Aesthetix Audio Rhea Owners Manual

							
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rhea 
PHONO STAGE 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aesthetix Audio Corporation 
5220 Gabbert Rd., Suite A ♦ Moorpark, CA. 93021 
Phone: (805) 529-9901 
  
						

							
INTRODUCTION 
 
 
     Thank you for purchasing the Rhea Phono Stage.  The Rhea is a groun\
dbreaking audio 
component which combines sonic quality, innovative features and build quality with 
lineage directly traceable to the reference Io phono stage.  Rhea contai\
ns 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, a\
nd 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 to\
p 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, conne\
ct 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 f\
or 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 un\
switched, 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 powe\
r 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 sa\
fe 
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 i\
nput.  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 i\
nput, 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 distort\
ion.  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 selecte\
d 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 
 
Important note: Do not use the demagnetizer with a moving magnet (MM) cartridge. 
Damage to the cartridge will occur.  
 
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. 
 
Moving coil (MC) 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 indicato\
r 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 t\
he 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, th\
e 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 
						

							
5 second delay and then the display will extinguish.  If the standby but\
ton was pressed, 
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 se\
cond timeout 
period, will turn on the display and normal operation will return. 
 
Note:  The LED for the display button is intentionally inactive. 
 
 
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 dis\
play brightness for the current 
light level.  Pressing button #1 will turn on LED#1, which indicates tha\
t pressing the 
“up” or “down” buttons will change to a different light leve\
l 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. 
 
 
6 
						

							
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 
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 tha\
t pressing the 
“up” or “down” buttons will change to a different light leve\
l 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 an\
d 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 fa\
ceplate and 
gradually press down, starting at the front and moving toward the back. 
 
  7 
						

							
 
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, 12AX7 or E83CCS 
V3 & V4  12AX7WB, 12AX7 or E83CCS 
V5   6922 (6DJ8) 
 
Power Consumption: 
 
Standby: 20 watts 
Active:   100  watts 
 
Dimensions: 
 
18 Width x 17 5/8 Depth x 4 3/8 Height 
In Box – 22” x 22” x 10” 
 
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 se t 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.  The warranty period for 
factory tubes does not get extended and therefore remains at 90 days. 
 
2. CONDITIONS 
  This warranty is subject to the following cond itions and limitations.  The warranty is void and 
inapplicable if the product has been  used or handled other than in accord ance with the instructions in the 
owners manual, abused or misused, da maged 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 th e customer at his or her sole expense.  A returned 
product must be accompanied by a wr itten 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 aut horized 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 purchasers sole remedy under the limited warranty sh all 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.  
The warranty period for factory tubes does not ge t extended and therefore remains at 90 days. 
 
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 lim itations 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 di stribution in many of the countries of the free world, in each country the 
Aesthetix importer has contractually accepted the re sponsibility for product warranty.  Warranty should 
normally be obtained from the importing dealer or distributor from whom you obtain your product.
 
  Rev 1.05 4-30-2012 9