I will let you decide on the SQ issue, for yourself. But, as someone that used to have a Mac Mini running in the living room as a music server, it’s a far easier thing to have an endpoint like the Cubox-i there than the Mac Mini. I still have the Mac Mini, running as both a movie server and as a RoonServer, but it’s out of view and easier to maintain with an attached screen and keyboard - something I didn’t want to do in the living room.
The box I have there now makes my cell phone look huge… 