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| Model: | Minimax Phonostage |
| Category: | Phono Preamp |
| Suggested Retail Price: | $1499 |
| Description: | all tube phono stage equipped with the permalloy core MC step-up transformers, with 57dB of gain |
| Manufacturer URL: | Eastern Electric |
| Model Picture: | View |
| Review by Gopher2K (A) on November 17, 2005 at 07:48:15 IP Address: 130.184.151.106 | Add Your Review for the Minimax Phonostage |
Background:Over the course of the last few months I’ve noticed an increasing number of positive reviews and feedback on my online forums about the products of a company called Eastern Electric. In particular, the internet buzz seemed to universally praise a small, point to point wired, minimalist preamp the company titled “Minimax.” As I read review after review of this preamp I became more suspicious that all the component juggling I’d been doing over the course of the last couple years may have been in vain, and that my Sonic Frontiers Line-1 preamplifier may indeed have been the product bottlenecking emotional communicativeness in my system.
After toying with the idea of checking out this “Minimax” for a few weeks, I finally decided to give Bill O’Connell at Morningstar audio ( http://www.morningstaraudio.com) a ring to see what he had to say about the product. Bill is a great guy who is very enthusiastic about the Minimax line. The two of us had a nice conversation at the end of which I decided to purchase one of his Minimax Preamplifiers along with a factory upgrade package.
To make a long story short, within two weeks of its arrival I was excitedly reporting to Bill that this little, ‘stock-tubed’ preamp had trounced my $2500 reference (even with its costly NOS tubes) in nearly every way and will be remaining in my system for a long time to come. Bill, excited but not surprised with my report, responded by asking me to audition another product in the Minimax line which had not yet gained the popularity of the preamp: the Eastern Electric Minimax Phono Stage.
The Review:
I’d been using a Dynavector P-75 phonostage in my 2 channel rig for almost two years without much desire to upgrade. The signature of the 20X-L/P-75 combination was fast, lively, and notably better then digital, and it was not until replacing my Sonic Frontiers Preamp with the Minimax Preamp that I became aware of just how much amazing music my modest vinyl rig was outputting. With the new preamplifier in place I heard my Dynavector phonostage offer an expansive soundstage, explosive dynamics, much better focused imaging and seriously improved micro-dynamics with the addition of tonal richness all while maintaining the speed and excitement I’d grown to love. The trickle-down upgrade was huge! Unfortunately, like many upgrades in this hobby it was merely a gateway drug and I quickly began to wonder what phonostages above the Dynavector’s price range had to offer.
My first stop was the alleged ‘giant killer’ Rogue Stealth. While the stealth offered an increase in overall resolution and imaging, the unit was extremely analytical, unmusical, and soul-less and thusly was kicked to the curb. For a more detailed account of my Rogue experience click here: http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/t.mpl?f=vinyl&m=459833
First impressions (stock tubes):
Upon receiving Bills package and inspecting the contents, the first thing I noticed is that that the phonostage was slightly deeper and a bit heavier then my Minimax SE preamplifier, but still uniform in width and general appearance. I noticed also that rather then sitting on 3 vibration absorbing legs like the preamplifier, the phonostage sits stably on four. Finally, I noted the manufacturer’s attention to detail as they provided both RCA caps to be placed over the unused inputs and an RFI deflecting tube cover.
Excited to have the phonostage in my possession, I quickly installed it in my rig using the Tung-Sol 6x4 rectifier tube Bill had provided for my listening. The settings were very easy to figure out and in almost no time the unit was warming up on my shelf as I was sorting through my collection for albums to listen to.
The first few minutes of listening to a new piece of equipment tell you a great deal about a product as auditory memory is relatively short and, at least in my experience, the sound of the original unit can quickly become fuzzy in my memory when listening to the newcomer. Consistent with this, it was within the first few minutes that it became to me apparent that this little ‘Minimax’ was something very special.
With the Minimax driving my cartridge I didn’t have to concentrate to hear a difference, its was OBVIOUS: Right off the bat, music had more body and power than I’d heard with the P-75. It wasn’t that the P-75 was anemic by any means, but was a bit light and lively in nature when mated with my 20X-L. The Minimax on the other hand sounded BIG. From top to bottom of the frequency scale everything sounded more solid, voices had real meat to them, brass had more bite, and bass was thunderous. The soundstage being thrown also seemed to be super-sized, with equally wonderful imaging to boot.
