I really liked the Minimax Plus. I do wish EE would abandon the tube or dedicate themselves to it 100%, instead of making it a switch.
Most people don't get the chance to audition DACs in their own homes back-to-back. This has been very interesting to me as MOST of the time we could not tell them apart. The differences I outlined were so subtle that we really strained to hear them. The differences were only noticeable when comparing a DAC heard minutes before. I seriously doubt anyone would be able to easily quantify the differences.
And so, after hearing these units back to back in my system and a friends, here is how I rate them:
#1 - Rega DAC
Best overall performance from good bass to a highly accurate sounding midrange and HF. The best DAC for creating the sense of "live" from live recordings & best soundstage. But NOT all that forgiving on recordings that are poor. Choose this DAC for live jazz and more modern classical recordings. This is also the champ for non-studio vocals. This thing sounds like a TT at times!
#2 - EE Minimax Plus
Really a tie with the Rega. The sweetest sounding of the group, perhaps not the most accurate, but undeniably engaging to listen to. More forgiving of poor recordings. We did not like the tube. Choose this DAC for older recordings, from classical to rough-around-the-edges Jazz. If you love violin recordings, the Minimax is a stunner.
#3 - Centrance DacMini
Kind of a giant killer at the price. This unit has midrange depth and detail that is better than the EE or Rega, but it falls short on bass by sounding soft. The high end is detailed, but we note a bit of grain. Form-factor with Mac Mini is a homerun. You can buy this DAC and probably be happy for a long time.
#4 - W4S DAC II
Most expensive and best reviewed and yet we liked it least. Sounded too bright at times, and had a narrow soundstage compared to the others. This is the DAC that fails to sound like analogue and yet it's still very good, especially when it comes to detail. Detail freaks will like this DAC.
Cheers,
Rob
Most people don't get the chance to audition DACs in their own homes back-to-back. This has been very interesting to me as MOST of the time we could not tell them apart. The differences I outlined were so subtle that we really strained to hear them. The differences were only noticeable when comparing a DAC heard minutes before. I seriously doubt anyone would be able to easily quantify the differences.
And so, after hearing these units back to back in my system and a friends, here is how I rate them:
#1 - Rega DAC
Best overall performance from good bass to a highly accurate sounding midrange and HF. The best DAC for creating the sense of "live" from live recordings & best soundstage. But NOT all that forgiving on recordings that are poor. Choose this DAC for live jazz and more modern classical recordings. This is also the champ for non-studio vocals. This thing sounds like a TT at times!
#2 - EE Minimax Plus
Really a tie with the Rega. The sweetest sounding of the group, perhaps not the most accurate, but undeniably engaging to listen to. More forgiving of poor recordings. We did not like the tube. Choose this DAC for older recordings, from classical to rough-around-the-edges Jazz. If you love violin recordings, the Minimax is a stunner.
#3 - Centrance DacMini
Kind of a giant killer at the price. This unit has midrange depth and detail that is better than the EE or Rega, but it falls short on bass by sounding soft. The high end is detailed, but we note a bit of grain. Form-factor with Mac Mini is a homerun. You can buy this DAC and probably be happy for a long time.
#4 - W4S DAC II
Most expensive and best reviewed and yet we liked it least. Sounded too bright at times, and had a narrow soundstage compared to the others. This is the DAC that fails to sound like analogue and yet it's still very good, especially when it comes to detail. Detail freaks will like this DAC.
Cheers,
Rob