Mac Mini/Tranquility DAC

[Bigfish8]

Guys:

Once I sold the ModWright Transporter I posted that I intended to pursue a computer/dac solution for my system.  Someone responded to my post that I should at least look into the Tranquility DAC that was creating a buzz over on AC.  After trading PMs and talking to several happy Tranquility Owners I decided to call db Audio Labs for additional information.  I spoke with Eric Hider, owner of db Audio Labs, and he recommended the following system which I now have in place:

1.  db Audio Labs Tranquility DAC
2.  db Audio Labs USB Cable
3.  Mac Mini
    a) Snow Leopard Operating System
    b) Replace the stock hard drive with a Solid State Drive
    c) My used Mini came with 4 GB of Ram
4.  Fire Wire External Hard Drive
5.  To experiment with various music player software.  I have selected Pure Music based on recommendations on Computer Audiophile.


When I received the external hard drive the first thing I had to do was convert all of my .flac files to .aiff.  I have yet to be able to get all of my album art, etc. transferred.

The operation to open the Mac Mini and change out the stock drive tested my nerves but it turned-out to be a piece of cake.  Intalled the operating system disk and I was back in business in a short time.  The reason for the SS drive is to reduce power and noise requirements of the Mini.  Once completed my Mini is dead silent!

The music from the Mac Mini/Tranquility System is quite a bit different from the Transporter.  With the Tranquility System the background is much quieter, of course no tube noise, and I find the music to be more detailed without being fatiguing.  I find the bass to very tight and controlled (maybe that is the Moscode).  I have listened for hours on end and find myself constantly taping my foot!  

I am not nor will I make a claim that the Mac Mini/Tranquility System is the best digital playback system available.  It is just the very best digital source I have had in my system!  Having grown up with Analog I can say without a doubt this digital system has a very analog sound character to it.

Yes, I am very happy, for now!

Ken

PS:  I think my choice of the Tranquility DAC was in a large part due to wanting a Mac Computer.  Many on Computer Audiophile tout the Mac Mini as a great music server because it does not have much inside the case to add noise to the digital signal.  I personally find the Mini to be extremely user friendly and very, very fast!  I also must add that Eric Hider is an expert with the Mac Mini and has spent time with me on the phone to esure it is optimized to send the best possible signal to the Tranquility!

[richidoo]

Congrats Ken!  A long journey is coming to a happy destination.

No flac, huh?  I didn't know that! Maybe Pure Music / iTunes wouldn't work for Carl after all...  He has trillions of zigabytes of flac.

iirc, further improvements are to be had modding the Mac with external linear power supply. haha, sorry, I couldn't resist.   

Kan't wait to hear it!

[Bigfish8]

Congrats Ken!  A long journey is coming to a happy destination.

No flac, huh?  I didn't know that! Maybe Pure Music / iTunes wouldn't work for Carl after all...  He has trillions of zigabytes of flac.

iirc, further improvements are to be had modding the Mac with external linear power supply. haha, sorry, I couldn't resist.   

Kan't wait to hear it!

Hi Rich:

Yes, there are some looking to replace the switching power supply of the Mac Mini with a linear power supply.  I have no doubt a linear supply would prove by listening tests to be superior to the standard switching power supply I don't think I can justify it.  A $600.00 computer with a $1000.00 power supply - I don't think so!

Ken

[Regg]

No flac, huh?  I didn't know that! Maybe Pure Music / iTunes wouldn't work for Carl after all...  He has trillions of zigabytes of flac.

I use a Mac and I can play .wav files, Flacs, Wavpack, Ape, Ogg, or whatever, using this playback software:
http://sbooth.org/Play/

Load up your playlist and go...I don't need no steenking iTunes. Created by Stephen Booth, on his own time. Very good player and it's FREE. Well worth checking out.

[richidoo]

Sol can make one for ya. A friend of mine did it to his Mini, using Pure Music and a DAC just like you, I'll ask him what he did and what info is out there. He said it was a big improvement.



