My View on Mac Mini (2011) / nDAC Combo

Following on my last post on Mac Mini/nDAC installation, I have ordered 1m of Wireworld Supernova 6 Toslink cable based on recommendation by Guido Fawkes (without testing). The cable costs me 115 pounds and it finally arrives after 10 days shipped from UK. Upon received immediate unpacked it and hooked up onto Optical Input No.3 in the nDAC rear panel (not sure No.1 to 4 makes any difference). Then choose the right input and hit play on the Remote App installed in my iPad 3. The albums I played were Neil Cowley trio (The Face of Mount Molehill) and Eric Clapton all in 24/96 format.

The songs are played almost instantly after touched the play button. Well, to my surprise, the MM/nDAC combo sound bloody good to my ears! Music is lush, open and analogue sounding. On top of that, bass is tight and bouncy without losing Naim characteristic. My previous perceived of shut-in digital sound from Mac Mini based system has totally been self-imaginative lingering in my sub-conscious mind. The reality is that it has turned out to be a very competitive digital player. To be honest, I have also been very conservative of the MM/nDAC performance compare to CD5XS/nDAC or USB Stick/nDAC as my reference. Today, I am able to hear how capable the Mac Mini/nDAC is and at this moment, it has achieved on par if not better than CD5XS/nDAC with the Mini playing Hi Res music. However, CD5XS will always gets a sweet spot in my system and yes, it will stay put for many years to come.

Here, I would like to express my gratitude to this wonderful forum, especially to Guido Fawkes for your wonderful tips. They really work wonders. You really rock, man!

Next logical upgrade.......anyone? PSU on nDAC? Yeah, this is what suggested by Guido too. What comes after the nDAC is far more important! Maybe (just maybe), I will do little mod on the Mini stock power cord. I think it is vulnerable to RFI. Anyway, by connecting MM via optical has inevitably decoupled it from nDAC, I also throw extra caution to the wind by plugging the MM into my Isotek power strip. The rest of my Naim gears are all plugged into another passive power conditioner hence feedback of polluted current from the mini computer to my Naim gears is almost negligible. 

My humble full list Hi-Fi set-up:

2011 Mac Mini (iTune/BP)

WW Supernova 6

iPad & iPhone as remote

CD5XS

DC1

nDAC

Hiline

Nait XS

Flatcap XS

NACA 5

Harbeth C7ES3

For those who wish to pursue great sounding music server, go for 2011 Mac Mini to feed into the nDAC. If budget is not an objection, perhaps UnitiServe or Naim network players are better options

miakpoh