Apple's new M1 Mac Mini as source (misses out on silent operation)

[mononoaware]

It does not blick when updating,

Sorry you answered both questions.
Thanks very much.

You can resize that window or make it full screen and work with your mac mini as it was hooked to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse.

I understand now VNC stands for Virtual Network computing.
And I can see it is a good solution for maintaining and using a headless Mac,

 

[DWPress]

Just to add in - I got a M1 Mini when they were first released and have no regrets especially now that Windows Arm can VM in Parallels. I still keep a 2012 Mini stacked with this one though to run Adobe CS6, even at idle and with a SSD installed it does generate some fan sound and will more if used for video viewing.

Silent operation (I sit 2 feet away), the base model is more than adequate for anything but the most intensive video work and external SSD storage is also silent and lightning fast for file storage. I use mine as my main work machine too and never had a glitch in audio doing anything. I can VNC into it from my iPhone7 for complete desktop control. I run my Plex server on the machine as well, no issues. I switched to Roon from JRiver (again) and the desktop and phone app work seamlessly, including the Tidal integration, to various Apple TV's and an Airport Express to 3 buildings on my local network and having 3 streams going to different output zones is effortless for the Mini.

Couldn't be happier. Overkill for your needs, yes. But like you say, as an audio component in a good system it's actually a good value, will hold value and is super easy to update and maintain.

 

[abdo123]

I think this video is exactly what OP is looking for.

 

[carlob]

He only needs a VNC client for windows (or for IOS) like vnc viewer which is free.
https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/download/viewer/

 

[Beershaun]

Glad you are liking you mini and sorry to see you having to go through all the hassles of managing a full fledged MAC headless. A raspberry pi solution was really what you needed. Silent, always on, low power, and much less hassle and expense than what you are going through. I think you should do a side by side. Buy a $35 pi 4, a 8gb microsd card and a 256gb usb memory stick and set up Moode on it or volumio and do a “bake off” to see if it’s less hassle than what you have.

 

[mononoaware]

Glad you are liking you mini and sorry to see you having to go through all the hassles of managing a full fledged MAC headless. A raspberry pi solution was really what you needed. Silent, always on, low power, and much less hassle and expense than what you are going through. I think you should do a side by side. Buy a $35 pi 4, a 8gb microsd card and a 256gb usb memory stick and set up Moode on it or volumio and do a “bake off” to see if it’s less hassle than what you have.

It is my first Mac so there was a bit of learning curve already. . .
I am doing ok, I rarely ever “add new content” to the archive so once I get settled in I think it’s going to be fine.
The main speed bump was the whole “Migration” process, I was told at the store to update the MacOS to latest version first, so I did that (which required signing into Apple ID etc), then using the Migration process creates “more” accounts which complicated things.
(Probably less of a headache just to format an external drive to exFAT and done it the old fashion way, I thought I was being smart by using “Migration”, it was pretty damn fast though to transfer 80GB).

Going to connect it once more to the monitor just to make sure nothing strange is going on (I did force shutdown using power button twice, once to move it and another time to insert the HDMI dummy plug).

I have shut it down properly this time by just plugging in a keyboard and using the “Control-Option-Command-Power” button shortcut.
The Mac let out a sound to confirm the shortcut enabled, and the light quickly turned off (Mac shutdown).

The Mac works exactly as intended with iOS iTunes Remote as an Audio player so will keep the settings as they are.
I guess I wanted to do the absolute “minimum” steps, just so after I share it here anyone else can follow a simple process.

My end goal from the beginning was to set it up and forget it is even there.

The idea of setting it up with “Remote Desktop” seems like a recipe that will work against “forgetting” about it (curiosity will get the best of me and I will constantly check it for updates/stability etc), but I will now be watching the LinusTechTips video that was posted above just to see how it’s done and what it’s all about.

It’s only been a day or two since I set it all up, so I will eventually soon post a quick easy to follow guide to achieving what I have with the “default” Apple Music player Application.

A future possibility is purchasing the JRiver and JRemote software for the purpose of adding bit-perfect playback and advanced Parametric EQ, but for now I am quite happy with the stability, integration and sound of the default player.

Regarding Pi, yes it is dirt cheap. But I have had enough “technology” for now with the Mac Mini (up until now for many years my source was just a headless Apple TV 3 with AirPlay streaming which required no setup and just “worked”).

 

[mononoaware]

He only needs a VNC client for windows (or for IOS) like vnc viewer which is free.
https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/download/viewer/

Thanks for sharing the freeware option.

 

[mononoaware]

Silent operation (I sit 2 feet away)

Yes it is truly silent, what surprised me today was after listening for noise (silence) when putting my hand behind the Mac (where the ports are) I could feel the air being pushed out.
So the fan is definitely pushing a decent amount of air, but must be using a quiet motor and fan rotor design (something submarine inspired maybe?) to keep things extremely quiet.

I found a picture:
I guess the solid aluminium exterior, the enclosure the motor is in and it’s distance from the back (exhaust) help to reduce noise?

 

[mononoaware]

I switched to Roon from JRiver (again)

Hi, how come you switched away from JRiver again? Did you use JRiver with JRemote?

