26-Dec-2018, 14:03
(25-Dec-2018, 21:34)Sailor4W Wrote: It's interesting to see that most seem to veer away from Mac Mini as a server and rather opt for a music server. I for myself, went the other route: I used an Aurender N100H for a long time, and just a few days ago I bought a new 6-core Mac Mini i7, with 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD internal storage and an external 2 TB SSD. I run Roon on it, the Mac Mini is in my office and feed my Devialet Expert 120 two floors down with a Cat 7a ethernet cable. The Mac Mini, of course, is controlled with my iPad Mini that connects to an Orbi Netgear. I haven't tried connecting the Mac Mini via USB to my Devialet, since I really want to have it tucked away from my living room.
So far, I am very pleased with the outcome, I actually prefer the Mac Mini over the Aurender in SQ, as I feel the Roon/Mac Mini combination is a bit more resolving than the Aurender. The N100H is very good, plays music from an absolutely black background, but for me it always sounded a bit dark, lacking a bit the highs. And unfortunately, the Aurender's UI is a bit meagre, but absolutely reliable. Also, integration of both streaming services, Tidal and Qobuz, is a big plus for the Conductor app. This, however, might very well be included into Roon in the near future.
All in all, I am very pleased with the Mac Mini as my music centre, but I won't let the 100H go. It's good to have an alternative should I encounter difficulties with my Mac Mini (which I don't assume, but one never knows).
Thanks for your response! the N100H is one of the serious contenders because of it's build quality, power supply, ease of use and looks. Love the VU meter analog look! :
the main cons are usb only and no Roon.But the price even 2nd hand is steep. I have an option for €1750. I don't mind spending that kind of money if I'm sure that it will add quite a step up in SQ. To be honest, I'm almost convinced it won't.
I am just listening to an MQA album (Tidal) "Evo sessions" by Chlara. The first song just snaps through my system D200 + Raidho X1. Comparing usb vs ethernet air it is clear that there is better channel separation in favor of ETH. In this song you can clearly hear that because of the acoustic guitars. The decay is also better.
Admittedly I am using a cheap standard usb cable vs AQ vodka ethernet.
But there are plenty times that it just does not sound great. I am guessing it's mainly because of the files / recording quality because some albums (like Patricia Barber's cafe blue) sound great.
So still on the fence......:/
btw: is there a way to optimise the Synology DS 718 for SQ by installing Roon server? Or is it best to install all on the internal 500gb SSD of the mini?
