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MacMini 2014 and High Sierra as a test bed music server!


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I have been reading a lot here and learning both from the forums and about myself.  I have used my 2012 Mac mini in my system before and I have decided to jump back in for a winter swim!  I have a new PCIE SSD based Mac mini on order and my JS-2 is on the way.  I will have one side of the JS-2 wired to my Mytek Brooklyn DAC + and the other side to the MacMini.  I have several idea threads to run through.  Here is a partial list:

 

Digital music delivery process ideas:

 

  • USB direct between the Mac and the DAC and with an ISO-Regen + LPS-1 and maybe more....
  • Ethernet - USB with my SOtM SMS-200 ultra. (several threads of setup here to test)
  • Test with the DC grounded NetGear GS105  switch to the network. Using an LPS-1
  • Start with High Sierra in the default Apple configuration and work through reducing processes.  
  • I want to listen to Apple Music with this DAC.  I use Apple Music for discovery and mobile listening.
  • I use Audirvana and Roon: How does optimization in Audirvana do before we even tweet the OS.
  • I want to figure out voice control for music. "Hey Siri" or the like.....
  • SOtM clock testing since I already have it!

 

Other possible / probable testing and learning

 

  • Do I play with Isolation transformers on the AC side?
  • Do I make other cabling improvements?
  • Will I l test with my Rotel power amp to see how it compares to the Mytek Amp?
  • ..... more ....

 

 

So in summary my music will be stored on a  Synology NAS outside of the stereo system so there is no SATA stuff going on in the MacMini.  Attached is the basic layout of the stereo system for reference. I am building a few more pages with test outlines.  Eventually I want to make an FAQ/WIKI/KB of this as finding stuff in these threads on the forums is really time consuming and  I want to make this simpler.  

 

So the goals  are as follows:

 

  1. Reduce operating complexity.  (I dare. you to teach a non- audiophile how to switch inputs on a Mytek DAC +)
  2. Improve sound quality
  3. Have fun and listen more
  4. ???Simplify??? the systems design (I am not sure if changing power supplies and edit Mac processes is simple)
  5. Share my experience to help others.

 

 

 

Stereo Overview.pdf

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The first setup is shown in the attached PDF.  I have started a Trello project to help me organize the project.  I am working pretty hard to figure out what the test / decision points will be.  I do not know how I will measure the performance differences.  I am looking for someone else to listen with me.  My son is very good at this and my wife is a good skeptic !!

 

It is very hard to "measure" perception but I understand the "need" to have control points that tell us something.

MacMini (USB Basic Front End).pdf

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33 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

Cool pic!  Only wish you had had the JS-2 powered on when you took it so that the small amber LED in the 'p' was lit.  :D 

Bob the Genie pops over and takes another picture,...   You are right, it was sitting on top of the cabinet warming up...  Here is one that fixes that missing touch! With a different color light on the front also:88B03828-6086-453F-AAA8-80A357CB8FF4.thumb.jpeg.93bb7e642cf7e816a0f76b8b7a9c6584.jpeg

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And it is up and running driving the DAC+ right now.  I have been A/B ing two amps today.  I am thinking that the Mytek Amp might be a tad to bright or forward to me.  I am testing with my Rotel RB-1582.  I was running the Mytek on balanced cables and the Rotel on unbalanced.  I will test some more with the Mytek  on unbalanced.  I think the Rotel is “smoother” 

71904722-4C8B-49E4-B5B2-763AD5D90343.thumb.jpeg.95d73b944148552d87e46b70e970811d.jpeg

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The MacMini arrived and I have started setting it up. I got the Core I7 with 16GB RAM and 512 PCIESSD.  I will not pull the power supply for now.  I do not want to void a warranty for a couple of weeks at least.  B|

 

I setup the machine with a master account that is linked to all my Apple stuff and created a second account that is a normal user account that is being used for playing music.  I have to check to see if that actually reduces processes.  

 

I setup the machine and installed Roon.  The music is not on the internal drive it is on my little NAS.  

 

 

For the first test I was running with the SMS200 ultra on the normal network.  Really I think the sound is not as good as what I get from the Sonic Transporter but I did not really take a lot of time yet as switching Roon licenses between two Cores is a problem for AB listening.

 

After a day or so of just listening and making sure things are stable I went to bridged networking using the Apple thunderbolt to ethernet dongle..  In the stereo there is a GS105 switch powered by an SOtM SMS500 power supply.  There is also a ethernet isolation transformer in-line between the switch and the SMS-200ultra.

 

There is an immediate and "significant" difference in sound quality.  I will cover it in more detail shortly but is too late now to write it all up. :D  Guitars and strings sound much more natural, the harmonics are much fuller.  I just do not understand why!!!!

 

--RJF

 

OH and there are like 297 processes running on High Sierra.  I will detail that out later.  (big challenge)

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I have been running the MacMini as a Roon Core networked to my system.  I have not yet removed the stock power supply as I do not want to invalidate the warranty for a bit yet.  Today I made an interesting two steps forward one step back.....

 

I finished setting up the Mini for remote control and brought it up to the stereo.  It was still hooked up to the system via Ethernet and the switch bridged.  The first song I played did not sound right.  The "grunge" in the voices and in the guitars, etc  had started to come back.  Now I had not turned off the wireless radios and all that so I am sure that may have something to do with the problem.  Anyway it is back in the basement away from the stereo and my audio quality is back...  More steps to do before I try again.  I am now prepped with the ability to A/B by physically moving the Mini.  Just two ethernet connections and the power cord.