I also noticed fairly quickly that this unit had a significantly lower noise floor than I’d grown accustomed to with my solid state P-75. This one was a real surprise to me, as I just sort of expected solid state to dominate tubes, especially given my cartridge is a low output moving coil, however. When listening at similar volume levels to those of the reference phonostage, the Minimax was significantly quieter allowing me to hear more music and less distortion.
Long-term impressions:
Patience has never been one of my strong points, and the day after my first very positive listening session with the Minimax, I decided to roll in the trio of Grove Tube 12ax7s which Bill sent me along with the phonostage. These tubes have remained in the Minimax since day two and are to be taken into account when considering my comments on the unit.
Treble: The high frequency performance of the Minimax has been surprisingly pleasing to my ears. The Dynavector rig I had previously been using is known for its balance being slightly on the trebly side, and to my ears this has not been a fault. I’ve found the treble detail and extension I’d heard from it to be exciting and non-fatiguing during my extended ownership, and I was a bit worried that in going to the tubed Minimax I might loose some of the top end energy and extension in favor of a more ‘mid-rangy’ presentation. This, however, was not the case.
The treble I’ve experienced with the Minimax seems to extend just as high as its solid state competition while offering additional resolution. As I’m writing this portion of the review, I am spinning Miles Davis’ ‘Kind of Blue’ and the presentation of his trumpet is extremely energetic and exciting. In addition to tonal accuracy, there is a certain ‘bite’ that consistently leaves me wanting more. Additionally, the improved resolution of Minimax is apparent in this portion of the frequency spectrum when listening to the jazz drummer in the background—particularly the decay of the cymbals and high hats. It may not be entirely fair to compare decay between a solid state and tubed unit, but for me this greatly increases the realism of the performance and I feel it should be noted.
Midrange: The midrange of my reference P-75 has always been pleasant, albeit not exceptional to my ears. It does a very good job at presenting midrange detail, but at times I have found myself wanting for a touch of additional warmth and body. The Minimax has provided me with precisely this. As I’d mentioned previously in my first impressions, the midrange of the Minimax carries significantly more weight then the Dynavector did while adding a splash of tube warmth to the equation. With the Minimax in place, female vocals are presented with a seductive delicacy I was not quite prepared for. I suspect it has something to do with the Minimax’s ease in handling micro dynamics as small voice inflections are presented very naturally and emotional state of the vocalist is never in question. While listening to the title track of Allision Kraus and the Union Stations “New Favorite”, a song whose effect on me had long worn off, tears literally welled in my eyes as I listened to the sorrow and desperation she felt in describing the loss of her loved ones focus.
Listening to male vocalists with the Minimax was always pleasant as well. I read another review within which the author commented on the Minimax missing out on some of the gruffness and anger of male voice. To be honest, my initial impressions lined up with this as at the time I felt the P-75’s comparably cooler presentation made masculine voice inflections more readily apparent. On the second track of AKUS’ album, for instance I felt I might have lost out on a very tiny bit of the performer’s grit, however. After experimenting with some of the variables in my rig, and in particular moving to a more transparent interconnect then my Acoustic Zen (the Oritek X-1) the texture of the male voice was restored in full while maintaining the body and smoothness I have been spoiled by.
Bass: The bass performance of the Minimax has been yet another of its points of merit. To my ears the P-75 had pleasing bass—punchy, tight and fast. I could see how some might consider it to be a little lean, but in my experience that is a far more forgivable flaw then flabby, and loose. The Minimax proved to be right there with the P-75 in terms of speed and punch, while adding more heft to the equation. The end product is something I’m having a hard time putting into words as its not just body, but a certain drama that doesn’t come from extension alone. Perhaps it is what is meant when people talk about texture in the bass region. Whatever the case, in addition to my toes steadily tapping I find myself far more excited to hear what will happen next down low, and I’ve never really prioritized this area of the frequency spectrum before.
Dynamics: There is absolutely no question about it—the Minimax is a beast with dynamics. Aside from the ease at which it handles micro dynamics (previously mentioned) this thing will go from whisper to a wail like nothing I’ve heard before. I think is has something to do with the low noise floor of this unit, but whatever it is listening to albums like Miles Davis’ Sketches of Spain where his horn very dramatically shouts out of nowhere, gives me goose pimples.
Imaging/Soundstage: The final audiophile aspect I want to comment on with this unit is its ability to recreate a venue. The Minimax’ ability to reproduce large scale pieces is quite impressive to say the least. I am working with an admittedly small listening room (12x12) but the performances I hear when listening through the Minimax have the potential to be astronomically larger. In addition to sheer size, this unit has spoiled me with tremendous layering/depth. I’ve often heard gear claimed to produce a holographic image, and am probably guilty of using this description myself, but until experiencing the Minimax I was not qualified to do so! This unit creates venues both large and small with depth and ease and, quite impressively, has the imaging to back it up.
I’ve had setups that threw large soundstages indiscriminately. Small night club jazz recordings sounded like vast outdoor concerts and in my opinion bigger is not always better. Some albums such as Nora Jones’ “Come Away With Me” are supposed to have a small scale ‘intimate feel’ to them, and the Minimax is versatile enough to accomplish this very convincingly. It has the uncommon ability of transporting the listener to whatever the appropriate setting of a particular piece might be.
Summing up: I found this review very difficult to write. To me, the Minimax, is much more then a mere collage of audiophile adjectives. In the month I’ve spent with the unit, I have concluded that it is something very special, and to comment on its aspects individually does not really do it justice. This phonostage conveys the soul of music; something infinitely more important.
To say that this piece has elevated my listening enjoyment is an understatement—my enjoyment is now contingent upon its presence. To prove it, I’ve put my money where my mouth is: I coughed up the bucks and bought the review sample!
| Product Weakness: | Prefers transparant interconnects, can't really think of anything else. |
| Product Strengths: | Extreemly emotionally communicative, wonderful job of reproducing space, very affordable considering what it brings to the table |
| Associated Equipment for this Review: | |
| Amplifier: | Fi 2a3 SE monoblocks |
| Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Eastern Electrics Minimax SE |
| Sources (CDP/Turntable): | VPI Scout/JMW-9 w/ Dynavector 20X-L |
| Speakers: | Cain & Cain Abby & M&K MX-90 (sub) |
| Cables/Interconnects: | Oritek X-1, Empress phono, Magnetwire |
| Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Jazz, Folk, Rock, Soul, Blues |
| Room Size (LxWxH): | 12 x 12 x 8 |
| Room Comments/Treatments: | Quick & Dirty John Risc Bass traps & listening at 45 degree axis |
| Time Period/Length of Audition: | 1 Month |
| Other (Power Conditioner etc.): | PS Audio P-300, Michael Wolff Source, Acoustic Zen Tsunami, K-Works Empowered & Quails |
| Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Follow Ups:
Any reason to think the labor making EE amps is making a subsistence wage ?
Any details on the Chinese manufacture of this gear .. are people making a living wage on this project or what.
Worth asking.
e.g. a MiniMax pre-amp (such as the one I own), you'll note point-to-point wiring executed at a very high skill level, not the sort of thing you would expect for sweat house unskilled labor.Of course as you're concerned with such matters it goes almost without saying that you must be well aware that many large corporations throughout the 1st world do exploit cheap labor at many locals in the 3rd world, e.g. Asian countries, India, Mexico, South American countries, etc. etc. This of course includes companies in Consumer Electronics. It is worth noting that these companies take advantage of generally weak labor and environmental laws in those locals and that there have been plenty of cases to demonstrate they don't always make the best corporate citizens.
It would be wonderful if awareness of such matters were raised in the conscience of the average western consumer. That this is generally not the case also almost goes without saying.
I would recommend you ask Bill for more specific information regarding Eastern Electric.
You could then contact Jolida, East Sound, Shanling, JungSon, Xindak to mention but a few Chinese companies (although Jolida is technically a US company I believe).
Finally you could then track down companies from the US and UK and other European countries, including Hi-End Audio companies, that either have product manufactured in the Far East or who in fact merely 'brand' products that are basically 100% eastern origin as there own ... and in many cases one doesn't even enjoy the generally lower prices provided by the makers mention in the last paragraph, true a lesser concern than labor welfare, but an interesting ethical question in its own way.
1. I had no ecconomic incentive to write this review2. I was never even asked to write this review or offered anything in exchange for my writing it
3. I worked very hard on this review in hopes of sharing my excitement of a new product with others
4. I'm deeply insulted that my integrity has been questioned
5. I'm flat out pissed off that this thread has been used so "manufacturers/distributors/dealers may realize that, [sic]their reviewers must mention their economic incentive entailed in
the review"These were not the circumstances of the review, and people who wish to continue this crusade should find a more appropriate forum!
