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I bought a Sonos Play I for the kitchen and it works great. The playlist comes from my headless Mac Mini that I use only as a music server using its shared iTunes library. (The Mac also directly feeds my conventional stereo system in the living room.) The Play I works well, except that it treats my iTunes podcasts as if they are songs. Is there a way to prevent Sonos from doing that? I'd prefer not to have to create additional playlists within Sonos though that is all I can think of. Just wondering if there is a setting I'm not aware of that ignores podcasts when streaming music. To be clear, I'd like to mostly just stream music, but have access to podcasts if I wanted to listen to them. Thanks

I looked at the Sonos and agree it's a great solution, just not for me. I'm guessing the speakers in my ceiling are adequate, but fairly crappy (a technical term). I think the Sonos is overkill quality-wise and cost-wise. A great signal wasted on mediocre speakers. How about this. I get the Denon for $200 and connect via optical input to my Airport Express. I can stream from my Mac Mini or my iPad, etc., using AirPlay. Would that work? Thanks for helping me out.

I just moved into a house which is wired for sound in most rooms. Speakers in the ceiling upstairs and down. I have a system downstairs that is Mac Mini > Rega DAC-R > tube amp > speakers. Upstairs in the master BR closet are speaker wires for two sets of speakers. I don't need to integrate with my Mac system. Just want to stream music and possibly internet radio/podcasts. I have some doodads (Apple TV, Airport Express) left over from a previous system, but don't know if they'll help. My head says I need a receiver-like device with amplification to power the speakers and either wireless or bluetooth to stream a source. I'm looking for a very economical (cheap) solution as I just want it for background and not critical listening. I can buy a Denon refurb AVRS510BT for $200. Would like to do it for less.[h=1][/h]Thanks.

I am running a headless Mac Mini into my DAC. Using iTunes (ALAC). I picked up a Logitech 480 bluetooth keyboard (refurb at Newegg for $25, free shipping) and bluetooth mouse. Using Apple Remote on iPad Mini to play music. I'm currently using my plasma as a Mini monitor, but want to use the iPad. I've read a little about Splashtop and Screen Sharing. Is one significantly better? Also, do I need an HDMI emulator if I use Screen Sharing? (If I'm not comparing apples to apples, so to speak, could someone please enlighten me.) Thanks.

I love that the forum is here and I have learned a lot. I always try to find an answer before asking a question, but I must say I am having a very hard time searching for specific relevant information. For example, I am trying to use my iPad Mini as a remote for my headless Mac Mini. All (I think) I want to do is call up iTunes on my iPad and have it show and play the library on my Mini. (It may be as simple as Home Sharing, but I'm trying to find the best answer.) The first searches I made were things like "Apple remote" "iPad remote" and combinations of Mini, remote, ipad, etc. (I am shying away from VNC at the moment.) The first thread I found said there were already many threads on this topic. I can't seem to find them. I've always thought of myself as "search savvy" but it's been generally hard to find answers easily on many specific topics. Also, I'm always wary of taking advice from a thread that is even a year old. Is there a trick? Or is it more a case of having to spend time on the forum reading many threads and beginning to get a feel for what people post and where to find things. Thanks

My new set-up is iTunes 12.2.2.25 (files are Apple Lossless) through a reformatted 2014 Mac Mini > Rega DAC-R (USB) > Amp/Speakers. The Mini is being used only for music and will have no permanent monitor (using TV), keyboard or mouse. (My final step will be to use my iPad to act as a remote.) I ended up copying the iTunes folder (152GB) from my MB Pro wirelessly to my 2TB Time Capsule. It took 4-5 hrs but worked without a hitch. I then copied TC folder onto Mac Mini desktop. Copied everything in it to the Music/iTunes folder (after putting existing iTunes folder in a new folder). (I wanted to keep the desktop folder intact in case of issues. Connected via USB to Rega DAC-R. Turned on everything and there is music coming through the speakers. I made the following changes to settings: In Sound Prefs I set sound effects to play through internal speakers (There are none). Is that the best solution? I also set output to USB. In iTunes I unchecked Apple Music, but left other settings as default. Keep iTunes Media File Organized is checked as is Copy Files to iTunes Media. It all seems to work fine, however, I just want to be sure those are correct and I'm not missing anything. The one exception (I hope) is I have not made changes to Audio Midi Settings yet. The overwhelming majority of my iTunes files are Apple Lossless, but I have some mp3 and AAC files. The Rega DAC-R has improved USB and my cable is the recommended Belkin. I want to output at the highest resolution. Can someone please let me know the correct Midi settings? I'd appreciate it. And thanks to everyone for all the help so far. I am listening to music as I'm typing and I owe that to y'all.

While I was waiting for comments re the external drive, I tried copying my iTunes library to my Time Capsule. Figured worst case I'd have an extra backup. Well, it took a few hours, but it all got copied over wifi. So now I have the folders on the TC. My plan is to copy them onto the Mac Mini. This will work, right?

