badbanana

Thanks to both of you. My integrated (a Peachtree Audio Nova) has L/R RCA line out and L/R pre-amp out. I just read in the manual that, to run an external amp, I'd have to get a Y-adapter and split the L/R RCA pre-out into two L/R pre-outs since I'm already running a powered sub (JL Fathom110). This seems like a kludge to me. But thanks for answering the power-output question and for the word of caution.

I downloaded the Esperanza Spalding album over the weekend and found the vocals sounding a little obscured. I thought it was perhaps the way she was mic'd as the other instruments seem pretty open. After seeing the graph above, I would like to hear a redbook-ripped version. As for the music, it's a winner. Contemporary artist with classic vibe in the vein of Mayer Hawthorne and Raphael Sadiq. She's a bit like Erykah Badu but a little more rooted in old school jazz, R&B. Great album. Highly recommend it.

Hello all, I'm trying to figure out the amount of power that will be going to my speakers if I add an amp to my existing system with integrated amp. Question: If you add an amplifier to a system that already has an integrated amp, do you add the power output to get total system power or does the new amp substitute for the integrated's power? IOW: Integrated amp: 80 wpc Auxiliary amp: 200 wpc Are my speakers now getting 280w or does the new amp take over power-handling duties exclusively? Thanks so much for any info.

Who can tell me: if I'm using a dedicated music file server with a USB output, such as a Sonore or SOtM, will the USB in the server handle clocking duties over the DAC? Here's why I ask. I'm using an integrated amp that has an adaptive mode USB implementation, which I've read is an inferior USB implementation. I was considering a USB-S/PDIF converter to circumvent the clocking limitations of my MacBook/adaptive USB combo. But I'm wondering if I'm using something like a Sonore or SOtM file server with a USB output, will that obviate the need to address the adaptive USB mode of my DAC (a Peachtree Audio Nova)? Or, will I still have jitter issues due to the Nova's USB implementation? Ultimately, I'm looking to find a solution for sending files to the DAC and getting the best sound quality out of my DAC as possible. Thanks to anyone and everyone for enlightenment.

Thanks both of you. This sounds like the configuration I'm looking for. For the Mac Mini, can either of you tell me how critical the RAM and processor speed are? It can be configured with 2GB or 4GB, and 2.3 GHz or 2.5 GHz, respectively. Also, the drive speed is 5400. Would this be a drawback over another drive with 7200? Thanks again. -Steve

Yes, of course. In two ways though. First - playing music. (Sending files to the DAC - use the Apple remote.app. This is not only elegant, reliable, useful, and free, but is one of the best RC interfaces I have ever seen. Second, for loading files or managing the Mac, any VNC interface from a device with a keyboard and mouse will work well. I use a remote Macbook. And I second or third that Iomega drives tend to be pretty good at this level, but I also have LaCie drives from the 1990's that are still working. Just my experience, and not a general wisdom, but the bus powered drives tend to SOUND better, but die quicker if in constant use. Desktop drives with separate power supplies seem to last longer, but do not sound quite as good without some extensive power filtering in place. YMMV, etc. -Paul Any issues with drive speed? Just noticed a Mini's is 5400. Will that underperform compared with 7200?

After this very useful input, here is the setup I'm considering. I'm thinking of using a Mac mini as my music server but I don't want a monitor, or a keyboard for that matter, crowding up my a/v stand. Anyone know if I can use an iPad to control the Mac mini, which would mostly entail sending files to the DAC via iTunes/PureMusic? Using a desktop computer with no monitor is perhaps kind of odd but I think this is the setup I'm hoping will work. Thanks for any input. (Also posted in Server forum)

I'm thinking of using a Mac mini as my music server but I don't want a monitor, or a keyboard for that matter, crowding up my a/v stand. Anyone know if I can use an iPad to control the Mac mini, which would mostly entail sending files to the DAC via iTunes/PureMusic? Using a desktop computer with no monitor is perhaps kind of odd but I think this is the setup I'm hoping will work. Thanks for any input.

So, is there any consensus on the least fragile of the various mfrs?

Why does every storage device have numerous reports of catastrophic failures from users? Are these people making this stuff up? I'm trying to put together my first storage/server system and I've read descriptions, product reviews and user comments on Iomega, Western Digital, LaCie and Apple Time Capsule, and all of them have multiple claims by people complaining that their devices were fried after a few months or less. The impression I'm left with is that all of them are garbage and a waste of $. What's the point of backing up if you're making your files more vulnerable than they would be residing on a computer? I've owned 3 generations of MacBooks/Powerbooks over 10+ years and I've never had a hard drive failure due to normal use. With the rate of failure of external drives, it seems like I'm taking a huge risk transferring data off my computer and that it would be safer on a cloud network for when my toddler dumps a can of soda on my laptop. I don't yet have so many music files that I've exceeded my MacBook's disk but it's only a matter of time before my HDTracks activity catches up with me. So, I'd like to have a reliable destination for music files, I'd like that destination to have a non-degrading connection to my DAC, and I'd like it if that destination did not add noise to my listening room. This destination is sounding more and more like paradise based on what I'm reading but I'm very new at this so any information anyone can provide is gladly accepted.

"you would have your music library on the HDD connected to the MacBook which would have iTunes Preferences path set to the HDD" Yes, but... "you would then need something like an Airport Express connected to your Nova to accept the wireless signal from your Time Capsule" Not quite. My intention is to have the storage device (either Time Capsule or some other storage solution) connected directly to the Nova. "Either you would make choices for music playback at the MacBook" Yes. I'm trying to accomplish: • using either a local storage device (or NAS?) to store files • still being able to use the Pure Music/iTunes as the playback software • not having to wire my laptop to either the Nova or the storage device every time I want to play music I have an AirPort Extreme, which I'm learning I could use to connect a NAS. I'm just unsure how to send the music files from the storage device directly to the Nova and still use Pure Music as the playback software. I'm finding info about Sonos and Squeezebox but not sure if these provide good sound quality. I'm also interested in being able to use the S/PDIF inputs on the NOVA to overcome the limitations of the Nova's adaptive USB. FWIW, I'm running: Peachtree Nova Integrated amp B&W CM5 speakers MacBook Pro Mini Toslink>Toslink (temporarily) Thanks for replying.

Can I send music files directly from a storage device (say, Time Capsule) to a USB DAC (Peachtree Nova) and use iTunes off my laptop to direct the HDD to send the files? Trying to avoid having my MacBook Pro connected directly to the Nova. If I have the Time Capsule (or other storage device) set up as my itunes library, will iTunes (via PureMusic) "tell" the storage device to deliver driectly to the DAC or do the files have to go from storage>MBP>USB DAC? I've been digging around and the only product I see that will give me the configuration I'm looking for is the Sooloos MediaCore 200, which is way out of my $ range. Would any old HDD accomplish this and I'm just making it more complicated? Ultimately, I'd like to control file sending wirelessly but have the file source connected directly. And sound awesome. Thanks for any help. Just getting the hang of this, obviously!