I tried out an optimization on High Sierra without success. With El Capitan the new SIP (System Integrity Protection) was established, which seems to be at least a bit responsible for the failing optimization with the CAD-script. By the way, most of GUI or preference changes can be made by simply using the system settings. But when it comes to unload launch agents and demons it gets more tricky. You can disable SIP, but you can never be sure what the script is really affecting in the background. I am just in the process of investigation again, but it takes timeā¦
The most promising path would be to go back to Mavericks. But you may run the risk of incompatibilities with player software now or in future. But as long as you run Roon, itĀ“s fine. Needs OSX 10.8+
briefly back to HQPlayer on the macā¦
Still running the trial, but I plan to buy it.
But itās interesting that thereās no menu item or option within the application to āBuy HQPlayerā nor is there any place I see to enter any sort of registration number or license key. The āregisterā menu item opens a ālocate fileā dialog.
I see a link on the āwebshopā page to purchase, which sends me to digital river for the transaction. That makes sense, and perhaps there are install instructions after purchase. But itād be really nice for this to be slightly spelled out beforehand.
Anyone running the licensed version care to share how they installed/updated? Do you uninstall first?
I had the local Apple shop update to 10.13.6 my 10.10.5 Yosemite optimized by Bill Ernst(no longer in business) and the same set up used for quite awhile by Paul. He now uses a stock new MacMini in the Music Room. It appears that all Billās work was retained as my system preferences remain very limited-no screen saver, energy saver, Bluetooth, etc. I will now see how Roon and HQ Player(requires 10.12) work. Sonos no longer supports Yosemite. It appears that I have a unicorn MacMini. I believe that bad beef has or had a Bill Ernst system and may have something to offer here. I wonder how Paulās new MacMini would sound if the old Ernst 10.10.5 was installed and then updated to 10.13.6?
Mark.
Now, after several hours of investigation i would even stronger advise not to use the CAD script on any OSX it was not designed for. I tried it on High Sierra and El Capitan after disabling SIP with similar results. The machine seemed really busy trying to start processes that were no more present or searching for missing files. The console was filling with errors faster than I could read them. And, most important, I could not hear any sonic advantages. I really believe it can be beneficial on Mavericks or Yosemite, but not on newer OSX. So, if you do not really know what every deamon and agent does, better leave them untouched.
So I went with a clear El Cap install to be prepared for A+ 3.5 and optimized everything I could find. OS moved to the SD card and the library is back on the external Firewire drive. And because I was just āin the flowā I even completely removed the internal SATA-drive. Another advice from here. Always worth reading. And well, THAT seems to be quite a good idea. SQ is better than ever before!
So know I better listen than learn macOSā¦
yeah i did not do the script.
I do not muck with things I know not to muck with.
Bought the full version of HQPlayer. Got help from folks on the Roon forum.
Buy the full version and youāll get sent an xml file youāll save to your computer. Select āregisterā from the menu and it will ask to find that file. Do so and then restart hqplayer and then all is well.
Very happy with the sound quality.
This thread morphed into a discussion about merits and installation of HQPlayerā¦ but I remembered I still had this question:
Thunderbolt RAID is actually the backup. Secondary SSD on mini is where the live music files reside. A few hundred CDās worth of FLAC files, so not some gargantuan library. (I have plenty more as lower-res AAC or MP3 files, but i donāt even access those, frankly. I just stream anything I havenāt been able to re-rip.)
So, any disadvantage in having the SSD in the mini be the library?
I am using HQPlayer on my headless Mac Mini for months now and I must say that it sounds almost as good as my multi million peso Totaldac Linux Roon endpoint. Mind you that I disabled all the bells and whistles. Just play, no more. HQPlayer can act as a Roon endpoint but there is a little delay due to buffering of some kind. I canāt stress enough though to all of you Mac Mini users to stay on Mavericks (10.9.5) or lower. The audio handling is far less complicated in those releases. Besides, who cares for better LinkedIn integrationā¦ Rightā¦? Hope this helpedā¦
Whayt method did you utilize to remove all the bells and whistles?
Iām also using a Mac mini and ran through the settings suggested on Mojo Audio to help eliminate some of the unimportant features where audio is concerned. The OS refrences may be a little dated but the core ideas (if not the actual steps involved) seem to translate for newer OS releases up through Mojave.
I havenāt attempted to remove system apps like mail because 1) Iām not clear on the SQ benefits if the application doesnāt use CPU until itās launched, 2) the steps involved open up the OS to more trouble than itās worth for me and 3) I welcome OS updates which only seem to reinstall what was deleted anyway.
Iāve also converted the Macās power supply to use an external linear supply. That was not terribly complex but required patience. Well worth the trouble.
I also welcome any tips to optimize the Mac for USB audio.
@djwalter2000: Thanks for sharing you experience removing unnecessary appps from your Mac Mini. Iāll double check where Iām at with cleaning up mine with your suggestions.
Thereās your answerā¦
Iām using, of all things, a Macbook Air as a Roon endpoint.