6. Even if given an economic incentive (NOT THAT I EVER HAVE BEEN!) I probably won't contributing to the review database of this site again anytime soon.
Good day,Fred
Hey Gopher,Great review! Don't let condescending crap from tools like JD bother you. Apparently he has nothing better to do.
He is kinda known for this type of activity.You and Bill have my sympathies.
Cheers!
Fred,
I really wanted to do a review of this phono pre a couple of months ago, but saw similar but less agressive attacks of a review at that time. Since then I have submitted "opinions " on some components to HTT and Audio Circle forums. No attacks there. I really like my EE phono, and think Bill is very nice and helpful to his customers. If you don't like an EE component, just return it. What more do you want? Once again, I enjoyed your review.
the Eastern Electric? That's what I'd like to know.And thanks Gopher for the review. Great job. Good reading. I wish more people would review gear. Somebody ought to buy you a beer.
Plinko,definitely worse. The EE Phono has more definition and plays music better than a stock EAR 834P. Though I never heard a modified 834 ... but then, it would be only fair to compare stock condition samples of new gear.
Coming to tastes: the EAR sounds more tuby, hazy and vague - but still enjoyable, if you like that style, while the EE phono is more neutral, sort of Conrad Johnson style (I am quite familiar witht the PV10A).
See my review on tnt-audio.com
best regards,
Hartmut
sounds like I would prefer the EE. I will hunt down the review.
..... Mysterious Disappearing Post .....JD,
Where the hell have you been hibernating? Eastern Electric gear has been widely reviewed the past few years. An inmate reviewed the EE phonostage in April, 2005. There have been extensive reviews of Eastern Electric in TNT-audio, Positive Feedback, 6Moons, and Soundstage in addition to the many positive reviews here at AA, Audiocircles, and Audiogon.Bill O'Connell of Morningstar Audio represents what is good about internet audio purchasing. No high pressure sales tactics or rude comments that many of us have endured when dealing with other internet vendors. He stands behind what he sells and goes out of his way to help his customers get the most of their audio systems. Yes, I am an owner of many of his products including a modded pre-amp. I don't often post on this forum, but your post needed a reply. Before you accuse, do alittle research, because I and many others are not amused.
Or, is your other screenname Victorymoto?
Tayofiji**********************************************************************
In Reply to: Re: for a minute there, I thought I was reading an ad .... posted by tayofiji on November 17, 2005 at 18:13:30:
Uh, gee, Mr Tayofiji, I've been right here, for five years.
Where have you been ? Oh, well, lets get to know you, then......What a refreshing voice and quality you've brought to the proceedings. Perhaps you may want to double check the actual content of your statements before posting, though.
No one said this stuff wasn't reviewed elsewhere.
No one disputes whether or not the Eastern stuff is any good.
No one is disputing the facts in the review here.
No one is even discussing sales tactics, internet vending or service.What's at issue, though, is 1) using discounted gear to buy reviews, 2) neglecting the mention of that transaction in the review, and 3) using audioasylum content as advertising copy.
Since you seem to casually miss all of that, you'll forgive me for not giving a fuck if, in your own self-important turn of phrase, "I and many others are not amused."
Wonder if other unfamiliar voices will come out of the woodwork here....
It's a little like Halloween when one takes a poke at Reviews-For-Discounts, huh ?JD.
I would hope and expect it to sound better.
Re-read more carefully. I was refering to the Sonic Frontiers Line-1 and talking about linestages not the phonostage. That was in the "background" section of the review.
.
(I did cheap out on the phono side and go with a Jolida JD9 however ... love it!)Just out of curiosity I do hope you're using a Tung-Sol 6x4 rectifier in the pre-amp too. I've had my Minimax for some time now and have no idea what currently ships as a default rectifier but if it's still that CV4005 ... well it simply has to be booted, it holds back the pre in a big big way!
Okay, great. This may be the most tremendous phonostage ever.
But do us a favor and convince us it's not an ad.Or a variation on an ad.
Here's what I see.
*** Glowing and wordy review from a registered inmate, but one who doesn't seem to post very much at Vinyl Asylum. Call me a suspicious kind of guy, I always wonder about that particular combination. (When clicking the 'posts' section of your profile here, I get one post, this review. That may just be a glitch, or you've changed monikers ?)
*** Review unit not purchased, but --at least at first--- extended on loan of some sort, for term of review.
*** 'Loan of some sort' not from a dealership that offers several lines of products, but from a dealer that offers, well, just the one : Eastern Electric Minimax.
