I'm close to purchasing a new preamp, but some input would be good.
Here's the short list:
Sound Devices Mixpre-D
Sound Devices USBPre2
Apogee Mini Me
Apogee Duet 2 (iOS)
So, the Mixpre-D and USBPre2 are pretty similar in features: mixpre-d can be used as an interface and usbpre2 can be used as a standalone preamp. The preamps are different... the mixpre-d sounds similar to the mixpre/fp24 (which I have used).
Anyone used both the Mini Me and Duet (1 or 2 version)? The mini me, mini dac, etc. were all about $1,800 new and the Duet's are about $600. The Duet 1 was nice (also used this one). Cons for the Mini me are no analog output and larger size, but are the converters and preamps better than the Duet 2? I'm also concerned about the Duet 2's reliability in the field. Recording with an iPhone could be good, but definitely have concerns.
The Sound Devices would be about $200-$300 more than the (used) Apogee products. Another option may be the Apogee mini mp.