John
We’ve not seen new products from Hong Kong’s Eastern Electric Audio for some time but this month sees the release of two new DACs, each of which move with the times’ demand for DSD compatibility.
The MiniMax Supreme takes the essentials of the forerunning MiniMax DAC Plus – a pair of ESS Sabre 9018 chips and switchable solid state and 12AU7 tube output stages – and adds a second 30VA power transformer and front-panel display. The Supreme’s larger chassis allows more room for user modifications.
Five digital inputs (AES/EBU, USB, optical, coaxial and BNC) promise compatibility with single- and double-rate DSD as well as PCM up to 32bit/384kHz. No word yet on whether it’ll decode DSD over S/PDIF inputs or not.
Specified dynamic range is an impressive 130dB. SNR on the tube output is specified at 92dB whilst the solid state output piles on another 6dB.
The Supreme pitches into the market place at US$1350.
Too rich for your blood?
Alex Yeung is also bringing the MiniMax Junior to market. A smaller chassis houses the same pair of ESS Sabre 9018 chip that feeding a solid state output stage. No tubes here! USB is the only input to handle the same file format compatibility as its bigger brother. The Minimax Junior will sell for US$850.
Refresh your memory on what I thought of the very first MiniMax DAC model here.
Further information: Eastern Electric Audio