*** Dealership in question appears also to be the Importer of Minimax to US.
Webpage lists Morningstar Audio under " Sole Distributor " not under "Audio Shops".It's fair to say that this distributor, Mr. O'Connell, has something to gain from well-placed, glowing reviews of his merchandise.
You mention that "Bill is a great guy who is very enthusiastic about the Minimax line..." I'm sure he is.
So, some of the ways to be really transparent here would be to tell --- did you pay full price for the review model you eventually purchased ? -- did you pay full MSRP price for any upgrades and/or tubes or tube upgrades involved ?And -- did you compare this to any other phonostages at the same price and using vacuum tubes ?? ( The Dynavector isn't a tube unit. The Rogue is half the price and the Dynavector even less.)
Did you want to mention where these units are made ? ( The actual Eastern Electric page seems disinclined to mention it. Is it Mainland China, office in HK ?)
And, last, it probably seems like I'm picking a fight, but these are all valid questions, and it strikes me that even though you may well be upfront and straightforward here, someone else may be more than pleased to be packing their Reviews webpage with Audio Asylum raves .That would be the 'Morningstar Audio' site. And I'm sure this one will be posted there very soon indeed.
JD.
JD,Where the hell have you been hibernating? Eastern Electric gear has been widely reviewed the past few years. An inmate reviewed the EE phonostage in April, 2005. There have been extensive reviews of Eastern Electric in TNT-audio, Positive Feedback, 6Moons, and Soundstage in addition to the many positive reviews here at AA, Audiocircles, and Audiogon.
Bill O'Connell of Morningstar Audio represents what is good about internet audio purchasing. No high pressure sales tactics or rude comments that many of us have endured when dealing with other internet vendors. He stands behind what he sells and goes out of his way to help his customers get the most of their audio systems. Yes, I am an owner of many of his products including a modded pre-amp. I don't often post on this forum, but your post needed a reply. Before you accuse, do alittle research, because I and many others are not amused.
Or, is your other screenname Victorymoto?
Hi J.D.,Over the last two months I've had the pleasure of trading quite a few emails with Gopher/Fred on how to add DIY room treatments and tune his new listening room. He's a regular inmate with serious interest in improving the overall peformance of his system, just like the rest of us.
If you'd like to see his system history, look here . The last one at the bottom of the page is his new setup and the associated discussion about room treatments should help prove that he's not a salesman in audiophool clothes.
Here's the original email I got from him via Audiogon 9/19/05:
TO: DarkmoebiusHello,
I hope you don't mind my emailing you, but I was curious as to which particular DIY treatments you were recommending I build for my small, square, diagnoal listening room.
Your recommendation seemed to be for me to build pannels, however. Upon following your link I'm seeing instructions for an array of treatments (pannels, bass traps, room lens, etc.).
I really am quite new to the room treatement game and would really appreciate any advice you could kick my way.
Thanks,
Fred
This email was sent by the Audiogon system.
Mon Sep 19 12:24:12 2005
As for the polished writing style of his review, I think law school probably has a lot to do with that. They get more than enough practice on a daily basis.
Hi dm,Funny part about this is, I'm pretty sure both Ainsley/Gopher/Fred/Etc probably isn't a salesman or trying to pull something.
You'll notice I went to the extent of accusing him of probably being "upfront, straightforward" in my original post....What had to get brought up here is that --- we've seen it before and will again--- it's pretty easy for a distributor to tempt just one audiophile into a rave review, and the payoff is a wide initial exposure and then the free retread of the review, forever, at the distributor's website.
And lets remember the math.... if a $1k amp retails at 2k, and the distributor gives it to the reviewer at, say, $1500... with the rave review in hand, that's good business in anybody's book ! The only group that loses out are the unsuspecting 'reveiw' consumers.
Let's face it, advertising seeks to take advantage of people, and by subterfuge and manipulation often enough.... The reason to have a user-group like Vinyl Asylum is an attempt to spread information without that manipulation being involved.
Nothing personal about anyone involved here, but: Every time I see the 1) unfamiliar poster and the 2) rave review out of nowhere.... I'm going to inquire further, and probably post questions.
Maybe I wanna be Ralph Nader or something. Okay, maybe not.
But it seems to me the price we pay (which is nothing monetarily) for a free and fair exchange of ideas here is that we need to monitor and probe the slippery quid-pro-quo arrangement where reviews and 'price-breaks' change hands.
