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Anyone using Thunderbolt 3 interface in their setup?


cjf

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For years I used a dedicated (old) MacPro from 2006 with OSX on a SSD and the music on HDDs as my music server. As software I use Audirvana (in several iterations during the years). Since half a year I use a dedicated Macmini with an external OWC DAS connected via Thunderbolt 3. I noticed a huge improvement between the two setups. I cannot tell if the difference was the result of Thunderbolt 3, and/or the new Macmini and/or the OWC. 

In the beginning I had some problems with Audirvana, but after a tweak it is exemplary stable and enjoyable! I reused the HDD’s from the MacPro in the OWC configured as JBOD. Audirvana did not experience any problems with different sample rates. BTW I always use Audirvana natively, so not with iTunes. 

My music installation consists out of an all tube Aitos (pre-) preamplifier and two Aitos 90W OTL tube power amplifiers, together with Quad ESL. 

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No, I am sorry, I don’t have that experience: my DAC does not have a direct Thunderbolt interface, nor did I try an adapter to one of the other interfaces of the DAC. As said the DAC-MM(Audirvana)-Thunderbolt-OWC combination sounds much better than the DAC-USB3-MacPro(Audirvana) combination.

 

Donald 

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Hi Dubby,

there is no easy simple answer there... read speed will be higher in raid mode. In jbod mode it is the speed of the used hdd. Raid, especially raid5 will also be safer as one of the discs dies. In raid5 you will loose 1 hdd for this extra safety. Always a good backup schedule is necessary be it raid or jbod. Deleting a file in both setups will delete it without much ado. Only a backup can save you from an accidental delete or worse. For me the extra speed nor the added safety of raid justifies a raid setup. 

When using raid the disks have more r/w action to perform, and as a consequence become warmer. I guess you then will need the fan of the OWC to cool the hdd’s and then the OWC will be too noisy in a living room. I placed my headless Macmini plus OWC in the hall and drilled a hole in the wall for the USB cable from the Macmini to the DAC in the living room, even though both Macmini and OWC are nearly silent. What you only hear is the r/w noise of the hdd’s. Remember I used a noisy MacPro before the current setup!

 

hope this helps to clarify.

Merry Christmas!

Donald 

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  • 1 year later...

Hi Rexp,

I still (and only) use thunderbolt as the connection between my Mac mini and my Dac. Compared to my earlier setup (Mac Pro - usb -Dac) there was a considerable improvement in sound. If it was thunderbolt and or the Mac mini I cannot say. What I read elsewhere is that thunderbolt has less noise than usb, this is the reason I went directly for thunderbolt. 

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