[dBe]

A meeting of the minds occurred and all were better for it.

As I had hoped, the modified MAC Mini as prepared by my friends Darrell McCombs and Kevin Burke was a resounding success.  Just how much of one will take some 'splaining so here goes:

Setting up and getting ready for an audio show is one of life's minor pleasures, kind of like mowing the yard.  You know that everything will be better when it is finished, but it is just drudge work.  Along with this is the "don't change anything, it sounds just fine" thing that accompanies being tired, frustrated and hungry.  When we first set up, there were the typical little bugs that had to be swatted and worked through, but we were pretty much happy with the sound of DANNY'S 2010 mini running through the new dB Audio Labs Signature Edition DAC.  The Signature takes everything that the original Tranquility does and does incredibly well and expands on these qualities.  It is an amazing piece.  I have had a Tranquility with some prototype mods done to it that are incorporated into the Signature for some time.  The production version far surpasses the performance of my modified DAC.  It simply kicks butt.  What more is there to say?

Quite a 'bit', actually.

Kevin and Darrell brought in their modified 2010 Mini and set it up for comparison.  We were all waiting for the sound.  I knew what would happen and I think the rest of them were wondering if I was a little off my rocker... until the music started playing.  The track was "Way Down Deep" by Jennifer Warnes.  About 4 seconds into the percussion and other effects that open the track, Danny got this surprised look on his face.  When Jennifer sang her first two nots, Danny got this "deer in the headlights" look on his face      bowed his head and just sat there shaking it.  One of "those" moments, you know.  He then looked up and said: "We can't go back.  This is SOOOO much better."  I'll leave it to others to describe what they heard.  I have already weighed in on the sound of the Tranquility DAC/ MACH2 Mini combination.  It is truly astounding. 

There is a synergy that exists between the MACH2 mods and the Tranquility that makes that particular pairing special.  Both the base DAC and the SE sound particularly good through the modded Mini.  I think that it must be the way that the Tranguiity(s) handle the USB input that makes this so.  I heard the MACH2 Mini with another manufacturer's DAC and while there was an improvement, I didn't feel that it was as profound an improvement as with the Tranquility.  Again, one of those 'defining moments!'

The dB Audio Labs and MACH2 guys have arrived at an amazing crossroads in digital audio.  Their products go together like peanut butter and jelly.  Thank you, guys!!!

Dave

[dmccombs]

No, no, thank you and all the guys in the room.  What a fun knowledgable bunch.

The Mach2 MacMini and the Tranquility DACs are a terrific pair.  The db Audio Labs guys are very sharp and hit a homerun with these DACs. 

We have gotten to A/B the stock MacMini with a lot of DACs (i.e. Tranquility, Ayre, Empherical Audio, Cary for some).  The improvement is always significant and well worth the price of admission.  A super clean front end helps all good DACs.   

The db Audio Labs DACs do sound amazing with the MacMini and Mach2 MacMini.  I bet they spent a lot of time during thier development, testing with a MacMini, because they do sound amazing together.  I know we spent a lot of time doing our development and testing with thier DAC.

Peanut Butter & Jelly is a pretty good analogy Dave.   

[mamba315]

I gotta stop reading here or I'll go broke.

I had the original Tranquility for a couple months and loved it.  Sent it back to get the Signature, which I'm hoping arrives this week.  Using a tweaked Late 2009 Mac Mini, but lust after this M2 MM.

A dual-boot option would be wicked.  One "regular" install of Snow Leopard, and one of the tweaked Mach2 installs.  Is that possible?

[satfrat]

Sounds like a nice Rocky Mtn made in heaven matchup Dave & Darrell, congrates. I only see 1 problem here tho, instead of peanutbutter & jelly, I'm a fluffernutter kinda guy myself. 
 
Cheers,
Robin

[Tubeburner]

The setup was not my cup of tea. The highs were ear piercing IMHO. I spent two days hoping time would prevail and the gear would settle in. Just did not work for me.

[mamba315]

The setup was not my cup of tea. The highs were ear piercing IMHO.

I wasn't there, but that was a speaker-related issue from what I understand.  The Mini transport + Tranquility DAC has a very neutral sound in my experience.

[dmccombs]

I gotta stop reading here or I'll go broke.

I had the original Tranquility for a couple months and loved it.  Sent it back to get the Signature, which I'm hoping arrives this week.  Using a tweaked Late 2009 Mac Mini, but lust after this M2 MM.

A dual-boot option would be wicked.  One "regular" install of Snow Leopard, and one of the tweaked Mach2 installs.  Is that possible?

Mamba,

   Anything is possible.      It would take us more time and we would recommend a larger SSD than we normally put in, so it would cost a little more to dual-boot, but yeah, we can do it.

   Not a bad thought Mamba.  A lot of us run headless, so it may not work for everyone, but if this could be useful to some folks.   

Darrell

[dBe]

The setup was not my cup of tea. The highs were ear piercing IMHO. I spent two days hoping time would prevail and the gear would settle in. Just did not work for me.

To each his own.  I would not qualify the highs as piercing at all.  We had more than a few people say: "Nice speaker, but it needs a tweeter."  That is why there are all of the choices out there for equipment I reckon.

