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Rob

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  1. I have updated the computer and scanned it with antivirus but still it opens some web pages slow, and will not stream music. I am not aware of any flash blocking software and have no way of knowing if I did. This computer worked fine and then started acting up when we moved into a new place, but used the same wireless router. All the other computers in the house (Mac and Windows) work fine but this one has me stumped. All I have done to this computer is download the necessary updates and added the "off" app for my iPod touch.
  2. The older I get, the more like a spud I feel. I'm glad my Mac Mini is two shelves up from the bottom or else I might find myself in your situation. LOL
  3. In the last few years I have tried a lot of gear on my desktop from DACs to amps to speakers. Few mini speakers have impressed me, but lately I have found one that really does and it takes up very little real estate. It is the RBH MC-4C. Although they don't make a lot of bass, they don't cry for a sub like some small speakers I have heard. Their strengths are: fabulous midrange, top end, and incredible imaging. They are beautifully made and can be run with grills on, in fact all my listening has been with grills on. Although they use metal drivers, you would never know it as they are warm and natural sounding. I have them set on the Audioengine tilt up stands made for their P4 and A2 speakers. The only caveat with these speakers is they are a sealed cabinet making them not all that efficient. I run them with the 45w/ch Parasound Z series half rack pre/power combo which are another desktop prodigy that I just love. The synergy between the Parasound and RBH is wonderful. However, to fill a kitchen with music, the Ampino will likely not have enough power, but I thought I would throw this out anyway. At the desktop, maybe the Ampino would work.
  4. My 2009 headless Mac Mini works fine playing iTunes being controlled by my iPod Touch and other Macs, but it won't open some websites and will not stream music from Hearts of Space, Calm Radio or any other music service for that matter, yet my iMac, MacBook and iPod Touch have no issues. Any ideas?
  5. Hi mwheelerk, This may be redundant, but maybe will help. I run a totally headless 2009 Mac Mini in a stereo system and control iTunes with the Apple Remote app on my iPod Touch. I turn the Mini on with the power button on the back and turn it off with the "Off" app on my Ipod. All systems that are not essential to music are turned off, and iTunes is set to open automatically on boot up. All other actions on the Mini are done through my iMac or MacBook via wireless network.
  6. Hello bikemig, The "under $1k DAC" sector is probably one of the busiest in the audio industry. Frankly I would look at the bookends and not the centre. At one end are terrific NOS DACS like the: -Audio Sector by Peter Daniel -Audio Zone DAC 1 -KingRex UD-01 At the other end, cutting edge DACs like the: -KingRex UD 384 with U Power I find all these DACs highly engaging and musical, and they are all under $1k. PS: The sound of any of them is greatly improved by using a player like Pure Music etc. I found the difference between stock iTunes and Pure Music to be profound. It was like a hardware upgrade.
  7. The jumpers are not reached by taking the top off; they are reached by taking the front of the DAC off, which is a very simple process. Once the front of the DAC is off, the jumpers are right there at the front. The instructions say to take the back off, which is wrong. Rob
  8. Hello Charles, I haven't tried the 3.5 into the Big Joe, having never been impressed with any stock computer sound card. As far as files go I only have thus far listened to ripped CDs uncompressed, Hearts of Space, and Calm Radio. When I got my first iPod some years ago, I noticed a profound difference between lossless and lossy files, thus have stayed away from them ever since, other than to listen to the aforementioned websites. Before I had the Trapeziums in this little system, I had the Audioengine P4 passives in bamboo on the table. The P4s tone swings more to the upper registers of sound than the Trapeziums so I have heard this DAC in two colours as it were. Though overall I find the Trapeziums superior, the DAC showed its personality with both speakers to be 3D, warm, fluid, and without digititis. I have not tried it in my higher end systems yet. Rob
