I am quite surprised by the difference in audio quality after moving Roon from a 2011 Mac Mini to a Nuc8 i7. I made the move to ditch the fan, but with the rest of system unchanged there is quite an audible difference. Better seperation and improved definition in highs.
I am very pleasantly surprised . How does that even happen? I know, many will say it didnāt and a day ago I would have agreed, but itās better.
Iām not surprised, especially if you use a direct USB connection. Iām not going to answer the how as thatās going to be attacked. Are you running ROCK?
The sound quality difference doesnāt surprise me. I run a few physical boxes to test hardware, and theyāre all patched through a mixing desk. This is only so I can patch VOIP calls together and listen to anything through a single pair of headphones or desktop speakers. Itās not a home studio setup. Iāve had a Mac Mini of one kind or another as part of this setup for 7 years, to test software Iām developing, and itās always been the noisiest component. In fact itās the only source of noise Iāve encountered. Iāve moved houses, changed hardware/cables and reconfigured several times but never fixed the issue. IMO theyāre just inherently noisy (usually a low ground style hum) compared to other devices. Given Mac Minis arenāt particularly stellar value for money either, their popularity for audio applications has always baffled meā¦
I got the same improvement going from a 2010 Mac Mini to Rock on a 6i3 NUC. Suspect itās down to the operating system being much lighter, and focused on sound.
I stream from Mac Mini to my endpoints (LS50W) via wireless Ethernet.
Do you guys think Iāll hear an improvement if I go to NUC Rock, or is it just the Mac Mini USB connection that is badly affected by noise?
Iād be surprised if there were problems over ethernet, in the end itās just a data transfer. My complaints have always been with the aux out and usb. Never streamed from the mini so not an evidence based answer.
I run my Roon Core on a Mac Mini (late 2014). Itās wired by ethernet to the router (with a WiFi hop over to the main endpoint). Iāve also used it with a direct USB connection to the DAC/amp (Peachtree Nova 150). Iāve used it within ~15 feet of my listening position, and Iāve used it a room and hallway away.
I donāt notice any ānoiseā whatsoever from the Mini. Certainly not any fan noise while music is playing. If there is an electrical hum, I donāt hear it. Not above ambient room noise with my head ~6 inches from the Mini.
I canāt speak to ābetter separationā or āimproved definitionā.
Iām not denying the OP hears these differences, and I do appreciate even reports of subjective impressions. But Iād hate to run out and buy new gear before someone can account for the āhowā or at least characterize the differences with measurements. If I were to buy new, Iād probably choose a Nucleus over a Nuc. But, Iām not sure Iād choose a Nucleus over a newer Mac Mini. There are too many benefits to having a multi-purpose computer rather than a music-only appliance (and so far, Iām not persuaded the Nucleus ā which is basically a Nuc ā will deliver better SQ).
Just for me to understand correctly, there should be a difference in audio quality when connected directly to the DAC through USB, but not really if it is connected through ethernet? I use a direct connection from the Mac mini 2011 to the router, and then ethernet to microRendu. I have had this setup for three years and am still very happy with it but always looking for improvements.
Welcome to the Roon forums @Jan_van_Gemert1. Iād say that ethernet connection should be fine. Like most topics discussed here thatās not going to be a unanimous view. Transmission of noise via USB to DACs can be DAC dependent, some deal with it some donāt.
My Mac Mini issue is with the aux (headphone jack) output via the internal sound card. I doubt anyone would recommend using that output to drive a decent quality audio system. I only use it for VOIP calls, e.g. Skype, Slack, etc. where SQ isnāt great anyway a lot of the time regardless. I donāt need extensive testing to notice the issue, an audible background hum that comes and goes, or isolate it, turn off the input from the mini to the mixing desk and it goes away. Bizarrely it usually starts when I use the scroll wheel on the mouse.
Finally if youāre happy with your setup donāt worry and just enjoy it
I donāt think it would make that much difference if youāre using the mini as ācoreā. Bridging the ethernet may help but thatās a little technical (not sure if thats possible with NUC??). It shouldnāt make much difference whatever core you are using.
You might tweak the switch arrangement, use a funky switch or optical to isolate further which can be rewarding but fairly tweakyā¦