Upgrading Mac Mini power supply

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Ern Dog
Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
edited May 2013 in Going Digital
My next move will be getting a Mac Mini as a dedicated music server. Right now I'm using a Macbook Pro, but I use it for everything. I've been doing some research about the Mini and there are lots of tweaks, optimizations and upgrades to do with it, but there is a clear consensus that upgrading the power supply brings about the Biggest improvement. There doesn't seem to be a lot of options for companies that do this upgrade. I know there is Core Audio, Mojo Audio and others....

Has anybody tried the power supply upgrade for the mini? Whose upgrade did you use and how did it sound?

Thanks,
Ernie
Post edited by Ern Dog on
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,056
    edited May 2013
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    I haven't done any of the upgrades but we have been Installing Pure Music on them with a Audioquest USB cable , choice of DAC's. Many times we use the SC-68 and internal USB DAC , when mated with an Integra , we use HDMI.
    I'd like to know more about the upgrades.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited May 2013
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    Save your money and time, and get a Bryston BDP1 music server. You will be glad you did.
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited May 2013
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    Yeah, that BDP-1 looks like a winner for sure. A quick search and I found some comparisons between a modded Mac mini vs the Bryston BDP-1 and users felt the BDP had better sound quality. And now the BDP-2 recently just came out priced at $3k.
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,352
    edited May 2013
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    IIRC Paul Hynes Design offered a PS for the Mac Mini. Can't recall pricing. There was a thread at Audio Circle about a PS for the mini.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited May 2013
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    SCompRacer wrote: »
    IIRC Paul Hynes Design offered a PS for the Mac Mini. Can't recall pricing. There was a thread at Audio Circle about a PS for the mini.

    I'm sure the Hynes design will sound excellent, however what changed my mind was his poor customer service and long wait time to get his products. Some people have been waiting over 6 months! He is having some medical issues which is a factor. I'm far too impatient to wait that long....
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,722
    edited May 2013
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    I guess I"m not clear on what you're hoping to accomplish with a power supply on the Mac Mini. If you're sending files over the spdif output I'd stop that immediately and move over to USB, a power supply may help a little in getting a cleaner signal over spdif but no way is it going to get rid of all the noise that's going to cause jitter on that connection. I'd move to USB and get a good USB to spdif converter, in which case the power supply in the Mac mini really becomes a moot point because the Mini at that point really isn't impacting the sound from a hardware standpoint.

    Just my $.02, there are way better places to spend your money than upgrading the power supply...
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited May 2013
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    AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »
    I guess I"m not clear on what you're hoping to accomplish with a power supply on the Mac Mini. If you're sending files over the spdif output I'd stop that immediately and move over to USB, a power supply may help a little in getting a cleaner signal over spdif but no way is it going to get rid of all the noise that's going to cause jitter on that connection. I'd move to USB and get a good USB to spdif converter, in which case the power supply in the Mac mini really becomes a moot point because the Mini at that point really isn't impacting the sound from a hardware standpoint.

    Just my $.02, there are way better places to spend your money than upgrading the power supply...

    Already using usb and have a usb converter. I'm no expert in computer audio, but what I've found from reading is that the biggest upgrade for the mac mini is upgrading the power supply. Don't ask me how it works because I don't know.
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