JD.
> > And lets remember the math.... if a $1k amp retails at 2k, and the distributor gives it to the reviewer at, say, $1500... with the rave review in hand, that's good business in anybody's book !Why would anyone pay $1,500 for something with which they are not
thrilled? Assuming he tried to resell it, having paid $1,500 for a
$2k retail item, he surely couldn't unload it for more than he paid?
æ
In the 5 years I've been an inmate, too many have been caught not to be slightly sceptical.Just, in this particular case, Gopher's legit.
Hey JD,This is how I know Mr. Ainsley. He purchased one of my modded preamps. We talked on the phone and he commented on how much he liked it. I looked up in Inmates system and noticed he was using the Dynavector low output MC cartridge with his Dynavector phono stage. Well, I am pretty excited about our phono stage and asked him if he would care to have a listen. Since he already paid for a preamp I knew he was a trusting guy and not just somebody off the street so I made the offer that I will ship it to him. No pressure, no reviews, no attachments. Anybody who knows me knows I'm a pretty easy going kind of guy. Got into this for the love of music not for the huge money maker it is per year which would be about 10K per year under the minimum wage for the last 3 years.
If I'm not mistaken this was the demo piece that Muzikmike also reviewed for Positive Feedback. Truly not that it is any of your business but he paid $1200 and I shipped for free. $300 off the price isn't a great deal but I had the ad running right here in the classified ads for the exact same amount and would have sold it to anyone at that price. I took a chance that Mr Ainsley would buy it, hopefully, with fingers crossed I sent it. If this is a sin then I'm guilty.
He was kind enough to put to pen his thoughts and although it may read like an ad to you I can assure it is not.
You are 100% correct though that I will definetly link this review on my website. When somebody takes the time and conscious thought to write a review whether it be my product or somebody elses although glowing please read what Mr. Ainsley is saying.It is a pleasure to read this type of review. Did he have all the facts? Why should he, he is just a young man who doesn't need to be lambasted for writing his impressions of a piece of gear.
Enough said, all except Thank you Mr Ainsley
people will read into these threads and question the veracity of the review - no matter how much some post go to lengths to prove the reviewer honest.So, it just might be a good idea to add any affiliations and cost adjustments to reviews to clear any possibility of tarnishing the review for public perusal.
Jarry Raskin links to reviews here, as well.
I understand that these review are written for the benefit of the board members NOT any businesses or advertisers, as such.Some of this smells of networking to me.
"How is a guy to make an honest dollar?" sheesh, surely not reaping fields freely sewn.
caveat: i know no one. i care about no ones private interests. i am simply a small individual with a big opinion.
I am now Kevlar'd, helmeted, and in a foxhole.
Hello Bill O'Connell.Glad you're able to use the various functions and wide user-base of the Audio Asylum to further your private business interests.
The rest of us here are just in it for the yucks.
And I think we have the right to know what, where and when the very small details between business and yucks overlap .
Whaddya think ?I suggest you make it clear in future to your beta-testers that they show details of precisely what the financial agreement is vis-a-vis the eventual reveiw. In the review itself.
Not too much to ask, or is it ?
JD.
you should take a second and let someone snip that umbilical cord.You would be simply amazed how many of today's distributors/manufacturers rely upon input, and yes indeed, reviews from public audio hobby sites to promote their wares. You seem to be implying there is something untoward about the practice, I would suggest you are simply green behind the ears.
In fact if you're an astute observer you find that in many cases these distributors/manufacturers many times represent product that generally have a lower profiles compared to the long established industry *big names*, perhaps the products themselves hail for foreign shores, etc., and because of such factors very often represent excellent value.
Of course a single isolated piece of good feedback, a single review from an Internet site, wouldn't amount to much ... Rome wasn't built in a day. Thus I would suggest you go to the Amp/Preamp Forum right here on the AA and do a search for "MiniMax". I trust you'll find many many positive comments, a quantity that will dwarf the numbers you have seen referenced on the Morningstar site. Study them, you'll find not just glowing reports regarding sonics but many that mention customer service. Then you could move to other Internet audio sites to continue your education. In the end you just might want to try one of the excellent MiniMax products yourself, especially given the relatively modest pricing.
Mind you I'm a proud MiniMax owner myself, and dealing with Bill has been a privilege, *and* I happen to have required a warranty repair that went as smoothly as I could have hoped. It's for these reasons I feel compelled to speak out. It's only natural, after all my motivations shouldn't be considered less worthy than yours, or perhaps you feel that simply because you've shooting off at the hip about something of which you know very little that your views warrant more credibility?
