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CD Players, Digital Music & Servers Aurender, dCs, Esoteric, Lumin. |
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#1
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Why Not A Mac Mini Music Server ?
I have been happy with my sonos for the last few years but now I am looking to move into 3D HD music. To do this I need to have a way to play HD music and the sonos just is not capable at this time. Itunes/pure music software will play HD music and since I already have a mac lap it is easy to control a mac mini by going into screen sharing in the preferences. This will allow my lap top to be a wireless screen/mouse and keyboard. I can also use my ipad or iphone as well using the free remote app. . Having the mac mini next to my MCD500 connected with either a optical cable or a usb Halide Design S/PDIF Bridge should allow for a HD music server and I was wondering why more people are not doing this. The mac mini is relatively inexpensive and adding extra HD is as easy as stacking it on top of one of these Amazon.com: Iomega MiniMax FireWire 800/USB 2.0 1TB Desktop External Hard Drive 34937 (White): Electronics . The mac mini also has HDMI output so you can attach it to a tv and use a wireless keyboard and mouse . So am I missing something here ? Is there a reason the mac mini is not popular for a HD music server ?
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#2
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In my view, if Apple would offer iTunes in Apple Lossless version many, if not most, audiophiles would come begging at their feet.
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#4
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I have thought about doing something very similar myself and may yet do so. The Mac Mini opens up video possibilities as well that my current crop of music servers don't provide (with the partial exception of my AppleTV).
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John Houston Upstairs - C1000C/T, MX170, MC1.2KW x 4, MC501 x 2, MC252, MVP881, MCD1100, MDA1000, MEN220, MPC1500, XRT1K's, XCS1K, XLS320's, Gotham, Sony VPL-VW675ES, Sony XBR-55X930E, Panasonic DP-UB9000, Apple TV 4K, Kaleidescape Strato C, Roon Core on Nucleus & MS600 Houston Downstairs - Den (Zone A): MX122, MR88, MCD500, MVP871, MC207, DD18, Sony XBR-75Z9D, OPPO BDP-203, Sonos Port, Apple TV 4K, Sooloos MS200, B&W 805 Diamond x 2, B&W HTM4 Diamond, B&W CWM8 x 2; Living Room (Zone B): Sony XBR-65Z9D, MC402 & XR200's Austin Theater - MX180, MC8207, MI254; Lumagen Radiance Pro; Kaleidescape Strato; OPPO UDP-203; Sooloos MS200; Apple TV 4K; Sonos Connect; Paradigm Signature S8 (2), C5, SIG-1.5R-v.3 (4) SIG-1.5R-30 v.3 (4), SUB2; JVC RS3100; Sony XR-85X95K; Screen Innovations Black Diamond 2.35:1 Austin Den - Marantz AV7701, MM7055; Paradigm Studio 10 v5 (2), Studio CC-590 v5, RVC-12SQ, SA-10R (2); Sony XBR-65Z9D; Apple TV 4K |
#5
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#6
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You don't have to buy your music from the itunes store. You can import your own CD's or download music from any site on the internet such as HDtracks .
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#7
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I understand I can import (rip) and download non-compressed music into iTunes, but for me the revelation would be to buy the music I listen to direct from the iTunes Store in Apple Lossless and then use my MacBook Pro and Airport Express to wirelessly send the music to my home system bit-for-bit perfect.
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#8
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David, the Mac Mini is a great way to get into Hirez music. It’s compact and with the Halide Bridge will serve up high quality music. If you follow the natural progression of trying to extract the most from a concept you’ll end up also contemplating a Mac Laptop and then a Mac Pro. Each step will bring slightly better performance. Most people run Mac Laptops on battery when critical listening, which benefits the sound quality. A Mac Pro can be tweaked to outperform the best CD players that exist (for a price of course).
You can keep it simple and enjoy very good Red Book and Hirez music. Now, if it’s in your nature, you can tweek to no end! Good luck! Reg
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AMP's: MC2301 (2), Shuguang Treasures KT88-Z/Gold Lion ECC81 Preamp: C500C/T, Gold Lion ECC83 TT-1 Clearaudio Innovation Wood, TT-2 & Universal Arms, Goldfinger V2 & daVinci V2 Carts TT-2: JA Michelle Gyro SE, SME IV.Vi, Lyra Helikon Mono Cart, HR Power Supply Phono Stage-1: Aesthetix Io Eclipse Phono Stage-2: Channel D - Seta Model L Server-1: Sooloos Control15 / 808.3 CDP / MD600 2x3TB / TwinStore 2x3TB / MS600 Server-2: Mac Pro (16G RAM), 2x3Ghz, Quad Core, 4 SSD Drives (Hirez, AIFF) Software: Amarra 2.3/Amarra Vinyl/Pure Vinyl 3.0 NAS: NetGear READYNAS PRO (4Tb, ALAC) ADC & DAC: Amarra Model 4 (Sonic Studio Badged: Metric Halo LIO-8 + DSP) Speakers: Sonus Faber Stradavari (2) Sub's: JL Audio Fathom f113 (2) Power: PS Audio PPP (4) Isolation: HRS-MXR Racks (2), SRA Amp Stands (4), Sound Anchor Sub Stands (2) Room Treatments:(Diffusion): RPG Hemiffusor W1 (Bass Absorption): RealTraps Cables: Wireworld Silver Eclipse 6.0 XLR's & SC's, Silver Electra PC's Last edited by BearCubinNY; 01-21-2011 at 03:43 PM. |
#9
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Who wants a bunch of little white plastic boxes stacked around their sound system? Not me.
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Dan STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113 VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A |
#10
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Reg
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AMP's: MC2301 (2), Shuguang Treasures KT88-Z/Gold Lion ECC81 Preamp: C500C/T, Gold Lion ECC83 TT-1 Clearaudio Innovation Wood, TT-2 & Universal Arms, Goldfinger V2 & daVinci V2 Carts TT-2: JA Michelle Gyro SE, SME IV.Vi, Lyra Helikon Mono Cart, HR Power Supply Phono Stage-1: Aesthetix Io Eclipse Phono Stage-2: Channel D - Seta Model L Server-1: Sooloos Control15 / 808.3 CDP / MD600 2x3TB / TwinStore 2x3TB / MS600 Server-2: Mac Pro (16G RAM), 2x3Ghz, Quad Core, 4 SSD Drives (Hirez, AIFF) Software: Amarra 2.3/Amarra Vinyl/Pure Vinyl 3.0 NAS: NetGear READYNAS PRO (4Tb, ALAC) ADC & DAC: Amarra Model 4 (Sonic Studio Badged: Metric Halo LIO-8 + DSP) Speakers: Sonus Faber Stradavari (2) Sub's: JL Audio Fathom f113 (2) Power: PS Audio PPP (4) Isolation: HRS-MXR Racks (2), SRA Amp Stands (4), Sound Anchor Sub Stands (2) Room Treatments:(Diffusion): RPG Hemiffusor W1 (Bass Absorption): RealTraps Cables: Wireworld Silver Eclipse 6.0 XLR's & SC's, Silver Electra PC's |
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