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Author Topic: 2010 versus 2011 mac mini  (Read 5404 times)
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esimms86
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« on: April 19, 2012, 07:01:12 pm »

I sold my custom build Sandy bridge hexcore PC and went instead with a 2010 mac mini. The sound is very satisfying with (1)Audirvana Plus running on mac os Snow Leopard and with (2)XXHigh End running on Windows 7 Professional in Boot camp mode. XXHE, not surprising, is preferred for listening but there is one hitch. With the core duo Intel 2010 mac mini useful SFS settings max out at 170. I was wondering how much the SFS setting really matters for getting the best sound possible out of XXHE as I am contemplating upgrading to a 2011 mac mini server running at 2.0 GHz quad core with the Intel core i7 chip. I further wonder if there are other gains to be had aside from SFS capability when pairing XXHE with a better processor. Of course, I can save my money to spend on more music if the 2011 mac mini won't net me any appreciable gains over the 2010 model. As an aside, there are always rumors about a 2012 model but nothing reliable has surfaced and Apple, anyway, holds their cards close to the vest(that is to say, they're secretive) when it comes to upcoming product rollouts.

Esau 

P.S.
 - I realize that the 2011 mac mini should also benefit from having XXHE on a spinning drive rather than on a SSD.
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2010 mac mini running Windows 7 Professional N 64bit *SP1* and XXHE on SSD in Boot camp mode, mac os x Snow Leopard with Audirvana Plus also on SSD, music on  separate 2 Tb firewire La Cie HD / 8 Gb RAM/ Engine#4 *Adaptive Mode* / Q1/2/3/4/5 = *30*/0/0/0/0 (Dev.Buffer = *4096*) / ClockRes = *15ms* / Straight Contiguous / SFS = 170 / not Invert / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Real Time / Scheme = 3/ *Minimize OS = On*  / 24/768 Phasure/Is Phasure NOS1/ NOS1 async USB DAC, Driver v1.0.2 -> Marantz PM KI Pearl amplifier ->Gallo Strada/Gallo TR3 subwoofer
PeterSt
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« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2012, 07:53:23 pm »

Hi there Esau,

My take : a quad processor (especially the i7 with Hyperthreading) for sure will matter. But you won't find many comparisons etc. in here because just everybody has one ... (or hasn't and hasn't compared). Furthermore this comparison may just be too difficult because of so many other things playing a role at the same time (meaning : once you hopped over to an i7 machine, you upgraded quite a few things more).

On the SFS thing ... well, search for it and find 100s of posts about it. It is *the* key SQ parameter ...
But judge yourself. Or otherwise maybe others can objectively help. Anyway, I say : have yourself a machine which can max it out (which is 500 theoretically) so you can find your sweetspot (which never is very close to the max you can obtain - like mine is 430).

Quote
- I realize that the 2011 mac mini should also benefit from having XXHE on a spinning drive rather than on a SSD.

No need to say this to please me. Not everybody experiences this the same. But the debate about it is a bit over (in here), and people judge for themselves since they know it at least does make a difference ...

Best regards,
Peter
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For the Stealth III LPS PC :
W10-14393.0 - July 17, 2021 (2.11)
XXHighEnd Mach III Stealth LPS PC -> Xeon Scalable 14/28 core with Hyperthreading On (set to 14/28 cores in BIOS and set to 10/20 cores via Boot Menu) @~660MHz, 48GB, Windows 10 Pro 64 bit build 14393.0 from RAM, music on LAN / Engine#4 Adaptive Mode / Q1/-/3/4/5 = 14/-/0/0/*1*/ Q1Factor = *4* / Dev.Buffer = 4096 / ClockRes = *10ms* / Memory = Straight Contiguous / Include Garbage Collect / SFS = *10.13*  (max 10.13) / not Invert / Phase Alignment Off / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Realtime / Scheme = Core 3-5 / Not Switch Processors during Playback = Off/ Playback Drive none (see OS from RAM) / UnAttended (Just Start) / Always Copy to XX Drive (see OS from RAM) / Stop Desktop, Remaining, WASAPI and W10 services / Use Remote Desktop / Keep LAN - Not Persist / WallPaper On / OSD Off (!) / Running Time Off / Minimize OS / XTweaks : Balanced Load = *62* / Nervous Rate = *1* / Cool when Idle = n.a / Provide Stable Power = 1 / Utilize Cores always = 1 / Time Performance Index = Optimal / Time Stability = Stable / Custom Filtering *Low* (16x) / Always Clear Proxy before Playback = On -> USB3 from MoBo -> Lush^3
A: W-Y-R-G, B: *W-G* USB 1m00 -> Phisolator 24/768 Phasure NOS1a/G3 75B (BNC Out) async USB DAC, Driver v1.0.4b (16ms) -> B'ASS Current Amplifier -> Blaxius*^2.5* A:B-G, B:B-G Interlink -> Orelo MKII Active Open Baffle Horn Speakers. ET^2 Ethernet from Mach III to Music Server PC (RDC Control).
Removed Switching Supplies from everywhere (also from the PC).

For a general PC :
W10-10586.0 - May 2016 (2.05+)
*XXHighEnd PC -> I7 3930k with Hyperthreading On (12 cores)* @~500MHz, 16GB, Windows 10 Pro 64 bit build 10586.0 from RAM, music on LAN / Engine#4 Adaptive Mode / Q1/-/3/4/5 = 14/-/1/1/1 / Q1Factor = 1 / Dev.Buffer = 4096 / ClockRes = 1ms / Memory = Straight Contiguous / Include Garbage Collect / SFS = 0.10  (max 60) / not Invert / Phase Alignment Off / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Realtime / Scheme = Core 3-5 / Not Switch Processors during Playback = Off/ Playback Drive none (see OS from RAM) / UnAttended (Just Start) / Always Copy to XX Drive (see OS from RAM) / All Services Off / Keep LAN - Not Persist / WallPaper On / OSD On / Running Time Off / Minimize OS / XTweaks : Balanced Load = *43* / Nervous Rate = 1 / Cool when Idle = 1 / Provide Stable Power = 1 / Utilize Cores always = 1 / Time Performance Index = *Optimal* / Time Stability = *Stable* / Custom Filter *Low* 705600 / -> USB3 *from MoBo* -> Clairixa USB 15cm -> Intona Isolator -> Clairixa USB 1m80 -> 24/768 Phasure NOS1a 75B (BNC Out) async USB DAC, Driver v1.0.4b (4ms) -> Blaxius BNC interlink *-> B'ASS Current Amplifier /w Level4 -> Blaxius Interlink* -> Orelo MKII Active Open Baffle Horn Speakers.
Removed Switching Supplies from everywhere.

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