I'm not sure what part of your post is sillier ...The part where you tell me to " study " MiniMax reviews ....
The part where you tell me that I "know very little" ...
Or just the special overall flavor of : " green behind the ears / rome wasn't built in a day / shooting off at the hip / snip that umbilical cord " commentary.
Wow.
It's truly a MiniMaxi Mix of mixed up metaphor and mucked up usage that's pretty special.
But, okay, crunch time, I'll vote .....
The winner, for me, is the part where I "study" the audioasylum reviews.
Hands down hilarious.Thanks for all that.
No hard / mixed feelings.JD
You wasted two words! Well, being kind never hurts and although Mr. J.D.'s Mother never taught him that there are ways to ask questions without seeming to be overly aggressive, he's made his point...but now it's jabbed him in the ass! It'll be interesting to see if there's any nerve endings back there.
You may have noticed that no one, including myself has faulted you for the question, only the style...whether or not you were trying to be aggressive or abrasive, that's the way it seemed.Perhaps you may wish to put the other man's mukluks on and take a walk through the snow once in a while.
" ... And, last, it probably seems like I'm picking a fight, but these are all valid questions, and it strikes me that even though you may well be upfront and straightforward here, someone else may be more than pleased to be packing their Reviews webpage with Audio Asylum raves ."That was at the close of what I said.
That doesn't sound at all inconsiderate to me.JD
well, i write the occasional review and i dont post a lot here. i get products loaned to me once and a while. i am not associated with the audio business, but the people i buy from usually give me a better than average deal. if they ask me to review something i do. i try to say the best things i can, but wont lie. i give props to people that take the time to do the writing, its not as easy as it seems. there are many reasons why bad reviews are not common, try reading the 6moon.com article "why and how we review." for those of us that immerse ourselves in this hobby, running across an outstanding vendor or product is worthy of mention. i gladly promote those i do business with as i feel they give great service:
www.venushifi.com
www.elusivedisc.com
www.bluecircle.com
www.juicymusicaudio.com
all these vendors sell good products, all could get good reviews at the least, and i give all a shameless plug and hope for a better discount!
my religion is rock 'n' roll
the aim of a business is to make money and there should always be an agressive distrust agasint what we are now seeing as unfettered capitalism.it looks like all the questions were answered fairly but that the questions were asked makes me feel a higher level of trust to AA, in general.
TRUST. should i trust a businessman? hmmm. should i trust a forum that agressively looks out for the 'consumer'/hobbiest? hmmm.
what is attractive about this site is it's distrust of the common hi-fi media. we use and report on equipment we use ourselves. so we need to trust each other... this aggresive dialectic,im think, helps to keep things honest.
i stand back now fully kevlarr-ed.
even though it's not even my place TO mind, it was the WAY...a simple question instead of the aggressive interrogatory style used would have been sufficient. I wouldn't have written a single word had he done so, and would probably have praised him (silently, perhaps) for having the guts to pose the question.I don't write this as a defense...well maybe, but I think most of the vinyl folks know me to be a pretty fair minded person...but inside, I'm still the brute I always was, ripping new assholes when I sense that someone stronger has attacked someone weaker. My mistake was that Fred's shown himself to be more than capable of protecting himself.
JD,I have no commercial interest in this product whatsoever. I changed monikers last night as I'd previously used the default associated with my old email address. You've probably seen a couple of my posts under "ainsleyf@wabash.edu" I am no longer at that university and my email was deleted--I thought it was time to update it.
Here is a link to my alias on another audio forum where I am a very active poster: http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/member.php?u=3149 I'm sure plenty of head-fiers can vouch for my character. I am also "Gopher" on audiogon.
The review was indeed glowing. *shrug* that is how I felt about the product, and I ended up purchasing it as well.
Bill offers the same obligation free audition he provided me with to any interested parties. There was nothing shady about the loan, as you seem to enjoy implying.
Bill is a great guy and I felt it was worthy of mention. I've dealt with a few manufacturers/dealers/distributors who have great products but, quite frankly, are pompous assholes. I feel the character of the person your potentially transacting with is important and note-worthy in a review.
The phonostages I reviewed it against are not tubed units, no. I'm not a professional reviewer, I'm a law student. This is no more then a hobby to me--I don't have the luxury of hearing everything out there so I comment based on what I've personally expereinced. If thats not good enough for you *shrug* take a hike.
