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Mac Mini as cheap music server - can anyone comment based on experience?

G

GruntPuppy

pfm Member
I'm thinking about buying a Mac Mini for use as a cheap music server, since the ones from Mid 2010 onwards seem to have enough power, have an optical out and Plex seems to do everything that I want.

Since I'll be running from HDMI to my amp (which is designed to bring 2 channel stereo integration with TV/DVD/other HDMI inputs to the party) the display of the mac will be shown on the TV (which is above the stereo) when I switch in that input (and I'll also install a vnc app as well), I think that this could do everything I need.

Basically, a starter music server for under £150. I'm sure there are downsides, or recommendations to do with the use of Mac Mini for this purpose, I'd love to hear them.
 
I have two. Can’t fault them. Use USB on both, via decrapifiers.

If using Audirvana you can restrict functionality to audio which will show off good recordings nicely. TV and Spotify sound great too.

Would a fancy streamer sound better? No idea and I have no inclination to find out!
 
GruntPuppy said:
I'm thinking about buying a Mac Mini for use as a cheap music server, since the ones from Mid 2010 onwards seem to have enough power, have an optical out and Plex seems to do everything that I want.
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Mac Mini's are great little machines and last for years - but the older they get the more complications arise with compatible OS versions (or having to resort to patches)

Once the OS reaches end of life (very frequent with Apple) - you are basically a bit stuck in terms of running them safely if you are going to run online.

I have six of varying vintage but would only recommend 2012 onwards because they can run up to OS Catalina without patching so you should be good for about two more years relatively hassle free computing.
The 2012 versions I have are also the last that were truly flexible re. upgrading disks and memory.
 
All my stuff, computers/phones has been Apple for many years. But I think the extra expense isn’t justified when it comes to streaming. I’m happy to be in a closed system for security. But the open source nature of the likes of Mo0de makes much more sense when it comes to music.
 
garyi said:
I guess my question would be why a mac mini?
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Because it works out of the box. If your not too canny about tech this is a huge plus. Otherwise it’s nonsense. You are tied into an expensive model. The likes of Raspberry Pie/mo0de/ are the same sort of fun on a budget without any nerd input. Even I managed it.
 
I have used iTunes for more than ten years, firstly on a Windows platform, and from autumn 2012 on a Mini bought for the purpose. I have never had a misstep with it in nearly nine years. It has lasted three times longer than any CD player I had [between repairing rather than necessarily replacement ...].

I commend the Mac Mini as actually splendid as to "bit-perfect" replay to a DAC, and for reliability.

Over a decade it becomes a very cheap method of sourcing digital music recordings as it were, per annum.

I cannot see myself using anything else unless MAC cease to make Minis at any point, and mine were to break down. I am considering getting a new Mini for internet use and severing the link with my music and the internet for safety as my current Mini gets too old to run the latest operating software.

Best wishes from George
 
miktec said:
Mac Mini's are great little machines and last for years - but the older they get the more complications arise with compatible OS versions (or having to resort to patches)

Once the OS reaches end of life (very frequent with Apple) - you are basically a bit stuck in terms of running them safely if you are going to run online.

I have six of varying vintage but would only recommend 2012 onwards because they can run up to OS Catalina without patching so you should be good for about two more years relatively hassle free computing.
The 2012 versions I have are also the last that were truly flexible re. upgrading disks and memory.
Click to expand...

Yep. the mid 2012 onwards Mac Mini was what I was thinking. I'm planning on keeping it offline, since it will rip, store and play music via digital output to the dac built into my pre, Simple and cheap solution. The only thing I'm thinking about is adding some hard drives via USB in the future to allow a larger music library and ease of backup.
 
garyi said:
I guess my question would be why a mac mini?
Click to expand...

1) Ridiculously cheap
2) It has digital out as standard - so connects easily to my DAC/Pre.
3) free software to do exactly what I want - Plex is a one-stop shop for ripping, organising, playing as far as I can tell
4) controllable via my home network by VNC
5) also has HDMI out - so will integrate into my tv/audio system - If I choose to rip DVD's as well, it'll be a full-blown media server without breaking step
6) I can also access the mac's hard drives from my PC/Laptop - so transferring over my current music library is easy.

Not to mention that as a one-shot purchase to do a bit of music serving, I can't think of a cheaper way of doing it without going to something like a Raspberry Pi based system, which is far too much faffing around at this point. I'd end up spending at least double to get a comparable NUC, and still need to bolt stuff on to get digital output. The Mac Mini can sit unobtrusively on one of the racks, it's probably going to share a shelf with my phono pre.
 
GruntPuppy said:
Yep. the mid 2012 onwards Mac Mini was what I was thinking. I'm planning on keeping it offline, since it will rip, store and play music via digital output to the dac built into my pre, Simple and cheap solution. The only thing I'm thinking about is adding some hard drives via USB in the future to allow a larger music library and ease of backup.
Click to expand...

