preventing usb bus overload.

I've heard connecting multiple USB cables is a matter of audio quality/jitter concerns. I know independent labs measured it high. I use a Mac mini as a music server and there was a question of which port to use for audio. Most said the USB port closest to the A/C outlet was preferred as this would eliminate "noise" in an aluminum bodied Mac mini. Personally, I didn't notice noise, regardless of USB port used. Of course, I use a DAC.

But Apple seems to have eliminated audio quality/jitter concerns with the release of the current/uni-body generation of Mac minis.

My experience with NAS over WiFi wasn't very good.
I was using a Sonos with WD MyBook Live 2Tb about two years ago.
The sound was satisfactory but I was getting buffering problems,sound stopping,spinning balls.
Then on someone's advice I bought a powerline device by Dlink. It definitely helped a lot,most problems went away but still on occasion I had music dropouts.
I abandoned that setup in favor of the macmini server.
It works 100 percent with never a hickup since my music files are in an external Lacie 3Tb USB3 drive directly attached to the macmini via USB.
Should I expect an improvement if I connected a NAS drive to the macmini via Ethernet to avoid WiFi or it doest matter.
I ask this because every experiment seems to cost a few hundred dollars, and if don't work I am, left with gadgets all over the house unused.
Thanks
George

Correct, George. Hardwire the NAS to your router. You are right about not liking wifi. It really isn't ready for prime time if you don't have some networking experience.

George, if you dont have any problem, stay how you are. I don't use USB except for my mouse and keyboard. I use my NAS drive via ethernet to my router and ethernet from my router to my PC. I have a soundcard and use a 10 metre spdif cable into my sound room next door where I reclock and upsample the sound card to make up for the long cable. I use a squeezebox for tidal streaming. The Lacie is a great drive and I would not change it. I was going wth Lacie but ended up with the Drobo only because it was more practical. Lacie drives are the best you can get (next to drives we don't know about).

Cerrot
T
A big thanks.As I mentioned earlier,my little setup works like a charm. But as you know,we never leave things alone in this hobby.So this post made me think twice whether I should buy another drive with Firewire800 port and avoid the aforementioned usb bus overload thing.My dac and external Lacie drive are both connected into my macmini with USB.
I already have a NAS, actually two of them. The second I haven't even put to use yet,but if I was to go that route,then I need to run Ethernet cable from router to destination,where my macmini is placed.
The run will probably take 80 feet of cable,going through the wall and ceiling. How long can Ethernet cable be?
Can I buy it raw (what is it the cat6 ) and terminate it once it's fished through.Obviously having plugs at the ends makes it harder to fish.
Other thing I could do is get another Lacie firewire drive for a few hundred dollars and replace my existing Lacie USB3 drive. Having said that,I got honestly like six older drives lying around unused,from previous purchases. It never even ends!
Decisions,decisions.
George