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iFi Audio iOne The one DAC to rule home audio The 'Hub' DAC at the Centre of Home Audio. Wireless. Wired. The nano iOne is the versatile, audio solution for the modern home - it allows the use of many different digital audio devices and input options in ONE complete unit. Via Bluetooth, S/PDIF or USB inputs, it upgrades the listening experience with smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs, gaming consoles, media streamers and more. The nano iOne improves on the inbuilt digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) and delivers high-resolution, audiophile grade sound. With cutting-edge wireless connectivity, it allows high quality streaming across both Apple and Android, Mac and PC. [/TD] ]Features/Technologies Bluetooth, S/PDIF, USB input AAC codec allows native quality, direct Bluetooth wireless audio streaming from iTunes & Apple Music aptX codec allows CD quality Bluetooth wireless audio streaming from suitably equipped Android devices, PCs and Mac computers Galvanically-isolated S/PDIF output with dedicated re-clocker/line driver ANC® noise suppression system for the power supply (conveniently drawn from USB) GMT® Femto precision clock system Asyncronous USB audio system with Zero Jitter® Memory Buffer Zero Jitter® Memory Buffer technology for S/PDIF & Bluetooth Galvanically-isolated S/PDIF input with FET High Definition (FHD) circuitry Direct-Coupled analogue outputs via RCA The retail price of the nano iOne is US$199 (ex-tax) or Euro235/£199 (incl VAT).[/TD]

I have several gigabytes of "Protected AAC Audio Files" in my iTunes library that I purchased back in the day when they still used DRM. I would like to convert these to a format so I can use them in HQP or Audirvana - but haven't figured out how to do it yet. I am aware that there is one way using iTunes Match (deleting the files and then redownloading them from the cloud) - but I am not interested in using Match. Is there some Mac software solution to remove the DRM (assuming it is legal to do so)? I did some googling around, but didn't come up with anything that looked legit. If you have any advice, I am all ears. Thanks.

I built an HTPC/music server/server a few years ago using a mid-2010 Mac Mini and I love it. Elgato's EyeTV and Turbo.264 record and transcode all my tv as 1080p that I can easily stream across the LAN, etvcomskip marks all commercials for automatic skipping, I have an extensive iTunes library that can be streamed to multiple rooms with airplay, and I run my own mail/calendar/address/web/VPN/VNC/LDAP/Profile Manager/file/etc. personal cloud server using Server.app. I've configured it with 8 GB memory (boy do I wish the 2010 models supported 16 GB), and have replaced the original 1/2-TB dual drives with 1 TB drives, all fast. The mini sounds good -- I run a mini-tos audio cable into a very nice dac -- but I've never pushed the audio envelope on the mini because I'm fortunate to have a really good transport that I use for serious, rather than passive listening, which is what I really use the mini for. I'll pop a cd into a Linn player if I want to sit down and listen to it, or a blu-ray into an Oppo if I want to watch a good movie. Otherwise I'll let iTunes (or EyeTV) play or stream and accept the good, but not excellent, audio that comes with these. Though I am happy with the mini's audio -- it's as good as (even better than) I expect it to be -- I'm wondering if it's reasonable to expect any more from it. What would people recommend to improve the audio that comes out of the mini? A few relevant questions: Has anyone configured a mini's audio and achieved what they consider a rival to a decent high-end system? Is there anything to internet rumors that the quality of the mini's digital output was improved in the 2011+ models? Anyone actually listened before and after? Listening experiences on lossless flac or equivalent versus 256 kbps AAC? I created my iTunes library using the cdparanoia ripper and OS X's afconvert command with AAC at 256 kbps. I arrived at this decision by performing my own listening tests on CDs I created by transcoding from WAV->AAC->WAV at various bitrates and confirming that 256 kbps is indeed excellent. On several very nice sounding systems, my fellow enthusiasts and I had difficulty distinguishing the re-transcoded 256 kbps AAC tracks from their originals, though this test is admittedly a little different from decoding AAC on-the-fly. In practice, my iTunes AAC library sounds good, but not really superb like the same track out of a Linn transport. Is there any hope that lossless compression would improve anything? Would using the mini's USB perform any better? I hear good things about Bel Canto's USB-S/PDIF converter. Any experiences pairing this with a mini? I'm sure this is a high-performing unit, but I'm honestly a little skeptical that it could do anything to turn the mini's water into wine, and hesitant about the price of a converter that's the same as the base mini itself. Any direct experiences improving the audio above that provided by toslink on 2010 or later models?