Respectfully
It is my firm belief that Mac minis suck as audio sources. I love Apple. I’m an Apple universe guy. That’s why I bought a dedicated Mac pro 12 core solid state 6 TB Audio Core.
Pure silence.
USB2 connected directly to Mytek MQA enabled Brooklyn +
Remote using Pro miniPad
Entire soft library is Tidal via synced Apps with full remote access by all devices and control of other endpoints and sessions independently.
(As a reference years ago I was actually amazed at how much clearer tidal streaming into my network was over the 128 k streams or even direct inputs from iPads or Bluetooth into my crappy garden speakers. It was a good unintended realty check. )
In my room;
Result is Spatial purity. Resounding clarity of complex low frequencies and presence with full dynamics.
You can discern quality of mics, studio,reverberation room sends, artist, mix, pan placement, lateral channel feeds, mastering and compression.
Especially overcompressive production effects for ‘pop’ by producers. Or noisy mics.
It’s also disturbing how many cds are bitpukeable.
Brandi Carlyle’s rip was awful for years on Tidal - unlistenable- while Aimee Mann’s UK producer distorted the mastering for her pop sales. Intentionally.
Your system should exude as much of these abilities as possible. Mine does.
A “bit of reference“ history (that was an attempt at audio humor again. )
My friends mini Mac from 07 was disgusting. This is what started my investigation 4 years ago.
Mine from 2010 passable for introducing audio to speakers. Ha.
( p. s. do not drink the “ but I own a 4-core 3.2 gig mini Mac “)
His new 2015 was much improved.
My 2015 was slightly better.
My PRO Darth Vader Tower purrs… silently.
Exceptional sound. Yes I heard better. Let’s talk 35k starting with DAC to $99k. Sure.
I’m talking less than $8500 total. All in.
Have fun. It’s not the OSX.
And stay away from turboeffected Windows 10 Enhanced audio products.
Disreputable audiophile “manufacturing” has included using Electronic steroids in the processing of audio files without you even knowing it is being done. Windows 10 includes both audio and video digital signal processing which means both insertion and processing of signals based on the supplier without keeping the original files in tact sonically.
One manufacturer who I forgo naming produced a product in which every single CD file ripped sounded the same, leaning to my observation that they had intentionally sweetened the sound to sell more units.
When I confronted the owner of the company a deep silence occurred and he asked that the unit be sent back. It was my friends and I was alarmed because I had just did some studying On this in our company.
Turns out The same thing that you were able to do with video, you were able to do with audio. (Actually the same capabilities will be in cars within the next two years and are already in many of the higher level cars for for 5.1 surround with the full effects that I’m talking about),
However. but it’s now software inside the OS system consumers can’t see. Before forewarned people.
Make sure you know what’s under the hood before you buy. Anything that’s not embedded, question it.
Obviously that’s one of the preferences for not using a Mac tower, I just don’t feel like spending that kind of money and getting a divorce. The divorce would cost many times more-easily.
Hey, more audio file humor.
Keep on filin’