Sabre EE Minimax Plus - Calyx - Audiolab 8200DQ

I owned the original minimax (modded) and agree it is outstanding for the money. Have not heard the 'plus' but assume it's even better.

I now own the Calyx and feel it is superior to the Minimax. Well worth the extra cost. Only caveat, with the Calyx you definitely need to spend a few hundred bucks on a good usb cable, it makes a huge difference.

Differences between the EE and Calyx - the EE is very organic and musical. The Calyx is more neutral and refined, with better detail, air and sound staging.

Still, could be happy with either.

Meiwan, are you using the Kingrex PSU?

Guydebord, There is good news for you; forget about the DAC Plus not having balanced outputs. Instead use the AES/EBU connection between the Minimax DAC Plus and the Lyngdorf - this is superior to running balanced connections. You use a single XLR cable for the AES/EBU connection. With any DAC the results from using the AES/EBU connection can be far superior to the DAC's RCA or XLR output.

I did not have a Preamp which accepted AES/EBU at the time of the DAC Plus review for Dagogo.com, or else I surely would have preferred it to the RCA/XLR output.

Make sure to try several different cables as the results will vary widely.

Doug, I'm confused by your comment. The only AES/EBU connection on the Minimax+ is an input, not an output. And if there were an AES/EBU output, using it would amount to substituting the preamp's digital-to-analog converter function for the Minimax's, and would amount (at most) to using the Minimax just as a digital-to-digital format converter and/or a re-clocker/jitter reducer.

Or am I missing something?

Best regards,
-- Al

Al, egg on my face; went brain dead; yes, the AES/EBU is input not out. I used it with the orignal version and should have rechecked prior to commenting. Mea Culpa...