rlb61, I use Itunes on the Mac Mini to send files over 5GHz Wi-Fi to Airport Express connected by the Toslink to Benchmark DAC3.
I use Wi-Fi to separate computer from the audio system and to avoid cables across the room. Computer (speed amount of memeory etc.) and playback program become irrelevant since data has no timing attached (packets). you will be able to use computer during playback. Dual band router is necessary to transmit over 5GHz since 12 channel 2.4GHz in reality has only 3 channels (each channel is 4 channels wide) and I was getting dropouts. 5GHz is rock steady (not that popular, lot of channels, penetrates walls poorly). You will need also jitter suppression before the DAC. There is about 260ps of jitter on the output of AE. Not bad, but audibility level is about 50ps. You could either get jitter suppressing DAC or reclocker (like Synchro Mesh from Empirical Audio - post above). I use jitter suppressing DAC but reclocker has advantage of allowing you choice of any DAC. You need good coax cable after reclocker (to avoid introduction of new jitter), but you can get it from the same source (Empirical Audio). Airport Express is limited to 16/44.1 and that's OK with me (I ripped all my CDs using XLD). I chose AE since Apple TV outputs at 16/48 - not ideal since it is forcing conversion 16/44.1 to 16/48.
If you decide to use Itunes make "Smart Playlists" for each genre ("when genre is ......"), and correct genre of each ripped CD (some come with strange genre names). That will place thumbnails in row and columns and will make Itunes much easier to use (in fact close to perfect). I start name of my Smart Playlists with "-" to separate them from other items on the left column menu.
I use Wi-Fi to separate computer from the audio system and to avoid cables across the room. Computer (speed amount of memeory etc.) and playback program become irrelevant since data has no timing attached (packets). you will be able to use computer during playback. Dual band router is necessary to transmit over 5GHz since 12 channel 2.4GHz in reality has only 3 channels (each channel is 4 channels wide) and I was getting dropouts. 5GHz is rock steady (not that popular, lot of channels, penetrates walls poorly). You will need also jitter suppression before the DAC. There is about 260ps of jitter on the output of AE. Not bad, but audibility level is about 50ps. You could either get jitter suppressing DAC or reclocker (like Synchro Mesh from Empirical Audio - post above). I use jitter suppressing DAC but reclocker has advantage of allowing you choice of any DAC. You need good coax cable after reclocker (to avoid introduction of new jitter), but you can get it from the same source (Empirical Audio). Airport Express is limited to 16/44.1 and that's OK with me (I ripped all my CDs using XLD). I chose AE since Apple TV outputs at 16/48 - not ideal since it is forcing conversion 16/44.1 to 16/48.
If you decide to use Itunes make "Smart Playlists" for each genre ("when genre is ......"), and correct genre of each ripped CD (some come with strange genre names). That will place thumbnails in row and columns and will make Itunes much easier to use (in fact close to perfect). I start name of my Smart Playlists with "-" to separate them from other items on the left column menu.
