2017 imac as music server ...

[miatadan]

Thinking of getting getting a 2017 mac (21.5 base model with ssd & 16gb ram ) to replace existing custom pc I built in 2012 which used sandy bridge chipset P67 motherboard with i3 2100t cpu, 16gb ram, Windows 10 and intel ssd.

Problem is that it will be located at other end of room connected to DAC directly ( McIntosh C47 preamp ).
Using Asus 1440p 2k monitor on computer desk , apple magic keyboard + microsoft bluetooth mouse.

Assuming there is thunderbolt 3 to female adaptor available ? Is there a way to activate screen saver on display built into imac but not have screen saver activate on the external monitor?

Main application is J River Media MC23 to play music stored on NAS ( wav files ), internet radio plus normal surf internet and email.

Dan

 

[VideoFreek]

Nice preamp you have there!

I don’t think there is any way to selectively apply the screensaver to only the built-in screen.

An AIO seems like a poor fit for this application...could you not build a barebones Win10 box or use a NUC for this purpose? Another thought: depending on the distance from your desk to the DAC, could you not run a USB line from the iMac sitting on your desk back to the DAC? AFAIK, the USB 2.0 standard specifies 16 ft max, but you can extend this by using a powered USB hub as a sort of repeater. There are also specialty cables available in the 30-50 ft range that have a booster built in and I’ve read reports that these work fine. Might be worth a try for a more elegant (and useful) utilization of the new iMac, if your distance is not too large.