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USB DAC with Mac Mini

Bourneendboy

Bourneendboy

pfm Member
I'm thinking about buying a Mac Mini but unsure if I can use a USB DAC with it? I use an HRT Music Streamer II+.

A quick look on the HRT website and it looks like it can be used with a Mac.

Cheers,

Bill
 
Many, many options. Do you have any requirements before we can start to narrow suggestions? Headphones? Inputs, outputs? All of which a factor.

In the first instance, the Schiit Audio Jotty, with a DAC module is getting rather good reviews. £400 which is also Mojo territory but this comes with limitations, remote to name one.

Give us what you want from it.
 
+1 with MacMini and M-DAC. Actually two different versions of MacMini, 2008 and 2014 I believe it is.
 
+1 for "any USB DAC will work." I have a Mac mini feeding a Teddy Pardo DAC and it sounds better than Naim HDX + Naim DAC before and freed up a lot of cash.
 
Thanks for the input fellas, wasn't expecting any replies once I said I realised it can be done.

Current system is a laptop with Jriver MC19 and Spotify Premium, HRT Music Streamer II+, Lehmann Linear H/P amp and Sennheiser H/P's. I've just added an Aqvox PSU to the the HRT and it's sounding perfect for my taste!

It's the laptop that is in question. I just don't like having it on display in the lounge and the process of starting/shutting down and general faffing around. It's currently hidden away in a cupboard and I control Jriver with my Android phone and the Gizmo app.

This got me thinking about a headless Mac Mini or small form factor PC. I've never owned anything Apple, but I've only ever heard positive things.

I've been down the Raspberry Pi route before and have decided it's not what I'm looking for.

So it's Mac Mini or SFF PC with Jriver on the PC and whatever is required on The Mac?

What's your experiences?
 
I used to run a mini with JRiver and Gizmo and it was fine but I moved the mini over to TV duties for movies etc so I use my Macbook for my music now, there was no difference in quality.
Only bugbear is setting the mini up you will need a display of some sort.
 
I plugged mine into the TV with an HDMI cable while I set it up with a spare wired mouse and keyboard (bluetooth off is better, apparently) then, ensuring I had it controllable by my iPad using VNC, use it headless (I believe it's called).
Mine runs Amarra 3.0 into a Naim DAC V-1 for headphone use and it all works easily enough. Amarra 3.0 is a bit clumsy to use but that isn't the fault of the kit (and things should improve when Amarra 4 Luxe comes along).
 
I'm using a Mac Mini with Roon at the moment but be careful as Apple have made changes with the way they handle USB and network shares now.

If you are using a NAS apple no longer let you mount network shares without elevation which makes mounting them automatically at startup troublesome.

I've gone back to OSX 10.10 which is the version before all the changes.

The USB changes also stopped my Hiface1 from working as m2tech didn't release revised drivers for the new OSX.

Doubt if many USB DACs would be affected but something to be mindful of anyway.

Cereal Killer said:
http://www.resonessencelabs.com/ Best USB DACs I've ever owned.
Click to expand...

I found the opposite, thought it was the worst DAC i've ever owned, extremely dull and closed in with very little soundstage.
 
Bourneendboy said:
Thanks for the input fellas, wasn't expecting any replies once I said I realised it can be done.

Current system is a laptop with Jriver MC19 and Spotify Premium, HRT Music Streamer II+, Lehmann Linear H/P amp and Sennheiser H/P's. I've just added an Aqvox PSU to the the HRT and it's sounding perfect for my taste!

It's the laptop that is in question. I just don't like having it on display in the lounge and the process of starting/shutting down and general faffing around. It's currently hidden away in a cupboard and I control Jriver with my Android phone and the Gizmo app.

This got me thinking about a headless Mac Mini or small form factor PC. I've never owned anything Apple, but I've only ever heard positive things.

I've been down the Raspberry Pi route before and have decided it's not what I'm looking for.

So it's Mac Mini or SFF PC with Jriver on the PC and whatever is required on The Mac?

What's your experiences?
Click to expand...

I do exactly what you're after. I have a headless Gigabyte brix SFF PC running JRiver MC20, connected to a USB DAC.

It's always on as it's silent and power draw is negligible. I control it via the Gizmo app either from my Android tablet or Android phone, I also have an app on the Tablet that lets me control the Brix remotely via my network, great for organising music or doing maintenance on the Brix without needing to move it somewhere near a display.
 
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