Computer based Music Server as source

[GregLett]

Can you get the Mac Mini with a larger internal hard drive? It seems to come with only 60GB.

The Mac Mini seems to be a great option. It looks awesome, is small and has a remote.

Are there cheaper alternatives than the DAC1 which is around $1K?

The Mac Mini + DAC1 + external hard drive option is around $1800.

Other options = Olive SYMPHONY at around $1000.

http://www.olive.us/

Wonder how that compares with the Mac Mini option.

Also, there's the Cambridge Audio Music server option.

You can get the mini with a larger hard drive up to 120G.
I heard those servers have a noise fan, also don't
know what the interface lookes like. I wonder if you can search
the way you can on a PC?
A used DAC may be the way to go, they all seem te be around the 1K mark.
The price of the DAC is what's slowing me down right now.

[ColoKurt]

How quiet is the mac mini?

Yes, I agree with the earlier poster. The Mini is very, very quiet. You can get it with a larger internal hard drive but they really take advantage of you on the cost/GB. I think an external drive is utltimately the way to go.

I spent much of the weekend playing with my new equipment and I'm very happy with my choice of the Mac Mini. When you consider it's capabilities, I think you'll find the cost compares well with the latest product from Olive.

One problem I am having, though, is getting my older HDTV to work as a monitor. I only have component video HD inputs so I have had to buy a transcoder (~$100) to go from VGA to component video. The transcoder works fine, the problem is getting the Mini to boot up with a resolution and refresh rate that the TV can use. I downloaded SwitchResX but I couldn't make any sense out of it. DisplyConfigX is easier to use, but I still can't get the Mini to boot up with the correct settings. Oh well, I was expecting to have a bit of pain on this subject and I haven't been disappointed!

[mickster1972]

The Intel model has a true digital audio out built in to the 1/8" mini connector, like the standard iMac G5, PB, PowerMac, or new MacBooks. Gives you more flexibility. HD size not so important, you can use an external HD and redirect iTunes storage location to it.

I finally bought myself a used DAC1 and am reaping the rewards. It has certainly opened up the soundstage on my system, and now I want to integrate it into a music server of some sort. I am on the fence about whether to (i) buy a mac mini, (ii) build an audio server out of some spare parts or (iii) use an ipod and a docking station of some sort, each in conjunction with the DAC1. Does anyone know whether there is a docking station, or somekind of adapter, that allows for a digital coaxial S/PDIF or TOSLINK connection from an ipod, like that afforded on the mac mini setup JonMarsh references? Ideally, it would be a docking station that has a charging function and a remote. Thanks!!

-Sean

[dknightd]

The ipod doesn't have a digital output. No way to use one with a dac1.

[GregLett]

I finally bought myself a used DAC1 and am reaping the rewards. It has certainly opened up the soundstage on my system, and now I want to integrate it into a music server of some sort. I am on the fence about whether to (i) buy a mac mini, (ii) build an audio server out of some spare parts or (iii) use an ipod and a docking station of some sort, each in conjunction with the DAC1. Does anyone know whether there is a docking station, or somekind of adapter, that allows for a digital coaxial S/PDIF or TOSLINK connection from an ipod, like that afforded on the mac mini setup JonMarsh references? Ideally, it would be a docking station that has a charging function and a remote. Thanks!!

-Sean

Check this out! just saw it in another post here.

http://www.marantz.com/new/index.cfm?fuseaction=Front.Spotlight&cont=eu&bus=hf&spotlight_id=14

[Brandon B]

The G4 model of Mac Mini doesn't have Front Row;

It can. Mine does.

BB

[mickster1972]

The ipod doesn't have a digital output. No way to use one with a dac1.

If it doesn't have a digital output, then how does it send and receive digital media through the USB port? I know that there is at least one ipod device (the Monitor Audio iDeck) that takes the digital source material from the ipod and runs it through its own audiophile-quality DAC. I just thought there might be another product that simply acts as a conduit or adapter to allow your stereo or DAC to do the same. I will continue the search (having looked at the Marantz option and noting that it only has an analog output).

That being said, I have commenced on making a music server from a retired PIII that my IT manager gave me. I am using a digital coax output on the audio card hooked into my DAC1. I notice that it occassionally drops out a bit. I am running Windows XP Pro and Windows Media Player 9. Do I need to use another player program, increase the RAM from 256MB, buffer the audio stream?? Help!

[dknightd]

If it doesn't have a digital output, then how does it send and receive digital media through the USB port? I know that there is at least one ipod device (the Monitor Audio iDeck) that takes the digital source material from the ipod and runs it through its own audiophile-quality DAC.

