doug2507

I use soundflower with OSX and when i open itunes, PM opens automatically with sound output changing to soundflower and all sounds effects etc are disabled. It's not changed from that since i set it about a year ago so not sure why you have to reset things. I use a Macbook Pro so it's always getting unplugged/plugged in.

I'm also interested in this at the moment but specifically the MSB DAC. Anyone with firsthand experience?

The Studio II's are very quiet and have low power consumption. And they are either RAID 0 or RAID 1.

Got the Studio II. Super quiet, fast and no issues at all. In fact i'm selling it on along with my mini as i now use far bigger storage. Highly recommend it. Uses WD Caviar Green drives which means super low power consumption on operation and standby. Automatic sleep when the computer does. Looks quite nice as well. 2xFW800, eSATA, USB2.

MSB DAC IV without question.

Got one on the new MBP's as well i'd i've gone and bought a TEAC DW-224SL. Works a treat and was the best rated for ripping by dbPoweramp.

Also worth mentioning, might be an idea not to rush out to buy a new computer at the moment as the 2nd gen i core chips are just around the corner along with new gpu's. Obviously this will affect current spec prices as well. Something to consider. If it's a Macbook Pro that ticks the boxes rumour is there should be a brand new one out around April time. Bit longer to wait but well worth it depending on what your after.

Using a Supernova 6 Mini-TOSlink between Mac Mini and MSB with no problems at all running 24/96. Sounds fantastic so thumbs up from me.

Think you've just answered your question. If it doesn't need to be portable then there's no need for a Macbook. Noise from the Mini is not an issue.

It's easier to answer all of your questions in one instead of 1/2/3. Getting the server version of the mini will cost more and give no real added benefit. If you need more than 2TB of storage the std mini with super drive can have a second hdd added. Just like fitting a SSD its a simple enough job to do. The superdrive is replaced with a hdd caddy and the superdrive gets its own external enclosure so you can use it as a usb drive. Fitting a SSD is a ten minute job and there are a few useful step by step guides on the net for doing so, some with instructional videos. Size of SSD is all relevant to the size of your OS with apps. I run a 60GB SSD but i only use itunes/vlc/spotify in addition to any OS apps and i do not use Bootcamp either. I have about 40GB spare on the drive. I could have fitted a 30GB but then i would have far less headroom and drive speed may be effected due to the fullness of the volume. Whatever you do i would strongly advise not getting a Mini with an Apple fitted SSD. Performance wise they are on the bottom of the heap and a far superior drive (same size) can be had for a few pence more. Bootcamp is by far (a country mile) the best way of running Windows on a Mac. Parallels is so-so and Fusion is a waste of money. Unlike Parallels and Fusion, Bootcamp is not an emulator and runs Windows native on the Mac. For OS use either XP or Windows 7. When selecting an SSD take into account how much storage space you need on the internal HDD for running windows with any specific programmes you might use. I would imagine a 120GB or 250GB drive would be more than ample for most folks. (windows 7 takes up about 30GB iirc). All you need to do is partition the SSD appropriately into 2 partitions, 1 for mac (say 60GB) and 1 for Windows (the rest). For storage of media or anything else the best option is to use an external Firewire HDD if its only the Mini you intend to stream to. Choice all depends on how much storage you need and how much you are willing to spend! If you want to max the performance of your audio system then a 2.5" usb external drive would be best as it doesn't need an external power supply. The downside of this is it costs a good bit more than the equivalent 3.5" drive and you may be restricted is size of capacity. Using an external HDD gives you the benefits of being able to take advantage of Firewire 800, piggybacking other Firewire drives etc onto the 1st and being able to turn off wireless connectivity on the Mini. Turning off wireless connectivity on the Mini may have a positive effect on SQ. Ripping is al down to personal preference with lossless formats really. There have been many arguments for each one but at the end of the day there's nothing in it. Personally i use AIFF. There's absolutely nothing taken away from the original recording, it tags well, its compatible with iPods/iPhones, iTunes will downsize to 128kbps/AAC if you want quantity over quality, it can be batch converted to any other lossless format. After the hardware side of things is taken care of there are steps you can take with the software to further improve the Mini for music. i.e, running 64-bit Kernal, dedicated usb port, trimming down the OS. I believe a thread might be in the making for detailed info on how to do all of this which will hopefully be turned into a sticky! *just to add, the money saved from buying the server version could be used to upgrade the memory. Apple charge £400 for an 8GB upgrade when buying a new unit but you can get 8GB from Crucial for £120.

Is this for using as a music/media server and do you need it to be portable?

Well, i run a DAC IV as well and am using glass optical with great results. Cable is a WireWorld Supernova 6 mini-TOSlink. Only reason for that is i needed an interim solution before deciding which route to take for a permanent connection. I've not had a chance to try out AES through a converter yet but at the moment the optical sounds v.good, and especially for the price! I'm away to change to either AES or USB and at the moment i'm leaning towards USB as it'll be a lot cheaper than AES when taking into account usb cable, converter, digital xlr cable. I'll be speaking to Larry at MSB to find out if the new 24/192 USB option is on a par with AES. Anyway to give you a guide, i use a mac mini for source fitted with an OCZ Vertex 2 60GB SSD (only use it for apps). Memory i've changed to 8GB and external storage is done by a WD My Book Studio II connected by Firewire 800. I've just swapped the 1TB drives out for 2TB drives now as well for more storage as i have the mini linked to the T.V for playing other media through VLC. Software i'm using Puremusic (1.65a) and itunes. I'm also using Soundflower so i can run PureMusic in 'Hog Mode' with the optical cable. Not a problem with USB out. I planned cueing albums onto the SSD for listening to but to be honest i've not bothered as it sounds spot on as it is. As stated before if you don't need something portable save yourself a load of cash and go for a mini.

beetlemania: Performance wise the Vertex 2 is superior. Both use Sandforce 1200 but the Vertex firmware is written to provide 1500 performance for small file read/write. Vertex 2 also achieves a 4k sustained random write IOPS of 30k (50k burst) compared to the Mushkin which is 10k and 30k burst. The only technology that extends life expectancy, not prevent degradation, is single level cell (SLC) so thats quite a misleading and inaccurate statement. Both the Vertex 2 and Callisto are MLC SSD's and have the same life expectancy of 2 million hours. SLC is also hugely expensive compared to MLC. Having said all that if you can get one for a good bit less than the £150 i paid for mine then it may be a good deal....

Hi tpan, Wouldn't think you'd be waiting long. The site i used has already listed it as coming soon. Should be a doddle depending on how the case comes apart. Didn't know about the CASH list..?? All review's and benchmarks i read pretty much all came to the same conclusion with the Vertex beating the competition by some margin. Already used OCZ products in previous pc rigs i've built so know they have good customer support. (and forum!). Only options with the WD My Book Studio 2 is usb or firewire 800 so was an easy choice. Originally was going to use usb and dedicate the single firewire port to DAC but think i might end up using a different DAC than planned so the HDD's in there now. Stick with Firewire 800. It'll be faster (depending on the FS's protocols) and cause less headaches. It is possible to hardware hack a mini and fit an eSATA connection but why bother? There's a few of us running MF/B&W it seems!

The second one is the new 'extended' range. Just an updated Vertex 2. Apart from the slightly larger capacity (240GB and not 200GB) the flash reserve has been reduced from 28% to 13%. Added bonus is they've also reduced prices for a limited time i believe.