  9. Hello barito7, Unfortunately, the ILTW is in a completely different system than the DAC I last had at the desktop, so to try to draw a comparison would be unfair to you. To give you a perspective, it is being run with optional Supplier power supply through 1 metre DNM interconnects to a Firestone Big Joe V1.3, from the Big Joe to Turning Point Trapeziums via 6 feet of DNM speaker wire. The DAC is connected via 1 metre Wireworld Starlight USB cable from an iMac with iTunes playing 16/44 files in asynchronous mode. I have the DAC set via Audio Midi at 24/96. The sound is full and warm with no digital artifacts. The system is on a very small desk in a cramped space, but the soundstage is large and deep completely defying the space the system is in. Hope this helps. Rob
  10. I have the ILTW which I run on an iMac with the latest update for Snow Leopard. The DAC can be run in asynchronous mode at 16/44.1, 16/48, 24/88.2, and 24/96 without the need of the driver (on a Mac at least - can't speak for Windows). When I go into the Audio Midi set up on the iMac, it gives me those bit and sample rate options. I have not loaded the driver as I have no current need for the higher resolutions - the most common downloads presently being 16/44 and 24/96. To change from adaptive to asynchronous mode the front cover (not rear, as the instructions say) is easily removed and the jumpers which need to be changed are right there at the front. Also, I don't understand why the ILTW is being compared to the DAC Magic, as the DAC magic only does 16/44 via USB. Rob
  11. Today I ran my Mac Mini with both iPod and MacBook for about six hours without a hiccup. I checked on both the Mini and the MacBook for my neighbour's networks, because they sometimes show on my Airport list. Today they weren't there. I wonder if they have more powerful routers and are overpowering the signal from my router, and because they weren't there, I had no problems? Maybe they changed channels? This thing is getting more baffling. Rob
  12. Thanks Steve, but the problem goes deeper than just the Remote app, but the screen sharing with my other Macs is effected too, which makes me suspect the wi-fi ability of my Mac Mini is somehow compromised. Both with Apple Remote running iTunes and screen sharing with my other Mac computers, sometimes everything works fine and then bingo, connection is lost and I have to re-boot the Mac Mini to restore connection, only to lose it again after a few minutes or hours. Rob
  13. I have searched the web for a solution to this problem but have not come up with a viable answer. This Mac Mini is used strictly as a headless music server controlled by iPod Touch (for iTunes) and MacBook (for Hearts of Space and Calm Radio on the internet). This Mac Mini has been in three different houses and in the first two worked fine, but in our current place this problem reared it head. It is connected wirelessly to a Linksys router which is on the other side of the wall between them. Physical connection via cable is out of the question. The Mac Mini has the latest updated Snow Leopard. My iMac and MacBook do not have the same problem as the Mac Mini. One thing I have come up with reading on the forums is that I am not alone, as this seems to be common problem with the Mac Mini. Any help would be appreciated. Rob
  14. What is accurate? What is too accurate? What is not accurate? Every recording venue, be it live or studio has it's own acoustics. Which one is the most accurate? Is Carnegie Hall or Abby Road studio more accurate? One would assume "accurate" to be an exact replication on a stereo system of what was recorded at the recording venue. What if the acoustics of the listening room the stereo is in are poor? So much for accuracy. What if the acoustics are good? Ah, closer, but still off. Powered studio monitors were created as a tool for recording. HiFi speakers were created as a toy for listening. Bottom line: If you like the generally clinical sound of studio monitors, enjoy. Same for warmer sounding HiFi speakers. Don't trust anything but your ears. Tube amps often have higher measured distortion levels than solid state amps, yet a well designed tube amp is still hard to match let alone beat for listenability, though considered inaccurate by some. Accuracy? No such thing IMO. There is the ability of some well put together systems in a room with ideal acoustics to have a holographic 3D soundstage, have great timing, multilayered detail, be warm and fluid, and have superb attack and decay on notes and percussion. As far as the verbal description of the system's sound goes, the above sounds fabulous, and really that is all we are striving for. Is it accurate? To the one who has this system and enjoys it, probably yes, and that is as close to "accurate" as any of us will ever come short of going to a live performance which my not be as accurate as your stereo. Rob
  15. What are you running for source and amp? A $4000 pair of speakers may be a waste of money. Another important consideration is system synergy. You may come out further ahead by upgrading source and/or amp and going with lower cost speakers. Rob
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