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Hi Raimund, thanks for the info. I had tried PureMusic with my Benchmark DAC 1 some time ago, but at that time I found the operation with iTunes/iTunes remote app a little clunky, added to which I was unable to discern much difference in sound. However, this was some time ago and, given your positive experience, perhaps things have moved on since. I am still thinking about the DAC 8 and will certainly give PureMusic another shot if I pull the trigger.

Hi Raimund, thanks for the feedback. It seems you are pretty happy overall so the shares of the DAC 8 are definitely rising ! Do you notice much difference using this DAC between iTunes with and without PureMusic?

It seems a while since anybody has posted re the T+A DAC 8 so I thought I would ask whether any current owners might like to offer some observations or updates on experiences to date and also whether they have been able to do any meaningful comparisons with the competition. The background is that I am considering upgrading my DAC (from my current Benchmark DAC1) and have been scouring the internet recently for information on candidates with a high quality USB input (ideally with some other input options to allow connection of Apple TV, SAT, etc) combined with reasonably attractive design. Budget is up to around EUR 2k. Generally I was very satisfied with the DAC1 until I acquired a Linn Majik which was much smoother, equally if not more detailed than the DAC 1 and certainly significantly less fatiguing to listen to. But as I have a reasonable large library (ca. 50k tracks) I much prefer the ease and reliability of control available via iTunes/iOS remote app on iPad/USB and so decided to pass it on. Having been spoiled by the Linn I have now have the itch to do something! Based on initial reading the Benchmark DAC2 is certainly on the shortlist as is the T+A DAC 8 and the new Naim DAC V1, all of which have some good reviews (as I am based in Moscow I expect that I will end up buying solely on the basis of reviews and owner feedback). I must confess I am somewhat of a T+A fan, having owned T+A equipment for a number of years (I have a suite of the R-series units: CD/DVD, integrated amp, surround decoder and fm tuner) that I acquired around 8 years ago. These beautiful units have served me faultlessly thus far and my overwhelming impression of T+A quality is characterised by an outstanding combination of teutonic tank-like solidity based on high quality materials and finish, typically sleek minimalist design (way ahead of many competitors where low-volume units often look they have been assembled in a garage) and generally excellent sonic abilities. For me, it is only a shame that T+A do not have a USB option in the R-series format which would match my current units. In any event, if you have reached the end of my rambling, any feedback much appreciated!

MikeJazz, thanks. I have followed Linn's progress with their control options and agree it now seems pretty well developed with the Kinsky, SongCast, AirPLay options, etc: lightyears ahead of where it was 2-3 years ago. My problem is that I have a large library (ca. 50k songs) and, with the exception of Apple Remote, all of the control apps I have tried (including from Linn) exhibit some form of compromise. This is usually in the form of crashes, delays, freezing, unresponsiveness for periods. The search capabilities are also less flexible and way slower (AR has a global search which allows one to conduct a speedy search simultaneously across tracks, albums, artists, etc, which is very handy with a large library). This is a compromise that I prefer not to make and is a shame as I know from my own experience that the Linn equipment is sonically superb. So I will focus on USB DACs for now but will continue to observe!

I am considering upgrading my DAC (from my current Benchmark DAC1) and have been scouring the internet recently for information on candidates with a high quality USB input combined with reasonably attractive design. The Benchmark DAC2 is certainly on the shortlist as is the T+A DAC 8 and the new Naim DAC V1. I did have a Linn Majik in my system for a while which was wonderfully smooth, equally if not more detailed than the DAC 1 and certainly significantly less fatiguing to listen to. But I much prefer the ease of control available via iTunes/iOS remote app/USB and so decided to pass it on. I have owned T+A equipment for a number of years (I have a suite of the R-series units: CD/DVD, integrated amp, surround decoder and fm tuner) that I acquired around 8 years ago. These units have served me faultlessly thus far and my overwhelming impression of T+A quality is characterised by an outstanding combination of teutonic solidity based on high quality materials and finish (my experience is that T+A equipment normally radiates build quality and longevity from quite a distance!), typically sleek minimalist design (this is clearly an area of personal preference but I am also an Apple/Mac fan and appreciate clean geometric lines) and generally excellent sonic abilities. I was therefore very interested to come across Chris’s review of the T+A DAC 8 and the useful feedback here. In a product space where so many offerings (even north of $1000) look and feel like they were designed and assembled in a garage, the DAC 8 immediately attracted my interest (the Naim also looks very presentable although the Benchmark remains distinctly borderline in this respect). I must say I have been surprised about some of the comments here re build/quality/design of the T+A (and note the surprise of some others here re these comments) but I guess many elements in the end are highly subjective. I would be most interested to know if anybody has been able to compare either of the Benchmark DAC2 or the Naim V1 with the DAC 8 or to hear any further comments re the DAC 8. As I am based in Moscow, I will likely only be able to buy on the basis of reviews and so all feedback highly welcome!

Thanks for the info VT Skier, much appreciated. Given the current speculation about possible wider wider use of SSDs for Macs, maybe we will also see Mac Minis with SSD options sometime soon...

I recall seeing something not along ago about a specialist firm offering various Mac Mini configurations with SSD drives for use as audiophile servers. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find this again.. Has anybody seen anything similar? I would probably prefer this approach to the do-it-yourself route... All help appreciated !

Chris, some more detail about my set-up: - Airport extreme (wired ethernet to Zyxel ADSL unit), wirelessly connected to: - New 2.26GHz MacMini (with iTunes 9.0.2 / Snow Leopard 10.6.2 and my music library via 2 firewire external 1TB drives) - AirportExpress (n-standard) for streaming music to another room in my apartment - AppleTV (I use this only for films) - I also use a G3 iPod Touch for remote control running Apple's Remote app. My problem, i.e. breakdown of music streaming and the error message -15000, relates to the Airport Express and not to the Apple TV (have not tried this for music). I will test some wired set-ups as you suggest as soon as I have time and will report back... Thanks, Mark

Hi Chris, saw this thread and would be delighted if we could solve the itunes/airport express -15000 error problem. I have the same problem as the other poster here (and countless other posters on other forums). I have all the latest Apple software updates. My system: - Airport extreme (latest version with dual band) / man mini running itunes 9.x streaming to airport express (also other macs - iMac, MacBook Pro, AppleTV - connected wirelessly to same network) I cannot get the airport extreme to stream music reliably - itunes on the mac mini produces the error message -15000 and stops streaming. I have seen and tried many possible fixes on other forums. Nothing has worked so far. So irritating ! Any ideas much appreciated ! Thanks, Mark

Hi Chris, saw this thread and would be delighted if we could solve the itunes/airport express -15000 error problem. I have the same problem as the other poster here (and countless other posters on other forums). I have all the latest Apple software updates. My system: - Airport extreme (latest version with dual band) / man mini running itunes 9.x streaming to airport express (also other macs - iMac, MacBook Pro, AppleTV - connected wirelessly to same network) I cannot get the airport extreme to stream music reliably - itunes on the mac mini produces the error message -15000 and stops streaming. I have seen and tried many possible fixes on other forums. Nothing has worked so far. So irritating ! Any ideas much appreciated ! Thanks, Mark