Best DAC Mac Mini with HUGE soundstage?

Hegel HD11

I would avoid using the Toslink out on the Mac Mini. USB would be a better choice. You can get a DAC with USB support directly, or get a USB to spdif converter. That way you are not limited only to DACs with USB.

I would avoid using the Toslink out on the Mac Mini. USB would be a better choice. You can get a DAC with USB support directly, or get a USB to spdif converter. That way you are not limited only to DACs with USB.
Zd542

Not in my experience. After testing each, I much preferred the toslink out. I feed it to a Monarchy Audio Super DIP which converts it to coax output which in turn feeds the PS Audio dac.

09-14-12: Timrhu

Not in my experience. After testing each, I much preferred the toslink out. I feed it to a Monarchy Audio Super DIP which converts it to coax output which in turn feeds the PS Audio dac.

Completely agree. The USB is by far the worst way to take audio out of a Mac Mini. Toslink or firewire are the way to go.

I'm enjoying a Centrance DACmini using USB to a 2009 Mac Mini. I suggest you try the Centrance, but no matter what you choose I highly recommend an upsampler program such as the $89 Wave Editor at www.audiophile-engineering -- it uses the highly acclaimed izotope program. Upsampling to 24/96 seems to give the best results, especially if you dither first and then upsample using the gentle setting.

~Tom