mac mini to nDAC: best setup

Here goes - my opinion only - I have views that not everybody will agree with. 

1. What is the best mac mini configuration:

One with adequate disc space for your music - otherwise get one with SSD for the OS as it boots quicker and is quieter and use an external disc connected with a Thunderbolt if possible. 

a. hardware (processor, RAM, SSD?): does this part matters a lot (given only use as music server);

Doesn't matter, by the nicest spec you can reasonable afford

b. software (pure music,...)?

Waste of time unless you want to play FLAC - iTunes comes with the Mac Mini and works very well. There is a $4 that auto adjusts the sample rate if you're concerned about that 

c. setup so 24/192 is possible?

Not sure - do you have any music that is 24/192? It think it is all a numbers game. I use mostly 44.1/16 or sometimes 88.2/24. Why 24/192 and not 24/176.4. 

d. external HD recommandation

Seagate are good, but not something to get hung up on - a Thunderbolt interface is good if you can; otherwise Firewire

2. How to connect it to the nDAC so SQ is best?

a. optical (which cables?) - I can imagine a superb optical cable will beters a Hiface?

I'd avoid the hiFace because it needs special drivers (it is good, but ..) - avoid the horrible Apple optical out, not even the wonderful TCI Glass Optical cable can make that jitter bug sound good - cheap Cirrus Logic chips are yuk IMHO, of course. 

b. through USB (Hiface, Hiface EVO,...)?

Yes MF V-Link or Halide Bridge or something that does async USB and doesn't need special drivers. I'm not keen on the M2Tech devices as I'm unsure of their compatibility and they won't work my Vortexbox. The bitstream coming from the optical interface of the MF V-Link is bit perfect, low jitter and noise free: what more could you want. Use Glass Optical, not Electrical Coax or Plastic. 

3. Any remote possibility option that retains SQ (Apple TV2,...)?

Sorry don't understand what you're after there - Airplay works fine to my ATV2 from my iPAD, but it does funny things with the sample rate - sounds OK. 

4. How to use it headless? best app?

There is a Remote App for the iPad

Of course, I wouldn't choose a Mac Mini as my starting point these days, but I have been using a Mac to play music out of its USB port. My preference is for the Vortexbox - mainly because you can get more on it and it is more friendly than a Mac for streaming to my UQ. 

Best advice is don't get caught out by the hype - you can't rip better than perfect and all renderers give bit perfect streams unless they are up-sampling (which could be good) or rubbish. This does not mean the NDX sounds the same as the Mac Mini, a dedicated player can inject lower noise than a general purpose computer.  

Conclusion: 

Mac Mini > Wireworld Ultra Violet USB > MF V Link > Wirewold Super Nova Glass Optical > Naim DAC 

Files in ALAC and played through iTunes will sound very good and may be all you ever need. 

Well at least until the 30/352.8 resolution tracks start coming out, which some optimists claim will give my Sony Dolby S Cassette Deck a run for its money - doubt it 

All the best, Guy

All good info from Guido but I'd go further to say thet i-tunes is bettered in SQ terms by the excellent VFM playback codec "Audiophilia".

Audiophillia uses the i-tunes as the file library so it's pretty seemless.

It also plays and converts pretty much any file and will play them natively so no need to reset sample rates etc. There is also a remote app for Audiophilia which offers basic playback functions.

Hook up wise I'd go for Halide's The Bridge. It's all in one so no need for an additional cable.

Don't profess to be a computer expert, but for what it's worth here's my setup.

Hardware : MacBook Pro> M2HiFace SPDIF convertor (USB/BNC)> 75ohm BNC/BNC cable/Mini -Circuits 20db attenuator > nDAC

Software : Audiofile Fidelia player (plays and converts most file formats). Uses own music library or links to i-Tunes library.

Use Fidelia remote software on my i-Touch to control the player.

I've had no problems with the M2Tech driver.

The Fidelia allows configuration of the digital output including "Hog Mode"(Advanced version).

Regards,

                Graham

 P.S.  WesternDigital My Passport 500Gb Hard drive for Mac (Use Time Machine to back up).

> I've had no problems with the M2Tech driver.

That's good to hear and long may it continue.

Me veing a cautious soul, always like to avoid the need for special drivers if I can. My reason is if you decide to go for a Linux based system later then the device no longer works and who know if it will work with White Lion (OS X 10.8). Of course, if you never change or watch out for compatibility then not much of an issue. 

