Been listening to the mini-i pro for a few days, comparing it with the existing Pi + HQPlayer + Matrix X-SPDIF2 + Teac UD-501 setup, and I think I like the old setup better. Hard to describe, but it sounds more engaging. Not more detailed, but just more alive. Ahdunno.
I do like the roon-readiness of the mini tho.
So, I think I’m going to use the mini with the Polk Hampden powered speakers in my bedroom for now. Had been using a chromecast audio, and was getting annoying dropouts. Had planned to move the Pi in there, but I’ll just keep the Pi where it is.
Chris are you going to drive those speakers over the XLR outs, which I have never got around to testing on mine.
I keep looking at doing that, but nowhere I’m the house that I do not have music already.
So the Chromecast Audio also makes a nice input into the mini I pro 3 for other services and I use it in my setup on a regular basis. One thing I discovered from other people was that the mini was at it’s best being fed by DSD and while I did not understand why, it definitely does for me. Might be worth trying that.
I’ve had one for over a year and never any issues. Originally I ran XLR out to a Yamaha pre/pro and it was my Roon streamer in my main room. Now I am using a JBL SDP-55 which is a Roon ready processor.
The Mini iPro 3 is now the end point for my outdoor speakers, connected directly to a power amp via XLR.
The outdoor speakers are JBL Control 30’s. Works really well.
I’ve had mine for several months now, and I’ve used it off and on. I only use it as a streamer and DAC, I haven’t plugged headphones into it.
I used it for a while attached to my Benchmark AHB2 and Quad 2805’s in my workshop and it was quite nice. But I eventually went back to my Benchmark DAC3 and ropieee with display in its place. The DAC3 has a nice 12v trigger signal that controls the amp power. My amp is tucked away and that’s handy.
Recently I built a Hypex nCore based amp and I’ve pulled the Naim Uniti Atom out of my main system and am using the mini-3 with my nCore amps powering a set of Quad 2912’s. The combination of the mini-3 and the nCore amps are really very nice with my quads. I’m impressed with the little mini…
Hi I have been using mine now for about 6 months. I use it as a streamer for our ROCK. It is connected via ethernet and I have not used it with headphones. The remote, hefty…dont use it for anything, it is in a drawer, I think? I wish the remote had something more than numbers and the on/off button, would like to use it. Music played through it DSD, FLAC (MP3 to 384), Tidal, and Qobuz - zero issues. I have it set up via Roon to turn off after 15 minutes of nothing and also set to wake when music starts. The integration with ROCK works really well. I keep thinking of building a diy solution for my man land tube amps…and then I want all of the functions of this DAC…but diy.
./e
I moved the mini to my main system (Luxman L509X > Harbeth 30.2 XD speakers), and well, it’s pretty freakin good.
I’d been using a Pi + Pi2AES HAT + HQPlayer into a Denafrips Pontus II DAC, and that sounded great, too. But I’m really liking the Mini in this system. No slouch compared to the Pi + pontus.
Upsampling via Roon to DSD128, which I couldn’t do with the Pi2AES HAT.
Hi Chris are you using XLR or RCA out, just out of curiosity?
The only complaint I have about the Mini I Pro 3 is that they never updated the Roon Ready above DSD128 whereas it can do DSD512 via USB (which I have tested with HQP a number of times).
My plan was to but a class A/B amp and feed it over XLR and still have the MA by my living room chair as a headphone streaming station, but I bought an Arcam SA30 and it is Roon Ready so no need for it is a pre Amp any more.
So next plan is to move it into my study later this year and drive some near field powered active monitors via XLR to replace my Sonos Play 3s. That should be a nice combination
I subscribe to the YouTube channel and he has been mentioning it for the last year or so, but if it is like the FR30 it will still be a year or two before we see it.
I assume it won’t be Roon Ready and will be pushed for use with their own pretty expensive DACS.
I’m not sure if RR was ever going to get anything above DSD128 to be honest, and wth the MA streamer and DAC DSD sounds much better than PCM and is great.
I bet it sounds amazing with the Luxman and that it is a pretty compelling combination.
yeah, I2S is PSA’s connection of choice, and the Pontus can accommodate it. So we’ll see, I guess.
But ahdunno. Sometimes we overthink things. The Mini sounds good, and I’m not one to sit and try to analyze too much. That’s fun for some, but if I lose the music trying to listen for the bass player’s shoelace coming untied during the recording, well, that’s kind of exhausting.
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AceRimmer
(Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast!)
73
I use mine feeding my ML585 by RCA as it’s sole XLR input is used by my phono stage.
