- Testing conducted by Apple in October 2018 using preproduction 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7-based Mac mini systems with 64GB of RAM and 1TB SSD, and shipping 3.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i7-based Mac mini systems with 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD. Tested with FIO.
- Analog audio in: You can use this port to connect stereo equipment to your Mac with a stereo miniplug-to-RCA cable adapter. Audio in/optical audio in: You can also use this port for both digital optical and analog audio input. For analog audio input, use a 3.5 mm mini phone jack or a stereo miniplug-to-RCA cable adapter to connect stereo equipment.
The least expensive is to locate an auxiliary output on a stereo receiver plugged into the turntable, and run a stereo RCA-to-mini-plug adapter cable between the receiver and the Mac’s audio.
Setting up an Apple computer for audio is simpler than a Windows pc because Apple offers fewer options. but it’s still possible to end up with a system that doesn’t perform optimally. often it’s a case of not getting the machine configured correctly. the following guide will hopefully get you to a reasonable starting point for your Mac computer audio odyssey.
For me, the three most important aspects of a computer audio system are stability, reliability, and simplicity of operation. Sound quality comes after these three primary goals are met: ultimately it doesn’t matter how good your computer audio system can sound if you can’t get it to work.
Given my priorities, the principal goal of this guide won’t be the best performance. (John Quick talks about this in the following feature.) No, the goal here is to achieve a system that is going to deliver sound 99.9% of the time without having to screw around. Even a naïve user should be able to use a computer audio system almost as easily as a CD player.
Hardware
Which Apple computer you choose for computer audio will depend on several factors, but principally budget and portability. Portable Macs, whether MacBook Pro or Air, make great audio computers, especially if you want one system that you can take with you. A Mac Mini is less expensive initially, but it does require an external monitor and keyboard for full functionality. An iMac is also a good option and the monitor is built-in. Some folks (like me) even use a MacPro desktop machine for audio duties.
Nowadays, the Macs I see most often used for audio are the Mac Mini or a Mac portable. Mac Minis are the most popular “desktop” machine due to their size and price. Also a Mac Mini can be run “headless” after initial setup, without a monitor or keyboard via the “Remote” Smartphone app (a Mac portable can be used this way also, but the screen will remain active). Any Mac that supports the current or near-current operating system can be used for audio playback duties. Considerations such as whether you want portability are more easily quantifiable than whether one Mac model sounds better than another.
Apple offers all its computers with different memory and hard-drive configurations. You can order a Mac directly from Apple exactly the way you want it or you can purchase a barebones configuration and add your own memory and storage later. OtherWorld Computing sells all the necessary parts as well as step-by-step instructional videos on its site for installing memory, solid-state drives, and auxiliary hard drives for nearly every model Mac.
If you want to do an audio-only computer system, be aware that there are different levels of audio-only exclusivity. And there’s always a trade-off of ergonomics lost versus sonic benefits gained. Access to the Internet is not necessary to play back a music file, but it does allow for greater levels of operability, including access to Internet radio (which can be very good), streaming services, and GraceNote for identifying ripped CDs. But a system with Internet access means that more operations will be ongoing and some could have an effect on overall audio quality. The tweakiest and most obsessive sound-quality-first Mac setups tend to be isolated stand-alone systems without Internet access. PreSonus, in its guide to Mac OS use, recommends turning off the airport wireless service while using a Mac for audio. Obviously this drastically reduces functionality, sort of like supergluing your mouth closed to keep from occasionally drooling. Some Mac audio set-up guides also recommend turning off “Spotlight,” which is the file-searching utility. This is great until you need to find a file.
There is no reason that a current-generation Mac needs to be gelded into a barebones operating system to perform optimally for audio. The Mac operating system and hardware were made for multitasking, and the Mac will be performing background processes while playing music even if it has been stripped-down. While I don’t recommend regularly running a bunch of high-demand processing and disc-access programs such as Photoshop while listening intently to music, the reasons for creating a stripped-down music-only Mac were far more relevant back in the days of the G5 desktop than they are today.
How much memory is optimal for audio? Most users find that the right amount of memory is the same amount as for a full-service Mac. Nowadays, that’s 8 Gigabytes. You can “get by” with 4 Gigs, but given the cost of memory, there’s no reason not to have 8GB. Adding more than 8 Gigs of memory won’t buy you any advantages, and the extra memory will generate more heat and use more power. Music playback doesn’t require very much in the way of processor and memory usage compared to apps such as Photoshop. I use a 2006 MacPro desktop with 16GB of memory. Playing a 29-minute 96kHz/24 music file with Pure Music software used only 1025.4MB of real memory, 3.31 of virtual memory, 996.5 of private memory, and 1.09 of virtual private memory. The total amount of CPU usage was only 5.37%. With a newer, faster processor the CPU usage would be even lower. If I had only half the memory there would still be plenty left over.
