ciswi

Thank you for your honest answer, I guess you saved me money and time! :-)

Hi, sorry to open another “check my specs” thread but I’m considering a couple of components that I rarely see mentioned here and on other audiophile forums, and I'm wondering why since at first sight they seem an almost perfect solution for a CAPS-like machine. 1. CPU: Intel i7-4765T I know the I7 is an overkill for an htpc but with 8MB of L3 cache and 35W TDP seems to be THE perfect CPU for a fanless htpc dedicated to audio reproduction. Why is it rarely used? Is it a question of cost/availability? I plan to use the htpc for at least 7/8 years, I prefer the i7 also because of its superior gpu that is supposed to be more future-proof (4K video approaching…) 2. Mobo: MSI Z87I My case will probably be a Streacom FC8 Evo, thus I’ve started from the mobos known for having a compatible layout. The MSI Z87I has more features than usually are advised for an audiophile htpc (wifi, widi, BT, etc…), anyway two of those caught my attention: 1) USB Audio Power (in some region mentioned as USB DAC Power) – from my understanding the mobo has an intermediate module among the psu connector and the usb ports aimed at providing stable 5V throughout the USB ports. This seem of course useful for usb powered DAC, but does it make any difference for self powered DAC (or in real world performance)? 2) Military Class Certified components: probably just marketing gimmick, anyway higher resistance to heat shouldn't hurt in a fanless solution (in my country summer is quite hot…). 3. RAM: This is more a general question, but within my budget I can opt for 8GB CL7 or 16GB CL9….which configuration do you think offer better results? At the time being, I’ve put my eyes on a 2x4GB Corsair Vengenance Kit. 4. Speaker spikes Just to be sure of having an adequate airflow I’m thinking of putting some anti-vibrations spikes under the case in order to allow air to flow beneath and lower temperatures. Anyone use this expedient? Any reason for avoiding these components? Can you suggest anything better? Thank you very much. PS: My system is composed simply by a nuForce DDA-100, VOVOX initio cables and a pair of Sonus Faber Toys bookshelf in a less than ideal listening environment, so please advise accordingly…..I’m a newbie and sometimes I wonder why spending time and energy to refine specs while a stock mac mini (ready to play out of the box, OS license included, no hardware troubleshooting needed, etc…) might sound the same in my modest - yet satisfying - system.

The discussion is a bit old but the mini line-up hasn't been change the point is still valid. Considering only sound quality for a second, many seem to suggest that more power imply more noise, thus the i5 would be preferable. Anyway, no one here mentioned that the i7 has twice L3 cache and this, while I’ve no first person experience, is said to have an important impact on sound quality. Anyone can comment on this? Is it possible that the two machines (mini i5 and mini i7) show similar performances because of the two effects combined? If this is the case, the i7 may offers a better potential upgrade path (linear PSU) than the i5 (it’s not possible to increase L3 cache). I’m really curious to know your opinions, I’m still not able to decide among a new late2012 i7 (highly discounted) or a used 2010/1 model on which I would change HD to a 256GB SSD and increase RAM to 16GGB. Thanks

Thanks Miska, I'm not into DPS processing (at the time being) but I plan to use the device also as an hd video player attached to my TV, so I'd like to have a little bit of power when needed.

Hi guys, do you think that the new generation of Bay Trail tablets will performs as well as the MS Surface does? Less cache and RAM are likely to affect the overall sound quality? The T100 in particular comes much cheaper and seems a promising device… I’d like to upgrade my music transport (currently using an ipod touch on a pure i-20), but I’m still not able to decide among the alternatives available. The convenience of an apple TV (airplay from an iphone or Synology NAS) is tempting me, but I’m not willing to sacrifice excessively sound quality (output at 48Khz is said to sound quite bad)….do you think the system in signature is sufficient to appreciate the benefits of a more serious music server like a software-optimized Surface Pro? Just some notes: - I mostly play CD ripped in flac/alac (50%) and stream from spotify (50%); - I’d like a solution that can be comfortably controlled from the couch (from that point of view apple solutions seems much more flexible). Any help would be much appreciated!