iMac or Mac Mini?

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polaron

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Feb 14, 2014
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Hello
I'm new here. A few days ago, I began a post about the Mytec 192 dac and in a few days I will make a decision about what dac to buy.
Now it's time for me to think about the source. I have an iMac from 2008, but recently I installed 4GO (max for this version), ram and an ssd drive. Of course, I have now the last operating system. I am happy that my "old" iMac still has Firewire.
SO! I still don't get what is the importance of having a Mac Mini if you allready have an iMac like I do.
Will I have better sound? Can anyone please explain it for me?
Just for info or curiosity, I have a few chip amps that I'm finishing, LM3886 and LM3875, with good parts, LDR, Black Gates, gold chem, dual mono, double mono psu with 300VA each channel, etc. I like it very much, because I had a Gaincard before, stil have, and this is even better. Planning to make a Pass F5. Also, I want to buy a Job amp before the F5. My speakers are full range with Jordan drivers - amazing, I like it very much. May be I will have Audionirvana later, 12 or 15".
That's it! Thank you in advance for reading and posting.
 
Welcome to AS!! Save yourself a lot of headaches and buy this: http://audioshark.org/dac-reviews-93/lumin-review-3787.html

Sonically, it will be far superior to a "Mac & DAC".

You can also google other reviews. I've had a plethora of DAC's and MAC's and even had a friends Mytek 192. The Lumin is vastly superior in ever way. BUT - you will need:

* a Synology or QNAP NAS connected to your network via Ethernet
* an iPad
* an Ethernet connection from your router to the Lumin
* wifi in your house (which I presume you do).
 
For what you would spend on the iMac and Mytek, the Lumin via our Audioshark group buy isn't a whole lot more.
 
I think the biggest thing with a Mac Mini is its size. Its small footprint allows you to put it in your rack, or wherever your gear is, and basically forget about it. You can use a phone or a tablet to control it right from your listening spot. Some say the the OS makes a difference in sound quality but I never had that experience. If you don't mind having your iMac in your system it will work just fine.
 
about a year ago I did a comparison between a (at that time) new mac mini and a year old iMac. I used Amarra going into a Emm Dac2X.

They were close but for some reason the mac mini had a slight edge in smoothness.
 
Mike said:
Welcome to AS!! Save yourself a lot of headaches and buy this: http://audioshark.org/dac-reviews-93/lumin-review-3787.html

Sonically, it will be far superior to a "Mac & DAC".

You can also google other reviews. I've had a plethora of DAC's and MAC's and even had a friends Mytek 192. The Lumin is vastly superior in ever way. BUT - you will need:

* a Synology or QNAP NAS connected to your network via Ethernet
* an iPad
* an Ethernet connection from your router to the Lumin
* wifi in your house (which I presume you do).
Click to expand...

Hi Mike
This is a good answer, (no doubt), for all my questions and it could be the end of my nevrotic quest .
Me too, I would like to not have a computer in my nice looking hand-made wood hifi tables... (just like one more damn TV!).
The budjet is high for me, at this moment, but it would be nice to have definitive things - at least things for some years to come.
That said, I could wait a few months and make a "go" decision. Meanwhile I could buy a nice affordable dac and connect it to my powers and cd drive - there's a thousand choices up there.
Makes me think, it makes me think... and, as you say, a dac is allways a dac, and I say an amp is allways an amp, and a speaker is allways a speaker...
Now we can say a Lumin is allways a Lumin, because it can stay, this looks like a mature digital source. It can be a definitive solution for those who are trying to make the "giant" step from cd to "computer"... and I say giant also because it can be so painfull.
So, thanks for the nice suggestion, it really can be the solution I'm looking for, for so long.
I'm found to know that you also have a Job amp - am I right? So it must be an interesting partner to the Lumin and it is great news.
Allow me to say : Man, I'm excited!
 
Yes, I have the JOB amp. It represents a tremendous value and I love it's sweet sound.

As for the Lumin - just continue to read and research. I was just tired of not liking my digital. No more. I have two Lumin's and after two solid months of listening (I can't even listen to my vinyl because fumble fingers here broke one of the leads in the tonearm).

I found that the whole DAC chase was a never ending merry go round. Every week there was another expensive DAC that was proclaimed to be the best. Costing tens of thousands of dollars and yet, sounding no more musical....just more digital.

For me, and I think it's safe to say, many others here, the Lumin Network Music Player has broken that circle.

The proof is in the pudding. I can now sit and listen to digital for hours on end - and get no fatigue whatsoever.

As Mark (MDP) said about his Lumin, "music just flows from it."


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
I wiill add a strong 2nd to Mike's opinion. I too have owned many expensive DACs and used four different Macs, the last being being a Mac Mini because I wanted it integrated with the audio system, rather than at a distance. The Lumin is the best of all, hands down. You can see that my analogue isn't too shabby, but as Mike said, I too am giving it much less play time than before the Lumin!
 
If you are starting at the go-line for a computer & dac & don't have the money to spare as in a hobbies frivolity, then my advice is to get the Lumin, it's got you covered for the dac & player.
 
I agree, that's why I said I prefer to buy the Lumin, cause it is a definitive thing - and better - rather than buying a dac, etc, then another dac and so on.
That, (Lumin), is expensive but in the end of the day it is not.
As french say : "le pas cher coute cher". Meaning, the cheap is costier. Even so, you have to have the money. I read that the company will come out with a cheaper version, but I don't know if it will be released this year.
Anyway, I'll have to wait for funds, just a few months. For me it is a lot of money, but I want it. I want to seat and hear music, not machines. Sometimes we spend to much time around hifi, wich is good, afterall it is our passion/hobby, but sometimes we (I!) forget music. I had to do my researches in the web, and I think I finally got where I wanted to.
When we search we find, no matter it is, sometimes it takes time. If it exists, you'll find it. I think we found it, when I read about Lumin.
 
Polaron - you sound like a very wise man.

As for the cheaper version(s) - we are talking July/August.

P.S. I love that French saying "le pas cher coute cher."
 
:) Well, I'm 52 years old and I have my share of ups and downs like everybody, but I learned.
I may be buying the actual version before the cheaper one come to market.
I just bought an Anedio2, 20 minuts ago - I know it seems contraditory, but I want this dac and I bought it very cheap, neat. I can sell it later for the same price in a day or two.
While waiting, I can hear music with The Anedio. Its not so fancy as the Lumin, but it doesn't hurts neither!
The guy who sold it told me he's going to buy an Auralic Vega, (more refined), funny, it's the dac I would buy if I could spend that money now and didn'y know about the Lumin.
I told him about the Lumin and he will read your review and others like the 6moon's. May be he'll give up on the Auralic...
 
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