That I prefer optical over electrical because it is isolates the DAC from the electrical noise at the computer end: the bit streams are identical and low jitter whichever you use. 

I agree when it is working the hiFace gives as good a results as other USB/S-PDIF convertors. 

All the best, Guy 

Maybe interesting to give an idea of what your setup costed in total.

Er, my reply had a mistake.... As Graham says it's Fidelia by Audiofile Engineering (not Audiophilia!). I told someone the other day to search the net for Audiophilia; no wonder they couldn't find it!

Would that be Guido or me?

I won't be offended if it's Guido.

Regards,

                Graham

If you assume the Mac Mini > Wireworld Ultra Violet USB > MF V Link > Wirewold Super Nova Glass Optical > Naim DAC 

Wireworld Ultra Violet USB > MF V Link > Wirewold Super Nova Glass Optical costs around £300.

It depends on how long you want the Wireworld cables to be. 

I'll let you add the costs of Mac Mini and Naim DAC. 

Graham could tell you his hiFace set-up; honestly don't worry which one you go for - they both give good results. I also tried an INT202 which costs about £800 and couldn't hear a consistent difference (blind testing I compared it with the V Link and picked the V Link as better more times than the INT 202 - another day the results might have been different). Halide's The Bridge looks the nicest and I'm sure that'll be very good too. 

My set-up is not quite this because I have an office and living room system so I use a Vortexbox to feed both and a W4S Sonos to beam the music from the Vortexbox in the office downstairs to the Naim DAC. I also have been using a borrowed Meridian CD player as a transport in to the Naim DAC. The Naim DAC is a bit of an equaliser in that it makes all these different methods work really well. 

My upstairs office has a UQ with Eclipse speakers (the Eclipse speakers are fantastic, but different, so never ever buy them on my say so, always listen you may not be as enthusiastic about them as me). 

The rest of my living room system is Naim amps and speakers, a fruit box for vinyl and Sony Dolby S HX Pro cassette deck for playing cassettes. 

The irony is, LP12 apart, my old Sony sounds as good as anything I've ever owned.  

As I said in my earlier post if you use a decent USB/S-PDIF convertor between your Mac n DAC and use plain old iTunes then you'll enjoy very fine results. The trick is to get the bits from the Mac to the DAC and leave the noise behind. (Optical out of a Mac to DAC didn't do this for me) 

All the best, Guy

Reviving this thread because it is a logical place to put the latest VNC and other controller ideas, especially now that the Mac Mini has become such an attractive option.

The Remote app for iPod/iPad is great for everyday.  However, to administer a Mac Mini remotely from an iPad, you need to see the Mac's desktop and have the same control as if you you were logged into the actual box.  I have tried and like Mocha VNC Lite, (I would need to buy the full version for $6 to get full mouse control) and am considering free TeamViewer as a possible alternative.  For Mac laptops, Apple Remote Access seems the deluxe answer, and affordable now that you can download it from The App Store.  Chicken of the VNC seems to be a viable alternative.  

What do other Mac users recommend?

Thanks.

Nick

Hi Guy

Yet another question for clarification, if you would be so kind as to humour me.

Bearing in mind that I am aiming to set up a streaming solution that will come close in quality to the CDS3/555PS, would you recommend:

1. mac mini -- Wireworld supernova 6 -- ndac (with the 555PS), or
2. mac mini -- Wireworld ultraviolet USB -- MF V Link -- Wireworld supernova 6 -- ndac (with the 555PS)

Apologies in advance if this novice is being a little slow.  I am however feeling a little chuffed at having hooked up a Synology 212+ NAS drive with Seagate hard drives via an ethernet gigabit switch to both Windows XP computers and a new mac mini.  All computers run itunes and the mac mini has BitPerfect loaded as well.  The Windows machines are ripping CDs to the NAS drive via DbPoweramp + its NAS drive bolt on. 

Many thanks in anticipation, FT

Hi Foot tapper,

It may linguistically not be totally wrong to call SPDIF connection "streaming", but the term streaming is more used for data streaming in a network (like in UPnP streaming). So, both of your options are direct digital connections, so maybe not exactly 'streaming' solutions. My comment is not meant as a correction, but more as a question to the general forum public.

Hi Aysil

No problem and no offence taken.

This is a new world in terms of technology, terminology & acronyms for me, so happy to learn.

Best regards, FT