Aesthetix Rhea User manual

Rhea
PHONO STAGE
Aesthetix Audio Corporation
5144 N. Commerce Ave. Suite A ♦Moorpark, Ca. 93021
Phone: [phone] ♦Fax: [phone]

INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Rhea Phono Stage. The Rhea is a groundbreaking audio
component which combines sonic quality, innovative features and build quality with
lineage directly traceable to the reference Io phono stage. Rhea contains solid state
circuitry but all of its amplification is achieved using vacuum tubes, with enough gain for
the lowest output moving coils.
Rhea’s advanced microprocessor-based control circuitry is fully inactive when not in use
i.e. when not receiving a command from the user, resulting in no ill effects on sound
quality. Each of its three inputs can be selected on the front panel, and each input can
have its own gain and loading setting. Unique among any audio product, the Rhea
contains a built in demagnetizer which allows the user to demagnetize any time with just
the touch of a button.
The massive power supply consists of a high voltage transformer, heater transformer, and
high voltage choke. All of the magnetics are shielded by a stainless steel transformer
cover that also performs double duty as the structural truss. The high voltage power
supply is regulated with a discrete transistor based regulator. The low voltage solid state
power supplies are discretely regulated.
Only the highest quality components are used in the Rhea, including Roederstein
resistors, RelCap film capacitors, Mercury Magnetics transformers and Nichicon audio
grade electrolytic capacitors.
We hope you enjoy many years of music using the Rhea phonostage.
PLACEMENT
Rhea should be located away from possible sources of hum such as power cords, power
transformers and the like.
Ventilation is critical for reliability. It should not be located on top of any heat source
such as a power amplifier. If it is positioned within an enclosed space then fans may be
warranted. All air vents must remain unobstructed. A minimum of 4 inches of space
above Rhea is required.
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CONNECTIONS
1) Connect one or more cartridges to the Rhea’s inputs. Only shielded cables are
recommended. Multiple turntables are supported as well as multiple arms on the
same turntable.
2) Using either the single-ended (RCA) or balanced (XLR) outputs, connect the Rhea to
your Aesthetix linestage, or whatever preamp you are using while awaiting delivery
of your Aesthetix linestage. (Yes, this is a joke. Rhea is suitable for use with any
preamplifier). Use of balanced connections will yield 6dB more gain, if the following
preamplifier properly supports balanced connections.
3) Connect the turntable and/or tonearm ground wires to the banana jack on the rear
panel of the Rhea. This jack is labeled “ground”.
4) Connect the supplied IEC power cord to the back of the Rhea and to an unswitched,
grounded AC outlet. Line conditioners may be used with the unit. Ensure the
maximum power of the conditioner is not being exceeded.
OPERATION
STANDBY
AC power is applied to the unit by pressing on the left side of the power switch, when
viewed from the front of the unit. When Rhea has power applied for the first time, it will
first display the installed software version on the LED display for two seconds, then
automatically enter the standby mode. While in standby, power is applied to all circuits
except the vacuum tube heaters. The high voltage supply is reduced to a level that is safe
for the vacuum tubes. All solid state circuitry in the Rhea remains powered. Anytime
Rhea is in standby, the standby light will be illuminated.
Pressing the standby button will take Rhea out of standby. The standby light will blink
for 30 seconds, during which time the heater supplies will be energized and the high
voltage supply will rise to operational levels. After the warm-up period, the standby light
will extinguish and the input will be displayed, and the mute light will be illuminated
indicating the Rhea is muted.
Place Rhea in standby when not in use.
INPUT SELECTION
Press any of the three input selection buttons to select the desired input (1,2 or 3). Input
selection is not possible when adjusting gain or loading.
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MUTE
Pressing the mute button will alternately mute or unmute the unit. When the mute light is
illuminated, the Rhea is muted. When muted, the output is shorted to ground.
GAIN ADJUSTMENT
Pressing the gain button will show the gain for the currently selected input. Press the
right side of the display glass to increase the gain, and the left side of the glass to
decrease the gain. The gain displayed is in dB and is the gain attained when the unit is
new with factory supplied tubes. A unit with aged tubes, or non-factory tubes (shame on
you!), may not achieve these gain values.
Some linestages and preamplifiers cannot accept the high output signal that the Rhea can
produce. Distortion on peaks is the most obvious indication, but sometimes it can be a
less obvious compression of dynamics and an upper midrange hardness. Simply
lowering the gain of Rhea will eliminate this problem.
Each input has its own gain adjustment. To adjust the gain for a different input, press the
gain button again to exit the gain adjust setting. Select the desired input, then re-enter the
gain setting mode. The selected gains are stored in non-volatile memory and will
therefore not be lost even if the power is disconnected.
