Better digital options
 

I’m looking for suggestions on how to improve my digital music experience. I’m currently running a Mac mini which has all my CDs into a Mcintosh MB50. I listen to Spotify and my digital library of CDs, which are all recorded in lossless cia iTunes. Some thoughts I am pondering: get dedicated music server, upgrade my Dac, get a new CD player, Run an older CD player into the MB50. The Mac mini is a newer model and works well. I realize Spotify isn’t the best sound quality but I can live w it when I just need a little background music. I use ITunes for all the mobile devices so I can’t lose the computer all together. I just feel that I’m not getting everything I can from this set up. Budget for upgrade would be around $2-3k.

JDSmoke-

Having just moved from a MacBookPro running Amarra to a Bryston BDP-3, the sound quality has had a major bump. The MacBk was very good but never quite CD quality. Although not having done an A-B comparison, the Bryston seems better than my CD spinner and more convienent. Familiar music is cleaner, more dynamic and the vocals are clearer. The rips were done in the aiff format.

Is is possible to store music on the MB 50? That may be better than the mini. You have real nice equipment and I assume the DAC in the MB 50 is very capable. Perhaps a music server is the way to go.

Although somewhat beyond the upper end of your budget, I am very happy with the BDP3. You can install your own hard drive or use an inexpensive external drive to get started. I opted for built in WiFi but if you are able to plug directly into your router no need. Also, you can plug its ethernet into an extender.

Two more considerations; Bryston's customer support is great and there will be a price increase as of Oct 1.

John
Thanks for the input. So your thoughts are the computer is the weakest link. Did you use the optical output for you Mac? I’m using it coming out of the mini. When I had my Parasound preamp, it had a Dac and I used the USB output, for some reason I thought the digital sounded better but I didn’t do and A/B comparison. The MB50 doesn’t have a USB in which is a shame. That’s why I keep thinking I need a better DAC.

JDSmoke-

I used both the optical and USB from the MacBk. The DAC in my 2500 had some growing pains with the USB but revision 1.03 seemed to clear that up. Also moving to a shorter cable was another help.

The USB and fiber were similar but different. Never quite made up my mind as to which was preferred. Sometimes the USB sometimes the optical. One thing I did notice was the sound stage. On the opening of Santana's Abraxas for example, the cymbals floated from left to right much more dynamically with glass than USB. In the end, it's splitting hairs.

With the BDP3, it's another story; the previous setup is just bested all around. So much so, a Bryston BDA3 is on its way. In your case, keep your options open and explore various scenarios. This server/DAC thing is something I've worked on for quite sometime and then it all came together. Having so many great possibilities out there doesn't make it easier.

Enjoy the hunt.

I would add Amarra software to the Mac and upgrade the DAC to a Schiit Yggdrasil. Good luck!

I went from a Mac mini to an Aurender N100H and could not be happier. It will fit in your budget and is a purpose built music server with a great iPad conductor app.

In order to get the best digital experience you need to manage your musical library.
The best way to do this is using Roon. No other software can match the data management capabilities of Roon.

JRiver does anything I could possibly ask for; I consider myself a power user. :ok:

I have used JRiver in the past. However, after using Roon and its music library management capabilities such as Focus, I can’t go back!

But that is the problem With JRMC.

Respectively, you have to be a power user to use its capabilities. Life is too short.