It doesn't have a digital output that you can plug into any stereo that I have seen. Are you sure the iDeck thing puts the ipod output through its own dac? I don't think so. It probably uses the line out in the ipod port - which is the best way to get sound out of an ipod. However, the iDeck does appears to have a dac to convert usb/firewire from your computer into analog.
The iPod does use usb or firewire to send digital data back and forth to your computer, but, this is not in a format that can be fed into a DAC as fas as I know (it is a format that makes the ipod look like a usb or firewire disk to your computer).
Sorry can't help you with your PC issue - I'm a mac user.

[aud19]

Just read the review of the Mac Mini in HT Mag. and I'm wondering if any of you users can confirm that it won't pass DTS signals through it's digital output, only DD...?

Also, they were less than impressed with the Mini's video performance with 480i/p material, though they said HD looked good.

[Kingdaddy]

I love Computer based Music Servers, but the problem IMO is the Hard Drive, none are very robust so a serious backup solution is needed, I already had to restore my music files twice (180 Gig worth) and reattach all the coverart which is a real time consuming PIA. Also you need a good sound card, don’t even think about using the built in sound card. Ripping accurately is the next problem, you must make sure you have bit perfect rips and this is another PIA if you have a large collection. I use EAC with the Accurip add-on and then encode to APE loseless to keep the tags intact, the front end that is pictured is Cinemar’s Music Lobby which is a great GUI interface.

[Vinny]

I love Computer based Music Servers, but the problem IMO is the Hard Drive, none are very robust so a serious backup solution is needed, I already had to restore my music files twice (180 Gig worth) and reattach all the coverart which is a real time consuming PIA. Also you need a good sound card, don’t even think about using the built in sound card. Ripping accurately is the next problem, you must make sure you have bit perfect rips and this is another PIA if you have a large collection. I use EAC with the Accurip add-on and then encode to APE loseless to keep the tags intact, the front end that is pictured is Cinemar’s Music Lobby which is a great GUI interface.

Think about the new Seagate's Cuda 10. They have 750gb drive available. If you have 2 there will be 1.5 terabyte already.

[Kingdaddy]

Think about the new Seagate's Cuda 10. They have 750gb drive available. If you have 2 there will be 1.5 terabyte already.

The problem in my experience is not space but longevity, moving heads and spinning platters will ware and the new compression schemes used to pack more data are pure evil and cause read errors and corruption, I've already had it happen twice in two years with drives not more then three years old. My last drive had a hardware error so all data was lost and unrepairable. Drives fail all to often and this is the one thing that is truly an Achilles heel of computers because that where all you’re data is and the backup solutions are not very good either, I had three different backups and all failed to restore on a new boot drive because the drive was different and some hardware info is in the boot.ini file that describes the drive.

What is needed is a static non volatile flash style drive with a half a terabyte or more.

[aud19]

What HD's are you using....?

[Vinny]

The problem in my experience is not space but longevity, moving heads and spinning platters will ware and the new compression schemes used to pack more data are pure evil and cause read errors and corruption, I've already had it happen twice in two years with drives not more then three years old. My last drive had a hardware error so all data was lost and unrepairable. Drives fail all to often and this is the one thing that is truly an Achilles heel of computers because that where all you’re data is and the backup solutions are not very good either, I had three different backups and all failed to restore on a new boot drive because the drive was different and some hardware info is in the boot.ini file that describes the drive.

What is needed is a static non volatile flash style drive with a half a terabyte or more.

Same question here, what were you using? My harddrives never went out since 10gb generation. Even the first generation of Seagate Barracuda(13.6gb) is still being used by my parent's computer which I had it since it was just released from about 5years ago.

[Kingdaddy]

I've used several different hard drives and after 3-5 years they have all failed.

Maxtor
Seagate
IBM
One other I can’t remember but it’s a major brand name.

The IBM Deskstars were the most recent and worst as they had the "Ticking Death" hard failure and no recovery was possible without paying mega bucks to even try.

I'm not alone here, I have worked in computers since the 286 was the greatest and have seen many, many hard drive failures. When you spin something that fast and have all those moving parts its bound to fail when you least expect it.

[aud19]

I've been having good luck with Samsung drives here (knock on wood), they're quiet and durable :T Really though, 5 years for a heavily used drives is not THAT bad. There's a reason backups were invented

[Kingdaddy]

I've been having good luck with Samsung drives here (knock on wood), they're quiet and durable :T Really though, 5 years for a heavily used drives is not THAT bad. There's a reason backups were invented

Have you ever done a complete restore to a new drive from a backup of a boot drive? If so you my have had some problems that i did, when a drive is completly different like that last drive i changed nothing worked, not Dantz, Windows nor the drive copy utility with the new drive worked, wouldnt boot up because the drive hardware info inthe boot.ini was different.

[aud19]

I backup data, not the OS/programs etc.... they're easy enough to reinstall every five years if you have to IMO