Firewire or USB2.0 connection for Mac Mini?

Posted by: mikapoh on 12 November 2012

Hi experts,

My current digital source comprises of Mac Mini optical out to nDAC using Wireworld Supernova 6 digital cable. In this configuration since USB ports on my MM are not occupied, I have used USB 2.0 cable to connect from my external Mybook HDD where my music library is stored. However, I read many folks have preferred Firewire connection for their music library over USB cable.

My question is do I gain in sound quality (apart from speed) to opt for Firewire external HDD over USB2.0 HDD into my MM. Consider audio output from MM is optical hence no USB BUS issue.

mikapoh

Posted on: 13 November 2012 by mutterback

I can't see how the connection to the hard drive would matter (USB vs. Firewire.) As you say, Firewire can be faster, but the speed of the USB 2.0 connection is far faster than is required to stream music. In either case, I think the software player would buffer the data before playing it, so it shouldn't be an issue.

One thing you could consider is an NAS drive connected to the Mac Mini via ethernet. If you have an easy way to run ethernet cable in your house, you could put the NAS in another room, in a closet, etc. This would get the noisy, spinning hard drive and hard drive power supply away from your stereo system. Seem Naim's recommendations for NAS drives on the site - some are better than others, and I've had bad luck with one (not on the list) that wasn't fast enough to serve music without interruption. But - the drop outs are caused by the drive itself, not the connection.

Posted on: 13 November 2012 by mikapoh

Thanks mutterback for shading some lights. Guess I will have to contain with my current USB connection. Certainly NAS is another good option to consider in the future after my music library has expanded.