About to buy a Mac Mini as music server - Quick question before I do

[kifi]

My current equipment is:

 

AMP/DAC: Maranatz PM6005 (optical in)

Router: An old airport express (this is not connected to the internet, only home LAN)

Music: All currently stored on my windows laptop, mostly flac format.

Control: iPad

 

I am about to buy the cheapest Mac Mini, as I would not be saving much given the used prices locally. The spec is:

 

 

• 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
  
• 4GB memory
  
• 500GB hard drive¹
  
• Intel HD Graphics 5000
  
• OS X El Capitan
  

 

 

Apart from the obvious storage limitation, is this suitable to run as a music server?

 

I have read about setting it up. However, just as confirmation, I guess I need to do few things:

 

1/ download a remote control app to allow my ipad control the mini.

2/ buy an adapter + cable to connect the mini to my toslink input on the Marantz

3/ Convert my flac files to apple format and then transfer to the local storage on the mini.

4/ Connect the ipad and mini to the local network.

5/ Play music!

 

Have i got this right?

[One and a half]

My current equipment is:

 

AMP/DAC: Maranatz PM6005 (optical in)

Router: An old airport express (this is not connected to the internet, only home LAN)

Music: All currently stored on my windows laptop, mostly flac format.

Control: iPad

 

I am about to buy the cheapest Mac Mini, as I would not be saving much given the used prices locally. The spec is:

 

 

• 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
  
• 4GB memory
  
• 500GB hard drive¹
  
• Intel HD Graphics 5000
  
• OS X El Capitan
  

 

 

Apart from the obvious storage limitation, is this suitable to run as a music server?

 

I have read about setting it up. However, just as confirmation, I guess I need to do few things:

 

1/ download a remote control app to allow my ipad control the mini.

2/ buy an adapter + cable to connect the mini to my toslink input on the Marantz

3/ Convert my flac files to apple format and then transfer to the local storage on the mini.

4/ Connect the ipad and mini to the local network.

5/ Play music!

 

Have i got this right?

 

Your item 3

Not necessary if you use Audirvana +, HQ Player. Mandatory for iTunes though if you want to endure hardship using this.

 

The i5 will restrict performance to perhaps DSD128, not sure if it will work with higher rates before it melts. Even though your DAC is not capable of direct DSD, there's future considerations.

 

Your item 2

Try and find a glass cable instead of the plastic.

 

Suggest either a DIY server (there are plenty of threads here describing), alternatively try a Lenovo tiny series with an i7. The small one I have can crunch DSD256 at 60C which isn't too bad of an off the shelf PC. If you don't like Windows, then the best choice is one of the last MACPro that look like a real computer and not that spittoon facsimile.

It's really about time that Apple ventured back to their roots in making fast computers instead of the dunderhead toys on offer these days.

[wgscott]

it should be fine. I'd suggest 8 gig memory, but it isn't critically important. If you are using optical, I wouldn't worry about DSD and up-sampling (since you will be limited to 24/96 PCM.) I also prefer an internal SSD, but again this is hardly mandatory.

[kifi]

Thanks. I can also get a used 2011 Mac mini. Has i5, 500gb HDD, but 8gb RAM.

 

Would I be better off save some $ and get this used mini? Any pros / cons to using an older mini?

[Thunder240]

Hi Kifi, I also use a Mac Mini as a music server (mid 2011 model).

 

Assuming your Marantz has a digital coax input, I highly recommend you spend 100-200 on a USB to SPIDF converter, and then use USB out instead of optical. The converter will reclock your output as to converts the signal to SPIDF before sending it to the Marantz, greatly reducing the jitter. This will yield a substantial improvement in sound quality over using the Mac's TOSLINK out. I have experience with two such converters, the NuForce U192S and the Peachtree X1. Both work fine with El Capitan. There are others as well, but I have no experience beyond the two mentioned above.

 

Beyond that, if you ever plan to use this Mac to watch video via Flash, definitely get the newer Mac with the greater RAM.

 

Finally, Id add JRiver as software worth considering over iTunes. It too can handle FLAC. Also, it supports Integer Mode output via USB to a compatible converter (and both of the converters I already mentioned are compatible).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kifi]

Hi Kifi, I also use a Mac Mini as a music server (mid 2011 model).

 

Assuming your Marantz has a digital coax input, I highly recommend you spend 100-200 on a USB to SPIDF converter, and then use USB out instead of optical. The converter will reclock your output as to converts the signal to SPIDF before sending it to the Marantz, greatly reducing the jitter. This will yield a substantial improvement in sound quality over using the Mac's TOSLINK out. I have experience with two such converters, the NuForce U192S and the Peachtree X1. Both work fine with El Capitan. There are others as well, but I have no experience beyond the two mentioned above.

 

Beyond that, if you ever plan to use this Mac to watch video via Flash, definitely get the newer Mac with the greater RAM.

 

Finally, Id add JRiver as software worth considering over iTunes. It too can handle FLAC. Also, it supports Integer Mode output via USB to a compatible converter (and both of the converters I already mentioned are compatible).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

on your point of watching movies via flash, do you mean if I hook up the mini to the TV and watch YouTube videos for example? Thanks.

[Thunder240]

Yes, exactly. If it's a low res video, it won't matter much, but if you use your Mac to watch 1080p video or better, the extra RAM will reduce the amount of pausing to buffer that you experience.

 

 

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[EuroChamp]

A Windows computer with 4GB of RAM will play every 1080 video, I can think of. Apple will, too - or am I wrong?

