I replaced a Sonic Frontiers Line 1 with an Eastern Electric Minimax (dealer modified) and am thrilled with the upgrade. The SF, even with the expensive NOS Siemens I had in there sounds sterile compared to the minimax.
Using the stock chineese driver tubes and a $20 Haltron blackglass 6x4 rectifier, the minimax was so far beyond my line one as to be laughable. Macro dynamics are ridiculously explosive, micro dynamics are very naturally presented (making for much more accurate/obvious voice inflections) soundstaging and imaging are significantly better and, most importantly to me, its more accurate/realistic tonally.
In my rig the SF was really botlenecking emotional communicativness of my gear and the minimax was just the solution I needed. I can't comment on the stock unit, but based on the buzz it has generated I suspect it is quite the value.
Check out my systems profile for details on teh accompanying gear.
Using the stock chineese driver tubes and a $20 Haltron blackglass 6x4 rectifier, the minimax was so far beyond my line one as to be laughable. Macro dynamics are ridiculously explosive, micro dynamics are very naturally presented (making for much more accurate/obvious voice inflections) soundstaging and imaging are significantly better and, most importantly to me, its more accurate/realistic tonally.
In my rig the SF was really botlenecking emotional communicativness of my gear and the minimax was just the solution I needed. I can't comment on the stock unit, but based on the buzz it has generated I suspect it is quite the value.
Check out my systems profile for details on teh accompanying gear.