Eastern Electric MINIMAX Phono and Line Preamps
Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 6:38 pm
MAXING OUT ON A 'MINI' (MAX)...
THE EASTERN ELECTRIC MINIMAX VACUUM TUBE PHONO PRE-AMPLIFIER
Pat Morita called up yesterday and was in his usual frantic self - "O!!! Ano, pwede ka ba ngayon? Dala ko mimimax dyan!" Having a free afternoon, I said yes.
Upon meeting him outside my door, the audio zen master was carrying a box like this with only 1 hand, and in more stable fashion that I've seen those Fedex couriers handling a delicate package.
Flipping the box open, I had trouble trying to pulll the Minimax out but he shoved me aside, dug his hands into the plastic wrapped phono pre amp and while experiencing difficulty from yanking it out himself, FLIPPED the carton upside down and CAUGHT the pre-amp with his other hand! ASTIG! Deep inside, I was thinking to myself, is this the pre-amp that he wanted me to OWN???
After removing the plastic wrap, a handsome audio gear surfaced. Muy guapo, I said to myself.
DUAL MONO Moving Coil Step Up Permalloy Core Transformers:
Power & Choke Transformers:
Rear View:
Dedicated MM input, and 2 MC inputs, High setting at 100ohms loading, and Low setting at 47K:
Side View:
Mute/Play Knob:
Power Switch:
3 Factory supplied ECC83/12AX7 tubes:
1 6X4 Rectifier tube:
All fired up and ready to play!
The audio zen master promised me a classic tube sound from his product. A classic tube sound that I know and got to love after all these years. And he told me this design was based on the classic Marantz Model 7 and Audio Research SP 1 circuits. And that the 12AX7 tube is the most desired tube for the phono stage.
He also promised me that even before warm up, I will hear improvements over my long serving ARC PH3. Bold words. And after 2 sides of Michael Hedges' Aerial Boundaries, I have to agree. Very definitive improvements in air, space, bass content, and yes, wonder of wonders, THE CLASSIC TUBE SOUND is there. These traits, out of the box! Frankly, I never expected it THAT soon. But it's a pleasant surprise indeed. The man has spent countless visits chatting with the designer personally on the design philosophy at Eastern Electric. I never had imagined something to blow me off my chair on such little notice, but I had trust in the man who had been in the hobby since the late 60s, whose love for tubes and tube gears brought us together 10 years ago.
More to come in terms of listening impressions as the recommended burn in period is but 100 hours. And the manufacturer does recommend tube rolling, and I shall try that too. I will max out the 'mini'.
THE EASTERN ELECTRIC MINIMAX VACUUM TUBE PHONO PRE-AMPLIFIER
Pat Morita called up yesterday and was in his usual frantic self - "O!!! Ano, pwede ka ba ngayon? Dala ko mimimax dyan!" Having a free afternoon, I said yes.
Upon meeting him outside my door, the audio zen master was carrying a box like this with only 1 hand, and in more stable fashion that I've seen those Fedex couriers handling a delicate package.
Flipping the box open, I had trouble trying to pulll the Minimax out but he shoved me aside, dug his hands into the plastic wrapped phono pre amp and while experiencing difficulty from yanking it out himself, FLIPPED the carton upside down and CAUGHT the pre-amp with his other hand! ASTIG! Deep inside, I was thinking to myself, is this the pre-amp that he wanted me to OWN???
After removing the plastic wrap, a handsome audio gear surfaced. Muy guapo, I said to myself.
DUAL MONO Moving Coil Step Up Permalloy Core Transformers:
Power & Choke Transformers:
Rear View:
Dedicated MM input, and 2 MC inputs, High setting at 100ohms loading, and Low setting at 47K:
Side View:
Mute/Play Knob:
Power Switch:
3 Factory supplied ECC83/12AX7 tubes:
1 6X4 Rectifier tube:
All fired up and ready to play!
The audio zen master promised me a classic tube sound from his product. A classic tube sound that I know and got to love after all these years. And he told me this design was based on the classic Marantz Model 7 and Audio Research SP 1 circuits. And that the 12AX7 tube is the most desired tube for the phono stage.
He also promised me that even before warm up, I will hear improvements over my long serving ARC PH3. Bold words. And after 2 sides of Michael Hedges' Aerial Boundaries, I have to agree. Very definitive improvements in air, space, bass content, and yes, wonder of wonders, THE CLASSIC TUBE SOUND is there. These traits, out of the box! Frankly, I never expected it THAT soon. But it's a pleasant surprise indeed. The man has spent countless visits chatting with the designer personally on the design philosophy at Eastern Electric. I never had imagined something to blow me off my chair on such little notice, but I had trust in the man who had been in the hobby since the late 60s, whose love for tubes and tube gears brought us together 10 years ago.
More to come in terms of listening impressions as the recommended burn in period is but 100 hours. And the manufacturer does recommend tube rolling, and I shall try that too. I will max out the 'mini'.