I wiped the laptop, installed Mavericks (Mac OS 10.9.5) from a USB image so itās a bare bones installation without any of the extras like iMovie and the office apps from Apple. I also have the display set to go dark after a few minutes.
The only app I installed is Roon Bridge and, when I am streaming DSD or high rate PCM through it and check the CPU meter, itās barely breaking a sweat - like under 10% and Redbook is like 4%.
My point being that Iām not sure optimizing these computers makes much difference but I do believe the software (Roon, Audirvana, Amarra and others) are MUCH larger factors for audio quality.
I agree with you !
I donāt disagree, but also find it easier to understand why shutting down operating system components which tax the CPU unnecessarily could improve SQ vs a change in playback software. Youād think there wasnāt much to āoptimizeā about playing a FLAC file so Iād guess most software approaches the computations in a similar manner. Yet, people hear differences.
Maybe it has something to do with the extent to which the playback software can also eliminate CPU usage by limiting graphical content, memory management, etc? I donāt code, obviously.
Once I increase the ram in my Mac mini to 16 gig. The cpu barely ever goes above 20 percent even when roon is restarted. The Mac mini and roon sound fantastic
Let me preface this by saying that Iām getting a bit weirded out by the Forum software showing me stuff several times a week that I havenāt seen before, that I wished Iād seen from day One. But thatās likely down to me and my Forum habits rather than the Softwareās Fault. I suppose I should be thankful it is showing me anything at all ; ). Iām guessing it is likely because the top/recent list turns over very quickly.
My two cents, having just seen this thread for the first time, and having been a several-years owner of the the same Mac Mini rig as Paul (and before that a decade and a half-ish with a Mini-based Squeezebox system), isā¦save yourselves a lot of grief, and Buy Dang Near Any Modern Standalone Music Server.
It is SO EASY to end up spending as much or More money and Time noodling with, tweaking and adding to a Mini-based server system vs. what is available off the shelf now - and youāll likely never get to the SQ or functionality of a decent dedicated server. I now feel (based on experience) that the Mini is a crap (designed for lots of other purposes) device to base a server around in this day and age.
I get it - they are cheap, familiar, friendly, run whathaveyou. And I am a diehard Mac Lover (since 1986) and User, both personally and professionally. I have Four Current-ish Apple devices that I use daily at the moment, and have probably three Minis in drawers somewhere. Just Sayinā : )
There are several companies out there that are Years into this, and on their third our fourth iteration of both softwares and hardwares.
End of rant. Apologies : )
@BadBeef, so in your experience what currently available value oriented server kicks the mac mini and the associated hair shirt experience? Personally I have my eye on the Innuos Zenith Mk III with USB upgrade. The upgrade is pending September 2019. While not vaulue oriented the sound offered is compelling.
Agreed. Nothing beats a single minded dedicated purpose built machine. Electric or mechanical. Some complain about the price and SQ of a Roon Nucleus+ but mine has run 24/7 since Jan 2019 without a single glitch. The Roon SQ via Matrix > I2S > DSjr > BHK > M700 is to die for as far as I am concerned. Could it be different / better? Sure but its not worth the worry to me. And of course the OS is very easy to use. My 2cents worth.
Not sure how you define value oriented unless you mean āless than an Innuos Zenithā which would appear to be 4-5 grand. I only have direct experience with going from a $2k modded Mini and external drive, a $1,200 galvanic isolation chain and an annual Roon subscription to an Auralic Aries G1 for around $2,200 (kept the external drive I had attached to the Mini, though I rarely spin it now) with no GA between it and the DSJ and no Roon sub. So the overall cost went down, and the ease of use, reliability and SQ all went up.
No, the Lightning DS app is not Roon, but it works for me and the way I browse/search for music.
As I am currently using an unmoddified Mac Mini and am considering an upgrade to a dedicated unit I thought Iād seek out othersā experience with the Mac Mini prior to pulling the trigger. I agree that value oriented can be rather nebulous, and Iād consider an Innuos Zenith Mk III to be above a value oriented figure. Value oriented price would be approximately twice the price of a bare bones Mac Mini, or $1400-$1700.
I agree with your point that a lot of money can be spent at improving a Mac Mini to the point where one could just as well purchase a singe minded device for a similar amount with better sonic results. Typically the upgrades could put one in the $4,000 to $5,000 range. So chasing performance with a Mac Mini could be better spent initially on a one box solution.
If some one already owns a Mac Mini and repurposes it that makes sense to me. To my mind the Mac Miniās day has come and gone as with time technology and market forces have provided better solutions, albeit at a price. Some examples come to mind that I have auditioned are Lumin, Auralic, Aurrender, and Innuos. Based on what I have heard initially the Innuos Statement is incredible, unfortunately itās beyond my price range. The next best to my ear is the Innuos Zenith Mk III which competes rather remarkably with the Aurrender N10 and at a lesser price.
As the market is rather competitive it will be interesting to hear what Aurrender may have in the works to compete with Innuos, especially at the price point of the Zenith Mk III.
There is a review on the Darko website that gets to my point more elegantly:
I should state I am not a dealer of manufacturer representative. Just a listener for the last 45 + years.