I have Ultra SS under all my components and speakers. A few weeks ago I substituted Ultra Minis for the SS under my DAC.
Dynamics flattened a bit with the Minis - how obvious this was surprised me. Music was just less impactful. Micro-dynamics weren't on par with the Ultra SS either.
Space took a hit too. The soundstage just wasn't as large, as wide, or as well-defined.
There was also what struck me as a whitening or drying out of the sound. This was the result of color saturation being reduced with the Minis.
The differences between the two weren't that large in the scheme of things and might not be as meaningful in systems that don't use Ultra technology throughout. Better to have Minis everywhere then to toss SS at just a few components.
In my situation though, this comparison confirmed for me that I made the right choice to go with the Ultra SS.
Dynamics flattened a bit with the Minis - how obvious this was surprised me. Music was just less impactful. Micro-dynamics weren't on par with the Ultra SS either.
Space took a hit too. The soundstage just wasn't as large, as wide, or as well-defined.
There was also what struck me as a whitening or drying out of the sound. This was the result of color saturation being reduced with the Minis.
The differences between the two weren't that large in the scheme of things and might not be as meaningful in systems that don't use Ultra technology throughout. Better to have Minis everywhere then to toss SS at just a few components.
In my situation though, this comparison confirmed for me that I made the right choice to go with the Ultra SS.