Many storage options are available, but the most common way to go is with a solid-state drive for the OS and user files, then a second conventional larger hard drive for music files and/or Time Machine backup files (I’ll tell you about Time Machine later). The reasons for using a solid-state drive are increased read and write speeds and lower power usage for less stress on the power supply. The second drive can be internal or external, but external is more common. Nowadays portable 1, 2, and even 3TB portable hard drives are inexpensive and plentiful. I use a redundant system where I have two of each external drive, one in service and one as back up. Once a week I copy new files from the one in use to the backup drive, then put the drive away again. Some users opt for a RAID array for their music files, but I’d rather have identical libraries on two separate drives than two libraries on the same drive in a RAID array. Even with a RAID drive, if it fails catastrophically (which is usually how they go), you lose all your data, which is not an experience I recommend.
Space Gray
4-Core
- 3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i3
- 6MB shared L3 cache
6-Core
- 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5
- Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz
- 9MB shared L3 cache
Configurable to:
6-Core
- 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7
- Turbo Boost up to 4.6GHz
- 12MB shared L3 cache
Configurable to:
6-Core
- 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7
- Turbo Boost up to 4.6GHz
- 12MB shared L3 cache
8GB
- of 2666MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM memory
Configurable to:
- 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB
256GB
- PCIe-based SSD
Configurable to:
- 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD
Intel UHD Graphics 630
Support for the following combination of maximum concurrent display setups:
- Up to three displays:
- Two displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt 3 plus one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0
- or
- Up to two displays:
- One display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz connected via Thunderbolt 3 plus one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz connected via HDMI 2.0
Thunderbolt 3 digital video output supports
- Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
- Thunderbolt 2, DVI, and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)
HDMI 2.0 display video output
- Support for one display with 4096-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz
- DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
- Built-in speaker
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- HDMI 2.0 port supports multichannel audio output
(USB-C)
headphone
jack
Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for:
- DisplayPort
- Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps)
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
- Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI, and VGA supported using adapters (sold separately)
- Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)
- HDMI 2.0 port
- Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
Wi-Fi
802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technologyEthernet
10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
Configurable to 10Gb Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb Ethernet using RJ-45 connector)
2.9 pounds (1.3 kg)
Line voltage:
100–240V AC
Frequency:
50Hz to 60Hz, single phase
Maximum continuous power:
150W
Operating temperature:
50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
Storage temperature:
–40° to 116° F (–40° to 47° C)
Relative humidity:
5% to 90% noncondensing
Operating altitude:
tested up to 16,400 feet (5000 meters)
Typical acoustical performance:
Sound pressure level (operator position): 5 dBA at idle3
Your Mac mini comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
- Mac mini
- Power cord
macOS
macOS is the operating system that powers every Mac. macOS Catalina gives you more of everything you love about Mac. So you can take everything you do above and beyond.
Learn moreAccessibility features help people with disabilities get the most out of their new Mac mini. With built-in support for vision, hearing, mobility, and learning, you can create and do amazing things.
Mac Mini Audio Input
Features include:
- Voice Control
- VoiceOver
- Zoom
- Increase Contrast
- Reduce Motion
- Siri and Dictation
- Switch Control
- Closed Captions
- Text to Speech
Configure your Mac mini with these options, only at apple.com:
- 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 processor
- 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
- 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD
- 10Gb Ethernet
Mac mini is designed with the following features to reduce its environmental impact:
- BFR-free
- PVC-free5
- Beryllium-free
- 100% recycled aluminum enclosure6
- Eco-friendly packaging
- Meets ENERGY STAR requirements
- Rated EPEAT Gold7
Apple and the Environment
Read our Product Environmental Reports for detailed information on the environmental performance of every Apple product.
Apple Trade In
Mac Mini Outputs
Letting go of your old Mac is easy. If it’s in good shape, you can trade it in for Apple Store credit. If it’s not eligible for credit, we’ll recycle it responsibly at no cost to you. Good for you. Good for the planet.
Mac Software
Displays and Adapters
Mac Mini Uses
Other Accessories