Zesto Audio Andros Allasso Step Up Transformer Reviews

4.8 Rating 4 Reviews

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Phone:

909.931.9686

Email:

joel.m@upscaleaudio.com

Location:

2058 Wright Avenue,
2058 Wright Avenue
California
91750

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Daniel Geiger

Verified Reviewer

“I have had the SUT for about 6 months between a Rega Naia with Aphelion 2 and a EAT eglow petite. The EAT on its own with high grain produces some tube hiss. High gain on the Zesto results in some transformer hum. Accordingly, a medium-low gain on Zesto and EAT produced the quietest results, also by using more pre-amp volume (PrimaLuna EVO300). To dial in preferred sound is a matter of playing with resistance settings of Zesto and EAT. Simple trial and error. The result is a more full bodied sound. The reason I do not give it 5* is the transformer hum at higher gain settings. I don't know where it is coming from, as there is no powercord going into the SUT. The EAT may need an upgrade so make the Naia shine, but so far no clear contenders or direction (tube vs SS).”

Helpful Report

Posted 11 months ago

“Lovely paired with the Manley Chinook. Able to lower that noise floor and just use the Input Tubes (which I upgraded so I only had to buy 2 instead of 4). The knobs on the front made it easy to fine tune, by the ear, which is helpful when switching between headphones and loud speakers. Mono toss me for a spin since I have a mono cart and only run 1 RCA, the mono switch just allows 1 channel through, so if you're RCA is plugged into the wrong input you get no audio.”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“First impression after about 1 h of playtime. Used with a Rega Naia/Aphelion 2 going into an EAT eglow petite. Set-up is very straight forward. I had to use the ground wire between SUT and PS to get rid of significant hum. Directly into PS I used a load of 300 Ohm and 60 db gain. With the SUT current initial settings are 18 db gain and impedance 2-3 (65-90 ohm: Rega recommends 100). At lower impedance sound gets too thin, at higher too boomy. Make sure to switch the PS from Ohm to kOhm, otherwise the gain switch on SUT has no effect. The PS kOhm load or capacitance settings seem to have no effect on sound. PS sounds best at 50 db gain (at 40 db it has drone quality I don't like). I put the PS gain rather low, so that I can use more of the PrimaLuna EVO 300 pre volume control, which is a bit coarsely stepped at the lower end. With low gain on SUT and high gain on PS, the sound gets a bit murky/smeared, IMHO. The sound with the SUT has more volume/body/heft without loosing top end clarity or precision in the bass (the latter, the main difference between Rega Naia and previous VPI SPS w/Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC*). I went back and forth a couple of times to make sure I am not kidding myself, and it holds true. The level of difference is like a major tube upgrade, so pretty obvious. I am sure that with more playtime and different recordings, some fine tuning of the setting will happen. This is just an out-of-the-box first approximation. I emailed with Zesto before and got a reply with a bit of a delay. I also contacted previously EAT re tube info (more than once), and they never bothered to reply. When I upgrade my PS, it certainly will NOT be from EAT.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

TERRENCE STOKE

Verified Reviewer

“The sound is smooth as silk, I'm feeding it into a solid state phono stage and it's almost as smooth as my tube phono stage. The ability to change loading and output with the flick of a switch is priceless if you change cartridges. Great craftsmanship and attention to detail.”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago