CAPS 3.0 Zuma vs Mac Mini


I've narrowed my voices to one of these two. Both look like they could do a great job and sound exceptional. At this time I could not use the Mini as I'm running jRiver ( I know there is a MAC version forthcoming). I'd probably run either with 16 gig of RAM, linear PSU, solid state drive, Ethernet for bridge, top of line Intel i7 processor.

Any ideas would be welcome.
sgr

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Further to Core Audio's comments, it's hard to overstate how stupid an idea the CAPS Zuma is - although it would be wrong to take away from Ryan's post that batteries are a bad idea.

Assuming you solve the problem of low-noise AC-DC conversion, by far the next biggest issue is DC-DC switching noise. In fact, unless you deal rigorously with both, there's no point calling a computer transport 'designed for audio'. Get the power right, and you're about two-thirds of the way to the endpoint. Get it wrong, and you're miles off-track.

A motherboard with a single-rail input, or a Mac Mini, or a computer using a PicoPSU suffer equally from the same problem - lots of unnecessary DC-DC switching noise. Game over.

In our experience, using a Red Wine battery with a Zuma-like machine or a Mac Mini is roughly level-pegging - with the latest Macs ahead by a nose sonically. Given that they're also cheaper, more reliable and easier to use, I would suggest the answer to the OP is Mac all the way.

However, as we've demonstrated on this side of the pond, and Ryan's Core Audio products have blazed a similar trail over there, the only way to do this properly is to deliver at least three linear-generated or well regulated battery-powered rails into multi-pin ATX, Molex and PATA.

That's where a computer 'designed for audio' begins. Anything else is rather broken for this application.