New Mac Mini Outputs

IME, Optical with a good cable will beat USB unless you are going into a very good USB DAC or into a very good USB-SPDIF converter. Toslink out of a Mac will do 24/96 if your DAC will, but the USB inputs on most DACs will not accommodate the hi-rez stuff.

thx all- my dac does not have usb- i am trying to cheap out on this one with a used mini. ill buy a better dac down the road but my experience, at least when i bought it from MSB years ago was +. the dacs in my old Ovation 8 and my mcintosh sounded better to me so I banished it to the basement. Ill bring it back into service until the time comes when my wife does not notice me spending money on stuff. the link dac is 24/96 so if toslink allows that level of signal, it will be a good start

You do get very reasonable SQ out of Toslink but I would suggest to use a USB-SPDIF converter whenever possible. I am using the Wavelink through my MM and it a hugh upgrade from my Optocoupler toslink cable.

The M2 Tech Hiface provides excellent USB to SPDIF conversion. I have gone a different direction using the Toslink (headset outlet) out to a Pop Pulse that converts to SPDIF. Gives me great sounding 24/96 in the pre/pro. The Pop Pulse was about $150 - same as the Hiface unless you go for the modded version from John Kenny. His mods are well worth the investment IMO.

This string was about when mack releaseed the unibody Mini MC270LL/A 2.4GHZ 2GB 320GB HD...
Now that is the old oen and they just released the new ones: MC815LL/A and MC816LL/A (both with no drive built in anymore). I have spare outboard drives, so the question I pose now is Mini MC270LLA OR newer MC815LL/A?