Macbook or Mac mini for digital front end?

[blaven]

Others here certainly know more than me, but my take on it would be MacBook Pro for number of reasons:

1. Disconnecting power and using battery alone

2. Improved RF shielding mandated for any laptop devices, should improve electrical noise artifacts--perhaps mostly theoretical,not sure how relevant this is in practice,

3. More on a personal side-I like the ability to open up and use the keyboard attached to the screen and even see the Audirvana album art, or close it and use it headless

4. The MBP is a bit more portable. I love taking my MacBook Pro with me when I travel, and hooking it up to my iFi DAC, for an awesome portable system.

 

The form factor /sexiness of the headless Mac Mini is absolutely awesome though!

[blaven]

As noted above, you can run a MacBook Pro playing media with the cover closed.

 

I personally do not do that, as I really enjoy seeing the cover art on Audirvana.

 

Why would you want to? It's a form factor thing. I do think it looks a bit nicer, on the top of my rack, when it's closed.

 

Ultimately, from a music standpoint, I don't think you can go wrong with either. I do think you get a little bit more usability out of the MacBook Pro, in that you can take it from place to place. If you don't travel, or don't use it as a music source when you travel, clearly this is less of an advantage.