Ask S&V

Q I’ve been bouncing around the idea of upgrading my current gear and going digital because my wife and I want the convenience of being able to cue up any piece of music using our iPhones.

My current music system consists of a Bryston 4B amp and Adcom GFP-555 preamp—old school analog stuff, but sounds great when I play CDs. My plan is to purchase a new receiver with HDMI inputs and attach a Mac Mini computer to use as a music server. It’s my thought that I can get a Mac Mini and new HDMI-equipped receiver for under $2,000 and the sound will be comparable to dedicated media servers priced at $2,000 or higher. Am I on the right track? —James Seeds 

A I do think you’re on the right track in buying a Mac Mini computer ($499 and up) to use as a dedicated iTunes music server. But I don’t think you need to spend money on a new receiver, which works out anyway since you like the sound of your old gear. Let me explain.

While the Mac Mini has an HDMI output that you can use to send audio to an HDMI-equipped receiver, you’ll be better off using a USB DAC for music listening. A USB DAC is a standalone device that connects to one of the Mac Mini’s USB outputs, converts the digital audio signal to analog, and then routes it to a preamp or receiver via an analog stereo output. What makes USB a superior option to HDMI in this case is that many USB DACs provide an Asynchronous transfer mode that’s effective in reducing digital jitter. (Check out this feature for more info.)

Good USB DACs that you can hook up to your Mac Mini sell for as low as $150. The combined price, then, for your new music server setup would be in the $650 range—well below what you had originally budgeted for a Mac Mini plus a new HDMI-equipped receiver. Setting up the system shouldn’t be difficult, but there are some audiophile best practices you should pay attention to, especially if you want to play high-res audio. Check out this excellent article written by Paul McGowan of PS Audio for detailed instructions on configuring a Mac Mini as a music server.