 

For good SQ I would follow Thunder240 and buy a nice USB converter and a good player software, JRiver is an excellent option.

[kifi]

A Windows computer with 4GB of RAM will play every 1080 video, I can think of. Apple will, too - or am I wrong?

 

For good SQ I would follow Thunder240 and buy a nice USB converter and a good player software, JRiver is an excellent option.

 

I tried it this evening. Playing HD on YouTube was great.

Currently I have an optical cable running from the 3.5mm digital out into the optical in on my Marantz.

What does the USB converter do? I have no USB input on my Marantz unfortunately.

[Thunder240]

In your current set up, your Mac decodes your music in whatever format you have it (e.g. MP3, AAC, FLAC), etc, and turns it into a series of pulses, each of which contains a 16 bit number (could be higher). Those pulses are supposed to be evenly spaced. The number of pulses per second is called the sample rate. For CD quality, the sample rate is 44100 samples per second. However, TOSLINK doesn't do a very good job of maintaining the precise spacing of the samples. As a result, smearing occurs which can be audible. This is called jitter. Depending on the Mac model, I've read that the jitter may be as low as 250 ps or as high as 800 ps. Older minis are on the high end. Outputting instead via USB to a USB to SPIDF converter that uses asynchronous USB and has an onboard crystal oscillator, then running a digital coax cable from the converter to the Marantz, will greatly reduce (though not eliminate) the jitter. The converter will use its onboard oscillator to reclock the signal, and the result is way more stable than the Mac's optical. Your Marantz very likely has a digital coax input, but read the manual to be sure. There is a lot more that can be said about jitter, so I recommend googling and reading up on it.

 

As for the flash video, if your computer isn't pausing every minute to buffer, that's awesome. There are lots of things that can affect the quality of video playback, and I don't want to try to talk you into spending money to fix a problem you aren't having. For me, I was plagued by buffering pauses. Going from 4GB to 8GB hasn't entirely fixed it, but they now happen less often.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kifi]

In your current set up, your Mac decodes your music in whatever format you have it (e.g. MP3, AAC, FLAC), etc, and turns it into a series of pulses, each of which contains a 16 bit number (could be higher). Those pulses are supposed to be evenly spaced. The number of pulses per second is called the sample rate. For CD quality, the sample rate is 44100 samples per second. However, TOSLINK doesn't do a very good job of maintaining the precise spacing of the samples. As a result, smearing occurs which can be audible. This is called jitter. Depending on the Mac model, I've read that the jitter may be as low as 250 ps or as high as 800 ps. Older minis are on the high end. Outputting instead via USB to a USB to SPIDF converter that uses asynchronous USB and has an onboard crystal oscillator, then running a digital coax cable from the converter to the Marantz, will greatly reduce (though not eliminate) the jitter. The converter will use its onboard oscillator to reclock the signal, and the result is way more stable than the Mac's optical. Your Marantz very likely has a digital coax input, but read the manual to be sure. There is a lot more that can be said about jitter, so I recommend googling and reading up on it.

 

As for the flash video, if your computer isn't pausing every minute to buffer, that's awesome. There are lots of things that can affect the quality of video playback, and I don't want to try to talk you into spending money to fix a problem you aren't having. For me, I was plagued by buffering pauses. Going from 4GB to 8GB hasn't entirely fixed it, but they now happen less often.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks for the advice. My Amp has coax input. Any recommendations on a particular USB to SPDIF converter?

[wwaldmanfan]

Thanks for the advice. My Amp has coax input. Any recommendations on a particular USB to SPDIF converter?

 

These things range widely in price, like anything else in this hobby. The Berkeley Alpha USB S/PDIF converter is $1,895. However, this is rapidly becoming old technology, and in keeping with the rest of your equipment, you would be fine with something like the Peachtree Audio X-1, which will do the job, and is on closeout direct from Peachtree for $149.

 

X1 24/192 USB to SPDIF Converter | Peachtree Audio

 

You'll also need a decent 75Ω connecting cable. There's a theory that these things have internal signal reflections, so you want to choose one measuring 1.5 to 2 meters long to negate that effect, even if a shorter length would reach. I have used, and like, these:

 

Canare LV-77S Pro Coaxial Digital Audio Interconnect Cable CEA 1.5m

[Thunder240]

+1 for the Peachtree X1, although I admit I haven't tried any of the more expensive converters on the market and can't say whether they offer any audible improvements in sound quality.

 

Among the more expensive converters, often recommended are those by Audiophileo. I say this only to steer you toward reading other reviews, as I have no experience with them and so can't recommend them myself.

 

Canare makes great cables and isn't too expensive -- I use their XLR interconnects. Another brand that's good and that is priced reasonably is Belden.

 

 

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[One and a half]

Thanks for the advice. My Amp has coax input. Any recommendations on a particular USB to SPDIF converter?

 

Two units which deliver are from Mutec, either MC-3+USB or the MC-1.2. The former has galvanic isolation and reclocks coax with precision, the latter has no reclocker. Both output AES3, coax, toslink at the same time.

[bixby]

@thunder240 has the best advice.

 

I have had several minis. Forget the entry level mini, get the older 2011 or get a refurb next model up in the current lineup and put 8gb in it. Forget Toslink, it is the weakest link. Do not waste money on a Mutec to hook up to your amp, a lower cost usb - spdif bridge might be a good investment til you hear how good your marantz is.

 

Forget converting from flac, no need, unless you hear the difference in formats like I do, haha. Audirvana + or J river with the remote apps should work and sound great.