“”The Zesto Andros Allasso Step-Up Transformer, now in production, is the world’s most flexible Step-Up ever produced, at any price, by anyone. It is a top sonic performer with powerful dynamics and imperceptible sonic colorations or noise.””
For the full review click here
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Zesto Audio makes the Cover of The Absolute Sound May/June issue.
“To say we are excited would be such an understatement around here,” quotes George Counnas, Chief Engineer and owner of Zesto Audio. “I am so pleased to be recognized for the Eros 300 Monoblocks because it’s the one piece of gear that allows all the components in your system to live up to their potential. It’s real power with authority.”
In addition to the front cover there are 9 pages of coverage on Zesto to include fabulous new photos and a great review by Don Saltzman.
Our sincere thanks to the staff at The Absolute Sound for all their support.
Please see the entire coverage in print or on your digital copy.
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN AUDIO FEST SHOW REPORT: ELECTRONICS, PLUS ANALOG AND CABLE HIGHLIGHTS – The Absolute Sound
“Jim Hannon’s Best of Show” and “Most Coveted Product”
” I thought I was listening to master-tapes! One of the best sounds of the show!
Read the review
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RMAF 2016: Would this Stairway Lead to Heaven? By Jason Victor Serinus • Stereophile – Posted: Oct 13, 2016
“This was one of those happy, expectation-fulfilling rooms where recordings actually sounded like music..’
Read the review
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Newport 2016:
Zesto, Kharma, WyWires generate a buzz by John Stancavage, Part-time Audiophile, Aug 8th 2016
“This rig was reaching my soul, which is why we’re all in this hobby. Well done.”
Read the review
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Munich 2016:
Best Sound (For the Money) by Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound, May 20th 2016
“Camped out at HiFi Deluxe was a superb display of musicality courtesy of the Zesto Audio Leto preamp ($7500) and Bia 120 stereo amp ($12,500) and Joseph Audio’s Profile ($7000) loudspeaker. The small Euro-scale system could lay back but shift gears on a dime and was an exemplar of natural tonal color and dynamic composure.”
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The Best of the Best! Andros 1.2 Phonostage
The 12th Annual PFO Writers’ Choice Awards for 2015 by Mark Pearson
“The Andros 1.2 just does everything right. It is dynamic, it has gorgeous tonal colors, it throws a big and deep soundstage, and it’s super quiet. .” Read about the award
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Robert H. Levi – Positive Feedback – September 3rd 2015
Premier Review of Zesto Audio Leto 1.5 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier
“The Zesto Audio Leto 1.5 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier bests the 1.0 in features and in every parameter I can think of. It hosts improvements in the highs, mids, and bass which will mightily please audiophiles.” Read entire review
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Mark Pearson – Positive Feedback – August 11th 2015
Andros 1.2 Phonostage
“I have had lots of phono sections in my system(s) over the years, but I have never had one this good or this quiet.” Read entire review
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Neil Gader – The Absolute Sound – June 4th 2015
T.H.E Show Newport Beach
“Not every electronics manufacturer is taking the plunge to offer an outboard headphone amp however. Remember when a headphone input could be found on virtually every preamp and receiver? Well, Zesto Audio has taken this to heart and added a headphone amp with front panel input to it’s upgraded Leto 1.5 tube preamp ($7500 pictured below). After listening to the MrSpeakers new Ether planar headphones ($1499) with a well regarded tube headphone amp I switched to the Leto using the same WyWires Red series cable. The difference in spaciousness, air and top end transparency was astonishing. The sound was less between the ears and more convincingly on a dimensional stage at eye level.”Read entire review
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Robert H. Levi
Andros 1.2 Phonostage- Positive-Feedback Online – April 2015…..
“The new Zesto Audio Andros 1.2 Phonostage Preamplifier clobbers the original, and may just be the best piece of audio gear designed by George Counnas to date. ” Read entire review
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Paul Seydor – The Absolute Sound – April 7th 2014
Bia 120 Stereo Power Amplifier
“Is the Bia perfect? Well, of course, nothing’s perfect, but no matter what I threw at it, I couldn’t make it sound anything less than beautiful…” Read entire review
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Robert H. Levi
Bia 120 Class A Amplifier- Positive-Feedback Online – November 2013
“…I have never heard a better amplifier in my reference system, tube or solid-state. It is the best new tube amplifier to reach the market in the last five years priced under $50,000.” Read Robert H. Levi’s full review in Positive Feedback on line. Read entire review
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THE ABSOLUTE SOUND GUIDE TO HIGH-END ELECTRONICS 2013
Download the guide scroll to see Zesto Audio on pages 20, 66, 113, 117, 118, 119, 144 and 147.
