jinjuku, an interesting test! Let me see if I understand this correctly; you used the "twin CPU" method, ie. one tower for a library, and the other for the file playback? That is what I presume when you say, "I set up a second machine..."
I have an interesting story to tell; a local computer audio enthusiast came to help set up my Mac Mini server years ago. He brought his entire two tower PC system with special software, HQ Player. We listened to his expensive, $3K+ file server system. Then on a whim he said that HQ Player also had a Mac version. We downloaded it on trial, played it and in comparison the stock Mac Mini with HQ Player was indistinguishable from the more expensive, much more complex digital server using two computers. That taught me fancier setups are not always better! So, my experience is the exact opposite of yours. I found that much more complex digital sources are not always better. Further, if they are insensitive to wiring changes, then I would not be much interested in them.
So, I'm not overly impressed when someone puts up a very involved computer server regardless of cost, given that a stock Mac Mini performed the same given the same software. However, the Mac Mini was sensitive to cables, both power and digital links. My goal is to build better sounding systems, and if any product/method is incapable of it I don't think it's terribly good.
I have an interesting story to tell; a local computer audio enthusiast came to help set up my Mac Mini server years ago. He brought his entire two tower PC system with special software, HQ Player. We listened to his expensive, $3K+ file server system. Then on a whim he said that HQ Player also had a Mac version. We downloaded it on trial, played it and in comparison the stock Mac Mini with HQ Player was indistinguishable from the more expensive, much more complex digital server using two computers. That taught me fancier setups are not always better! So, my experience is the exact opposite of yours. I found that much more complex digital sources are not always better. Further, if they are insensitive to wiring changes, then I would not be much interested in them.
So, I'm not overly impressed when someone puts up a very involved computer server regardless of cost, given that a stock Mac Mini performed the same given the same software. However, the Mac Mini was sensitive to cables, both power and digital links. My goal is to build better sounding systems, and if any product/method is incapable of it I don't think it's terribly good.