Matt, much opinion and suggestion has been given to you on this thread. You have handled it well and been a sport about it. Nothing, and I mean nothing, said here is more important then what Agear just shared.
The difference maker is Steve's Offramp technology in his dac. That IS the difference maker as the dac IS NOT as important as the transport. I went through this exercise and know first hand what the Offramp will do between any other dac and your Mini. It is absolutely transformational. I cannot possibly communicate in strong enough words how much better the Aeris or any SOTA dac will sound with the Offramp in front of it. This is a fact with any computer based transport like the Mini.
I heard the very same differences in sound and would use the very same descriptors you used to describe your preference for the OD dac over the Aeris. It is the Offramp technology that gives this improvement Matt.
It's like comparing two high performance racing cars on the speed track and choosing one car over the other because one was feed jet fuel and the other low octane fuel. This analogy perfectly summarizes the real situation here. The two cars were not really compared.....the two fuels were!
You have not heard the Lampi or Aeris yet. You have not. Ya, these are very direct and strong words from me as I know first hand the truth of it and so want you to experience it yourself.
The offramp must be paired with the Dynamo power supply for what I shared to be true.
This road is not on the same beaten path as tube tweaks, cabling, etc...no it is the road less traveled and the pathway to computer based audio enlightenment.
The difference maker is Steve's Offramp technology in his dac. That IS the difference maker as the dac IS NOT as important as the transport. I went through this exercise and know first hand what the Offramp will do between any other dac and your Mini. It is absolutely transformational. I cannot possibly communicate in strong enough words how much better the Aeris or any SOTA dac will sound with the Offramp in front of it. This is a fact with any computer based transport like the Mini.
I heard the very same differences in sound and would use the very same descriptors you used to describe your preference for the OD dac over the Aeris. It is the Offramp technology that gives this improvement Matt.
It's like comparing two high performance racing cars on the speed track and choosing one car over the other because one was feed jet fuel and the other low octane fuel. This analogy perfectly summarizes the real situation here. The two cars were not really compared.....the two fuels were!
You have not heard the Lampi or Aeris yet. You have not. Ya, these are very direct and strong words from me as I know first hand the truth of it and so want you to experience it yourself.
The offramp must be paired with the Dynamo power supply for what I shared to be true.
This road is not on the same beaten path as tube tweaks, cabling, etc...no it is the road less traveled and the pathway to computer based audio enlightenment.