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Are all the Mac Mini tweeks a big secret or will these be released for everyone? I will be a RMAF and would like to hear a computer based system that makes me want to move to computer based audio. So far, I have not heard one that made me want to buy. Last year's RMAF computer audio sounded bland with a few using tone controls or program equilizers to tweek the sound to get any dynamics and extension. This is a far cry from a purist system and too much hastle for audiophiles who have very little extra time. Please explain what "tweeks" it takes to make the music sound so good. Is it the dac that sound good or is it how the music is munipulated by the programs or equilizer that is helping the sound? Please explain.Thanks!
Well, I have to agree with you. I have been to RMAF three times and have been unimpressed with most of the sound, but occasionally a room will sound good. It is always nice to go home to my rig. I have met some very good designers and have become friends with two. RMAF is a great venue to learn and explore. I do find that the base core of what the designer wants to deliver is there if you take the time to listen and try to ignore the lousy rooms. What drives me nuts is when I take a cd with dynamics in for a demo and the designer goes into panic mode and starts tweeking his "tone controls". I had one rip the cd to his computer and then bring up the equilizer to get the sound the way he wants. I understand that noone wants to demo bad sound, but let's listen to the music as it was recorded. I was more impressed with a demo that was ok and showed the weakness of the woofers in a speaker and have the designer say: "Man, can you pick something with more dynamics?" than to watch someone going nuts trying to get the track to sound right. The Mac Mini combo interests me since I would like to consolidate my software and look at high rez files in the future. Having worked on my rig for 30 years, I do not want to go backwards, but that is always the risk. RMAF is always a good time. Hope to see you all there!
Dave, I'll look you up for sure. I want to see this unit and talk Uberbusses.
Dave, I know I missed it somewhere..but what room(s) will you be in? I look forward to meeting you.
Tube, It's late here and I still have some work on the MacMini we are setting up for a customer but I wanted to answer a few of your questions before I turn in. We have worked very hard to reduce the background noise in the system buy reducing the load on the whole system. We attack this in several ways. We utilize Dave's strategy of "Less is More". Kevin and I come from Vinyl backgrounds and we don't use any tone controls, EQs, remixing, or upsampling. We use a basic music player (play.app), that doesn't even display cover art. We play the music at its original resolution. The modified MacMini sounds great because of the things that are removed. We don't try to "add" anything to the music. It sounds digital when you do that. Since the DB Audio Labs are so good, the listener hears every change we make to the MacMini. Thier DACS are incredible, and are the reason I started to modify the heck out of my Mini. These DACs let everything shine through. It sounds like we have similar approaches to audio. I hope we meet up at RMAF.Dave, I know you weren't a big Mac fan at first, and that you don't impress easily, so Thank You for the kind words. It was a lot of fun doing this test tonight and hearing huge difference. Watching your and Kevin's jaw hit the floor was priceless. Darrell
Hi Darell, How do we find you to ask about mods for our Mac Mini? Website? Thanks,Morgan
Hi, Ted. Long time no talk. We will be in room 2022 of the Tower. The GR Research, Dodd, dB Audio Labs, PI audio group Music Emporium. It's gonna be fun!Hope to see you there.Dave
I listened to the GR research room at RMAF on Friday, then went to as many other rooms as I could squeeze in. In my humble opinion, Danny's super Vs, driven by the newer than state of the art front end, was the best I heard. Every description above is accurate. And now Danny has posted that they have tweaked it to sound even better as of Saturday. Go to room 2024!