CAPS 3.0 Zuma vs Mac Mini

Ryan, how does the Red Wine Audio battery powersupply that is an option for the Zuma factor in to this. Is this an instance of an "ATX Linear Supply".

so does "electrical noisiness" of the motherboard components also enter into this?

The battery power supply from RWA is a single rail supply. They basically output using a 12V LiFePO4 battery, this 12VDC goes through a DC-ATX converter (basically a mini switchmode power supply) and that DC-ATX converter generates the necessary voltages from the battery along with sequencing and logic info the motherboard needs. It is not anywhere close in performance to a linear power supply, let alone an ATX linear power supply. Now, it's certainly a good option over MOST linear power supplies and a stock switchmode supply, just not the best solution by any means.

The electrical noisiness of the motherboard is going to depend on several factors. I prefer full ATX motherboards because they generally have more space for filtration between sections of the board.

The CPUs are generally quite well filtered with a bank of 24-30 capacitors right under the socket and several organic polymer caps around the outside of that.

To combat EMI on the board itself I shield the motherboard.

With my ATX power supply and ATX filtered cables it allows for both very low noise on all 10 power supply rails(<3uV RMS) and galvanic isolation between devices (HD, CPU, motherboard, mechanical devices, etc).

I have a thorough article on my website about batteries vs linear power supplies and several other articles about computer audio in general. Lots of tips for folks who want to build their own server based on my research. You can pretty much duplicate what I do in my Kryptos servers if you're willing to do a little homework.

-Ryan

Thanks for explaining Ryan.

As always, the golden rule of audio applies; No matter how much money you spend and what you buy, there is always a better mousetrap.

"Always a better mousetrap" is depressing. And, of course, subjective.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Intel's SSDs, but not so of their motherboards. I'm a HUGE fan of FANLESS! Both the garbage created by the motor and sound it makes as it moves air are distractions, to me.

There is a lot of pseudo-science out there aimed to explain what sounds good, and what does not sound good, in the world of computer audio. The trouble is, we've hit a point where our theories of electricity (theories are just elaborate models) cease to describe the entire situation. To some degree, we are still pioneers in the field of digital audio and our theories are horribly unproven.

Many who sell digital audio gear are pushing theories in an effort to further their marketing, or justify their design decisions. (Reminds me of "tubes sound better/worse" thinking.)

Ultimately, you have to listen. Within any given budget, at any price point, there are many options. Until you listen to a unit in your own system, you won't know for sure. Perhaps you can trust a reviewer to listen for you. Perhaps you can take a suggestion from a friend. Perhaps you can believe the sales pitch from a manufacturer -- and perhaps you can't.

What you can do is trust your ears. I, for example, only buy items I can listen to for an extended period first... and I only buy items that sound more accurate to me than the item it is replacing.

So... I'd suggest you negotiate a loaner, or find a manufacturer with a money back guarantee. Best case would be to find one who encourages you to listen for yourself!