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Mac Mini PSU Upgrade


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Nope... Ill try again

 

Open baffle with Feastrex for the top end and 16\" AE for the bass.[br]Pass labs 30.5 drives the AE and my own 45 with Intact Audio output transformers all silver build drives the Feastrex. [br]Lynx Aurora with Antelope clock.[br]Pure Music does the crossover work. Mac mini with a SSD and a Glyph hd for the data. [br]West of the Pecos...[br]East of the Rio Grande...

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  • 1 month later...

Would a linear lab PSU with a variable output (0-40v.) and able to deliver up to 10 A. do the job, or does a suitable PSU has to incorporate some special components or circuits to really provide some improvements to the Mac Mini versus the OEM switching PSU ?

 

 

• Flying NOE - Driving CJ & JK - Listening Technics - B&W •

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Big Lab supplies are expensive, heavy and most are simply wonderful....BUT you can seriously screw up a fine piece of gear if you do not know exactly what you are doing. For an example: Say you plug in your nice new Mac Mini to a big ass lab supply... You then turn it on the lab supply then power up your Mini. Seems simple right?

Wrong, you just cooked your mini.

Logic Boards have ZERO sense of humor when it comes to OVER VOLTAGE. Because a lab supply can be adjusted it is very easy to make a simple mistake and apply 26 (or more or less) volts instead of the 18.5 required by the Mini. 26 volts will, in micro seconds, cook a fine variety of parts in the Mini. The CPU, RAMs, ROMS, etc etc. You won't even see smoke... and no, the fuse thats installed on the Mother board will not pop. Your left with a totally useless machine. Very sad.

 

But on the up side...

The Mac Mini draws about 2 amps give or take... depends on how much stuff you have plugged into the ports etc. wifi blue tooth... Load it up and maybe 4 amps...I really do not know But the switcher ps that comes with the mini says 6 amps at 18.5 volts dc. So for my money I got a Sorensen 40-6. (0-40 volts dc and 0-6 amps) The cool thing about the Sorensen is OVER VOLTAGE protection. Set it to 18.5 vdc and that it... No More. I think I paid 200 bucks for it from John Bau here in Santa Fe...

So of you might remember John... Spica speaker guy!

Link to his site: http://www.users.qwest.net/~jbau/tstequip.htm#GPIB%20Stuff

Great Guy, wonderful used test equipment etc.

 

So how does one of these B.A.P.S. sound? Its like the difference between a new High Def flat screen tv and and old analog picture tube tv's, It is huge. Power supplies rule audio. Kinda like salt rules cooking. Lousy Supply equals Lousy Sound.

And it is my opinion that most "Audiophile" gear sold today lacks proper P.S.

But I might be wrong...

 

Phil

Santa Fe

 

Open baffle with Feastrex for the top end and 16\" AE for the bass.[br]Pass labs 30.5 drives the AE and my own 45 with Intact Audio output transformers all silver build drives the Feastrex. [br]Lynx Aurora with Antelope clock.[br]Pure Music does the crossover work. Mac mini with a SSD and a Glyph hd for the data. [br]West of the Pecos...[br]East of the Rio Grande...

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Pix

 

Open baffle with Feastrex for the top end and 16\" AE for the bass.[br]Pass labs 30.5 drives the AE and my own 45 with Intact Audio output transformers all silver build drives the Feastrex. [br]Lynx Aurora with Antelope clock.[br]Pure Music does the crossover work. Mac mini with a SSD and a Glyph hd for the data. [br]West of the Pecos...[br]East of the Rio Grande...

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It over kill but

Its inexpensive and really good.

 

Open baffle with Feastrex for the top end and 16\" AE for the bass.[br]Pass labs 30.5 drives the AE and my own 45 with Intact Audio output transformers all silver build drives the Feastrex. [br]Lynx Aurora with Antelope clock.[br]Pure Music does the crossover work. Mac mini with a SSD and a Glyph hd for the data. [br]West of the Pecos...[br]East of the Rio Grande...

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I am seriously lusting after that Antelope 10m Atomic Clock!

 

POWER SUPPLIES AND CLOCKS...OH MY!!

 

 

 

Open baffle with Feastrex for the top end and 16\" AE for the bass.[br]Pass labs 30.5 drives the AE and my own 45 with Intact Audio output transformers all silver build drives the Feastrex. [br]Lynx Aurora with Antelope clock.[br]Pure Music does the crossover work. Mac mini with a SSD and a Glyph hd for the data. [br]West of the Pecos...[br]East of the Rio Grande...

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You're on the right track, Phil! It's only just beginning to be understood that computers need better PSUs in exactly the same way as any digital transport or DAC.

 

A linear bench supply is a good place to start: the Intel Atom-based boards we use deploy a modified version of a similar supply: it's a key component for optimal quality.

 

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Phil,

 

No Sorensen available here in France, but what I've in mind looks very much like : a 2x20v. - 10A Voltcraft linear lab PSU, with digital voltage setting and protection alike. Anyway the upper limit being 20v., I don't think I may fry my Mini if for whatever reason the voltage control fails.

 

But thank you anyway for the info.

 

My music is on a 4 To HD unit (2xTo in Raid 1), I'm also thinking to work on the PSU of that unit. Later, when it will become more affordable for large capacities, I will convert the storage unit to SSD, what I've already done on the Mini, with significant audible improvement.

 

I agree with you all : power quality is key !

 

 

• Flying NOE - Driving CJ & JK - Listening Technics - B&W •

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  • 3 months later...

Hi!

 

I agree that power is really important so I tried the MacMini from battery.(18.5V 3700mAh LiPo)

The result is fantastic.(More detail, more relax)

The original idea can be found here:

http://www.cs.duke.edu/csed/openwiki/doku.php?id=artsi:smurv

http://www.pamurray.com/manga/macbat-index.html

 

Here are my solutions:

http://vlaca.blogspot.com/2010/06/macmini-akkurol.html

 

 

MacMini->HiFace->DacMagic->Azur740A->SMGb[br]http://vlaca.blogspot.com

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  • 3 weeks later...

The latest Mac Mini have an integrated power supply. I think it's going to be more difficult to tweak them ! Has somebody started to look into it ?

 

 

• Flying NOE - Driving CJ & JK - Listening Technics - B&W •

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