I can hear the noise generated by my laptop when using high quality headphones, which is why I carry the Vantec around with me.
At home I have an RME 9652 connected to an RME adi-8 DS that has the actual DACs, from the days when I did more recording and mixing. Still occasionally use that gear to playback 24/96 FLACs. Linux audio and I go all the way back to the 90's. These days I mostly listen to music from an android device (so no 24/96 playback) with headphones (or a couple of ear buds that I like). Convenience is king these days. Instead of xi3, I would look at a mini-itx build. One of my favourite places to buy from is logic supply (http://www.logicsupply.com/). I have no affiliation with them beyond that of a happy customer. You can get small form factor with the added benefit of off the shelf parts (unlike xi3). You can source RAM, SSDs, disks locally for a lot less than either logic supply or xi3. Of course the Brix and NUC are still smaller, though they only take mSATA SSDs which eliminates most high capacity SSDs. If it were me, I would buy an AMD A6, get the mini-itx a85 motherboard from newegg, buy the case and powersupply from logic supply, and the ram, ssd and sshd from memory express. Everything should fit inside a single case (there are some models with SPIDIF optical on the motherboard: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157363 and http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157357). All components are off the shelf if you ever need replacements (again unlike xi3). Just my 2c. On Mon, Sep 2, 2013 at 11:49 AM, Jerry Rukavina <jerry.rukav...@attalin.com>wrote: > Have you checked into - http://www.xi3.com/? > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Lewko, Robert" <lew...@uleth.ca> > Sent: Monday, September 2, 2013 11:37am > To: "CLUG General" <clug-talk@clug.ca> > Subject: Re: [clug-talk] linux on mac-mini... > > Maybe I should have been more forthcoming with my needs. Here's what I am > looking for: > > I am looking for a compact computer that can has at least 500Gb that has > SPDIF or toslink output that can run MPD (Music Player Daemon - Max os x > or Linux - screw Windows!!!). I am using this for feeding my stereo DAC - > ie. I want to put my tunes on its disk (wave files, don't give me shit > about size!!!) and put the computer wherever I setup my stereo system. I > may or not have this computer on a network. Because of location I may > want wireless networking - but that is not necessary 'cause when I add to > the library I can use a USB disk. > > Thank you for your recommendations Gustin, a Gigabyte Brix with a 750Gb > SSD and the Vantec might do the trick! > > What I have been looking at doing is getting a 2007-early 2009 Mac Mini > and putting a larger disk in it. What I have no experience with is > SPDIF/toslink under Linux. I have no idea what the device shows up as in > /dev and you need that name to configure MPD. > > Why MPD? I am friggin' tired of commercial music software that stops > working when the clients updates and the server hasn't (because its not > connected to a network). With MPD there are clients for virtually > anything and the transport protocol hasn't changed in at least 3-4 years. > And its open so if I wanted to write my own client then I could do so (not > that I have the time to do that!!!). > > Why SPDIF (optical)? Computers are nasty electrically. I want to isolate > the computer electronics from the stereo equipment as much as possible. > > ASIDE: Everybody has an opinion on what affects the sound and imaging from > a good high fidelity stereo. I am open to hearing yours. Just don't tell > me that noise added from another source shouldn't make a difference!!! > You'd be surprised what makes a difference that you can hear. > > > Instead of wrestling with the Mac, I would go with either an Intel NUC or > > a > > Gigabyte Brix. If you really do need TOSLINK, there are a number of > > cheap, > > well supported USB audio devices (like this one: > > http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX31016). > > > > I used to use that USB audio device with an Alix for MPD. I did not use > > the TOSLINK since I needed the analogue out. I always carry that USB card > > with me, we can test it out at the next meeting. > > > > > > On Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 10:24 PM, Lewko, Robert <lew...@uleth.ca> wrote: > > > >> Does anyone have experience with running Linux on a Mac Mini? What I > >> want > >> to determine before I look for one is if the toslink output is supported > >> by the Linux drivers and what the device name is under Linux. > >> > >> I am reasonably sure that the answer to the first question is yes since > >> the hardware is mature. > >> > >> The reason that I want to know what the device name is for the toslink > >> device is that I want to run MPD (Music Player Daemon) on this computer > >> and this info is needed to configure this daemon. > >> > >> Thanks in advance. > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> clug-talk mailing list > >> clug-talk@clug.ca > >> http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > >> Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) > >> **Please remove these lines when replying > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > clug-talk mailing list > > clug-talk@clug.ca > > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) > > **Please remove these lines when replying > > > > _______________________________________________ > clug-talk mailing list > clug-talk@clug.ca > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) > **Please remove these lines when replying > > > _______________________________________________ > clug-talk mailing list > clug-talk@clug.ca > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) > **Please remove these lines when replying >
_______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list clug-talk@clug.ca http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) **Please remove these lines when replying
