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biberfan

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  1. 1) have I thought this through correctly? Pretty much. I run a Mac mini headless as my music server. The speed with Thunderbolt makes it the "new" Firewire, and if you ever have to clone your collection (for backup purposes), it will happen more quickly with Thunderbolt. I control my Mac with my iPad2 (VNC for computer needs, Apple Remote for iTunes). 2) any advice on external storage solutions. I currently have 500 CDs that have yet to be archived so I need a whole new drive array (current one is only 2 discs) Not sure you need a new array, why not invest in two 2 Tb drives? My mini is older, but if I were to buy something new, check out the Thunderbolt enclosures by Promise. 2a) is a thunderbolt solution worth the added cost? speed. 3) is it better to just run the system "headed" with a wireless mouse and keyboard connected to the TV? This is a possibility, but it depends on what you have, where it's all located, etc. My computer runs 24/7 and it's a music-only "server." I use a Halide Bridge to connect the Mac via USB to my DAC via its SPDIF BNC connector. Mac Mini could also make a nice video server for TV.
  2. biberfan

    Gear

    Source 2 Ghz Core 2 Duo Mac Mini (Mac OS X Snow Leopard) (5 GB RAM) SSD boot drive G-Drive External Drive (Firewire 800) iTunes Library Audirvana Plus BitPerfect Software - Apple Lossless, MP3, AAC (Baroque, classical, jazz) Remote Control iPad 2 with Apple Remote VNC DAC Bel Canto DAC 3 Cables Halide Bridge Acoustic Zen Wow! XLR (Balanced) Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun (speakers) Shuntaya Power (amp) Amp Classé CA-2300 Speakers B&W 703 (biwired)
  3. Blu, I read your experience and didn't realize another version was available, so I am currently running two versions of Audirvana side by side with the same tracklist so I can do A/B comparisons. First track - couldn't really tell a difference. Next track - wind music (Calefax Wind Quintet) - wait a minute... what's... really? I do hear a difference, and prefer the GCC-compiled version of Audirvana. The lead instrument has more dimension behind it somehow... in the X-code created version, the instrument is mostly on the L stereo channel. In the GCC-created version, the instrument is somehow more on the R channel (still predominately left). The effect is difficult to describe, but I'd say it's one of those soundstage issues we read about in the audiophile literature. Like you I am using the SRC libSamplerate converter.
  4. I am not sure if this will help... In the iTunes folder where it organizes music, if you let iTunes "keep the media folder organized" in preferences, there should be a folder called "Automatically Add to iTunes." Once XLD rips a CD, have it put the AIFFs in this folder. iTunes, based on the track data, should organize your files into albums, and consequently, appropriate folders.
  5. My interest in trying these players instead of iTunes is the ability to upsample. I had bad luck using Audirvana to upsample, I'd get cracks and pops. Based on a tip here from CA, I rebooted my Mac into 64-bit mode by holding down the '6' & '4' keys during reboot. Now Audrivana (.7e) plays flawlessly when upsampling to 24/96. I have quality all the way up using CoreAudio, and the hog mode enabled. My Mac's a MacPro Quad with 8GB of RAM, so I thought it odd that Audrivana would have trouble playing tracks upsampled. The SRC upsampler also works well when computer is in 64 bit mode. I've been skeptical of what these players are really doing to make the sound any better (PureMusic, Amarra, etc.) and find A/B comparisons difficult. But the one quality I find is that there tends to be less taxation on listening, especially with headphones.
  6. We have tried and purchased both Screens and also VNC Viewer. Both work well; Screens has a different interface paradigm and is a little slicker with its interface. VNC Viewer is cheaper, and I also use it in my work environment. I do most control via iTunes and Apple's Remote App.
  7. I became interested in the hobby about 11 years ago, but haven't yet invested a fortune--yet. I listen in two spaces, one in my home office with a bookshelf speakers and a set of Sennheiser cans (HD650), and our family room is where I go for less distracted listening. I'm currently using a MacMini -> Wireworld Supernova 6 -> Bel Canto DAC 3 -> CIAudio D100 Monoblocks -> Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun -> B&W 703. I welcome any suggestions for logical upgrade paths in the future.
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