EDIT: This is my 4000th post on AN.    I'm gonna let you guys ketchup.

[Bigfish8]

When I posted yesterday I forgot to include a comment that The Tranquility is a NOS DAC.  Pure Music will allow me to upsample but I am using it in NOS Mode. 

Rich:

Some folks have approached Paul Haynes about building a linear power supply for the Mac Mini.  Apparently the Mini has something called "iSense connection"  to allow the Mini to boot properly.  I don't know if this presents further challenges (and expense) to build a linear supply for the unit?  Eric Hider told me a linear supply made a noticable improvement to the sound but he questioned the commercial viability of bringing one to market.  It as I commented in a post approximately a month ago, when is good enough, good enough?

Ken

[Carlman]

Ken, that is truly fantastic news.  You will grow to love loving the music with that setup.  Once the setup woes are over, the non-os sound and excellent PRAT and other synergies you have going on, not much else will compare.  

You've moved from building a great system where you just wanted that wow factor... to builing a system that really matches your listening tastes... where 'wow' takes a back seat to intimacy.. Like going from a girl you boink to a girl you marry.

-C

[mdconnelly]

... when is good enough, good enough?

Ken

I suspect when you're content enough to quit asking that question  (but nervosa will probably continue to haunt you occasionally)

... where 'wow' takes a back seat to intimacy.. Like going from a girl you boink to a girl you marry.  

-C

Hmmm, interesting analogy!   But just because you've found the perfect girl to marry doesn't mean you're dead.  Where does "look but don't touch" play into this?       Yeah, I can read TAS without buying the big ticket items.  It's definitely the touching that gets me in trouble. 

[richidoo]

I hope I never feel like it's good enough. How boring would that be?   

The audiophile hobby to me is about learning and trying new things. Along the way I have become more and more jaded as my listening skills have improved and I get to hear other systems better than mine. Too many A-HA moments, "Wow, I never knew a stereo could do that!"  Then I want it for myself...

Touching is for DIY'ers. 

[Bigfish8]

Ken, that is truly fantastic news.  You will grow to love loving the music with that setup.  Once the setup woes are over, the non-os sound and excellent PRAT and other synergies you have going on, not much else will compare.  

You've moved from building a great system where you just wanted that wow factor... to builing a system that really matches your listening tastes... where 'wow' takes a back seat to intimacy.. Like going from a girl you boink to a girl you marry.

Carl:

I have to comment that we had a G2G at Rich's and while there Shane talked to me about pursuing a computer music server/dac system.  This was before I went down the ModWright Transporter route to audio expense hell!  I have to admit I was not ready a couple of years ago to go the computer server route, hell, I was scared about taking the plunge even after selling the Transporter.  While I guess it would appear I chased the "wow factor system" with the ModWright Transporter I was sold on the convenience of Squeezecenter and music streaming.  I was not satisfied with the modded Squeezebox and I wanted the best "one box streaming system" I could purchase.  It seemed the ModWright Transporter was the right solution but even with all the mods and tube changes it just never lived up to the hype, at least for me it didn't.  Finally, I got sick of dealing with the tube issues and said someone else can be happier with it than me!


There are many posts on AC and Audiogon about the sound of the Mac Mini/Tranaquility DAC System.  The only thing negative you can find is that it is not a 'high rez DAC."  I bought it from Eric Hider and it was clear he understood I would return it for the restocking fee if I weren't happy.  Eric made recommendations for the Mini and help me configure it to be best music server it is capable of being.  The only thing else I can consider adding to it is a linear power supply.    

The soundstage with this system is very large and on some music tracks you can hear the position of every instrument on the stage.  I never heard that type of detail with the Transporter.  I am just totally absorbed by the music of this sytem.  Some would classify me possibly as a "Fan Boy" of the Tranquility but I am not a fan boy of any piece of gear.  I am extremely happy with this system and would suggest others try it for themselves!

