Mac Mini Power Supply
It was a perfectly fair question and I answered it. It is also somewhat rhetorical. Why spend $400 when you can get better sound, lower power consumption, and less cables? There is no reason to whatsoever. If all those things were true and you could pay $400 for the new mini rather than $400 for a PSU upgrade then that would be a no brainer. The problem is that the new mini doesn't necessarily sound better than the 09 mini with or without upgrades. It might, it might not. The only facts of this equation are: one, that my power supply is $450; two, it did make a substantial positive difference to the 09 mini; and three, that the 2010 mini starts at $700. So if someone asked me what would make a more worthwhile difference: upgrading the power supply on the 09 mini for $450 or buying an entirely new computer for $700 I would say that's a fairly simple decision. The mac mini supply can always be resold for nearly what you paid for it, it's much more difficult to get your money out of a used computer. However, if you wish to argue that a $700 upgrade outperforms a $450 upgrade then I think that is perfectly fair. It certainly is a more expensive price tag and one would conceivably think it should perform at a higher level. |
"The problem is that the new mini doesn't necessarily sound better than the 09 mini with or without upgrades. It might, it might not." Based on all the reports I've read it does. I place just as much faith in these reports as you and others claiming that your $450. power supply makes "a substantial positive difference to the 09 mini." There's no proof that- "The mac mini supply can always be resold for nearly what you paid for it, it's much more difficult to get your money out of a used computer." It's very obvious that you started this thread as a fishing expedition to help sell your linear PSUs. If your PSUs are so good, pay for an audiogon listing. |
By wgscott: "I upgraded from 2009 to 2010 mini the day it became available. It was a huge improvement for video. I haven't noticed any difference in sound quality from the 2009 version (both had stock power supplies and were off-the-shelf standard components, no modifications). So I would take reports of a dramatic improvement with a grain of salt." There were similar reports on the acircle threads. The only person to have tested an aftermarket power supply on the mini was Eric of DB Audio labs. He sells the Tranquility DAC for a living and this was posted on a Tranquility thread. He also did not mention what LPSU he tested or if he even tested one, just that it would beat any modded 09 minis. From what I've read there has been only one test that was run between the 2010 mini and the 09 mini that had results that were favorable to the 2010 for audio. I'm not bragging that my LPSUs are "so good." If they were perfect I wouldn't be working on a higher end supply. My only comment was that you are comparing apples to oranges... two differently priced units for two different applications. My purpose for this thread was to raise awareness about the performance benefits of upgrading the mini's power supply. I totally understand people's apprehension at purchasing an aftermarket power supply and the performance benefits thereof. If they are concerned, they are welcome to email me. The best I can do is give them references, offer returns, and describe the technology. If you aren't convinced then that's no sweat off my back, I'm just trying to help. Your points are becoming redundant. I appreciate you playing devils advocate so that people browsing the thread can do ample research. It is important that they see alternative options for their upgrade paths. We now understand that someone could upgrade their PSU on the 09 mini or buy a 2010 mini. I could go as far as to say that they would both benefit someone's audio system. Which is "better" cannot be debated without further testing. So unless you have more information to provide or a new point to make, I'd appreciate that you stop attacking everything that I say. I have not once attacked your character, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't attack mine. |
A few updates... My high-end power supply is now available. I also have a few modifications under way to allow the 2010 Mac Mini to function with my power supplies. I have had quite a few requests over the past few months about my amplifiers and power supplies so I created a website. It's very much a work in progress, but at least it's something to read. Circumpoint Audio |
