Why Mac Mini Over Slim Systems Products?

I stopped at the Apple store on the way home, thinking (wrongly) that they would have a mini to toslink digital cable. Apparently the only place I can get one of these is online? So it will be a few days before I'll be able to do any comparisons.

When using an iPod Touch as a remote, can you see iTunes on the Touch or do you still need a monitor? It would be great to be able to search, scroll, etc right on the Touch and not even have a monitor in the room.

I guess I'm going to have to hook my mini up to my system and compare it head-to-head with my Bolder modded Squeezebox. I'm very interested to hear the results.

Drubin-
My reasons for wanting to use a Mini are similar. I can't stand the display on the SB3, but I don't want to give up the convenience of a server.

I will be going into a DAC, but not a USB DAC. Also, my Squeezbox has the Bolder digital mods and the Bolder power supply. If you are finding the stock SB3 is better than the digital out of the Mini, my modded unit should sound a lot better.

What DAC have you tried them with? What's the rest of your system?

Rbstehno-

Any recommendations for a "good quality toslink". I don't even know where to begin looking or what to look for.

Drubin-
How can the background be "too black"? Do you mean, kind of lifeless?

I'm starting out with an inexpensive "glass" toslink and a mini adapter. They should be here early next week. That should tell me if I'm even in the ball park. If so, then I can go from there. If not, then I'll start looking at a USB option.

Let us know what you find. When using Toslink out of the Mac Mini, open the application called "Audi Midi", choose the external output and set it to 24-bit and 96KHz.

I finally had a chance to mess around with this a little. I connected my Mac Mini to my TacT RCS 2.0 via optical (toslink) connection. I listened to just the Mini for 15-20 minutes before doing any comparing to other sources.

At first listen, the Mini actually sounded pretty good. Good detail and extension, smooth and decent soundstage. My thoughts were, "not bad, I could live with this".

Then I compared it to my SB3 with Bolder digital mods and a Bolder power supply. It wasn't even close. The SB3 had a larger, deeper soundstage, the lows were deeper and tighter and the highs were more extended, with more air/space around them. The SB3 sounded all around fuller, tighter and smoother. The Mini, in comparison was very thin sounding.

My next step will be to try the Mini via it's USB outs, but that won't be for a while, as I don't have a DAC with USB inputs.

I really enjoy the sound of the SB3, but I don't like the interface. The Mini, being controlled by an iPod Touch would be perfect. If I can get it to sound better.

If I can use a Touch to control the SB3, that may be the solution I'm looking for.