I've had the best experience with the newer Lacie drives. I've had some trouble with newer Seagates (which surprises me). I've had good experience with Western Digital, but I've mainly used their USB versions.
Don't rule out using a NAS or Apple Time Capsule. They can be placed anywhere and eliminate one more physical connection to the music source. Also evaluate the Apple Remote app and the AirPort Express. Very handy devices.... ;)
What type of internal hard drive are you using with the Mac Mini? I think good SSD drives sound much better if you are connecting the Mini directly to the DAC.
Don't rule out using a NAS or Apple Time Capsule. They can be placed anywhere and eliminate one more physical connection to the music source. Also evaluate the Apple Remote app and the AirPort Express. Very handy devices.... ;)
What type of internal hard drive are you using with the Mac Mini? I think good SSD drives sound much better if you are connecting the Mini directly to the DAC.