Mac Mini versus PC sonic differences, why?

Macs, Windows and Linux computers can all sound great when setup correctly. Macs tend to be easier to setup, but they are not "better", just different. Macs/iTunes are great for 16/44 content.

Mac Mini? It's small, quiet and easily upgradable. The new Mac Mini is far easier to upgrade the memory and hard drive. It's just a simple, yet high quality way to archive and retrieve music from iTunes.

I don't think the sonic differences are that different, and discussing (arguing for some people) is not constructive. Those conversations have been covered on these forums and others more than I care to count. The most important thing to focus on is getting the hardware and software configured correctly and choosing the applications and interface that works for you.

I'm sure the battlements are being drawn and there will be plenty of "opinions" thrown around....let the games begin. I'm going back to the new Mavis Staples album that came today.... ;)

If you do use a Mac Mini, having at least 4GB of RAM and a SSD will help it sound better. It's subtle, but an improvement. The SSD will definitely improve the overall performance and responsiveness of the Mac, and it's hard to go back to a standard hard drive after using one.

Some people claim improvement using the 64bit version of OSX Snow Leopard. I personally have not come to a conclusion about this yet, but have tried it with mixed results.

I also am undecided about Amarra and Pure Music. Again, some people claim improvements, but I'm undecided, and don't currently use them on my main "music listening" Mac.

There are a few "re-clockers" that can improve the FireWire interface. I have has great results with the Weiss INT202. There are a few other companies, some of which show up in these forums on a regular basis, that can also achieve good results.

I also want to say that the "mini toslink" out is much better than most people want to give it credit for. If used with a nice polished glass toslink cable, it can deliver some great performance.

Since these items can be easily added over time, I always recommend starting simple and trying new products and methods over time. Don't forget to have have along the way.

Like I said in the first post, it's difficult to do better than a Mac for 16/44 content. It's high quality, very simple and fun to use. The new Mini is a work of art.

@Rgs92: A SSD will be mechanically quieter and allow the audio signal to sound better. It appears that when a standard hard drive is spinning up it puts more strain on the power supply, which effects the audio quality. It's subtle, but SSD consistently sounds better to most people who listen.

The biggest improvement that everyone does notice is the performance and responsiveness of the operating system and applications. SSD offers the biggest performance improvement that can be offered, even more so than lots of RAM. Everything is fast and stable because the disc doesn't have to spin to read the data,. Apps immediately open and the OS is lighting fast.

Since you have the "server" version you have an extra obstacle. One of the drives is for the OS and apps, and if you replace it with a SSD you will get the faster performance, but since you would still have the standard drive internally, you may not see a sound quality improvement because it's still a spinning (taxing) drive. It all depends on how you choose to use the second drive.

This is why I suggest to my clients that they use a Mac Mini with an SSD for the OS and apps, and use a NAS or other network storage for the music and media. The SSD helps the Mini operate and sound better, while a BIG NAS is on the network, away from the Mini and listening room, allows all the storage necessary for large music and media collections.

If you have a newer Mac Mini (unibody) you should be able to replace the main drive fairly easily, but if you have a older Mini, it's best to take it to a Apple Specialist shop or an Apple Store. Let me know if you need any help and I can recommend the people I use. Hope this helps.

@Btw22: I'll send you an email about what SSDs I've had good experiences with. It has a lot to do with the "controller" used in the SSD design. Years ago only a small percentage of SSDs used good controllers, but it's getting much better, not to mention the prices are coming down.