ASR Mini Basis Exclusive Phono Stage

Peter Roth has posted his review of the ASR Mini Basis Exclusive Phono Stage ($2,900) at Soundstage! Hi-Fi.. His conclusions:

Rather than wholesale changes or flavors of the month, ASR focuses on the evolution and perfection of a limited product line. The Mini Basis Exclusive is a representative product of that approach. Audio components costing from $2000 to $3000 seem to sit squarely at the elbow of the price/performance curve, where the promise of the high end begins to coalesce into musically satisfying sound, and following which the laws of diminishing returns begin to wreak on one’s cash flow their logarithmic carnage. The MBE is a solid contender at that elbow. In making sound engineering choices that have decanted into an attainable “mini” package much of the magic of the big Basis Exclusive, ASR has produced yet another example of German engineering excellence. Originating from a firm that, for more than 30 years, has contributed to Germany’s unwavering enthusiasm for vinyl, the Mini Basis Exclusive can be expected to provide years of stalwart performance.

Given my preference for the equilibrium offered by the slightly less expensive and fully balanced Ayre P5-xe, as well as the design pedigree behind the similarly priced entrants from Parasound and Fosgate, my recommendation of the ASR Mini Basis Exclusive is qualified. I wouldn’t buy any of these phono stages without auditioning at least several of them, as the diversity of one’s vinyl library and taste in sound will make all the difference in one’s ultimate selection. For those who settle on the MBE, central to that choice will almost certainly be its refined, musical midrange.

You can read the full review here.