Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Marc, I totally agree with you. So often people scoff at budget gear, but there's a market for them, because you can hear a nice difference. Honestly, I have an old Krell Stealth Dac that I'm putting into my system tomorrow.  It doesn't have USB, but it had balanced, two coax and a couple or so optical.  I've had it in the system before and it's really nice for an older piece. I'm about to place it up for sale as some folks just love Krell pieces, but I've heard a ton of DAC's from 1500 down that are really nice sounding.  Incremental upgrades are what audio is all about.  Then you have to figure out where you have to jump off the train.  

So a couple of the worst sounding reproductions I’ve heard came from a Mac Mini. Not sure if it was really a Mac issue or coincidental. One was with the Oppo high end headphone DAC/Amp.

The other was the sound of an Ayre QB-9. I love Ayre and the Pono. They sound warm and rich but the one time I heard a QB-9 playing from a Mac it sounded really hard. Another listener who owns a QB-9 said the same thing.

I don’t think it’s worthwhile going crazy making the Mac Mini audiophile grade, but it may be something to watch out for. I don’t know if the issue was ground loops, or what.

In any event, I likd Shiidt, Audio Research and Parasound’s Z DAC a lot, as well as the Ayre DAC’s, of course! :) Actually I got to hear all of those (except the Z DAC) driven off a Mac Mini, and only the Ayre was a real disappointment, it just did not sound as good as I know it could have.  The other three, the Shiidt and AR were my favorites.  I forgot now what kind of hoops they ended up jumping through, USB Isolators, or cables, etc. but in that environment if I had to listen via a Mini, I'd choose the Shiidt or AR.

Money, time and effort no object I'd try to make the Ayre sound good. :)

Best,


Erik

The Mini that I have was totally rebuilt by Steve himself as it was his old server he used at shows.  I has it's limit, but with the Hynes regulated power supply and all the mods he did, it's not like any mini I've ever heard.  I'm about to purchase the Melco to use only as a NAS eventually.  As I think I've posted, this is the unit that the Ayre folks use with their QX-5/Twenty.  Even if I don't get the new Ayre, the Melco will be a great NAS and can be used as the streamer/server also.  With the new update to the Melco, you can easily rip to it also and I know they are even working on an optical drive of their own that will just rip quickly and easily with dbpoweramp.  

ctsooner kind of proves my point. :)  That's a lot of upgrading to make a source sound good. 

I'm sticking to my Logitech Squeezebox until the Zombie apocalypse happens, thank you very much.  Then I plan to walk into an empty audio store and pick up something for free. 

Best,

Erik 

What are you talking about Erik?  What point?  Proves nothing other than I am upgrading again as I have been planing for ages.  The digital system I have/selling is awesome and worthy to be in the highest of systems.  I already miss the darn thing.  The DCS, Trinity and Berk Ref are the only other DAC's I've personally heard enough of to like better than the OSDE/SE.  As for the Mac Mini, it sounds nothing like other servers I've heard.  I do feel some of them are better, but they are also in another price range totally. I'm not sure the N10H sound better.  Different, but not sure it's better.  That's nearly 3k for the server.  I do know the ones lower I don't like.  I hope that servers that are new and much more costly sound better.  If not, there's a problem.  If you want to try and read into my mind and come up with something that isn't true to let you prove a point, go ahead.  Very strange response, but I'm not here to fight.  I'm sure that you are correct in all your assumptions Erik. Still don't understand the second part of your post and I had someone contact me off board to ask what you meant in your post.  Congrats on waiting to get something for nothing.  I'm glad you love your system.  That's what audio is all about. :)