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I apologise if this is covered extensively elsewhere in which perhaps a kind soul could point me in the right direction. I have a mac mini based system running Audirvana plus which has been fine for several years although as I listen to FM radio most of the time I only use it occasionally. My mac mini is several years old and when I first started to use Audirvana plus I think I was told NOT to update the iTunes system. Recently when I tried to use A+ without thinking updated the A+ software to 1.5.12 and now the A+ software says it is "initialising" or something similar when I try to use it as despite de-activating the iTunes controls (as per usual A+ instructions) I think the music is being controlled by iTunes and not A+ I think my systems are out of sync. My systems are as follows: Mac Mini running OSX 10.6.8 connected to external FS Drobo iTunes version 11.2.2.(3) A+ version 1.5.12 just recently downloaded but the icon which comes up on my desktop is not the usual black pic of the A+ software but a white slab - is that significant or just a change in icon design? I think I tread somewhere that if one has an older Mac Mini (mine is several years old - can't remember exact year) one should use A+ software version 1.4.3 as it is very stable. I have tried to download this but the Audirvana site doesn't seem to be opoerating correctly. Should I update any of my OSX systems, iTunes software or A+ software or try to go back to any previous versions? Help please! Thanks in advance. Neil

Paul, thank you for your reply. I am afraid I don't really know if the Drobo is acting as an iTunes server or merely a file server. I have looked at the iTunes preferences window under the "sharing" tab and the box "look for shared libraries" is ticked but the "Share my Library on my local network" box is not ticked. Is there somewhere else I should look and what should I look for? Also how would one "mount" a "drive" from Drobo to my mac mini - what would be the normal process (I appreciate that it may vary from one storage device to another). I recall trying to understand the mounting process when I set up the Drobo for the first time but as I didn't know what "mounting" means and the instructions assume the reader does so, it's quite posssible (probable!) I have screwed up somewhere. I am able to get Audirvana Plus to play music having downloaded it on a trial basis but maybe that doesnt rely on the iTunes platform? Sorry to appear to be such a dummy. It's not helped by the fact that I usually use a PC as I am only using the mac mini for music, so I am also having to get used to the mac approach as well! Thanks, neil

Having tried the earlier version of Amarra Mini on trial a year ago without success with my FS Drobo storage device which meant that my Mac Mini/FS Drobo/ Weiss dac 202 set up has sat silent during that time I have now downloaded a trial of Amarra Mini version 2.3 to see if the previous incompatiblity between Amarra Mini and FS Drobo has been fixed. I can't get Amarra Mini to interface with iTunes properly. I don't seem to be able to create a Playlist in Amarra. I think I have input the correct settings on iTunes preferences and Audio Midi- is there a comprehensive list of settings and what to do etc? I am not that tekky when it comes to computers and despite having spent many months trawling through the postings and advice on here it's still pretty mind-blowing - there seem to be so many variables as far as settings/preferences etc are concerned or it may be that Amarra just doesn't work with FS Drobo?. I have no problem playing itunes tracks through the Weiss Dac/hifi system but can't get Amarra to play the music. My FS Drobo is linked via an ethernet network to my Mac Mini and mac Mini is connected via firewire to Weiss dac 202 which is then connected to hifi system. Any help would be welcome. Any others out there using Mini 2.3 and FS Drobo? I have emailed Sonic Studio for suppoprt but last time I did that the response was pretty unhelpful but let's see - it would be unfair to pre-judge their response at this stage.

I notice there is a new unwrapped mac mini for sale on the Pink Fish Media hifi forum if it might be relevant. I have no connection with the seller BTW! http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92857&highlight=mini

I have seen some "almost new" iPads up for sale on Pink Fish Media Classifieds at reasonable prices recently so keep your eyes open unless you would only buy brand new.

