Experience with Mach2 Music Server?

Drubin - curious where you've read the mixed opinions about the 2010 Mac Mini vs the 2009? Would be nice to think that the 2009 has a fighting chance, because that's what I have, and all I've read and heard is that the 2010 blows it away! Indeed, it has been my understanding that, despite the on-board power supply, the 2010 Mini manages to be much quieter than the previous models.

I should say that my impression is that opinions are mixed. I know there was a thread on some forum in which everyone was touting the superiority of the 2010, but I know I saw some "not so fast" comments somewhere else. I have a aftermarket linear power supply feeding my 2008-2009 model, so I have some skin in this game. I believe it's definitely true that the 2010 is physically quieter, but does it sound as good serving up the music?

Drubin - to my own chagrin as a 2009 Mac Mini owner, my conversations with people who have heard both models have yielded a consensus that indeed, the 2010 Mac Mini sounds a lot better "serving up the music" - bigger soundstage, more refined in the upper registers, lower noise floor, etc. Of course, I've also heard that it makes a pretty big difference hot-rodding it out with vibration treatments, solid-state drive, etc., although that's also true with the earlier models.

A friend of mine uses a 2010 Mini in his system. We're going to do a comparison sometime soon and I'll report back.

Tvad, thank you for a great forum and as usual, your opinion is strait down to the point and very valuable. You explained what actually going in with a computer based set-up very well. I’m just starting to think about the computer front end but obviously now days it is not yet as simple as putting CD in a tray of the CD player and press a play button. Those little networking and computer tweaking details and settings that may make a set-up problematic and may be easy only for mac an pc savy people – those details are missing from many forums and sales pitches and on a paper everything loooks like plug and play.

Also another important point that I could not get a clear answer yet, how does the computer based set-up (lets say all key aspects of it like best async USB, best ripping and playing software, solid state HD and great DAC are there) compared with playing the same cd thru the same DAC+ CD transport or the CD player with equal quality DAC that have that async USB? Did you try to do any A/B testing?
Any comments of yours will be very appreciated.