Hi Dough, I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind.
I’ve also recently acquired a Mac mini M1 that I want to dedicate to Roon server. Once the install done, which should not be to hard, what are your settings in the Mini to keep it running and roon accessible at all time please? Auto launch, auto login?
Thank you very much!
Yes when I first got the machine I hook it up to a keyboard mouse and monitor and set up auto login and also turned off any power settings that would make it go to sleep. There’s also a power outage setting where it will reboot if there’s a power outage. It’s not the same as a nucleus but functionally for me it operates exactly the same way
Also I run Roon server for macOS on it and that’s a simple checkbox to start up at login.
That’s great. My 2014 Mac mini i5 has been working flawlessly, even with DSP enabled. It only struggles with DSD which I very rarely listen to. When this Mac bites the dust or Apple no longer provides security upgrades, I’ll be upgrading to the latests M1 Mac mini (or M2 if it becomes available). Hopefully Roon will provide a native M1 server app by then.
Be sure to have an offsite backup of your music files in case an electrical issue or house fire fries both your Mac mini and the Time Machine backup disk. I keep one at my office.
Roon 2.0 is native if I recall correctly…edit yes it is
Thanks for taking the time to answer! Auto-login and startup at login enabled as well as auto power of and restart between 2 and 8am. Got it up and running in no time and works perfectly.
Glad to hear of it. I’ve been very happy with mine for the past year or so. a $699 dedicated Roon Core solution.
Still rockin’ the same base Mac Mini I began this post with. Running 2 zones (one of them 24/7 - its a radio station) with any DSP I want and smooth, silent, and fast. I don’t run ANYTHING else with this machine - just Roon Server. So for me, it’s an appliance, and no “overhead” other than what the OS brings, which isn’t a lot. (I do allow Time Machine to backup my music but its never once caused any slowdowns with Roon)
Found this deal going on now for anyone who may want to get one of these.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1604799-REG/apple_mgnr3ll_a_mac_mini.html
I just installed RoonServer on my iMac and as it uses less CPU power the sound is much better from my 2019 iMac compared to using RoonCore on the same iMac. I wonder if I could buy an old MacMini for the same purpose and install RoonServer, or need the OSX to be updated to Apple’s newest version (in that case an old Mini won´t do)?
You got to be running at least Catalina and at least on an i3 and the usual 256GB space along with 8GB RAM
If the Mac mini is not running on an SSD don’t bother
Roon ROCK works great on my old Intel based Mac Mini.
M2 macs have just been announced at a slightly lower price, might be a good time to try one now.
Im looking for people that can describe the difference in Audiophile Character between the Intel Mini’s vs ARM Mini’s vs Studio M1’s. For a $30k Plus Reference System
Mini M1 16MB mem, 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU
1 TB SSD $1100
2 TB SSD $1500
Mini M2 16MB mem, 8 core CPU, 10core GPU
1 TB SSD $1200
2 TB SSD $1600
Mini M2 Pro 16MB, 10 core CPU, 16 core GPU
1 TB SSD $1500
2 TB SSD $1900
Studio M1 Max 32MB, 10 core CPU, 24 core GPU
1 TB SSD $2200
2 TB SSD $2600
Mac Studio M1 Max 400GB/s memory bandwidth
Mac Studio M1 Ultra 800GB/s memory bandwidth
Mac Mini M2 100GB/s of memory bandwidth
Mac Mini M2 Pro 200GB/s of memory bandwidth
Mac Studio M1 Ultra 114 Billion Transistors
Mac Mini M2 20 Billion Transistors
Mac Mini M2 Pro 40 Billion Transistors
Fewer transistors = darker blacks
More transistors = greater sounds stage
/sarcasm
I appreciate Sarasm for sure 
But ive been doing this Audiophile thing for over 3 decades.
Ive built many, many computers in my life.
I started using computers as a Digital Source in the mind 90’s.
Ive tried HP and Dell computers, Ive tried Top-shelf component home-built Windows computers, Hackintoshes galore. And I found that the cheap Mac Mini just SOUNDS BETTER than anything Ive tried. Quieter. More Detail thats focused. Larger Soundstage. And better Still using Roon playing AIFF’s.
Ive even found audible differences between OSX versions.
I know im not alone.
Looking to go from a i7 Mini to a new M2Pro and before I spend $2k, Id like to know how it compares in Audio quality nuances.
I’m sure you’ll find some, but I’d advise against listening as there are currently zero plausible reasons as to why memory bandwidth or transistor count would have any impact on sound quality.
It’s life changing…….ok bank account changing. i7 Mac mini to MacBook Pro M1 for me, I can’t detect any discernible differences plus or minus. Granted I don’t have the golden ear at my age. YMMV but I wouldn’t want to do a blind taste test.
Its not about memory bandwidth or transistor count, its about design and build quality. Thats why Macintosh computers dominate the Audio Industry. They just sound better!
My hacintosh cost 3X’s the price in parts alone. Special Giga motherboard specifically made for Audio. Isolated Audio section and buss. Still doesn’t sound as good as a 2012 i7 Mac Mini. Its Faster, much faster but the Mini sounds better!
You probably have a bunch of Powerfilters, usb isolators, network reclockers and other stuff like that around if you believe roon sounds better with RAAT from a Mac 
None. I hate power conditioners. Ive owned expensive Furman Reference conditioners and voltage regulators. Didn’t like them. I use a dedicated circuit and quality outlets and power cords. Im have no USB isolators and I have a Denafrips Terminator DAC. No reclockers.
I used Amarra as my media core for years. Love the sound quality but the software was clunky. I tried all the other audio players and found Roon to be better. Not as good as Amarra but it works much better so i compromised.