I think upsampled to dsd128 sounds pretty awesome.
Sure be nice to see what it would be like at 512 but I surely might not actually hear the difference so pretty happy with mine overall.
And to this day I still have not tried the headphones output yet
Well I am almost the other direction, 99% headphone with a period testing RCA out (and it was excellent).
Hopefully soon get more use out of it through XLR and headphones in the study.
You should try a pair of Planar headphones with it as I am sure you will have a pair.
From memory they will retain different volume levels for the different headphone sockets, though I only use the Pentacon as have more output drive, and have balanced cables.
That’s my exact pairing as well.
They work sweetly together
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AceRimmer
(Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast!)
77
Mine is in the main rig doing duty as streamer and headphones ( even though not tried that part yet).
Very satisfied with the SQ and ease of use and dare I even mention it but MQA sounds mighty fine through it too.
I guess I will try my Focal Eligia through it one day.
I have had the Mini-I Pro 3 for about 2 months and initially had it set up as a Roon Ready streaming endpoint in my bedroom for use with IEM’s.
Due to health issues I unfortunately spend a lot of time lying down or asleep and like to have music on constantly. No Ethernet, All WiFi.
I thought it worked so well that I moved my iMac (Core) to the bedroom and connected it by USB (using USB C cable to a USB A - C adapter from the iMac) and also connected the Pro 3 by XLR to a set of Adam Audio Studio Monitors. Works wonderfully, sounds great and super smooth playing of my DSD files up to DSD256. Also upsampling works extremely well using Roon DSP.
Would also love to be able to do the direct USB C to USB C connection to the Pro 3 to take advantage of the DSD512 capabilities but new processor not high on priority list as the whole system works so well at present, with my main lounge room setup being used at the same time by grouping my iPad and connecting it to my Rotel AMP and B&W Speaker System with a PC-USB connection.
The Pro 3 also handles the headphones and IEM’s effortlessly and I prefer the 4.4mm balanced output. @Michael_Harris is correct that it will retain your separate volume setting for the headphone outputs. I use Hifiman Arya Headphones, Kinera Nanna Pro 2 IEMs and Raptgo Hook Hybrid IEMs and all sound great in their own way.
Fantastic little product that is on here at least 22 hours a day and doesn’t miss a beat.
I know, I’m waking the dead posting this, but, as one who waits for good gear to go on sale, I suspect I’ll never be in the early adopter threads for these things. I got my Mini-i Pro 3 on Thursday, and I’m in love. It might be because I got a demo model, and the retailer had updated the firmware and had her running smoothly, but apart from some wacky movement from the cursor when inputting the wifi password, setup was a snap. Roon found her instantly, and I was running through my list of favourite songs to test her capabilities with not one squeal or hiss. I’ve been running Roon via a Raspberry Pi and JustBoom Digi HAT, and an iPad. The one limited the bitrate, and the other had to be recharged most nights, things that ultimately I got sick of. I’m now recharge free, and happily Hi-Res. I’m running to my Topping MX5 using the XLR to TRS, and she sounds great through my Q Acoustic 2010is. My Drop HE-X4s also sound great - I’m a budget audiophile in a small apartment. This is my most indulgent piece of kit, and she was well worth the splurge, especially at 25% off the original retail price.
Great news Fiona and a 25% discount on something of this quality is excellent. This is still an incredibly popular little Device that more than two years on is still a phenomenal piece of kit that is so flexible and just sounds fantastic however one uses it.
I hope you have many years of enjoyment with your Mini-I pro 3.
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AceRimmer
(Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast!)
81
Still my dac of choice as I see no reason at all to change it.
XLR out to my amp with Roon coming in on the i2s input.
Although it’s also a full Roon Ready device over Ethernet as well which also works superbly.
But over i2s I can upsample to dsd512.
Enjoy!
It might be because I got a demo model, and the retailer had updated the firmware and had her running smoothly, but apart from some wacky movement from the cursor when inputting the wifi password, setup was a snap. Roon found her instantly, and I was running through my list of favourite songs to test her capabilities with not one squeal or hiss. I’ve been running Roon via a Raspberry Pi and JustBoom Digi HAT, and an iPad. The one limited the bitrate, and the other had to be recharged most nights, things that ultimately I got sick of. I’m now recharge free, and happily Hi-Res. I’m running to my Topping MX5 using the XLR to TRS, and she sounds great through my Q Acoustic 2010is. My Drop HE-X4s also sound great - I’m a budget audiophile in a small apartment. This is my most indulgent piece of kit, and she was well worth the splurge, especially at 25% off the original retail price. 