The mute button is active while in the gain adjustment mode.
The below chart shows the recommended gain settings by cartridge output level. These
recommendations will produce the best signal-to-noise ratio and lowest distortion. It is
advised to try one setting above and below the recommended value to determine the best
setting for your system.
Cartridge output level (millivolts) Recommended Gain Setting
Less than .2 75dB
.2 - .5 62dB
.6 - 1 56dB
1.1 - 2 50dB
2.1 - 5 44dB
5.1 - 7 38dB
LOADING ADJUSTMENT
Pressing the load button will show the loading for the currently selected input. Press the
right side of the display glass to decrease the loading (increased ohms), and the left side
of the glass to increase it (decreased ohms). The loading displayed is in ohms, and an H
on the display indicates kilo ohms.
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The correct loading will be achieved when music has the right balance of dynamics, high
frequency extension and lack of glare or brightness. Generally speaking, less loading
(higher ohms) results in more high frequencies and more dynamics but can be too bright
for some cartridges. More loading (lower ohms) can reduce brightness but if overdone
can result in reduced dynamics and a dull, lifeless quality. Consult your dealer for
loading recommendations on the cartridge(s) you are using.
Each input has its own loading adjustment. To adjust the loading for a different input,
press the load button again to exit the loading adjustment mode. Select the desired input,
the re-enter the loading mode. The selected load settings are stored in non-volatile
memory and will therefore not be lost even if the power is disconnected.
The mute button is active while in the loading adjustment mode.
DEMAGNETIZER
Pressing the demag button will activate the cartridge demagnetizer for the currently
selected input. The demag light will illuminate, the output will be muted and the
demagnetizing signal will be applied to the cartridge. When the demagnetizing cycle is
complete, the demag light will extinguish and normal operation will return. No buttons
are active while demagnetizing.
Cartridges should be demagnetized weekly or anytime a muddiness or lack of clarity
becomes apparent.
To demagnetize a different input, simply select the desired input and then activate the
demagnetizer.
When not in use, the demagnetizer is fully deactivated. No power is applied to its
circuits and the output is disconnected from the cartridges by a relay.
DISPLAY
In normal operation, the currently selected input is displayed and its indicator light is
illuminated. The mute light may or may not be illuminated. When the display button is
pressed, all lights will extinguish. Pressing any button will turn on the display and
indicator lights.
If the button pressed was an input select or mute button, the display and lights will
extinguish again after 5 seconds. If the button was gain or loading, the display will
remain on until the gain or loading modes are exited, at which time there will be a 5
second delay and then the display will extinguish. If the demagnetizer was activated, the
display will remain on until the demagnetizing is complete, at which time there will be a
5 second delay and then the display will extinguish. If the standby button was pressed,
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the unit will enter the standby mode. The standby light is always illuminated, regardless
of whether the display was on or off.
Pressing the display button while the display is off, or during the 5 second timeout
period, will turn on the display and normal operation will return.
Advanced display functionality
This unit contains the ability to sense the ambient light level in the room and adjust the
display and LEDs accordingly. While the factory settings will work for most situations,
there may be times when adjustment to the settings is useful. There are three main
sections to the advanced display functionality:
Adjustment of display brightness
Adjustment of LED brightness
Restoration of the factory default settings
Adjustment of display brightness:
To access this section, first press and hold the “display” button, then concurrently press
“1” button. This can only be done from the front panel. It is recommended that once this
section is entered, that all adjustments be made with the remote at some distance from the
unit, so as not to obstruct light from reaching the sensor. LED #2 will light, and the
display will show two numbers in the range 00-15, one on the left display and one on the
right display. The left number indicates the light level that the sensor is reporting, 0 is
darkest and 15 is brightest. The rightmost number indicates the display brightness setting
for that light level, 0 is darkest and 15 is brightest. LED#2 will be lit, which indicates
that pressing the “up” or “down” buttons will adjust the display brightness for the current
light level. Pressing button #1 will turn on LED#1, which indicates that pressing the
“up” or “down” buttons will change to a different light level setting, for which the
display brightness could then be changed by pressing button #2. Changes to the display
brightness will only be visible for the current light level.
To exit this section, press the “display” button.
Adjustment of LED brightness:
This section works identically to the above “Adjustment of display brightness” except
that adjustment is made to the LED brightness instead of the display.
