2. digital
  3. 1323911432

Jitter Of New Mac Mini Optical Line Out Improved?

I read somewhere that the optical line out (headphone mini-jack) of the new Mac Mini Lion 2011 model has a low jitter of 20 ps whilst the older model has a jitter ranging from 200 to 250 ps. The older models were claimed to have poor jitter up to 800 ps.

Due to the low jitter response on the optical line out of the new Mac Mini, it was claimed that the Lion OS Mac Mini can be connected directly to a DAC via a good glass optical cable without the use of external converters or other similar devices which are made redundant. The sound quality was said to be excellent.

Any thoughts if the optical line out of the new Mac Mini is an improved version of the older Mac Minis? Anybody measured the jitter response of the Macs?

Any advice appreciated.
ryder
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
The new Mini may have lower jitter, but I doubt if it is 10psec from the Toslink interface. Even most good clocks have jitter this low. Add any circuitry or a power supply and it is multiplied by at least 10X, particularly Toslink interfaces. At least 100-200 psec.

I don't have a 2011 Mini here or I would measure it.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
hightechredneck
27 posts
 
I have a friend that just bought a new MacBook Pro with Mountain Lion installed. His Macbook Pro (i5 2.5Ghz processor) sounds much better than my older Macbook Pro. Mine is running Snow Leopard and is from the generation just before the Uni-Body Macbooks came out (Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz). The sonic difference is not subtle, but glaringly obvious. Even after installing Mountain Lion on my MacBook, there was no change to the sound quality from my Macbook.

Assuming what has been said above is true (the newest Mac Mini has lower Jitter) it may be true across the entire Macintosh Product Line. Perhaps higher accuracy clocks are more readily available and becoming the norm in the industry. Does anyone have any information in that regard?

Thanks for any intel...
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
I doubt if they are putting low-jitter clocks in new computers. Its that the power supplies are lower noise with better voltage regulation.

I use a 2009 Mini with an external Hynes power supply. Killer good. Better than ANY newer Mini.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
hightechredneck
27 posts
 
Steve-Assuming you are using that 2009 Mac Mini with the Off Ramp and not the Toslink?

I have the same model Mini and it does not compare to the 2012 MBP using Toslink.

Is it your opinion that jitter is increased / exacerbated primarily as a result of poor power supplies?
ddd1
261 posts
 
Review okay till I hit this at the end:

"it is every bit as good as my Dolby S Cassette Deck". I am not in the market for either a cassette deck or something every bit as good as a cassette deck.
More to discover