AFAIK one MAC mini can do both? A used or refurb MAC mini with low specs is so cheap it is a no brainer. I prefer PC. So just a cheap NUC will do. You can get an HP 800 G4 off lease. If you go all out like I have for under 20 grand you can wipe the floor with ANY dedicated streamer IMO. Plus I have 30TB of drive space. The dedicated streamers have about 8TB at best. I know I always say I am not bragging but I am seriously not. I am saying it is way less money for way better sound quality. Of course I run a few outboard “boxes” too. I do have a top of the line dedicated streamer and it is highly modified. I feel my “computer” is much better. Just my personal feeling. I am not trying to steer anyone in any direction. Do as you please. If anyone feels I am lying again well there is nothing I can do. I wrote my own destiny here and I will have to live with it.
In my experience, using mac powerbook vs aurender s10. Night and day, i dump using computer for streaming after that. No way i am going back. Another leap in performance when using audio quest usb diamond to connect my aurender s10 with my dac. No way i am using cheap usb cable. i went to shop before i got the diamond usb cable, and bought 4 usb cables at different price, i can hear the difference, the cheaper it is , the worse the sound. I did not believe it but i borrow my friend usb diamond and test first before i spend the money on it. So, try to borrow one to try first.
It is all relative.
Considering that most people use a computer for other tasks as well you are talking about a cost difference of at least EUR 5000 if not more. Perhaps worthwhile if you have high end speakers and amps already.
If that EUR 5000 is more than your speakers or amps are worth, consider putting money into upgrading the speakers or amps first.
I compared my iMac to a EUR 1250 BlueSound Vault2. Application was a Music Server to NAD BlueOS streamers. I couldn’t hear much difference and if, the iMac sounded better. So I returned the Vault2.
The iMac with BluOS software serves even when it is in power safe mode without turning on the video circuits. It is a system that sounds goriest and is very reliable.
BluOS, BlueSound and BluOS enabled devices beat the rest of the market when it comes to user friendliness and IT platform versatility. A BlueSound Vault is very useful if you don’t have a static computer or NAS as server.