romavictor Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Hey guys Looking to retire the sub par olive 1 that I'm using right now for a custom Mac mini music server. The mini will be used only for music, nothing else. It'll be hooked up to an external SSD. Any suggestions on music software that's best suited for a mac is greatly appreciated. One that'll handle all music files up to the highest quality DSD codec with the ease of an app for total control. Thank you Link to comment
avta Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 I like Amarra although iTunes sounds fine as well. Link to comment
Freann Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 My primary recommendation: Roon roonlabs.com But of course you need to look up Audirvana Plus audirvana.com and HQPlayer signalyst.com/consumer.html Roon client on iPad/MacBookPro Roon Server & HQPlayer on Mac Mini 2.0 GHz i7 with JS-2 LPS-1 & ultraRendu → Lampizator Atlantic → Bent Audio TAP-X → Atma-sphere M60 → Zero autoformers → Harbeth Compact 7 ES-3 Link to comment
YashN Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Easiest to use is Audirvana (but no real-time up-conversion to DSD I believe). Fantastic sound: HQ Player (real-time up-conversion to DSD possible). Also great sound: BugHead Emperor/Infinity Blade. Dedicated Line DSD/DXD | Audirvana+ | iFi iDSD Nano | SET Tube Amp | Totem Mites Surround: VLC | M-Audio FastTrack Pro | Mac Opt | Panasonic SA-HE100 | Logitech Z623 DIY: SET Tube Amp | Low-Noise Linear Regulated Power Supply | USB, Power, Speaker Cables | Speaker Stands | Acoustic Panels Link to comment
kumakuma Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 I use JRiver with the JRemote app on my iPad. BTW, most of the players listed here offer trial versions so why not just download them all and see which one YOU like? Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby Edgy and dull and cut a six inch valley Through the middle of my skull Link to comment
JJinPDX Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I use JRiver with the JRemote app on my iPad. BTW, most of the players listed here offer trial versions so why not just download them all and see which one YOU like? +1 for JRiver and JRemote. I use JRiver on both a Mac and PC platform. Solid performance. JJinPDX Link to comment
Musicophile Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Another Audirvana fan here. But all players have pro's and con's. You also may want to think about if you want to integrate a lossless streaming service. Tidal apparently works well with Roon and up to a point with Amarra, and Qobuz is now fully integrated into Audirvana. Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
JJinPDX Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Another Audirvana fan here. But all players have pro's and con's. You also may want to think about if you want to integrate a lossless streaming service. Tidal apparently works well with Roon and up to a point with Amarra, and Qobuz is now fully integrated into Audirvana. Good point. I've been frustrated that, even though I understand they did try, JRiver and Tidal are not going to happen. JJ JJinPDX Link to comment
bumperdoo Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Audirvana +1 iPad / iPhone app a requirement. Although I much prefer the Naim app that runs my mu-so over the Audirvana - it's a bit quirky in the way the data is laid out, I find. But it's a minor quibble. Link to comment
jumper Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I haven't seen Pure Music mentioned yet, I've not tried it but have seen several good reviews during my research for a new server/source. Link to comment
sdolezalek Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 My current preferred solution is the three part combination of Tidal, Roon and HQPlayer. Roon is a great front end for Tidal and a very powerful library manager. It also provides a very user friendly front end for HQPlayer, which is, in my view, the most flexible and powerful and best sounding of the players (but also takes the most learning) and really shines if you can upsample everything to DXD or DSD256 levels (which can makes Tidal's 16/44 files sound surprisingly great). A more affordable combination that comes very close is Audirvana plus Qobuz and using the iZotope filters in Audirvana to up-sample. Synology NAS>i7-6700/32GB/NVIDIA QUADRO P4000 Win10>Qobuz+Tidal>Roon>HQPlayer>DSD512> Fiber Switch>Ultrarendu (NAA)>Holo Audio May KTE DAC> Bryston SP3 pre>Levinson No. 432 amps>Magnepan (MG20.1x2, CCR and MMC2x6) Link to comment
romavictor Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 I guess my most important attributes of the player would be by order of magnitude starting with the highest is: 1. Ability to play all high Rez music files up to DXD. 2. Ability to control everything from an iPhone or iPad after initial set up with keyboard and mouse 3. Ability to transfer, organize and manage library with ease Link to comment