Definitely a goer then :)

Have one in the shed running Audirvana 'offline' - ssd as large as you want. I only listen to Beeb radio and can get these via a USB TV tuner stick (TV also included ;)

Low cost and works flawlessly ...
 
miktec said:
Definitely a goer then :)

Have one in the shed running Audirvana 'offline' - ssd as large as you want. I only listen to Beeb radio and can get these via a USB TV tuner stick (TV also included ;)

Low cost and works flawlessly ...
Click to expand...


SSD as large as you want? Intriguing.
 
I have 3 Mac Minis one of which is an old IBM Power PC CPU running Leopard.

My 2010 Mini is fine for use as a music server with Amarra and I don't have to run OS X as I also have Windows 10 installed so can run other stuff if need be. The best Mac Mini is a late 2012 as it has USB 3 ports as well as Fire Wire and is the last fully upgradeable Mini. Yes I have one!

With these old machines you are limited to SATA SSDs. I've just upgraded a 2015 Macbook Air that I was given to a 1TB NVMe SSD and its a nippy machine for its age and benefits from the later technology that we now have.

Cheers,

DV
 
Darth Vader said:
I have 3 Mac Minis one of which is an old IBM Power PC CPU running Leopard.

My 2010 Mini is fine for use as a music server with Amarra and I don't have to run OS X as I also have Windows 10 installed so can run other stuff if need be. The best Mac Mini is a late 2012 as it has USB 3 ports as well as Fire Wire and is the last fully upgradeable Mini. Yes I have one!

With these old machines you are limited to SATA SSDs. I've just upgraded a 2015 Macbook Air that I was given to a 1TB NVMe SSD and its a nippy machine for its age and benefits from the later technology that we now have.

Cheers,

DV
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If it doesn't already have it - I'm hoping to find an already upgraded Mac Mini - then I'd swap out the original hard drive to SSD up the RAM if necessary and use portable USB drive caddies to expand the space available for music as and when needed.
 
GruntPuppy said:
If it doesn't already have it - I'm hoping to find an already upgraded Mac Mini - then I'd swap out the original hard drive to SSD up the RAM if necessary and use portable USB drive caddies to expand the space available for music as and when needed.
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For a music server SSD is unnecessary although I do have a 512GB SSD in my 2012 Mini that at the time was very expensive and ultimately a waste of money. I keep my stuff on 23 by 7 by (365 minus holidays when we can have them). Just use a 1TB or larger SATA portable USB drive to store your music and save yer dosh for more music,

Cheers,

DV
 
Darth Vader said:
For a music server SSD is unnecessary although I do have a 512GB SSD in my 2012 Mini that at the time was very expensive and ultimately a waste of money. I keep my stuff on 23 by 7 by (365 minus holidays when we can have them). Just use a 1TB or larger SATA portable USB drive to store your music and save yer dosh for more music,

Cheers,

DV
Click to expand...

... makes me almost nostalgic for that familiar repetitive tick of an HDD crapping out ;)
 
Darth Vader said:
For a music server SSD is unnecessary although I do have a 512GB SSD in my 2012 Mini that at the time was very expensive and ultimately a waste of money. I keep my stuff on 23 by 7 by (365 minus holidays when we can have them). Just use a 1TB or larger SATA portable USB drive to store your music and save yer dosh for more music,

Cheers,

DV
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Looking on eBay SSD equipped Mac Minis with upgraded ram are within budget :) My thinking is that an SSD equipped system unit will have less mechanical noise, and the fan can be software controlled too. The GPU isn't going to be doing any heavy lifting either, which should help keep the temperature down. USB SSD 2Tb hard drives are ridiculously cheap now - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13371964...d=link&campid=5338728743&toolid=20001&mkevt=1

Dammit, I was looking for reasons not to...

You're all a big pack of enablers - that's what you are!
 
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Its cheap because its underpowered.
PLEX server runs on mac/pc/linux
Any pc can be controled via VNC or RD
Most every PC this past 15 years has HDMI out
Every PC has SMB network sharing

I am not dissing a mac mini, but even though its 'cheap' its still very expensive, and for the same money you could get a more modern NUC for instance that is faster. This is important. Also bear in mind that for a home theatre set up it is far far from ideal, infact its a right royal pain in the arse. For that you want an ATV or Shield or something.

IN terms of setting up servers etc, its just as complicated or easy on PC as it is on mac depending on your skill set, your assumed reasons for prefering a mac dont stack up when it comes to being a server.

Fill your boots either way its going to work, but mac mini offers no advantages and is expensive. 2010 was 11 years ago, that in compute terms is geriatric.
Here fo instance for circa 30 quid more is an nuc with a core i5 processor:

Intel NUC D54250WYK Mini Compact PC, i5-4250U, 8GB RAM, 120GB SSD, WiFi
 
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I have a 2011 Mini and the current M1.

The M1 sounds far better than the 2011 if used connected to a usb DAC.

If using as a server connected to an endpoint/ renderer, any difference would likely be minimal.
 
The M1 will also use considerably less energy if on 24/7. It was also already a big step down from a 2012 to a 2014 modell.
 
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