Finally, I purchased a used demo unit for a small price break. It really isn't your business what I paid, but if Bill cares to comment he is welcome to.
Thanks for the distrust, JD!
Fred
Hi Fred,
I think it's probably fair to mention it when there's some unseen 'price break' taking place between Vinyl Asylum reviewer and US Distributor.I would also think, amongst other things, you would want to get that on the table. Not too burdensome, is it ?
Let's not be too ridiculously trusting here. You are an anonymous asylum member --- who changed his moniker last night .
This is an anonymous website on an anonymous internet, and for the moment, way too many take a lot of things they find here without enough 'distrust'.Law students, and the rest of us, need to use a healthy measure of mistrust when there are extenuating circumstances of the sort I've mentioned.
When does the review go up on Bill's website ?
JD.
You're selling a product, your livelyhood depends upon selling that product and there's this terrific website that every person you'd target your product to views that website, AND it just so happens that a satisfied customer has the guts to take flak from distrusting souls (not to EVER put you in that category) and write about what tripped his trigger about YOUR product, AND, on top of that, one of the people that reviewed your product spends a lot of time at that particular TARGETED site and makes a comment about the review that happens to coincide with exactly what he'd heard on HIS system (keeping in mind that despite what anybody thinks, reviewers are just regular enthusiasts, too), what would you do?I don't know about how you would run your business, but I know what I'd do! And, if you're still upset and skeptical, an inflammatory post gets more "views" than most...so I'm certain that Bill appreciates your "style" rather than bother to be upset by it! So, since he can't really thank you for this indirect publicity,
Thank You!
What I would do isA.) Pre-suppose there would be questioning souls who'd want to know about the financial behind-the-scenes details with which I've arranged for my rave reviews.
B.) Make sure some reference to those details was made, in the review so that my business wouldn't be questioned further.
Rocket science ?
J.
you don't give an inch so I will. Your original post was fair and well written and obviously had no malice intended and I was completely wrong in questioning you. As for all of my follow-ups, they were totally without merit and I should be ashamed of myself.Does that work? I have no more words nor the time to waste upon this matter, thank you for your generosity and good will.
"Thanks for the distrust, JD!"I was trying to get my creative juices flowing and you've said it for me!
Apparently, Mr. J.D. has well over 2000 posts he's made, but I'll be snookered if I could find any! I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt before I posted my "wonderings" if he was normally aggressive or just woke up without some lovin' this morning.
Hi Mike,I couldn't find any of your posts either.
I assume you've posted here before, though, because I think I remember your name. Well, not your name, but a fictitious 'moniker' that we all use here in order to stay anonymous.Some of us actually do business while operating under the 'moniker' system, and a reader has to know about clicking various codes to reveal just who is who and who may be in business.
Funny system, possibly prone to a little fiddle, if you know what I mean.Let me just clarify something for anyone who may feel thay my initial post, or others of it's type in the past, are too "agressive".
Whenever you find the combination of an unknown / seldom-seen inmate and a long, expressive rave review ---- out of nowhere ------ you can usually bet it's worth adding up the numbers.
Whenever several further things don't add up, I'll be posting --- questions.
When I went to the Morningstar Audio site and saw all the Audioasylum reviews being used as advertising.... well, several things didn't add up. In a row.Call me a guy who just has to question things like that.
Every time.JD
Thanks for your review,could you possibly tell us a bit more about the Oritek interconnects,we have heard great things about the Minimax and also the X-1,are these the real world giant killers we all dream about. Once again thanks for the review.
I don't think I've ever seen someone's review of something that I've reviewed (and maybe I should look for them!)! I've reviewed "in tandem" with other reviewers, read their reviews, but they listened to the piece before or after I did and THEN our findings were published...so, I gotta say...THIS IS SO COOL!To read someone's review and constantly bobbing your head, "Yes! Yes!" is a real trip! I assume, since you talked about male voices, that you read my review and so you know that I wasn't exaggerating when I said "I cried!"
So, you seem like a nice guy...wanna send it to me for a dollar three sixty?
I went from a Black Cube SE w/PWX to the Minimax pre, and it was a big upgrade for my Rega P25/Dyna 20XH. I tube rolled Amperex, Mullard and Telfunken smooth plates, but the Groove Tube 12AX7-Ms were the only tubes that really improved the sound over the stock tubes. Nice well written review.
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