Jitter Of New Mac Mini Optical Line Out Improved?

Well, that explains everything. I just got a new mac mini and I have it running wav files via audirvana plusinto a Neko DAC via toslink, and my system has never sounded so good.

This is very interesting Ryder, what is amazing is that you only had one person respond to this thread in 2011 and now another in 2013! I have a mac mini and am using it with a M2tech evo with great results, but have not even tried it with the optical output. Perhaps I should try this and give my opinion on the results.

The new Mini may have lower jitter, but I doubt if it is 10psec from the Toslink interface. Even most good clocks have jitter this low. Add any circuitry or a power supply and it is multiplied by at least 10X, particularly Toslink interfaces. At least 100-200 psec.

I don't have a 2011 Mini here or I would measure it.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

I have a friend that just bought a new MacBook Pro with Mountain Lion installed. His Macbook Pro (i5 2.5Ghz processor) sounds much better than my older Macbook Pro. Mine is running Snow Leopard and is from the generation just before the Uni-Body Macbooks came out (Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz). The sonic difference is not subtle, but glaringly obvious. Even after installing Mountain Lion on my MacBook, there was no change to the sound quality from my Macbook.

Assuming what has been said above is true (the newest Mac Mini has lower Jitter) it may be true across the entire Macintosh Product Line. Perhaps higher accuracy clocks are more readily available and becoming the norm in the industry. Does anyone have any information in that regard?

Thanks for any intel...

I doubt if they are putting low-jitter clocks in new computers. Its that the power supplies are lower noise with better voltage regulation.

I use a 2009 Mini with an external Hynes power supply. Killer good. Better than ANY newer Mini.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio