Apple Mini 'puter as a CD jukebox?

You could technically get by without a DAC by using a patch cable, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I also just saw this on Apple's site. Might be of interest to some of you.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=TB638LL/A

My current set-up: G4/iTunes tower>MAudio Transit>Benchmark DAC-1>BAT VK-5SE>Wolcott Presence 220's>Sound Lab M-1's. GREAT results. This morning I tried substituting my XP/iTunes laptop for the G4. VERY inferior sonic results!

I wonder why that is, Twb2. Inferior in what way?

Did you trial any other DACs with your G4? I'm starting the great DAC hunt now. For testing a DAC, could you swap a CD transport for your G4 and get a ballpark-similar sound?

Before the Benchmark DAC-1,I was using an M Audio Firewire Audiophile. Results were Ok. The Benchmark, or course, was a great set up. The SPDIF output from the Audiophile created a hum, so I tried the Transit which solved that problem since the Toslink connection provided galvanic isolation. The Transit was OK, but I now have Empirlacal Audio's modified Transit (Turbo Offramp) which has taken the entire system up many orders of magnitude. The difference is not subtle. Highly reccomended. Here is a link to a review:http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=pcaudio&n=3083&highlight=nmcc0866&r=&session=. I am in complete agreement.

I too am running a MAC with iTunes as a digital source. I send the signal wirelessly to an Airport Express plugged into an aux jack in my preamp. The sound is pretty decent but far from the quality I get from my $100 Denon CDP. The DAC in Airport Express just isn't audio-grade.

My next step is to run optical out from the airport express into my new CDP, a Resolution Audio Opus which I chose because it offers a second digital in. This way, I will be able to use the DAC inside the Opus for the computer files and I am expecting a significant improvement in sound. I am now in the process of re-burning all my cds using the lossless format instead of the ACC compressed file format. Lossless offers a bit-for-bit exact copy of the music. You "read" the cd once so there is no concern about not getting a good read and the hard drive transmites a perfect signal. Issues with jitter and reclocking remain but, from what I am reading, solutions for those are at hand.

I think that digital files from computers will be the number one digital source within a few years. Those still using CDP and inserting cds will be a in a similar position to the minority who still prefer vinyl discs. Most of us will have the incredible convenience that computer-based song selection provides.

Going lossless, which you will want, requires ALOT of hard drive space. You'll need 1/2 the space of the native file (somewhere around 300 - 400 MB per cd) and the mini won't be able to hold many cds. But, you can get a 250GB external drive for about $250 so the cost of extra space is very reasonable.

Please post your results with your set-up as it progresses.