Audiophile music server mac mini

Anyway, the laptop was the easy out, but even that was a picnic, because I had to make several attempts at just getting the damn DAC device to connect to the computer. I tried multiple drivers, and, it turns out, I was using the wrong one, so I had to get the updated version for Windows 7 with the new DAC-it model yada yada, it was a real pain in the rear. BUT, once it got going, the music was spectacular. Next, I tried Plex, which lets you run your own media server over your private network.

You get an internet router, an network connection, sometimes both items are integrated, and you get your computer that you can connect wirelessly or with an ethernet cable.

Plex lets you stream any content, especially videos and high res FLAC files over your own network. There were two big problems I had with Plex.

Build a Music Server Using the Mac Mini | agfox.com

Number one, the wireless reception in my bedroom isn't strong enough to stream really high bitrates like that from the living room router. We would have delays on occation. Number two, and just as importantly, there's latency between tracks!! When you listen to recordings that span the entire "side" of a disc, you have to have seamless switching between tracks, otherwise you will hear a second gap in between sections of a recording. It's incredibly distracting. It was unbearable, and it reminds me of a third problem that I'll add..

I have to run my big desktop computer and the equipment in my bedroom at the same time; a pretty good waste of electricity since the desktop computer was only hosting the files.

Turning a Mac Into a Music Server

Clearly, I need a better solution. I was happy to go with it, until I saw the outrageous price. Many people prefer to use an external drive because loading up your main hard drive with music files can potentially slow your computer's overall performance, especially when you get to the end of your drive's storage limits.

This was important when storage was expensive, but now storage is plentiful and cheap. Hi-res music files are available for download from a number of websites, including: If you're looking for suggestions on high-quality audio recordings, check out the reviews on our sister site, AudiophileReview.

Here are a few great-sounding albums all available as hi-res downloads that I'd put on my list of desert island discs:. Abraxas Mozart: Sticky Fingers Bob Marley: Legend you are on a desert island, after all Steely Dan: Aja Jethro Tull: My current total storage need is approximately 2.

Build a Music Server Using the Mac Mini

I had to leave some of my more esoteric albums off the iCloud drive to fit under the 2TB size limit. All your Excel spreadsheets, Word docs, and PowerPoint presentations are automatically stored there and are available for collaboration between users.

Amazon's Drive allows you to upload up to songs for free. I currently use Apple's iCloud because I've been deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem from the first-generation iPod, but Amazon's value proposition is compelling. I am strongly considering making the switch. If anyone out there has made the switch, I'd love to hear about your experience in the Comments section. Playback Software Once you have begun to build your hi-res audio library, how do you play the files in a way that maintains their high bit and sample rate?

Blog: Audiophile Sound powered by Mac Mini, and other nonsense.

The VLC player can be downloaded here. Why not just use iTunes?

Apple offers all its computers with different memory and hard-drive configurations. You can order a Mac directly from Apple exactly the way you want it or you can purchase a barebones configuration and add your own memory and storage later. OtherWorld Computing sells all the necessary parts as well as step-by-step instructional videos on its site for installing memory, solid-state drives, and auxiliary hard drives for nearly every model Mac.

If you want to do an audio-only computer system, be aware that there are different levels of audio-only exclusivity. Access to the Internet is not necessary to play back a music file, but it does allow for greater levels of operability, including access to Internet radio which can be very good , streaming services, and GraceNote for identifying ripped CDs.

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But a system with Internet access means that more operations will be ongoing and some could have an effect on overall audio quality. The tweakiest and most obsessive sound-quality-first Mac setups tend to be isolated stand-alone systems without Internet access. PreSonus, in its guide to Mac OS use, recommends turning off the airport wireless service while using a Mac for audio.

Obviously this drastically reduces functionality, sort of like supergluing your mouth closed to keep from occasionally drooling.

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This is great until you need to find a file. There is no reason that a current-generation Mac needs to be gelded into a barebones operating system to perform optimally for audio. The Mac operating system and hardware were made for multitasking, and the Mac will be performing background processes while playing music even if it has been stripped-down.