Dietrick, I will try out the 2.1.1 version and let you know. Thanks for taking the time to reply to my posting, neil

Jud, Thanks for the advice. It's a bit bewildering as a newcomer comaparing the various different music players available given that some are free and open source and some have to be paid for even though the free versions seem to do most things that the paid-for versions do. Usually there's no such thing as free lunch! Neil

Jud, As a relative newcomer to all of this, I am trying to assess the merits of Amarra versus the free Audivirna/Ayrewave software and apart from the musical side of each version of software, about which there have been many posts and which is entirely subjective, one of the key issues for most people considering Audivirna/Ayrewave is, as is already mentioned above, whether they can be remotely operated via an iPad or iPhone. Jud, would the VNC Lite app on an iPad control a headless mac mini which is operating the playback software. Are the features of the VNC Lite remote the same or similar to the apple itunes remote apps (which can be used on iTunes and Amarra) or is it a bit of a compromise in terms of quality or features -reference your "kludgy" comment? A big thumbs up BTW to the creators of Audivirna and Ayrewave who have created these software systems for open use.

Dietrick, Thanks for the update. Your update of the Amarra 2.1.1 mentions some enhancements including: "Enhancements: • DroboFS Support (currently only non-compressed files are supported)" I have been trying to use Amarra 2.1 (on trial)on a mac mini (4Gb version and used only for music purposes) connected through an ethernet network to a Drobo FS (which only has an ethernet port - no usb port) and couldn't even get Amarra to put together a playlist whereas iTunes was able to find the files on the Drobo to add to the playlist without any problem. Does Amarra 2.1.1 now work with a Drobo FS connected to a mac mini by ethernet network? When I have raised this question in the past I have been told to connect the Drobo via a USB port on the mac mini but I haven't been able to do this as the Drobo only has an ethernet (not USB) port and also in my case (and probably the same with many other Drobo users) I don't want the Drobo in the same room as the hifi system so an ethernet connection is preferable. If I were to try to use a USB cable (via a USB/ethernet adapter which I beleive exists but have not tried)I would probably be exceeding the recommended maximum length for USB cable any way so that would not be a viable option. It would be good to get closure on this issue as I have been trying to solve this for the last three months and all attempts to contact Sonic Studio support by email have been met with silence which is hardly encouraging. To be fair to Sonic Studio I beleieve others on here have been able to use Drobo FS with mac mini and Amarra, although I am not clear if they are using a USB or ethernet connection, so I think there is a way forward but I would like to know specifically if an ethernet network connected Drobo FS (rather than USB connected) now works with the new Amarra 2.1.1! Thanks

Hi Dave, I read your post regarding Drobo FS from a while back. I see that you are using Amarra and a Drobo FS. I am having problems as outlined in my posting of a couple of days ago - see http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Drobo-FS-and-Amarra-issue How is your Drobo connected to your set-up - mine is by ethernet network (as Drobo FS doesn't have a USB connection), is yours working ok? Any suggestions on what my problem may be? Thanks, neil

