[Samurai7595]

I'm currently using a 128GB USB thumbdrive with my BDP-2/BDA-2 setup and controlling it via MPad on my iPad Mini.

I'm thinking of getting an Apple Mac Mini (new model) and transferring my FLAC music files to it.

If I do decide to go with an Apple Mac Mini...

Q1. How would I configure the Bryston BDP-2 to stream from the Mac Mini?

Q2. Would I still be able to control the BDP-2 via MPad on my iPad Mini?

Q3. Anything else should I be aware of?

[unincognito]

Hello,

You can make a network share on your Mac Mini using SMBup, linked below.  The BDP will treat the network share as a drive connected to it.

https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/41541/smbup

Cheers,
Chris

[Samurai7595]

Great, thanks!

BTW, would I still be able to control my BDP-2 via MPad on my iPad Mini?

[unincognito]

Yes

[So There]

Halloo, Samurai:

I'm very interested in doing what you propose. Could you keep us up to date with your progress on hardware, software, cabling and connections, and other elements of getting the system up and running? For example:

Are you thinking of the Mac Mini or the Mac Mini server?
Are you looking at Amarra, Pure Music, or other software?
Do you plan to connect external drives to the Mac Mini?

I'm waiting for the next-gen Mac Mini, as the current one is long overdue for an update (last model released in 2012): http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#Mac_Mini

Thanks very much and best wishes for your project,

Rich
_________________
Whiney Napa Valley

[gdayton]

For what it's worth, I have a 1st gen Intel Mac Mini that I "upgraded" by finding a used Core Duo processor on craigslist to replace the original Core Solo (Core Uno?). It has 2g of RAM and a paltry 40g hard drive built in. It is physically incapable of running any OS beyond 10.6.8. In fact, I can't even boot it from USB!

This computer is purely a file server for me. It hosts 2 external hard drives via the built in SMB utility. My BDP-2 has no trouble reading and writing to them quickly over my gigabit network. I also run a few other lightweight services on it such as Subsonic and an FTP.

It's more than fast enough for these purposes and I hear no sound quality difference between having my BDP access the drives over the network or with these drives directly connected. It's a great way to repurpose an otherwise obsolete computer.

-Gary

[gustavog]

Sorry to bump in but the best is a BDP with a hard drive attached. The sound beats anything out on the netwok (your experience could be different). That is what I like the most about this player. I've had a couple of network players and they always choke for one reason or another, being the network or whatever, so music attached is a very good idea. I just synchronize a hard disk on my desktop with the BDP and that works the best. Not much work, just use Heatsoft synchronizer  ahnd that is done swiftly.

My two cents.