Zen mini mark III with lps or zen mark III

I have the Zen Mk3 and the Denafrips Pontus II DAC, I think the Zen Mk3 is definitely worth the $$. By the time you buy the Mini, and the LPS upgrade, you have almost spent enough to go to the Zen. Only reason to do the Mini IMO would be if you were not running a separate stand alone DAC.  

Thanks all. Starting to realize the 2x rule makes a lot of sense. Seems painful at first but no worse than realizing many small upgrades is no bargain. I’ll check out your recommendations. Going to see John Rutan on Saturday to pick up something else so I’ll plan a couple of extra hours with him. 

I faced this question a while back and chose the Innuos Zen Mk3. I've been very happy with the choice. The sound is clear and natural, and the Innuos Sense software is easy to use and optimizes sound quality. As carzmaguy88 pointed out, the Zen costs only a little more than the Mini after adding the external power supply. 

Ahh, you are working with Johnny. He knows his stuff and will be a better guide than most of us.

I believe he is selling Aurilac, so you'd be able to demo it, too.

Tell him I said, Hi.

Bob

Johnny also sells Innuos and Aurender so you may be able to compare all three. He always has great advice and he’ll probably let you audition at home.