Eastern Electric Mini Max vs AE-3 DJH preamps


I've been looking around for a good tube preamp for some time. I've looked at new and used on Audiogon and on E-bay and wanted to keep the price around $1000. I keep coming back to these two, Eastern Electric Mini Max and AE-3 DJH. Their price new is about $1100 and I've read some good reviews on both. Any opinions about these two preamps? I need some help making up my mind.

I will also be looking for a 200 w/ch SS amp to go with one of them, if anyone has any suggestions.

thanks
winggo
Hi,

I'm having a brain fart! I just got a DJH pre also,
and since it inverts phase, do I just make a switch
at the speaker end only + for - or at the speaker "AND" amp
+ for -??

Thanks,
Bob
There is a relatively non upgraded for sale now. No I am not the owner.
I also own an AE-3 paid 300- 350 for it turned my system into a nirvana broadcaster to put it mildly and wouldn't sell it. I have spent more on a few tubes. I guess in truth it would seriously take about ten K to get anywhere close to this miraculous little pre.
I had a buddy stuff it with the exact same parts as a DJH signature and he agreed that the sound didn't change that much and called it "scary good".
It is the biggest giant killer in this industry as long as you roll the 2 tubes it only has.
I am lucky because I have some of the best 6SN7s around numbering over 100. This pre will sound good with just about any decent old stock tube. IMHO it likes the bottom getter Sylvanias like the famous for good reasons " W "for instance. Bad BOYs or other early JAN or VT231 will do the trick. Obviously the biggest sound that this pre is capable of is to use the tube du Jour the Tung Sol Round Plate GT. I bought mine before the tube insanity hit.
Mingles,
I used the DJH pre w/ the Pass Labs Aleph 30 power amp. This combo still is one of the most enjoyable I've heard in my years of tinkering. The warm 3D tube sound w/ beautiful airiness of the DJH pre and the very articulate, non edgy sonics of the Aleph 30 was a perfect match. The 20 db of gain the DJH produces can be lowered with a simple mod. Call Cary Audio. Without it the volume maxed out at the 11 o'clock setting.
Mjcmt, thanks for that testimony. The more I hear about Pass amps, the more I'm inclined to check one out. Diehard tube fans swear they sound smooth. The thought of not fussing with power tubes is appealing.

I really love the DJH. I bought it as a stop-gap measure, but discovered how nice it sounds. It's definitely a keeper. I dealt with the gain issue by using Rothwell in-line attenuators. Thanks again. -Mark