 

I HATE going backwards...

 

 

--RJF

 

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In the spirit of not going backwards late last evening I installed the UpTone Audio MMK power supply and fan controller upgrade into my 2014 Mac mini.  The process went well with one little misstep on my part.  I had the Mac most of the way back together when I discovered I forgot to put the screw back in that held the original power supply in.  So,.... open install close!  Lesson learned.

 

I now have the Mac installed in the rack with the rest of the gear and I am able to swap between the SOtM stack and direct USB.  I have started listening to Roon and Audirvana + and a bit more.  I have not tried iTunes Music yet.  

 

I am not ready to give you a long set of conclusions but lets say we made forward progress and this evening I am enjoying my listening a lot.  My son also has some very favorable comments when we listened to some of the music he likes.

 

Bob

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I have now had a few days to listen to the system for longer periods.  I am only testing one setup.  The DAC+ is connected to the MacMini via a Transparent Audio High Performace USB Ethernet cable.  I am using port 1  (closest to the left rear of the computer).  I have a USB 3 Sandisk SSD attached to USB power “4”.   Both the DAC and the Mac are connected to the JS-2.

 

5C3AC34F-BE7C-41FF-84B4-279C230A18C1.thumb.jpeg.467dc2d4ad6b0fb66252bf69c60b5435.jpeg

 

I have the music stored on the internal PCieSSD and the external USB SSD.  I also have a duplicate of the music library on my Synology NAS.  I use Roon and the manager and player.  

 

The Mac is running High Sierra and I am logged into the Mac as a “normal” user that does not have any cloud accounts.  I have not done any other OS optimization’s.  There is a lot to review and test as far as the OS and I am not ready to start on that part of the project yet.

 

*** My initial listening was using the NAS as the music storage sorce and the overall sound of the system has been significantly improved.  I did some basic testing using networked audio stack with my SMS-200 ultra.  I am reserving judgement on the network stack until my modified network switch arrives.    Again this is a second phase.

 

 

I started doing direct comparisons between the music stored on the PCieSSD in the Mac vs the NAS. There is a “distinct” improvement when played from the SSD.  One example is the first little bit of the track “The Internal Locus” from “This Binary Universe”.  The rain and the dripping on what sounds like a tin roof is amazingly realistic. The staging and the realism on “Stairway to Heaven” by Rodrigo y Gabriela is more natural and open than any other systems designs I have used.  There is significant improvement in sibilance in several of my Loreena McKennit albums.  The opening track “Blacksmith” from “Elemental”  is a good example.

 

I have moved all of my 44K x16 albums to the internal drive on the Mac!  All of my higher res music is currently on the USB SSD and that will need review.  

 

The next major thing for me to test will be and ISO-Regen with the new LPS-1.2 that should be here in a few weeks.  I have to do a lot more listening to really evaluate these changes and get a couple of other listeners in here to help@

 

-RJF

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

While waiting for the ISOREGN I have my SOTM SPS200 ultra in the system with a modified switch and the Mac Mini running in bridge mode.  Both my son an I are really enjoying the system setup this way..  I do not want to provide any detailed reports as of yet.    I have not had anyone else listen in this setup yet and I have not had my son audition the system with the Mac Mini directly connected to the DAC+ yet.

 

I wil be testing direct USB when the ISOREGN arrives.  Meanwhile just listening and enjoying the system

 

—RJF

 

Oh and testing Apple HomePods for fun!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Today I received an new interconnect cable set to put between the Brooklyn DAC+ to the AMP.  I have been running a Transparent Cable MM2 Plus balanced cable that I have had on loan.  The new cable set is a  Transparent Cable  Generation 5 Super balanced cable.    There is already a rather big improvement in bass response and dynamics.  At very low volume levels the dynamics are markedly improved.  They will take a while to break in!

 

NOTE:

As I have been making improvements to the system a couple of things are standing out. The system sounds better at all volume levels.  I also note that at higher levels the sound is not fatiguing.  I can see how folks blow up speaker drivers when things sound this good.  Care is needed.

 

I think I am done for this year!!!  Now to get my for sale list together!

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On 2/28/2018 at 9:36 PM, bobfa said:

Today I received an new interconnect cable set to put between the Brooklyn DAC+ to the AMP.  I have been running a Transparent Cable MM2 Plus balanced cable that I have had on loan.  The new cable set is a  Transparent Cable  Generation 5 Super balanced cable.    There is already a rather big improvement in bass response and dynamics.  At very low volume levels the dynamics are markedly improved.  They will take a while to break in!

 

NOTE:

As I have been making improvements to the system a couple of things are standing out. The system sounds better at all volume levels.  I also note that at higher levels the sound is not fatiguing.  I can see how folks blow up speaker drivers when things sound this good.  Care is needed.

 

I think I am done for this year!!!  Now to get my for sale list together!

Every now and they things happen that just blow you away.  A very good friend of mine called the other day and said that there was a very good price on a used Ayre AX-5 Twenty available.... and so the changes continue...   Extremely un-expected!  

IMG_0692.thumb.jpg.84ff661d319719e0e2051673044515cc.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

Svein,

 

It is nice to see others working on these problems.  I have modified what I am doing and have moved to a different system design.  My system has been in great flux due to a couple of nice turns of fate.  I have found; like many others removing the server from the local of the music system can have sonic advantages.  

 

Cleaning up the USB interfaces with something like the UpTone Audio ISOREGEN can be VERY helpful.  

Power supplies on some of the equipment can also make a difference.

 

Good luck in your testing, learning, etc..

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