I hope I never feel like it's good enough. How boring would that be?  

Rich:

I don't know if it will be boring but I hope to try it for awhile!

Ken

[Phil]

Ken,

Interesting stuff.  I'm trying to get a handle on cost since this seems a viable option for computer audio.  Can you tell me how much the ss (if not included in the $600 mac mini cost) and external drive costs? 

Thanks.

Phil

[lonewolfny42]

There are many posts on AC and Audiogon about the sound of the Mac Mini/Tranaquility DAC System.

Ken...Too bad you didn't make it to RMAF '09....you would of heard the set up sooner.

Danny/GR Research had it running in his room with his new V speakers....I went back to that romm three times...it sounded very good. One of the best rooms at the show.

Glad it's all working out for you....

[Bigfish8]

Ken,

Interesting stuff.  I'm trying to get a handle on cost since this seems a viable option for computer audio.  Can you tell me how much the ss (if not included in the $600 mac mini cost) and external drive costs? 

Thanks.

Phil

Phil:

I had the exact same questions in early May.  Eric Hider responded with the following recommendation concerning the solid state drive:

The OCZ Vertex drives are a solid choice. Here's a link to a plethora of online sources for this SSD -

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=ocz+vertex&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=15731316614604654814&ei=E835S7PzBoH48AbK95CBDQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDgQ8wIwAg#ps-sellers



This is the External Hard Drive I purchased:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RL8IH2/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?ie=UTF8&cloe_id=1bec38bf-e71c-49dd-ad7c-c9e78fec19ad&attrMsgId=LPWidget-A2&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000J1HPJY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=04XASHSGR34VK5KYQRNQ

I know several folks that have not switched-out the stock internal drive in their Mac Minis and they are happy.  However, I am just using mine for a music server and everything I have read state the SS drive is better.  I switched mine out before ever trying it with the stock drive. 

One last comment concerning the Mac Mini.  Eric Hider told me any Mini capable of running the Snow Leopard Operating System is more than capable of being a music server for the Tranquility.  You do not need the latest, most powerful processor but he does recommend the Snow Leopard System.

Good Luck,

Ken

[JBryan]

Ken,

Did you try the modded SB3 route or went straight to the ModWright Transporter? If you tried the SB3, how was it modified and what differences did you notice when you upgraded to the Transporter?

I set up a ReadyNAS a few years back and have since bumped up the storage to 4TB but have remained tied to my MacPro/iTunes using the AIFF format. My wife finds this convenient for loading her iPod in AAC but I'm wondering if there's a better overall approach sound-wise that remains simple (I'm not computer-savvy). Any impressions or recommendations you can share would be appreciated.

Thanks, Bryan

[richidoo]

I use the ReadyNAS now for fileserving to my Sonos system. I still run Squeezecenter (or whatever the hell it is called this week) on the ReadyNAS for my kids to use the SB3. I had to replace the ReadyNAS powersupply recently, it is a common flaw if it is old enough to use the counterfeit chinese power supply caps. I think I made a post about it here on AN if you search a little. Bought new netgear PS on Amazon.

I switched from Logitech players to Sonos for the better reliability and interface, but it is no better sound quality than the logitech stuff, probably worse in analog and digital. But it is worth it to be rid of Slimserver. My DAC cleans it up so they sound the same.

I store music in flac, but my wife also wants her tracks in Apple lossless. dbpoweramp music converter makes it easy to convert them for her.  I don't store any files in apple lossless though, just on her ipod.

iTunes itself is generally thought to be not hifi worthy, due to the poor quality audio section and bad ripping quality, among other issues. I don't know all the technical details. Some Google hits.  Check out Pure Music to upgrade the iTunes playback section to audiophile quality. There are several PC rippers that assure bit perfect copy from CD, I'm sure there are some on Mac too, but I'm not familiar with them. iTunes rips are not accurate. But when I have a disk that has scratches I rip it with errors and can't hear any difference. 
Rich