2. pc-audio
  3. 1141603613

New Intel Mac-mini to external DAC

I currently have a two-channel system, that while high-end, sits firmly in the budget category (b&w cm6s, rotel 1070 pre-amp, 1080 amp and an arcam cd73). I also have a squeeze box that allows me to access my digital music from my mac laptop, and it sounds great. The problem I have is that the squeeze box doesn't sound as nice as the Arcam, and the laptop hard drive is nearly full (all my files are lossless). The difference in sound quality is most likely coming from the DACs in the two devices, as I'm using the same interconnects on the Squeezebox as the Arcam (kimber heros) and there is still a difference in sound quality. I would like to match or outperform my arcam with a computer/hard-drive. It seems that i should be able to purchase the new mac-mini for six hundred bucks (and also by an external harddrive), rip the rest of my cds, and then send the data to an external DAC and get better sound quality than my arcam. What I'm trying to figure out is what kind of DAC I should be looking at? The wavlength brick usb dac looks interesting, but seems a little pricey at $1750. And I'm not sure what the advantages of the USB connection really are (is jitter really a problem?) Can I run optical out of the new intel mac mini to a less expensive second-hand DAC? What are the advantages to going USB? What other options are available that will match or exceed the sound quality of the ARCAM? I would appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks.
jeffchm

Showing 3 responses by kana813

kana813
956 posts
 
"The problem I have is that the squeeze box doesn't sound as nice as the Arcam, and the laptop hard drive is nearly full (all my files are lossless)."

I'm not surprised that the SB doesn't sound as good as your Arcam.

If you have to buy a Mac mini(Macs have high jitter on the optical output), a DAC, modify your SB or get a USB converter to play off a hard drive, why not look at a Cambridge Azur640 music server?

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=39&Title=Azur%20640H%20Music%20Server%20-%20with%20AudioFile%20technology

It can live in your listening room, and replace your current CDP. It's got a much better power supply and bigger HD than the Mini, is expandable and can be networked to your PC or other music servers.
kana813
956 posts
 
"I would skip the music server idea, it leaves you no flexibility to add more music once the smallish hard drive is full."

Etep29- Wrong! Cambridge Azur640's HD is twice as large as the Mac Mini's, and just like the Mini, you can add additional HDs or network the Cambridge Azur640 to other music files. I like the idea of the Mini, but I doubt the sound quality will equal the Cambridge without some mods to it's SMPS and optical output. Plus, it needs to be connect to DAC and what about a display?
kana813
956 posts
 
Rhing-

A long time Mac user on the TacTHackers forum reports his G5s used music servers have jitter too high for audiophile use. He recommends using an outboard AES/EBU Lynx Studio Technology AES16 locked to external Antelope Audio OCX 11 MHz super clock. He finds this combo equals the sound quality of his Wadia 270 transport.

Both he and I haven't tried the Intel-powered Mac Mini, but if the optical output on a G5 isn't up to audiophile standards, why should anyone expect Mac to include a better circuit on their low priced Mini?
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