This is a place where the interconnects came into play.  We tried several different pairs to try to tailor the sound for that room.  The sound of the different ones went from very dark to what we ended up with as the best for that particular situation.  Satisfied most people, I think.  I was wishing that I had brought some.  It was certainly not as bright as many "BIG NAME" rooms.  I had to leave from quite a few rooms that have gotten 'great sound' mentions.  Go figure.........   

The computer mods are extremely neutral and really do not have a sound of their own.  I've heard these from ground zero - transparent, are they.

Dave

[dBe]

Sounds like a nice Rocky Mtn made in heaven matchup Dave & Darrell, congrates. I only see 1 problem here tho, instead of peanutbutter & jelly, I'm a fluffernutter kinda guy myself. 
 
Cheers,
Robin

Gayle makes them with marshmallow cream and Nutella.  A wee bit on the sweet side for me.

I wish you could have gone to RMAF.  Maybe next year?

Dave

[kenreau]

Mamba,

   Anything is possible.      It would take us more time and we would recommend a larger SSD than we normally put in, so it would cost a little more to dual-boot, but yeah, we can do it.

   Not a bad thought Mamba.  A lot of us run headless, so it may not work for everyone, but if this could be useful to some folks.   

Darrell

Darrell,  as we discussed briefly, I'll chime in to vote for a dual boot mode as well, as long as there is no sonic comprimises.  I have an 80GB SSD in my mac mini.  Do you anticipate that is large enough?

Thx
Kenreau

[dmccombs]

Darrell,  as we discussed briefly, I'll chime in to vote for a dual boot mode as well, as long as there is no sonic comprimises.  I have an 80GB SSD in my mac mini.  Do you anticipate that is large enough?

Thx
Kenreau

80GB would be perfect.  (Caveat below...)

For other folks considering the dual-boot, we prefer 30-40 GB (40 to be ultra safe) for the Mach2 Music Server partition.   The total size of the SSD you require will depend on how much you need for your non-audio partition.  40GB will do most folks so 80GB will do for most people.  But, if you plan on needign a big non-audio partition you may need more than 80GB.

As a company selling a Music Server, we will only support the Mach2 partition.  We aren't going to touch the non-audio partition with a 10 foot pole, except to create the space/partition.  We aren't going into the Mac Support business.  We are focusing on audio.    

[Tubeburner]

I flew out on business on Saturday night and just returned. The MACH2 MUSIC Mini looks like a winner. I was surprised at the brightness in the demo and it would have been nice to have another source like an anologue rig to compare the two. With all the forums saying the Tranquility dac sounds like analogue, I was disappointed by the highs. I was not familiar with the speakers. Normally a neutral front end will not make for irritating highs. My thoughts are that with the high resolution files, if the tweeter is poor, this could happen. Hard to say without a direct comparrison to another source. I would like to try a Mac Mini for a source with high res files into my current dac and then see what happens. RMAF had numerous rooms with high resolution files, whether recorded cd's or computer audio. I found some rooms sounded very good with high res files, but plug in a 44.1 cd with a good recording fall flat on a couple of rigs. Audio shows are a tough market.

[dBe]

I flew out on business on Saturday night and just returned. The MACH2 MUSIC Mini looks like a winner. I was surprised at the brightness in the demo and it would have been nice to have another source like an anologue rig to compare the two. With all the forums saying the Tranquility dac sounds like analogue, I was disappointed by the highs. I was not familiar with the speakers. Normally a neutral front end will not make for irritating highs. My thoughts are that with the high resolution files, if the tweeter is poor, this could happen. Hard to say without a direct comparrison to another source. I would like to try a Mac Mini for a source with high res files into my current dac and then see what happens. RMAF had numerous rooms with high resolution files, whether recorded cd's or computer audio. I found some rooms sounded very good with high res files, but plug in a 44.1 cd with a good recording fall flat on a couple of rigs. Audio shows are a tough market.

I guess that it is a matter of taste and source material.   I found that if the recording was hard and/or edgy, that is what came across over the system.  Material that I know intimately was very true to the source, in my opinion.  There were certainly some recordings played that were very bright as well as some that I would call dark or closed in.  I really did think that the presentation was darned good for a show setting.  This is the kind of discussion that is often had over wines or scotches, IIRC.

 

Dave

[Tubeburner]

Scotch would work.

[dBe]

Scotch would work.

Dave

[jtwrace]

Dave

 

[dBe]

Well, there's that, huh!  As a recovering alcoholic I can certainly appreciate where he is coming from though.  Thanks, man.   

Make mine an Arnold Palmer and I'll sniff the bottle.   

Dave

[Jfondell]

I gotta stay away for a while....
New speakers 9400
Now 2 majik Busses ordering after christmas
Mac Mini ordering after christmas
Tranquility DAC
All new Cabeling
When does it ever end...

[rpf]

I gotta stay away for a while....
New speakers 9400
Now 2 majik Busses ordering after christmas
Mac Mini ordering after christmas
Tranquility DAC
All new Cabeling
When does it ever end...

end? What does that mean?   

[dBe]

I gotta stay away for a while....
New speakers 9400
Now 2 majik Busses ordering after christmas
Mac Mini ordering after christmas
Tranquility DAC
All new Cabeling
When does it ever end...

Well, you can't put all of that stuff into a standard coffin.   

Dave