romavictor Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 Also can I ask for step by step advice setting up my Mac mini? After I purchase the mini? What do I do first? I'm thinking of getting a mini with the best processor available, smallest internal SSD and about 8-16gb of memory. What do you guys think? Link to comment
brucknerdoc Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Currently enjoying Audirvana on my mac mini Pure Music had been by go-to player as it's a good sounding player and did gapless well. However, the recent versions have been more problematic with some DSD and gapless playback on my setup - and promised updates have been missing or slow to appear. After spending several months with Audirvana, can't say I miss the sound of PM at all Michael Link to comment
bumperdoo Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 [ATTACH]24482[/ATTACH] Good? Yeow... overkill. The very basic Mac mini will serve you just fine. My Mac mini is an old one (2012 era) and serves more than one function on my network, including USB out to an Ayre QB-9 DSD it it rocks. Here's a good read for you from Ayre: https://www.ayre.com/usb-dac-apple.htm Link to comment
bumperdoo Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 My primary recommendation: Roonroonlabs.com Hey Freann - question, how does Roon justify the steep price when compared to other servers like Audirvana? And no iPhone app, just iPad? Curious what you found. Currently testing the Audirvana server and appreciate your insight. Link to comment
kumakuma Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Yeow... overkill. The very basic Mac mini will serve you just fine. My Mac mini is an old one (2012 era) and serves more than one function on my network, including USB out to an Ayre QB-9 DSD it it rocks. Here's a good read for you from Ayre: https://www.ayre.com/usb-dac-apple.htm The base model may not be enough if the OP ends up using something like HQPlayer. Also I would not skimp on memory as I believe RAM is no user upgradable (soldered in). Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby Edgy and dull and cut a six inch valley Through the middle of my skull Link to comment
Freann Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 First off - Roon does have a remote app for iPad. Second – you pay for curated meta data with reviews for albums and info on artists. You also get endpoints (HQP NAA, Sonore Sonicorbiter SE etc) and zones. All in an interface way better than anything out there. For me this is next level music enjoyment. Plus better SQ via HQP + NAA. The price is steep, for a reason. You get so much more. Roon client on iPad/MacBookPro Roon Server & HQPlayer on Mac Mini 2.0 GHz i7 with JS-2 LPS-1 & ultraRendu → Lampizator Atlantic → Bent Audio TAP-X → Atma-sphere M60 → Zero autoformers → Harbeth Compact 7 ES-3 Link to comment
Freann Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 OT... A quick comment on the Ayre QB-Q DSD (since I own one). It does not like upsampled data – at all. Because of its internal filtering. My setting in HQP is none/none/auto/auto (no filter, no upsampling). Roon client on iPad/MacBookPro Roon Server & HQPlayer on Mac Mini 2.0 GHz i7 with JS-2 LPS-1 & ultraRendu → Lampizator Atlantic → Bent Audio TAP-X → Atma-sphere M60 → Zero autoformers → Harbeth Compact 7 ES-3 Link to comment
Freann Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 More on Roon... On the Roon start page (roonlabs.com/index.html) there is a screenshot with Miles Davis. That page is several screens long and ends like this (gives you an idea of the power of meta data): Roon client on iPad/MacBookPro Roon Server & HQPlayer on Mac Mini 2.0 GHz i7 with JS-2 LPS-1 & ultraRendu → Lampizator Atlantic → Bent Audio TAP-X → Atma-sphere M60 → Zero autoformers → Harbeth Compact 7 ES-3 Link to comment
Freann Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 ..or how about this page automatically compiled and show for an album from my collaction? Roon client on iPad/MacBookPro Roon Server & HQPlayer on Mac Mini 2.0 GHz i7 with JS-2 LPS-1 & ultraRendu → Lampizator Atlantic → Bent Audio TAP-X → Atma-sphere M60 → Zero autoformers → Harbeth Compact 7 ES-3 Link to comment
bumperdoo Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 First off - Roon does have a remote app for iPad. Ok - sorry, meant it doesn't have an iPhone app, correct? I know a few music servers go with iPad only given the layout they want, and forego iPhone cause of the small size. Is Roon in that category? I'll try the Roon server tonight to compare - the curated metadata would be nice. Audirvana certainly does lack which is too bad. Link to comment
bumperdoo Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 my setting in hqp is none/none/auto/auto (no filter, no upsampling). hqp? Link to comment
Freann Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 HQPlayer... :-) Roon client on iPad/MacBookPro Roon Server & HQPlayer on Mac Mini 2.0 GHz i7 with JS-2 LPS-1 & ultraRendu → Lampizator Atlantic → Bent Audio TAP-X → Atma-sphere M60 → Zero autoformers → Harbeth Compact 7 ES-3 Link to comment
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