Article: Music Server Enhancement Ideas

[realmassy]

Just to report I got the G-Tech G-Drive today. This drive is noisy as hell!! <br />

The build quality is very good, but it's louder than my mac mini. Really, I cant understand why it's so noisy.<br />

I'll return it tomorrow, and I think I'll go for a Oyen Digital, though shipping to UK is more than $30.

[breadvan]

Ha ha consider yourself lucky, I paid $40 for shipping ! <br />

<br />

The only sound coming from my Oyen, if any, is the hard drive itself.

[Audio_ELF]

Chris ... have you experimented with using different hubs / switches / routers between your NAS and computers? Both in terms of reliability of the connection and overall sound quality. To my mind SQ shouldn't vary, just wondered if you'd done any experiments with different makes / types of routers and hubs?<br />

<br />

Eloise

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Eloise - I've tried a couple different switches/routers and a direct connection from NAS to Mac Pro. None had any effect on reliability or sound quality. My favorite switch is the little fanless Netgear GS108. I just can't get myself to pull the trigger on a Cisco Catalyst. Way more expensive than the usual home gear :~)

[Spacecowboy]

Dear All,<br />

<br />

currently I'm using an external HDD with my iTunes Library on my mac mini. I'd love to use a NAS but have no ethernet cabeling in the listening room. Would it be possible to have the mac mini accessing a NAS via WLAN ? Would that deteriorate sound quality ?<br />

<br />

Thanks for commenting on that technical option...<br />

<br />

Cheers <br />

Christian

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Christian - As long as the music gets to your computer there will be no deterioration in sound quality. If your network isn't the best you may experience dropouts.

[Spacecowboy]

Hi Chris,<br />

<br />

thanks so much for your advice. That sounds great! I will test this as it will save a lot of data shuffling efforts.<br />

<br />

Thanks again for running this wonderful site !<br />

Cheers<br />

Christian

[Encore]

Seems like HyperMac are not selling batteries for the MacBookPro anymore ... :-S <br />

On their website, I can only find batteries for iPad, iPhone, iPodTouch, and USB devices ... Does anybody know if they have discontinued batteries for MBP?

[Encore]

I attached my new OWC 1TB drive today. I didn't have high hopes that I would be able to hear a difference, except for near-silent operation, but I'll be d..... I think there is an improvement. Subtle, but still. Smoother highs, tighter bass, better soundstage, in short, the usual improvements when you do something right with your digital source.

[silverarrows]

I will be ordering the 1 tb Oyen drive soon. Right now it will handle my entire music collection, but what are my options once I run out of space. I know I can just buy another and daisy chain it, but can it be operated as one drive in a JBOD way?

[Audio_ELF]

Not 100% sure, but I seam to recall HyperMac are having problems with batteries for MacBooks as Apple have sued then for infringing patent on the MagLock (that doesn't sound it's proper name) connector. <br />

<br />

Eloise

[The Computer Audiophile]

The HyperMac batteries are back. The name is supposed to be HyperJuice in the future. Because of Apple's lawsuit it's now required to use the Apple Magsafe Airline Adapter in between the battery and the MacBook.<br />

<br />

http://www.hypershop.com/HyperMac-External-Battery-for-MacBook-iPad-iPhone-USB-s/91.htm

[dallasjustice]

I ordered one of the 100w batteries. It looks like you may have to re-terminate the magsafe using a device called the "magic box" so that the magsafe can plug into the battery. I could be wrong here because the hypermac website isn't that clear and the Hypermac guy on the phone wasn't that knowledgeable. <br />

<br />

I really don't understand how this works. Maybe someone can help out if they know.<br />

<br />

[wgscott]

<i>Summary:</i> <b>Buy what Chris recommends, not the larger, powered version</b>.<br />

<br />

When I read this review, I thought I would hedge my bets and buy an Oyen 3.5" wall wart-powered external firewire drive instead of the 2.5" bus-powered one Chris recommended. After almost a year of putting up with various flaws (periodically it would just hang or crash, requiring a system reboot, and i/o is significantly slower. Even my album art loaded more slowly, and I could hear it load), I decided to purchase the 2.5" Samsung-drive containing bus-powered firewire drive. It is significantly faster and better than the powered one. Maybe I just got a dud (actually, I got two, because the first one I had to send back), but the one Chris recommends is flawless for streaming movies as well as music.<br />

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