For the benefit of a sceptical partner: top reasons for buying a Mac Mini!

Tell her you can get rid of the CD rack and CD player so the room will be much cleaner.

And all the CD cases lying around. I could never go back to physical media.

Playlists + Apple Remote app for near instant access to the full libray. In addition to music, with the installation of Plex your dvd collection could also be ripped for an all in one media source.

All of these reasons.

Fantastic little machines - latest versions low jittler - can use as a UPnP server using MinimServer - direct dig out into dac using itunes/remote. I have several but the most used is attached to the TV by HDMI using Plex.

Simply brilliant.

Tog

To convince my missus was easy,I just installed apple remote on her iPad and told her to have a play! She has no understanding of how or why or what is happening and thinks it's some sort of witchcraft but she now loves it! 

Slightly off topic, but the answer might serve to the original question.

What are the main differences/advantages of a mac mini over a NAS?

- NAS can be connected via ethernet directly to the SBT, rip and store. You keep on using SBT interface (via iPeng on the iPad for example).

- Macmini can by-pass the SBT (which you have already) and connect directly to the nDAC via optical, rip (you need an external driver or another pc/mac) and store. Macmini has HDMI so can be used to watch movies/youtube on your tv. Macmini is nicer to remotely use than a NAS.

Am I missing some key element in favor of either NAS or Mac?

The way most use a Mac Mini, the differences are usually USB or optical out (Mac) vs. UPnP Streaming (ethernet) (nas).  The differences have been discussed here on the forum at length so we probably don't need another thread about THAT, but that's a major element of the choice -- does one want to  output directly to a dac, or networked UPnP streaming.

This is an EASY one.  You buy it for HER!!!

I'm not even married and I've got that one down.

Just like when my lady bought me a cordless drill...

-Patrick

Patrick,

get married first, and then you will realized it's not so linear and easy...

A very good ploy Patrick. Robert, you need to prepare your strategy carefully here. A good script is essential, and if you require any help and advice, I'm your man! As someone who managed to get a pair of DBLs through the door I feel perfectly equipped for the task. (A small charge, expenses etc. etc.)

I can see how seductive that should be but for with a partner that seems to show little interest in music other than very occasional albums I suspect that easing the selection and play of music will have little sway. I could be wrong of course and it might even re-invigorate her interest. The only problem being it necessitates the prior purchase of the mac mini.

LOL - I quite agree!

Wow - a mac mini should pose little challenge. How did you initially broach the subject?

Jon Honeyball, of this forum, mentioned to SWMBO that we really needed a pair in our room. The immediate response was rather negative, and it took many months, if not years, of persuasion to bring her round. I still carry the mental and physical scars.

Really if you blokes can't get a Mac Mini in the house, how are you going to ever even dream of some of the really fugly speakers that you might yearn for?

Talk about dashed hopes!  May as well retire to Bose now!

Female reasons:

1. The design of the Mac Mini fits very well.

2. The CD's can be stored away out of sight.

3. You can enjoy high res audio.

4. Both your listening behaviour will change 

5. ....

My Mac Mini is on hold on the desktop. UnitiQute2 is doing the streaming job (and looks fantastic), music`s on a NAS.

It sounds very good into the Dac and I also like n-Stream over Remote.

When NDS is in place, Qute`s in the living room.

Thats me, Steinar

I thought about a mac mini but ended up buying (for similar money) a synology nas (413j) with 3 TB WD red disks (2 of them)

I have now 3 TB of storage which is backed up on a raid 1 configuration

Of course the mac mini is very versatile, but for running squeezeserver, the synology is pretty good

I tried using the squeezeserver on a desktop and laptop (the problem is connecting it to the storage - via wifi, not good, via ethernet is ok) but somehow the synology is just as good. I found that running squeezeserver on either laptop or desktop somehow slowed both down, but this doesn't happen on the nas.

also marital advice is not something I do, but some couples I know have some money which is kept aside for discretionary spending, and not to be questioned. call it pocket money or whatever you want to.

Top reason for buying a Mac mini:

- Because it came with a free Linn Akurate DSM!

An excellent reason but I fear my partner may not see the self evident logic in it lol.

She can't really argue with "replacing the broken Vortexbox" right? Maybe only a second-hand or older Mini, those are good enough for serving/audio purposes and don't cost much more than the broken box that needs to be replaced cost in the first place.

Getting the NDAC will be the hard part.

yes agreed.

When I brought the NDAC home, neither my 10 year old daughter nor my wife could hear 2000 GBP worth of improvement in sound. they thought I was completely nuts to even try to convince them, it was that black and white.

This is compared to a Squeezebox touch.

Of course I could hear the improvement, but the cost of 2000 GBP was one they simply could not accept.

so I did not buy it.... still thinking about it though !

On the flip my wife bought (with her money) some carpets which I think are a total waste of money. I just don't like expensive carpets and would rather spend my cash on electronics like Hi cap DR, XPS for NDAC or NDS etc etc etc

I wonder what they would think when I bring the NDS home for a demo  (the real reason I held back on the ndac i.e. want to compare it to NDS first)

Time for a new wife, but keep your daughter.  JUST KIDDING

I am fortunate as my wife (my second, but that's another story) has a great palate for wine and a great ear for hi fi.  She heard the difference between DAC/XPS-2 and NDS/555 immediately, without knowing the costs involved so not to be influenced by them.  She encourages the wine purchases too.  OK so what I'm trying to say is that she's an enabler. 

At least nice rugs help the sound in the hi fi room.  (We cannot have very nice rugs as we own a dog. Eventually, any dog will soil any rug, it seems.)