My Mac Mini is dying...what now?

Ok, my Mac Mini is giving up the ghost. It has served well over the last six years or so, but now must be replaced, but with what? The newer generation Mac Mini? That would probably be the easiest thing to do. I'd just load my Amarra software on it, configure the startup and I-tunes and be done with it. I'm wondering if there is a better way to go, something other than a computer? I want to keep my music on an external drive that already has music on it. I want to be able to download music files and put them on the external drive. I want to be able to rip CDs into my external drive. I want to keep my current USB only DAC, as it sounds wonderful. I want to be able to control the music via an Ipad. What device can I buy that will do all of this simply and reliably and not affect the sound negatively? I don't need a server with a built in DAC. I don't need to transfer music files wirelessly. I guess I'm saying I want a device that can do the same things that my Mac Mini has been doing and do it better. Is there anything like that you can recommend? Thanks!

Steve, how do yu know it is dying, i.e., what are the symptoms?

Only reason I ask is that I just returned from a week long business trip and when I left last Saturday everything was working fine. I go down to listen to music Monday night and the Mac Mini doesn't recognize my AURALiC Vega as an output device any more. I've tried everything I can think of - unplugging and replugging the USB cable, restarting the computer, powering down the DAC and then starting it up again. It has simply disappeared as an output device from the selection list.

Getting back to your question - have you looked at the AURALiC Aries?

I'd do another Mac Mini... i love mine... and you should be able to back everything up using TimeMachine and then get the new one and load it all up from there.

MiTT said:

Steve, how do yu know it is dying, i.e., what are the symptoms?

Only reason I ask is that I just returned from a week long business trip and when I left last Saturday everything was working fine. I go down to listen to music Monday night and the Mac Mini doesn't recognize my AURALiC Vega as an output device any more. I've tried everything I can think of - unplugging and replugging the USB cable, restarting the computer, powering down the DAC and then starting it up again. It has simply disappeared as an output device from the selection list.

Getting back to your question - have you looked at the AURALiC Aries?

Click to expand...

Tim, it takes about fifteen minutes to start up and then acts very slow. Luckily, the music has been playing fine, as it is located on an external drive. However, last night it didn't play but a couple of songs and then started to have huge delays between songs. I think the hard drive is going south.

The Auralic doesn't rip CDs. I'd still need a computer in the system.

TomDac said:

I'd do another Mac Mini... i love mine... and you should be able to back everything up using TimeMachine and then get the new one and load it all up from there.

Click to expand...

Tom, I'll probably go this route. I won't even have to use Time Machine, as my music is on an external drive.

MiTT said:

Steve, how do yu know it is dying, i.e., what are the symptoms?

Only reason I ask is that I just returned from a week long business trip and when I left last Saturday everything was working fine. I go down to listen to music Monday night and the Mac Mini doesn't recognize my AURALiC Vega as an output device any more. I've tried everything I can think of - unplugging and replugging the USB cable, restarting the computer, powering down the DAC and then starting it up again. It has simply disappeared as an output device from the selection list.

Getting back to your question - have you looked at the AURALiC Aries?

Click to expand...

Hola Tim, go to System Preferences, then go to Sound, then select Output, and there select Auralic Vegas as your audio output. Watch that its not muted.

roberto said:

Hola Tim, go to System Preferences, then go to Sound, then select Output, and there select Auralic Vegas as your audio output. Watch that its not muted.

Click to expand...

That's exactly what I've been doing Roberto, and it has always been in the list of output devices. When I go there now it is not an option to select. It has me baffled.

You do see it on the list, but it can no be selected?

roberto said:

You do see it on the list, but it can no be selected?

Click to expand...

Use utility disc and repair permissions.

roberto said:

Use utility disc and repair permissions.

Click to expand...

Sorry to hear it's finally dying Steve.

Roberto - I believe we already repaired permissions. For the brief time I looked at it I think he is right, it's finally dying. It also may be more serious than just the HDD.

You can always go the PC route but in all honesty unless you plan on doing significant tweaking, I would just stick with another Mac. Yours seem to work very well for how many years, 5? If you want to go the PC route I'd be happy to assist (heck I can help with the Mac if you want to, but I'm more of a Windows/Linux guy).

No, it isn't even populated in the list. I will try your suggestion of pulling out the utility disc to repair permissions. Thank You Roberto!

Auralic software could be corrupted too. There is a key that might be preventing to select the Auralic software too. I wish you luck. Wen solved the problem, please teach us¡

Tim, you probably tried all the other USB ports already. Hmm, baffling. Did you check the output options in Audio Midi Setup? There’s a small chance that if you unplug the Auralic, remove the output device in Audio Midi, reboot, reconnect, it might work again.


As for diagnostics, do you see anything unusual in the USB section of the (Apple -> About this Mac ->) System Report?

I decided to just order a new Mac Mini. Used credit card points, so it was painless!

slowGEEZR said:

I decided to just order a new Mac Mini. Used credit card points, so it was painless!

Click to expand...

Do the new Mac Minis even have optical drives? I thought they didn't. You dismissed the Auralic because of ripping, so I think you're going to have the same problem with this, aren't you?

amey01 said:

Do the new Mac Minis even have optical drives? I thought they didn't. You dismissed the Auralic because of ripping, so I think you're going to have the same problem with this, aren't you?

Click to expand...

No, they don't, but it's easy to get a USB optical drive for about $30 (non-Apple, which works fine).

$79 for the apple USB superdrive

slowGEEZR said:

Tim, it takes about fifteen minutes to start up and then acts very slow. Luckily, the music has been playing fine, as it is located on an external drive. However, last night it didn't play but a couple of songs and then started to have huge delays between songs. I think the hard drive is going south.

The Auralic doesn't rip CDs. I'd still need a computer in the system.

Click to expand...

Sounds like either the HD or the HD controller. Either way you seem to like the Mac Mini so why not just get another one and move on? Sooner than later is better maybe you can back up (say its already done) the old drive and your ready to go.

Bernard said:

No, they don't, but it's easy to get a USB optical drive for about $30 (non-Apple, which works fine).

Click to expand...

My non-Apple drive started to give me trouble. Sometimes a CD would get ripped okay, and sometimes it would crap out on the second song. Ripping to a PC was no problem at all.

I then decided to try the Apple SuperDrive, thinking I'd return it if I had the same problem. It works flawlessly.

If anyone is looking for an unobtrusive monitor for their Mac Mini, here's one. This is my second attempt at posting a picture; the first got flipped. If it happens again, my apologies. I'm against the concept of a large computer monitor in my living-room, where my Hi-Fi is located; my 32" TV is more than enough.

This is a 7" monitor that I bought off ebay, that comes from China, for $82 (Canadian). Some assembly required, but it came with no instructions, and the link to which the vendor pointed me did not work, but from the pictures on ebay I managed to figure it out and get it working. I'm using the HDMI port. I had to change the display in Preferences on the Mac, so that it's large enough to be useable to edit song titles in itunes, if required.

There is no soldering required, just screwing down of boards and plugging in of cables (once you figure out which way the cables go). This monitor is intended to be used with a $35 computer called a a Raspberry Pi, invented by the Brits to teach people about computers. The case was designed to take other boards as well, so one circuit board was exposed, with a transistor hanging off the end. I drilled two holes and moved it so that it's now safely tucked away.

There's supposed to be a blue or pink paper frame that comes with the unit, but the one I got was filthy, so I just left it off.