To access this section, first press and hold the “display” button, then concurrently press
“2” button. This can only be done from the front panel. It is recommended that once this
section is entered, that all adjustments be made with the remote at some distance from the
unit, so as not to obstruct light from reaching the sensor. LED #2 will light, and the
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display will show two numbers in the range 00-15, one on the left display and one on the
right display. The left number indicates the light level that the sensor is reporting, 0 is
darkest and 15 is brightest. The rightmost number indicates the LED brightness setting
for that light level, 0 is darkest and 15 is brightest. LED#2 will be lit, which indicates
that pressing the “up” or “down” buttons will adjust the LED brightness for the current
light level. Pressing button #1 will turn on LED#1, which indicates that pressing the
“up” or “down” buttons will change to a different light level setting, for which the LED
brightness could then be changed by pressing button #2. Changes to the LED brightness
will only be visible for the current light level.
To exit this section, press the “display” button.
Special note:
Setting all brightness levels to the same value, for all light levels, will result in no change
of display or LED brightness with changes in ambient light level in the room.
Restoration of the factory default settings:
To restore the factory settings for all display settings, first press and hold the “display”
button, then concurrently press “3” button. This can only be done from the front panel.
LEDs 1-5 will light, indicating that the unit has restored the factory settings.
Maintenance
Do not, under any condition, remove the top cover while the AC power cord is connected
to the unit. As the power supply remains charged even with power removed, wait at least
20 minutes after removing the AC power cord before attempting any maintenance.
Under normal conditions, internal access is not required. In the event of a noisy tube or
other maintenance, the top cover may be removed. There are no screws, it is securely
held in place by an interlocking material. To remove the top cover, grasp it at the rear
left edge and pull up firmly. The interlocking material will gradually disengage as the
top cover is “peeled” up.
To reinstall the top cover, align the front edge with the back of the faceplate and
gradually press down, starting at the front and moving toward the back.
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Specifications
Fuses:
External fuse (in IEC power connector) 2 amp slow blow (117v)
1 amp slow blow (230v)
Spare fuse included in IEC power connector.
Tubes:
V1 & V2 12AX7LP
V3 & V4 12AX7WB
V5 6922 (6DJ8)
Power Consumption:
Standby: 20 watts
Active: 100 watts
Dimensions:
18" Width x 17 5/8" Depth x 4 3/8" Height
Shipping Weight:
39 lbs (17.5Kg)
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90 DAY LIMITED WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONS
(3 Year optional extended service contract)
1. Aesthetix warrants the product designated herein to be free of manufacturing defects in material
and workmanship, subject to the conditions herein set forth, for a period of 90 days from the date of
purchase by the original purchaser. If the purchaser registers the unit with Aesthetix by mailing in the
warranty card, together with a copy of the bill of sale, within 14 days of the date of purchase, said
purchaser will be registered for an extended service contract. The extended service contract extends the 90
days to a period of 3 years from the date of purchase by the original purchaser or no later than 4 years from
the date of shipment to the authorized Aesthetix dealer, whichever comes first.
2. CONDITIONS
This warranty is subject to the following conditions and limitations. The warranty is void and
inapplicable if the product has been used or handled other than in accordance with the instructions in the
owner's manual, abused or misused, damaged by accident or neglect or in being transported, or the defect is
due to the product being repaired or tampered with or modified by anyone other than Aesthetix. The
product must be packed and returned to Aesthetix by the customer at his or her sole expense. A returned
product must be accompanied by a written description of the defect and a photocopy of the original
purchase receipt. This receipt must clearly list model and serial number, the date of purchase, the name
and address of the purchaser and authorized dealer and the purchase price. Aesthetix reserves the right to
modify the design of any product without obligation to purchasers of previously manufactured products
and to change the prices or specifications of any product without notice or obligation to any person.
3. REMEDY
In the event the above product fails to meet the warranty, and the above conditions have been met,
the purchaser's sole remedy under the limited warranty shall be to return the product to Aesthetix where the
defect will be rectified without charge for parts or labor.
4. LIMITED TO ORIGINAL PURCHASER
This warranty is for the sole benefit of the original purchaser of the covered product and shall not
be transferred to a subsequent purchaser of the product.
5. DURATION OF WARRANTY
This warranty expires 90 days after the date of original purchase. If Aesthetix receives the
warranty registration card, this period is extended to the third anniversary of the date of purchase or no
later that the fourth anniversary of the shipment to the authorized Aesthetix dealer, whichever comes first.
6. MISCELLANEOUS
ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES RELATING TO THE ABOVE PRODUCT SHALL BE
LIMITED TO THE DURATION OF THIS WARRANTY. THE WARRANTY DOES NOT EXTEND
TO ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL COSTS OR DAMAGES TO THE PURCHASER.
Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or an exclusion or limitation of
incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This
Warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
7. WARRANTY OUTSIDE THE USA
Aesthetix has formal distribution in many of the countries of the free world, in each country the
Aesthetix importer has contractually accepted the responsibility for product warranty. Warranty should
normally be obtained from the importing dealer or distributor from whom you obtain your product.
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