. The primary high voltage supply is composed of a similarly massive 170
volt-amp transformer which feeds a common-mode choke input filtering network and then
high current vacuum tube regulators (one EL34/6CA7, three 12AX7 tubes per regulator).
Each regulator is capable of supplying 600 volts at 100mA. There are two such regulators in
the power supply.
Specifications
(117v only)
Fuses:
External heater fuse 2 amp slow blow for 117V units
External high voltage fuse 2 amp slow blow for 117V units
External heater fuse 1 amp slow blow for 230V units
External high voltage fuse 1 amp slow blow for 230V units
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