Ryan21

The Oppo is used as our CD player/ Bluray Player and it does very very well. The audio from it is clean, punchy and has lovely range. The Sabre DAC is quite good. Our Mac Mini is going through it as well because we have used all the connections on the system 3, and because the Oppo has a dedicated USB Audio port that goes into the Sabre. After hearing music from the Oppo (from CD) I can't see it being the weak link, I see the stock mac mini being that. We are going to try to connect the mini to the System 3 directly but I can't really see that being the issue. I am thinking that iTunes is partially at fault here, but as we haven't installed Amarra yet, it is an assumption, once we get the Amarra trial installed I should have a better idea. The BeoLab 5s are the best speakers I have ever heard, not cheap but they are simply outstanding. We watched Master & Commander on them and I was a whole new movie to our ears. If we can't get the Mini to work as a Hifi server we are considering the BeoSound 5 as an option.

We are using the RCA from the Oppo to the system 3 (for Audio) and HDMI for Blu-Rays, then we switch the output via the remote. Sorry I needed to clarify that. You are right about that.

It is odd though because the output from Mac Mini sounds very similar to the output from our Apple TV that is plugged right into the System 3 via HDMI. Which is why we are trying to get around the Apple idea as being the source of the degradation. The music played via the Oppo (CD in the player) sounds stunning and that is being processed via the same Sabre DAC as it is coming in via the USB from the Mac Mini.

Yeah the System 3 takes SPDIF we can do that.

That is a good idea, I will get an SPDIF adapter for the Audioquest USB.. any one you recommend? I will re rip the music at 44.1... do you think these could be the weakest points in the system or do you think that using the standard iTunes is causing more issues vs. Amarra or something as a player?

No the Oppo is definitely decoding. We verified that last nigh.

We use Cat7 and there is a new adapter that allows us to convert from Cat7 to the powerlink.

I am new here, and super discouraged right now with the Mac Mini setup we have. Before I get into that though, let me explain my setup so I can get your expert feedback on the best course forward. Keep in mind our goal is ultimate SQ within the realm of a computer (mac mini) server. We are using a 2012 Mac Mini (stock) with a Promise Pegasus R6 setup for music file storage. From the mac mini we go to an Oppo BDP-105 via an AudioQuest Cinnamon Async USB. This allows us to use the Oppo's Sabre DAC which is really good IMHO. From there we go from the Oppo to B&O System 3 via HDMI and from the System 3 to 5 BeoLab 5s over Cat7 ethernet. On the Mac Mini we ripped the files 48kHz/16bit stereo AIFF and use Apple remote app on an iPad to drive the music from server to speaker. Compared to a disc in the Oppo we are talking about 20% less body and dimension to the tracks played from the Mac Mini, the files from the Mini lack range and are a lot flatter, by about 20%... so pretty noticeable. This is our first time with a HiFi setup using a music server like this and I realize iTunes is not doing the files justice. What I need to know is how can we get the files to be closer to the CD, like 95% of the CD? I have looked into Amarra, also swapping the standard HD for SSD in the Mini. What setup could I be forgetting here? There is so much to learn and it is discouraging because we know what the system is capable of and we really want the ease of digital playback from the iPad but the SQ just isn't there.... Help these newbies!