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RE: Experience with Eastern Electric MiniMax BBA?

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I've been using one between a Rega Apollo and a Musical Fidelity A3.5 integrated for about 6 months now. The link below is to a reply I made to a post regarding differences between vinyl and digital recordings.

I still enjoy the sound that the BBA provides and have made further adjustments in gain and volume (slightly less tube gain and signal volume) so the tonal range and balance (plus volume attentuation) is optimal. I probably listen to CDs about a third of the time and vinyl the rest. When I do listen to CDs, I sit and really listen; it's not background music.

Overall the BBA adds a richness and spaciousness (wide and deep soundstage) that makes redbook CDs very enjoyable. Midrange vocals and acoustic instruments sound particularly good; very natural. The treble frequencies seem better balanced with the mids and low end; the details are there, but the BBA's tube buffer presents a less forward sounding top end. I suppose you could call it smooth without being fuzzy. Overall, the presentation just seems more life-like, more musical, with a huge soundstage. (Tempered by the fact that my stereo may not sound like your system so it's all relative.)

My only criticism would be that the BBA (with the stock tubes) softens the bass frequencies somewhat. It's subtle, but the low end isn't quite as "punchy" or as well defined as when I run the Apollo straight through. I believe it's worth the slight trade-off in bass definition for the sonic benefits you get in the mids, highs, and soundstage.

I'd like to try tube rolling some day to see if I can find a tube that provides better bass resolution and timing while still delivering that rich BBA sound.

Tom

"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." Mark Twain


Edits: 05/15/08   05/15/08

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