Nils-Jorgen Kjaernet

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
This Eastern Electric CD player with 2x ECC88 (6922) tubes in analogue section have changed my opinion about digital sound. I'm still a vinyl enthusiast but after buying this MiniMax CD I play CD's more than I thought I should come to do. I'm also owner of a Sony XA7ES but this CD player have never give me any kick to play CD's more than LP's. The MiniMax CD give you more than any analogue LP gives, still with a high-end turntable/arm/pick-up combination. It gives you more dynamic, more quiet background in the sound-picture and full musicality as you still get from all thel good vinyl recordings.
The weak point must bee the Philips transport compared to Sony, but all sound features is much better than Sony and many other good CD players.
I will highly recommend this CD player!

cast

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
As an audiophile wannabe as in -- cant afford the best, my purchases are infrequent and like all of you who read these pages, made after much research and audition. When the upgrade bug hit me I decided on upgrading my source over my amplification as I believe next to speakers, the source provides the more profound impact to the overall sound.
The mimimax was purchased based upon web reviews and not auditions which was scary, however after a couple of weeks I could not have been happier. This player definitely takes the edge off CDs and provides many hours of fatigue free listening reminiscent of my vinyl days with my precious Thorens. I assume the tubes have a lot to do with this.
I should qualify my review by statig that 90% of my collection is non-rock as in jazz, folk, classical, world, and opera. I am not qualified to offer a critique as to how this player will present rap or rock for which it may be a poor match.
I will say that the improvement to my system's sound was equal in scale to the improvement experienced when I upgraded my speakers over 10 years ago.
I cannot believe that any lover of acoustical music sources would be disappointed in this purchase, not to mention the potential for tube rolling which I have done with guidance from Bill at Morningstar.

hofbat

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from Morningstar

Summary:
I now own two of these fantastic tube CD players. The first I bought brand new from Bill @ Morningstar, the second from a seller here on Audiogon. I can't say how many sub-thousand players are out there, but my friends and I clearly identified this as the best from all we tested together. That included a high-end Marantz SACD, Sony ES, Rega, and Music Hall among others.

What we discovered was that this little guy has extreme clarity, fullness and soundstage that was unmatched by any of the others in the exact same configuration. That's why I bought the 2nd unit, which serves as a headphone only amp.

I have not tried rolling the tubes, but many others have. I am so delighted with the sound as they are, I doubt I'll follow that path. But, who knows?

Strengths:
Outstanding sound, period. Hard to believe it's this pristine, but it is. It's making me a believer in high-end Chinese gear.

Weaknesses:
Only aestethics, if that bothers you.

Similar Products Used:
Rega Apollo, Marantz 8260, Sony CDP-X33ES, Music Hall All-In-One.

enrique

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Price Paid:  $600.00 from audiogon

Summary:
This player is simply amazing in all aspects.Clarity,soundstage you name it it can do it.Very solidly built dispite it's small size.I had a marantz before the minimax and it wasnt even close.Even compared it to a rotel rcd1072 and the minimax was significantly better.Additionally the headphone jack in this player is amazing.I've taken the player in my bedroom and just listened thru the headphones and it was amazing.Obviously it also comes own to tastes.If you havent tried it do yourself a favor and audition one.

Strengths:
soundstage,depth,clarity,detaled.

Weaknesses:
none whatsoever

Similar Products Used:
marantz,rotel

Schubert

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I buy a lot more CDs than I do audio equipment. But I'm fussy about the audio gear that I buy. My interest is in the sound a system can give me on classical music. My comments don't take high level listening or rock into consideration. As a bad piano player, I want to hear the best from people who can really play- like Alfred Brendel. A couple years ago I bought a Rotel RCD-1072. It was significantly better than my old Denon. I was very pleased with it. It was by accident that I even became aware of the Mini Max. Putting it in front of my system I find the classics sound better than ever, especially chamber works of small ensembles or solo piano. The Mini Max doesn't sound any clearer than my Rotel did, but it sounds warmer, lusher, more real. I have a real high end system too, but the Mini Max impresses me so much for the money and I have it in a moderate system in my office where I won't annoy my family while I listen. If I fire up the big system it dominates the house! I recommend the Mini Max to anyone looking for warmth and beauty. It seems to be built real solidly too.