Thanks. A. Should I do Consolidate Library first (or at all)? Or change any iTunes settings beforehand? B. The external drive is a Windows drive. My (just discovered) understanding is the Mac can read it but not write to it. Therefore, is it possible to connect my MB Pro to my Time Capsule using ethernet (or USB?), drag the library to that drive, then unplug ethernet and connect it to Mini and copy files to that. C. If not, I'll reformat the external (though I need it ultimately to store Windows files). Thanks

I posted yesterday re copying iTunes to a newly acquired Mac Mini (please disregard that post). Several people recommended an external drive. It suddenly struck me that I have a 1TB Time Capsule in place with plenty of space. (I'm from Massachusetts. We have an expression... Dawn breaks on Marblehead.) I only use it for TM backups/router and forgot about it. I also rummaged around and found an HP external drive with space. I currently have my iTunes library on my MB Pro. It's 135GB. I want to keep that copy there for portable listening. I just bought a 2014 Mac Mini to connect to my DAC. I want to create a copy of my library in the Mini's iTunes folders and that becomes my dedicated primary household system's library. I have been reading threads about Consolidating libraries, etc. It seems to say it creates a duplicate file (or does it just point to the file?). Another one talked about creating dupe iTunes Music folders and dragging them to the drive. I don't have enough space on the MB Pro for a dupe library. Anyway, I simply want to move the appropriate files from the Pro to the Mini. I also read something about not copying Media files. I'm a bit confused and wary. An Apple Support guy wanted me to use Migration Assistant and that seems wrong to me. Can someone either briefly cover the steps or point me to the appropriate post, please. I'm running iTunes 12.2.2.25 now. Not sure which files to copy and how to get them there. Thanks very much and sorry for asking this again. I've tried reading a lot of posts and frankly I'm a little lost.

Please ignore this thread. New information. Thanks.

I am closing in on this. I just need to copy my iTunes library from one Mac to another. I think I was about to seriously mess things up today, so I'm stepping back and asking questions. My entire music library is on my (daily) MacBook Pro in Apple Lossless files. It's about 135GB. I bought a 2014 Mac Mini exclusively for music. I want to leave my (legacy) iTunes library on the MacBook Pro for when I'm out and about, but my home audio system will use the dedicated new Mac Mini running iTunes. I called Apple support today and the fellow started me down the path of Migration Assistant. That seems wrong. I do not want to move from one Mac to another. I want to use my MB Pro as my daily laptop and have the Mini be a separate music server. It is not replacing my Pro. I think I just want to copy my MB Pro iTunes library to the Mac Mini. I don't have a spare external drive. Is there a way to easily copy the files with some Apple utility? If I try to do this wirelessly will it take a month? I have an ethernet cable. I just need a plan. Also, if I register the Mini on iTunes, can I play all my purchased music? I've read a number of threads and I'm just not sure what to do. Thanks

Thanks for replies. I am ready to pull the trigger, but... I can't quite find the recommended cables. I tried to find the Belden Gold cable on Amazon, but can only find the Belkin Gold. Is there a specific link to the $9 Belden? Also, I looked at the Blue Jean Belden cable and it's $1.50. Is that the one? Thanks.

I have read through a number of threads regarding USB cables. I'm no stranger to buying expensive cables. The Cardas cables in my stereo system were only slightly less expensive than a villa in Spain. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have spent anywhere near that kind of money on cables. I'm not passing judgment on audiophiles who do, just saying I wouldn't do it again. So, I am trying to take wgscott's advice and find a usb cable for no more than $10-20. I looked on Monoprice and Blue Jean and I'm confused (since they start at under a buck). I am trying to connect the USB port on my Rega DAC-R to a 2014 Mac Mini (which will only be a few feet away). Can someone provide the correct link/part desription to a decent USB cable. I don't know if I need a USB a male to male or...??? I just need to be led by the nose to a decent cable. Thanks very much. Everyone has been very helpful as I wade into the quicksand.

I was going optical from the Mac Mini to the DAC because I don't know what I'm doing yet :-) I'll be going USB now.

Thanks! This is beginning to make some sense (either that or I'm hopelessly confused). How old a Mac Mini can I use? I looked on the Audirvana site and they say Core 2 Duo and 4GB RAM which seems to suggest anything after early 2009. You also say you use an iPad as a monitor. (I read up a little on this and it seems to work.) Can I buy an old Mac Mini and a used 16GB iPad Mini 2 to use as a monitor and have this all work? Connect Mini with iTunes library on it to DAC and front-end it with the iPad? There's something in Audirvana about an A+ remote for iPad. I'm a little sketchy on that. Here's what I (think I) want as an end result... The Mac Mini optically connected to the DAC with iTunes library on it. The iPad as the iTunes/Audirvana interface. So I sit on the couch and control the music on the Mac Mini through the iPad. Drinking a beer.