couple newbie questions

[Msbeezy]

Waiting for new studio to arrive and a couple questions for you guys in the know..

1) as per my iMac can I get optical digital out from the headphones jack?

2) is this unit as silent as a Mac mini ?...saw some video claiming that you do hear it running even on idle

thanks

 

[m1maverick]

Waiting for new studio to arrive and a couple questions for you guys in the know..

1) as per my iMac can I get optical digital out from the headphones jack?

2) is this unit as silent as a Mac mini ?...saw some video claiming that you do hear it running even on idle

thanks

I can't comment on your first question and answers to your second question will vary. Personally the only time I've heard my Ultra is when I put my ear next to the back of it with no other noise present. IME the answer is yes, it is. However there are others who will likely chime in with a different experience.

 

[lcubed]

no SDPIF (optical). not quite as quiet as a standalone mac mini.
but my mac mini is coupled with a thunder bay 4 mini 4x4Tb enclosure
which is louder than either the mini or my studio ultra.

 

[TiggrToo]

1) as per my iMac can I get optical digital out from the headphones jack?

Apple dropped built S/PDIF support for Macs a while ago. You can however get a USB convertor if that's important to you.

 

[Fishrrman]

"is this unit as silent as a Mac mini ?...saw some video claiming that you do hear it running even on idle"

This depends on one's personal tolerance for any sound at all, it seems.
That is to say, I sense the Studio is similar to an iMac -- there's always going to be a low level of "fan sound" from it, because... well, because there's a fan inside.

I've listened to the audio samples that some have posted in other threads, and I have had to turn the volume up on my headphones nearly all the way just to "hear" them. But then, I'm old with diminished hearing of higher frequencies. This wouldn't be an issue for me.

That doesn't mean it couldn't be an issue for you.
Does the [very] low "whisper" of a fan bother you?

 

[Msbeezy]

"is this unit as silent as a Mac mini ?...saw some video claiming that you do hear it running even on idle"

This depends on one's personal tolerance for any sound at all, it seems.
That is to say, I sense the Studio is similar to an iMac -- there's always going to be a low level of "fan sound" from it, because... well, because there's a fan inside.

I've listened to the audio samples that some have posted in other threads, and I have had to turn the volume up on my headphones nearly all the way just to "hear" them. But then, I'm old with diminished hearing of higher frequencies. This wouldn't be an issue for me.

That doesn't mean it couldn't be an issue for you.
Does the [very] low "whisper" of a fan bother you?

thanks..I can tolerate a quiet fan...just hoping the studio has the sound traits of the mini !

 

[Msbeezy]

Thanks everyone for the replies...although no optical out I see there are other options to get audio to my amplifier/speakers

 

[Msbeezy]

Maybe the fans in the new studio display coming are louder than the studio Mac ?

 

[lcubed]

"is this unit as silent as a Mac mini ?...saw some video claiming that you do hear it running even on idle"

I've listened to the audio samples that some have posted in other threads, and I have had to turn the volume up on my headphones nearly all the way just to "hear" them. But then, I'm old with diminished hearing of higher frequencies. This wouldn't be an issue for me.

That doesn't mean it couldn't be an issue for you.
Does the [very] low "whisper" of a fan bother you?

the audio frequency that folks seem to complaining about is ~ 2.x kHz.
that's right where the human ear is most sensitive and the 1 to 2 kHz-ish frequency
range is where terrestrial land line phones at optimized for. (below and above were
heavily filtered).

older folks (like me) start loosing the higher frequencies (10 kHz+).

with that in mind, when i measured my ultra (on bog standard US 110V) on a real time analyzer, no tones
were detected in the 2 kHz region. lots of low frequency transients due to my ceiling fan.

without an RTA, you won't be able to tell if what you might be hearing is tinnitus or real.