A couple of comments. There are many ways to skin the digital cat, and digital audio continues to improve. Like most things in this hobby, I doubt there is one "best" anything - depends on your taste and values. Having said that, please note that in Steven Stones RMAF 2011 wrap up on digital audio (http://www.avguide.com/blog/rmaf-2011-report-digital?page=2), he gave various flavors of "best of show" awards to 4 different rooms. Three of the four rooms used Mach2music servers, which are MacMini based. The most significant product introduction award was given to Amarra 2.3, which was widely used and judged a substantial improvement. As far as I am aware, Amarra only runs on the Mac platform.
I can tell you from personal experience that it is easy to hear the difference between DACs even using an older (2009) Mac Mini. I started a couple of years ago with a music streamer to get my feet wet and fairly rapidly moved through an Ayre QB-9 (VERY much better!) to a Metric Halo LIO-8 (better still IMO + the ability to record and do so much more . .).
It is also worthwhile noting that the Mini comes standard with Firewire and USB, so you open up the possibility of easily using Firewire DACs like the Weiss and Metric Halo products. Unlike USB, Firewire was developed with the express purpose of moving streaming data like video and audio quickly and reliably.
I'm not questioning the opinions above - we hear what we hear and like what we like - but a number of folks both liked and continue to like the Mac platform. Without hearing for myself the other "superior" solutions, I would be hesitant discount it yet.
I can tell you from personal experience that it is easy to hear the difference between DACs even using an older (2009) Mac Mini. I started a couple of years ago with a music streamer to get my feet wet and fairly rapidly moved through an Ayre QB-9 (VERY much better!) to a Metric Halo LIO-8 (better still IMO + the ability to record and do so much more . .).
It is also worthwhile noting that the Mini comes standard with Firewire and USB, so you open up the possibility of easily using Firewire DACs like the Weiss and Metric Halo products. Unlike USB, Firewire was developed with the express purpose of moving streaming data like video and audio quickly and reliably.
I'm not questioning the opinions above - we hear what we hear and like what we like - but a number of folks both liked and continue to like the Mac platform. Without hearing for myself the other "superior" solutions, I would be hesitant discount it yet.