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Dummy Guide on What's Needed to hook up Mini Mac

I have read many post on this issue, but am still utterly confused.

Current system Mini Mac will be hooked up to:
YBA stereo integrated amp
Oppo universal player
Madisound home made speaker system

1.) What exactly do I need to buy and how do I hook up a Mini Mac digital playback system to my current system for CD playback?

2.) How do I get CD's into it?

3.) Do I need external DAC and transport?

4.) How much memory in hard drive is needed?

5.) Can it operate with a remote?

6.) Will this system act like a music server?

7.) Is the sound quality as good as high end CD player?

Finally:

8.) I don't know what questions to ask, as I'm a real dummy on this issue, so please tell me what to buy (on a budget) and what to do?
128x128mjcmt
jax2
3,031 posts
 
No whirring noise if playing from iTunes. Yes, you'd rip them via the CD drive on the computer. Yes, you could play DVD's on the MacBook - the software comes with the operating system. Yep around 220+ lossless CD's on your 80gb drive....correct.

Marco
bruce_1
96 posts
 
If you are wanting to get the best sound for the least investment using a Mac as your source, see my thread: Digital Playback Comparison which I posted yesterday. There is a significant difference in sound quality from the different methods of using a Mac in the system.
jax2
3,031 posts
 
Interesting review, Bruce_1. Thanks for posting your comments. My experiences have been somewhat similar to what you observed, and I agree, a burned CD can frequently sound better than the original. I tried my friends HAG USB converter and didn't much like it - preferred the Waveterminal U24 I was using at the time (no longer available). Airport Express has certainly not been much of a thrill to me either, and has occurred as a major compromise to me (fine for non-critical listening and convenience). I also have marginally preferred coaxial over toslink in most applications, while in others could not hear a difference. I'm sure this depends upon the actual components involved as well as the cables. Thanks for posting that - it's always good to hear what others' experiences are like with this stuff.

Marco
rbstehno
1,406 posts
 
laptops would be the worst type of computers to use for a constant music source, they get hot, fan gets really noisy, and the life of the computer will be shortened. Heat is the worst thing for a laptop. why do you think they make those cool pads with fans in them, so they can cool your laptop. I know, i have a macbook and have friends that have macbook pro's. if you look at a true server type of machine, you will find multiple fans or in the case of the mini, a design that gets the heat out.
there was a review of the airport express a few years ago that a stereophile guy wrote on the airport express using his mark levinson dac and he raved about it. a good dac or a great dac will improve the sound whether it is from a toslink or coax cable more so than a $100 usb dac will provide.
bruce_1
96 posts
 
Rbsteho, you are right--I wouldn't recommend for anyone to use a laptop as their primary source. I used mine solely for the purpose of the test. My plan is to get 30ft of coaxial cable and use my iMac desktop computer as a source (iMac-->USB cable-->HagUSB-->coax-->Trivista as DAC-->preamp).

Marco, thanks for your comments. I think I should be able to do better than the HagUSB, but I'm not sure what that would be. I need to cover 30ft of distance from my computer to the TriVista, and the HagUSB solution is better than the Airport Express with Toslink out. I might go with an Empirical Audio Pace Car reclocker between the AE and the TriVista if I knew that the $1500 for it would be a significant improvement over the HagUsb and 30ft of coax.

Does anyone want to comment on the best solution to using a remote computer as a source, given that you can't use a run of USB cable for long distances?
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