Why Mac Mini Over Slim Systems Products?

i also have used the mini as a music server with great results. i now use an imac. if you want to use the mini, you don't need a monitor. you can actually take over the mini using leopard and remotely do what you want. we have all mac's in the house and i can take control of any of them and execute an application, move files, etc...

most of the info i have read indicates to stay away from usb for music. i use toslink cables going from my mac's or airport express units into jitter reduction devices, then quality coax cables going to an external dac, then quality balanced or unbalanced cables to the preamp.

also using a toslink connection, you have your choice of many different dac's, from $100 to $30k. the benchmark is a decent dac but if you go the usb route, you will be limited to this quality dac. and in reviews that i read about the usb benchmark dac, the reviewers liked the sound from the other connections over the usb. when i auditioned different dacs, i preferred others over the benchmark (personal choice) but some of them cast 2 to 4 times as much. the point is, you have options going with toslink.

also, i would suggest going with some kind of jitter reduction device between the mac and your dac. the jitter device could use toslink or if you can find 1 a usb connection, then use coax or aes cable to the dac.

also, there is a new remote program from the itunes site that lets you control itunes from an ipod touch or iphone, and it is free. i use it on my touch.

if you use a mac or an airport express as a music server and you are going into a jitter device or an external dac, get a good quality toslink cable and then go out and buy the adapter that connects onto the cable to plug it into the mac. i purchased a few of them at fry's for $3 each. much better alternative than the apple or monster options.

merlocpm - get a jitter device and put that between your computer and the dac. i use them in all my connections and you will get a big jump is musical quality by using a jitter device, plus you can go out coax to the dac. i would stay away from usb connections at this time. i did hear the new audio research dac at rmaf with a usb connection. i liked the dac (i have owned other audio research dacs in the past). the audio research rep told me they worked out some of the usb issues in their dac and they feel it is equal to the other connections. if that is true, IMO, that would be a first for a quality dac.