As long as you have the duel core i5 processor, a SSD upgrade, to 1T and 8Gig of ram, will run all your functions. I have Fibe here in canada with 1000 up and down speed, and unless your doing video editing, you no not need much more speed. When my 2013 with the upgrades, wets the bed, I will look at the upgrade.
The reviews are coming in on the new Mini. Looks good.
The Mac mini’s larger fan lets it run slowly and silently, while still providing enough airflow for cooling. That’s good news for audio pros and home-theater users alike, since it means you won’t have to contend with a noisy computer when you’re trying to get clear audio.
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Great, thanks to both of you. I can’t wait to receive it.
There is always the apple within 14 day no questions asked return option in case you want to jump up to the next processor. I know I mentioned it up in the thread but not everyone reads the whole thread. I also have been reminded of this by the apple sales staff in store and also on the line when asking things about performance for certain things and expectations.
I have come to appreciate my 2014 MacMini as a versatile and flexible dedicated music player at the centre of my streaming system. Over the last 3 years I’ve significantly upgraded the set up with a Teradek internal filter and Lineair Power Supply, replacing the noisy switch mode Power Supply.
Instead of the Fusion Drive a SSD drive gas been installed. Signal from my SBooster BOTW P&P ECO MKII 12-13V powered modem is conducted to a comparible 9V SBooster powered iFi micro iUSB3.0 Power Supply & Data Optimizer via Audioquest ethernet and AQ Diamond USB to the Mytek Brooklyn + DAC, he DAC powered by a dedicate Syntax LPS. This is bliss!
Just buy a nucleus or nucleus+
The Sound is 100% better then coming from a Mac mini . Any Mac Mini, whatever Konfiguration there is . Mine was i7 with 16GB RAM and 1 TB SSD, lost directly to the Nucleus .
Pls do not use HDMI to any other device, room ready devices should be first choice .
With that any cable (except RJ45) is unnecessary.
And please put the files on any internal HDD or SSD , any networked HDD like NAS , even when all components run through the same switch, makes the sound weak …
Tried all of that , getting rid of all non direkt connections was key to the sound .
Nucleus+ with 4 TB SSD
LINN Akurate DSM
2x Electrocompaniet Nemo
KEF Blade
Rgds hpb
I think this sort of opinion goes largely unchallenged now, because there’s frankly so much nonsense on the internet, nobody can be bothered to counter it any more. Suffice to say there’s not a shred of objective evidence other than someone’s random anecdote, to support this view.
Nor that a Nucleus sounds 100% better (however the hell that’s measured).
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Ouch . That was cruel .
Come and listen, you’re invited .
Rgds hpb
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Are you planning on upgrading the RAM later on?
Depends on my usage. The plan is to use it for DSD128 or 256 upsampling. I don’t if the CPU is doing it or the RAM or a combination of both.
I also don’t know if Roon is optimized for 6 cores.
Today when I try upsampling I have some issues but I believe is because I use a MBA from 2011.
All I read that it needs to be done in a Apple Store as when you watch a video of a teardown you can see that you need special screwdriver.
I heard also of custom made Mac mini where they change the Power Supply. Have you heard about Mac mini DB system?
https://www.larosita.fr/copie-de-mac-mini-fr
Maybe something I’ll look for if I decide to improve my setup.
The i3 2018 Mac Mini with 8GB RAM is more than enough for upsampling to DSD512 (remember to use mulit core for when upsampling)
Thanks @Rune. Using multi core…do I have to use a specific option in the settings or is it automatic?
it is a tickbox in the same tab where you selected DSD updample rate
I don’t think the 2018 Mac Mini is overpriced for what it offers. It’s incredibly compact (and keep in mind it doesn’t use a bulky wall-wart, unlike NUCs and other SFF computers that cheat by moving the power supply outside the enclosure. The RAM upgrades certainly are, but you can get them from Crucial instead. The real issue is SSD pricing, which is extortionate.
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I haven’t done a direct comparison, but perhaps others have?
What I can tell you is that I think these things are very DAC/Streamer dependent. E.g., I noticed my Meridian 818v3 sounds better handling the first unfold of MQA material than letting Roon perform it beforehand.
I think some things are better off done in hardware at the end of the chain. That said, in your setup or someone else’s, there may be a benefit in something like HQP upsampling to DSD, etc. Very much listen and see, I’d say…
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[quote=“anon55914447, post:47, topic:52279”]
I think this sort of opinion goes largely unchallenged now, because there’s frankly so much nonsense on the internet, nobody can be bothered to counter it any more. Suffice to say there’s not a shred of objective evidence other than someone’s random anecdote, to support this view.
Nor that the Nucleus sounds 100% better (however the hell that’s measured).[/quote]
There are objective measurements showing, e.g., very real differences in jitter between a PC source and Nucleus in the link I posted above to the HFNRR review.
As to whether there is objective evidence of the possible effect of SQ on hi-fi systems connected to myriad network devices, has anyone spent the time carrying out serious measurements on all the setup permutations in different homes, with different networks, and different DACs/streamers, etc? It doesn’t seem to be a universal issue, some setups seem prone to this and others not.
A bulky wall-wart can also be an advantage because it means less heat is produced inside the chassis meaning less fan noise. So I do not see it as cheating.
The 2018 Mac Mini is not overpriced if you want OS X, but if do not need OS X and do not need it on display then it is overpriced.
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I know nothing about this brand, but they look GORGEOUS
@Tim_Hartford, are you experiencing any performance problems with your 2010 Mac Mini and Roon? If not, I am dubious about whether a 2018 Mac Mini would improve your experience of using it as a Roon Core.
I use a late-2012 Mac Mini as my Roon Core. While I don’t use it for general computing, it is also the headless workstation for my general flow of audio files into my NAS. I rip CDs using a USB DVD/CD drive or I download files directly into the Mac. Then I use iTunes to manage all the metadata and image files and generally to organize all of my music as if Roon didn’t exist. I just don’t use iTunes to play music any more; that’s all Roon all the time: a substantial improvement!
Although I love upgrading stuff, I can’t find a justification yet for switching in a 2018 Mac Mini. The one I have does the job just fine.
The 2010 mac mini can’t pull the skin of a rice pudding by comparison to a 2012 never mind the current 2018 model - its a game changer in mini performance for a roon core
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