OK my turn-
EE Minimax Plus with Dexa discrete op-amps:
For the past awhile my listening has been getting less and less critical and more about just enjoying the music (and esp. new music), so I don't have much to say about the nth degree of stage depth or separation between the 2nd and 3d cellos etc.
In comparison to my previous dac (original EE, with numerous different op-amps) I find the Plus to be a significant step up in all areas. Very non-fatiguing yet still detailed and delicate when asked.
Some have commented that the bass is a bit too much, but not for my tastes. This is what my Cherry Plus stereo amp does best - churn out subterranean bass with control and limitless ease. I find the EE dac bass to be excellent - detailed, nuanced with great pitch definition. I heard melody lines in the bass that just seemed to
matter more to the overall musical passage than I remember.
About the bass balance thing - Every CD player or dac I've seen measured for the past like 20 years has been ruler flat in the bass, and we've all heard players that were either weak-kneed or powerhouses down there, so I don't know where that difference comes from. It'd be interesting to see measurements of this dac w/ the Dexas to see if they really are adding something.
I have no complaints w/ the mids or highs, although I could see how the powerful bass, if you aren't used to it or is not your cup of tea, could seem to make the midrange slightly recessed. I'd just call it smooth and anyway who wants digital midrange that is overdone/too present, anyway? Not me...
I haven't pulled the tube yet (hope it's OK with Bill since it's on the safe side of "Won't void the warranty"). Maybe tonight but with the damn (but blessed) AC running it kinda ruins critical sessions.
Do I want one? I had always planned on getting this same version, w/ the Dexas, to replace my original, and hearing this unit has confirmed this belief. But alas some big car repairs (anyone smitten with an older E46 BMW can tell ya' - Oh, but how it handled on the Blue Ridge Parkway last weekend...) have put me in a little pinch. But we'll see...
The $$ I got for the original has somehow been absorbed back into the general coffers (something about "Audio Statute of Limitations"
)
Still do want, though.
Thanks Bill for the generous tour. I've had the unit for a few weeks and plan on bringing it to Deepak's for the Zu Party on the 7th. Hope that's OK with everyone.
-How to sum up. It's a great dac that allows you to listen to the music and not the gear. Corny and overused yes, but true IMO.
Oh - all impressions are of the SS output - Still like the increased info that comes through - less tube editorializing.
-Mike