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Suggestions on Better Server Setup than Mac Mini

I'm using a Mac Mini as my server, with Audnirvana and external Ultra Fi Dac, which sounds great when it runs, problem is what with apple updates, software issues, connectivity glitches, the system is a pain to use. 

Suggestions on what would be easier to use, potentially sound better and wouldn't cost more than $2k to upgrade?



cdc2
randy-11
1,913 posts
 
wouldn't he have to move all files to a Pi?

BTW, OP how many files are involved?
rbstehno
1,398 posts
 
Mac mini using iTunes sucks! When I switched to audirvana 2.x I switched from an iTunes library to the audirvana library, much better. 
I thought it was very good until I heard and evaluated dedicated music servers, and ended up getting the Auralic Aries, much better than the Mac mini / audirvana setup. I converted the Mac mini into an OS X server with 20TB of raid disk to store my audio music and other shared data. 
After the Aries, I moved up to the ps audio directstream with bridge ii and it is much better than the Auralic Aries and with my other dac using USB. The bridge ii uses the i2s interface internally between the bridge and dac
cdc2 OP
122 posts
 
The Mac Mini with Audirvana already sounds pretty good, so a set up from there must sound awesome.

Questions:
  • Converting Mac mini into OS X server - best way to do this, step by step instructions, and how does this affect the itunes library file?
  • If I have downloaded itunes in addition to ripped music files, does this affect playback?
  • If I download itunes files in the future how does that work?
  • With your music server - isn’t that essentially a storage device too or is it just pulling from the OS X server and a bridge to your dac?
  • The Mac Mini is currently set up to play on a dedicated system as well as thru our Sonus system elsewhere in the house. How would this transition affect that? Would Sonus still be able to pull from the OS X server?
  • How are you playing tunes, with what app (currently I’m using the Apple Remote app)?
  • What else am I missing?
bondmanp
1,781 posts
 
FWIW, I use a Vortexbox Appliance, available from Little Green Computer.  It runs on Linux and uses FLAC files.  To batch convert your music to FLAC, I recommend dBPoweramp.  I currently stream the Vortexbox over my home WiFi network to my Squeezebox Touch, but I am sure other streamers will work, as the Vortexbox is DLNA compliant.  I think there is a list of compatible gear at the Vortexbox forum.  This is a very economical way to go, if not necessarily the ultimate in performance.  But I can't complain - my files sound great on my system.
bigkidz
3,307 posts
 
Just build your own.

Happy Listening.
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