Mac Mini to Naim DAC sound quality

If the Mac Mini is going to be your main digital source, I would be looking at a firewire connection, either Weiss INT202 to a Ndac or one of the Weiss DACs. It depends on how many other digital sources you intend to use. The Ndac is a competent digital hub whereas the Weiss DACs are not as flexible.

Hi BNN,

I think you would get more response on the naim ‘distributed audio’ forum or certainly search it for mac mini. I am not sure there is a simple answer to your question (or for that matter on any other digital sources). There seems to be as many opinions as there are people.

Why not get your DAC sorted first and then worry about feeding it afterwards. If you have an appetite for spending thousands of pounds/dollars on a great DAC and you like the naim sound and you like upgrade options and you like a rack full of sexy black boxes with green logos then I am sure the nDAC will do it for you.

If you get the nDAC, you can start playing with it straightaway (USB sticks, CD/DVD player with digi out, ipod, whatever you’ve got). It seems to sound great, whatever you feed it. Have a play with a few computer options later, maybe you have a laptop already and can borrow a HiFace from Purite? I guess I am advising that you hold back from making a financial commitment until you have tried a few things and worked out how you want to use the nDAC. I went for a MacBook Pro as it gives me a digi out and USB and Firewire and a permanent screen/keyboard for easily accessing the internet to stream radio etc – lots of options.

Gav.

BNN,

If you are into Mac and iTunes it is your best option for a computer transport. It will sound fabulous with any connection, assuming lossless files ripped properly.

Your main choices of connections are:

- USB Converter (Hiface, Transit)
- Firewire Converter (Weiss)
- Stock Digital Output (with MiniToslink-t-Toslink cable)
- Wired Streamer of some kind (typically ethernet to Linn DS or Squeezebox)
- UPNP Wireless Streamer (Uniqute, Uniti)
- Other Wireless Streamer (Squeezebox, Apple TV, Airport Express, Sonos)

Since your getting a Mini, odds are it will be near the hifi. That rules out streamers. I would go with one of the first two options above.

It all comes down to budget.

-Patrick

Mostly agree with everyone ... however one question, do you have a TV or similar that you can connect the MacMini to, although mostly day-to-day it will run happily headless (without monitor) my own experience is for some things you really do need a proper screen. You can get away with a laptop and control it via Screen Sharing / VNC but personally I find having a keyboard / mouse and screen is invaluable at times. If you have no monitor or TV you can attached it to, then you might want to consider a MacBook Pro as an alternative.

Whatever you go with - for £30-60 you can get a MiniTOSLink to TOSLink cable to get you started, then look at devices such as M2Tech HiFace or Evo (USB) or Weiss INT202 (FireWire) as a step up.

Eloise

I agree with Eloise that a direct screen connection is sometimes useful, but I mostly get away with just using VNC sharing on by laptop to talk with my Mini. I do have my Mini hooked to the TV which is also great for downloaded video content and youtube etc.

There is also a cheap iPad app called "Rowmote" that allows you to use an iPad as a wireless touch-keyboard and trackpad. I find it works well, but haven't really had a reason to use it yet.

The free "Remote" app is a great way of controlling iTunes for playback using an iPhone/iPod/iPad. There is no iPad-specific version yet, but the basic iPhone/iPod Touch version works great on the iPad, too. Easier to use with bigger touch areas/buttons, as well.

I've been running my Mac Mini headlessly for 6 months. I control it via screen share from a laptop or Remote App from an iTouch. I haven't needed to attach screen, keyboard or mouse since initial set up.

Do you have the mac set to sleep? And if so can you wake it via the remote app?

If you're operating the mini remotely - presumably via wireless - what happens when the mini loses it's wireless connection? How do you access it then?

BNN

I have run Mac Mini and NDac for a while. I also use CD5XS/ DC-1 BNC into the Dac. When running Mini with an optical solution (£100) it sounded dull compared to the XS.
Adding M2Tech Hiface and another DC-1 to the Dac it really shine and sound so great.

For my use I enjoy having a LCD TV in front. makes me see TV and uses it as a Mac screen. For me this is a very flexible solution.

Ipod Touch as a remote. With my settings I have to wake up the Mac by pressing mouse once.

Works fine at my place, although the recently purchased Rega P5 is more fun

Best Steinar

quote:

Originally posted by Dom S:
Do you have the mac set to sleep? And if so can you wake it via the remote app?

Only the Mac's HD is set to power down. I do turn it off sometimes. When powered up it doesn't lose its wireless connection.

I've heard that the airport base station (the big one) caches and will continue to broadcast 'bonjour' services to the network even when macs go to sleep - it can then send a special wake on WAN signal to the mac (like wake on LAN but wifi) if instructed.

I should have engaged my brain before asking as if the mac isn't broadcasting itself (i.e. is sleeping) then the remote won't be able to see it normally!

quote:

Originally posted by Dom S:
Do you have the mac set to sleep? And if so can you wake it via the remote app?

The remote app does a pretty good job of waking it up. It seems slightly better at doing this than the VNC. I also have one of those little white remotes handy, and that will wake it up if it has really gone into a deep sleep.

If it has been shut down, on start-up it re-establishes wireless connection and therefore VNC sharing capability prior to displaying the account login screen. This is of course very handy.

quote:

Originally posted by winkyincanada:
if it has really gone into a deep sleep.

I love the unknown levels of sleeping.

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:

quote:

Originally posted by winkyincanada:
if it has really gone into a deep sleep.

I love the unknown levels of sleeping.

Yeah, because I can't see the screen before I wake it up, I'm not sure if the HD is just snoozing and it would be showing a screen-saver (which it does after a certain amount of inactivity) or it has fully hibernated and would be showing a blank screen (which it does after a longer period, and at the end of the day). Nor do I care. It just works.