Paul Seydor – The Absolute Sound – May 2013
Zesto Audio Leto Preamp – “Sonic Magic”
“The Leto preamplifier, a linestage that is the second product of George and Carolyn Counnas’ Zesto Audio, is cut so completely from the same sonic cloth as Zesto’s Andros PS1 phonostage I reviewed last year … ” Read entire reviews
Stereophile gives the Andros Phonostage a 2013 Class A Rating
Michael Fremer – Stereophile Analog Corner – March 2013
Zesto Audio Andros phono preamp
“…The Zesto had an addictive, warm overall sound, with plenty of impact, detail and grace. It’s among the more enjoyable and satisfying phono preamplifiers I’ve auditioned at any price …”
Robert H. Levi
Leto Premap – Positive-Feedback Online – September 2012
“New from Zesto Audio comes the tubed Leto Preamp, pushing the envelope in value and performance in its price range and beyond. With styling similar to the Andros Phono stage, the Leto is a powerful sounding, highly detailed, fantastically quiet, and superbly musical masterpiece that will complement the finest systems. Designed by a brilliant and pragmatic designer who knows great sound and ergonomics, the Leto performed like a thoroughbred in every way musical, and was a joy to control and adjust. The fun factor while working with the Leto made me rethink what has been missing in minimalist preamps that cost even more money these days. What a jewel! The Zesto Audio Leto is a killer design to my way of listening and loving recordings, and may just be the preamp you will buy and keep for the very, very long haul. The Leto receives my highest recommendation.” Read entire review
Henry Wilkenson
Leto Line Stage Preamplifier – Audiophilia – September 14th 2012
“I have spent many hours listening to the Leto and Andros combination at Wes Bender’s NYC/Studio. I have also listened to the Leto with the EAR 324 phono stage. The sound of the Leto is on the warm side of the spectrum but not so much as to be in any way objectionable. To be clear, this is not an ‘old school’ tube sounding amplifier. From top to bottom, the sound is very well balanced. It has enough resolving power to allow vocal and instrumental textures to be clearly heard. The Fairfield Four’s Isaac Freeman’s bass vocals are presented with their full richness, bloom and textures intact. I have heard this group’s vocals on other line stages that glossed over these details resulting in a bland presentation. Not so with the Leto”. Read entire review
Jeff Dorgay
Andros Phonostage PS1 – TONEAudio – September 2012
“After a solid month of intense audition, the Zesto Andros PS1 exhibits no weaknesses whatsoever. While it has a beautiful visual aesthetic, it continues to be a joy to listen to and is ultimately musical. With many audiophiles on a quest for gear that is increasingly more resolving, it might be easy to overlook the Andros PS1, but truly wise LP lovers will treasure the Zesto because the balance is just right. Much like a car with perfect 50/50 weight balance, along with equal amounts of stop and go, the Andros PS1 doesn’t maximize any one parameter at the sake of another and that is its magic.” Read entire review
Zesto’s new Leto line stage
By John Atkinson • Posted: Jun 7, 2012
Zesto was also using TAD CR1 speakers for the debut of their new Leto tubed line preamplifier ($7500, top), which, like the Andros phono stage (bottom), is made in the USA. With a system comprising a Gamut D200 power amp, a Merrill Williams turntable fitted with a Triplanar arm and a Dynavector XX2 Mk.II cartridge, a Lindemann DAC fed data from a PC running J River software, with WyWire cables used throughout, the Ozawa performance of Mahler’s Symphony 1, with the Boston Philharmonic on a typically bright-sounding DG LP, had me sitting for the entire first movement, so low was the noisefloor and so high the dynamic range. AC power was being conditioned by Spiritual Audio’s VX-9 power conditioner.
Reviewed by Paul Seydor – The Absolute Sound – April 2012
“Its sound is unbelievably smooth and velvety; harmonically rich, full, and vividly textured; marvelously rounded, tactile, and dimensional, with great body and solidity; and completely natural in its musicality and freedom from any of the usual sonic hype, audiophile style.” Read entire reviews
2012 Buyers Guide to Vinyl Playback – The Absolute Sound
Read entire review scroll to page 80 and 103 for editors top picks.
Reviewed by Ray Seda – Dagogo – March 2012
“The sweetness and delicate nature of the Zesto Andros PS1’s delivery in the midrange and highs are almost counter-intuitive to its ability to also very competently amplify and deliver the sheer, explosive low frequency energy and dynamics that the record playback system sends to it.” Read entire review
Reviewed by Michael Peshkin – StereoMojo – Jan 2012
“If you have a significant investment in vinyl and an analog front end that merits the best of the best phono preamps, you should by all means audition the Zesto Andros. At its price, its performance competes with much more expensive units. In appearance and sexiness, there’s nothing that comes close.” Read entire reviews
Reviewed by Dr. John Richardson – StereoMojo – Jan 2012
“It’s physically beautiful, adaptable to many different cartridges by merely accessing the switches on the back panel, and most importantly, it will do real sonic justice to your valuable vinyl collection.” Read entire reviews
Robert H. Levi – Positive-Feedback Online – November 2011
“As a brand-new company whose first product is a made-in-America phono stage, Zesto has introduced a break-out product and brought to market a winner! Their Andros tube phono stage sports tons of flexibility with bold musicality at an unheard of price point for this level of performance. I am shocked by what they have managed to include for the audiophile under $4000! Plus, the Andros is a world beater in quietude, a wonderful attribute for a phono section. I wish more designers paid attention to this when they design phono stages, particularly tube designers.
I think that you will love the sense of reality the Andros delivers; in addition, the flexibility of its controls, all placed externally for a change, are similar to units costing $10,000. Soundstaging is extraordinary, too. The Andros both over-delivers and under-prices the competition. If you need a phono stage, I wouldn’t wait for the price to go up on this beauty. It begs the question, why spend more than the cost of the Zesto Andros PS1? The Andros receives my highest recommendation and top-choice rating for a phono stage anywhere near this price!” Read entire review