Suggestions on Better Server Setup than Mac Mini

I am not familiar with ultra Fi but you could switch to a more reputed DAC

Chord, Benchmark, Bryston, NAD, Schiit or Holospring

there is s nothing badly wrong with the Mac mini and iTunes - like most computers you get crashes from time to time. Chrome browser was a problem for me on the MAc Mini but on a PC it will be something else....

I'd stick with the mini as you may need to convert every track on there - dunno how many you have but I have in the 20k range

you could try to find a more reliable player - some are buggy

do you have DSD or is it all Redbook?

ask at
www.computeraudiophile.com/

@cdc2 .. many of us have dumped our computers for dedicated streamers. There are some very good options at every price point. IMO a streamer is a more elegant solution. After years with a Mac mini based audio system I bought a Bluesound Node 2. It’s been over a year now and I’m still very happy I went down this road.

I agree that dedicated server is more "elegant" solution, but Mac Mini, that I use, is not bad at all.  It is pleasure to use IMHO, at least for me, have very little software issues, is very secure and rock solid (in comparison to Windows).  I assume that USB on the Ultra Fi Dac is asynchronous.  In such case computer timing is not important and it can be used as home computer for other tasks at the same time.

Consider an RPI3 with a Digi hat to read the data from a NAS or USB hdd.  I assure you, it will sound better than a Mac Mini or USB out from a PC to your dac.  Use Rune, Moode or equivalent as software.  This is all very cheap but fantastic sound quality.  Rpi plug-n-play players are out there and they should play ALAC files.