I have been trying to use Amarra (on trial basis) on my mini mac which is connected by ethernet cable to an ethernet switch which in turn is connected by ethernet cable to my Draytek internet router which has spare ethernet ports into which I have plugged the Drobo FS which only has an ethernet connection (no USB port). The Drobo is in another room (say 5m away from where the mini mac will eventually be sited) to avoid the humming noise of the Drobo interfering with the music. Mini mac will eventually be connected by firewire to a Weiss DAC202 and then to the hifi system but for the moment as I am in testing mode only I am just listening through the crappy internal single speaker in the mini mac (I didn't realise it had one but apparently it's there for enjoyment of the start up sounds!). I can load tracks on to the regular iTune playlist and listen to them through the minimac's speaker for testing purposes so I believe there should be nothing wrong with my ethernet network/router set-up but when I try to create a playlist using Amarra on the mini mac it does not let me do so. Having raised this query with Sonic Studio (through a helpful dealer) they suggest I plug the Drobo into the USB connection on the back of the mini mac because as they say the Drobo "wants to control the bus" (whatever that means - ignorance on my part here I'm afraid!) but I can't do that (i) because the Drobo only has an ethernet type connection and no USB port and (ii) even if it did allow for USB connection, or if it is possible to adapt ethernet to USB(?), I would have to use a USB cable which I believe would exceed its recommended useable length unless I brought the Drobo into the music room and sited it next to the minimac/hifi system with the consequent interference with sound quality because of its humming noise. I know from other posts on this site that there have been some incompatibility issues with Amarra and Drobo servers and had hoped that these issues would have been solved in the new version of Amarra given that Drobos are used by many people as music storage systems. Any assistance or suggestions would be appreciated. I may be doing something completely wrong or may have missed something. Thanks in advance.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST Recently acquired a Drobo FS (with 3 x WD 1.5Tb) and sent an email to Drobo customer support to ask how I set up Drobo which I would like to use to store files for my mac mini (for use solely for music - itunes) running Snow Leopard and to back up files from my home business Sony laptop running Vista. I asked whether I need to set up separate volumes in the Drobo (I think these are the same as files - one for music and one for business stuff?)or whether that happens automatically, whether I ned to worry about the different Mac and Vista formats of the music files on the one hand and the business files on the other, and I asked what "mounting" a computer to a HD means. So far no response or even acknowledgement from Drobo other than that the matter is "unresolved". Drobo FS seems like a nice bit of kit but I am stuck as I am not a computer tekky! The Droboshare features are not applicable to the FS. Any one else having a bad customer support experience with Drobo? ****UPDATE******* Received a reply this afternoon to my enquiry so maybe they read my posting on here! Their reply is posted below in case it is of any interest: "To answer your questions, it is advised to use separate shares for Windows and MAC OS X. The reason for this is that MAC OS X can read the Windows proprietary NTFS file system but can not write on it and Windows can read nor write on the MAC OS proprietary HFS+ file system. If you wish to share an iTunes library, you can set up an NTFS share, copy the music onto it using the Windows computer and have the MAC read the library from there. With DroBo FS there is no need to repartition the device in the classic sense (using for instance disc utility). Instead you can assign shares using the DroBo dashboard. These shares are network storage volumes and need to be mounted in order to access them. By default droBo dashboard automatically mounts these shares after they have been initially set up. As long as you don't want to connect Drobo directly to your Mac, there's no need to format it in FAT32 for use with DroboShare. You can format it in HFS+ or NTFS through Drobo Dashboard or in EXT3 (Linux-via the command line) , and DroboShare deals with the tasks associated with making files understandable with multiple platforms Since you are accessing Drobo through the DroboShare, which is talking to you with Windows file sharing (SMB) protocols, you are not seeing the actual format on the disk with your computer. Only DroboShare sees the actual format. With partitioning you define the area which can be used to store your data. Means, you can create several partitions with different sizes for each partition. You need to mount a devices in order to get access to the data on the drives."

Of course some brands may appear to appreciate because of subsequent increases in their retail price due to inflation or currency movements but one has no way of forecasting which will, and which will not, increase unless, in the case of those manufactured abroad, you can confidently predict an increase in the currency of the manufacturing country compared top that in the country of purchase. For example, I was told (although I have not been able to substantiate this) that Weiss have just announced a fairly significant price rise in their DACs so somebody who bought a Weiss DAC recently may already be sitting on a potential profit. I doubt there are many pieces of equipment out there which genuinely appreciate in real terms so that they can be regarded as an investment from which one might make a profit on resale but frankly if that is one's intention there are other assets in which one could invest which would be a better bet! I suspect that even highly collectable pieces of HiFi Kit (such as the Marantz 10B tuner) have not appreciated in real terms from their original retail price. Although I do wonder if the Tannoy Monitor Gold/Silver/Red loudspeakers may have appreciated in real terms given the prices being paid in certain specialist markets such as Japan - perhaps because there isn't really a modern equivalent unlike some other hifi kit such as amplifiers which seem more easily replaced (a few owners of early Radford/Leak/Quads may disagree here!). Otherwise resale prices at the moment for second-hand high-end equipment seem very low, and an absolute steal in some cases, which is not surprising given the economic climate.

Thanks Rob 2 x 2Gb ordered from Crucial. neil

Thanks Rob, I understand that you needs to have the two RAM chips of equal memory so as you say to upgrade to 4Gb means buying two more RAM components. Do you/anybody know the cheapest place in the UK to but additional RAM for the Mini Mac, I have seen references in this forum to a good place in the US but as always the UK always seems to be more expensive. Thanks, Neil