Any feedback good or bad will be helpful thanks.

I have read Roon is quite a good reliable player for local music (with endpoint and parametric EQ etc) provided you see the value in paying for it and use its audio streaming service.

 

[mononoaware]

I think this video is exactly what OP is looking for.

Thanks that was quite interesting. The Luna Display dongle is I guess the average person’s VNC in a dongle?
From the beginning and throughout the video I was thinking about how much is the Luna’s price ha-ha.

I was aware of Apple’s Sidecar, but now I know you can use the Apple Pencil to actually control things if you need to (I thought it was 2nd display/mirror only).

So at 8:13 is what I assume VNC is for Windows 10?

Anyway I decided against using “Sidecar” to attempt to remotely access the Mac.
I double checked all the settings today and that is the final time I need to control the Mac, from here on I am handing it over to automation and music playback only.

 

[DWPress]

Hi, how come you switched away from JRiver again? Did you use JRiver with JRemote?

I've used both and they are both fine players as well as the accompanying smartphone apps. I just prefer the Roon GUI and metadata, integration with Tidal and seamless endpoints with my AppleTV and Airport Express.

So for my current use Roon is better. I also have a license for the current JRiver on both Mac and PC so who knows what I'll do when the annual subscription runs out with Roon.

 

[escksu]

The M1 cpu in the new mac is way better than Intel. It uses far less power and its faster too...

 

[escksu]

Just wondering what you mean when you say “seldom comes on”.

Does the fan have a “off” state (virtually silent) when powered on/low CPU usage?

I am aware many modern CPU’s have “throttling” of how much of the processor is used to save energy and reduce thermal temperature.
(In Windows 10 there is an option under power settings: Minimum CPU usage 0-100%)
So this being a function of modern CPU’s, the Apple M1 Processor should perform similarly and possibly even better.

Yes, the M1 cpu does even better by following what phones have all along. 4 x high power and 4 x low power cores. This is the first desktop cpu to features this and intel is becoming 2nd.

So, for non-cpu intensive apps, the M1 will utilise its low power cores instead. This keeps power to a mininum and fans may not even need to run.

 

[escksu]

Thank you.
I also have an old PC tower (Windows 10) in another room and it is quite noisy (from startup).

It gives me confidence after reading your experience with the M1 Mac Mini.
Maybe the “typical acoustical performance” stated by Apple is the same as Intel Mac Mini for technical reasons, but M1 should theoretically give superior performance (in lower noise and thermal temperature).

If your fan is noisy, check your processor temps. If its high (60-70c) at idle, it likely means you likely have a heatsink choked with dust. It can also means your thermal paste has dried up and becoming a thermal insulator instead.

If your temps are low and fan is noisy, most likely is due to your bios settings. You set your fans to run at full speed. All boards today can control fan speeds even via voltage (for non-pwm fans) in the bios. So you can set your fan speed and temp etc... In bios. Some boards also come with utilities for you to set in windows.


ery common for old PCs.

 

[milw50717]

Google Remote Desktop is an alternative to VNC for connecting to a headless mini M1.

I have never heard the fans of my mini M1 kick on even when doing video encoding using handbrake or running a couple of virtual machines that had various servers running. Quite the change from my old Windows 10 desktop that now a Linux SMB server running shares that I mount on the M1.

For the noisy Windows 10 desktop, escku makes a good point about renewing the thermal paste under the cpu fan. If you are running a stock fan on the CPU consider upgrading that to something larger and with a fan that movs more air. I think my 2 windows machines both have Cooler Master 212 Hyper EVO fans in them. It may also be a fan that is making the noise as the bearings wear over time. Next time you start it try to identify where the noise is coming from. Fans can generally be replaced and are pretty cheap.

 

[dougi]

If your fan is noisy, check your processor temps. If its high (60-70c) at idle, it likely means you likely have a heatsink choked with dust. It can also means your thermal paste has dried up and becoming a thermal insulator instead.

If your temps are low and fan is noisy, most likely is due to your bios settings. You set your fans to run at full speed. All boards today can control fan speeds even via voltage (for non-pwm fans) in the bios. So you can set your fan speed and temp etc... In bios. Some boards also come with utilities for you to set in windows.


ery common for old PCs.

I just bought an NOS Asus VivoMini as a audio/HTPC. Supposedly 20dBA at idle but I can hear a faint whine at the listening position when everything else is quiet. It does have fan speed control (ASUS Q-Fan) but there is no control in the BIOS other than to turn that off. I tried the SpeedFan utility but it can read the speeds/temps but not be able to set them in the PC, alas. The fan is always on, running at least 1700 RPM. The unit has been sitting around so perhaps I should try and oil the fan bearings.

 

[escksu]

Yes it is truly silent, what surprised me today was after listening for noise (silence) when putting my hand behind the Mac (where the ports are) I could feel the air being pushed out.
So the fan is definitely pushing a decent amount of air, but must be using a quiet motor and fan rotor design (something submarine inspired maybe?) to keep things extremely quiet.

I found a picture:
I guess the solid aluminium exterior, the enclosure the motor is in and it’s distance from the back (exhaust) help to reduce noise?

No really inspired by submarine since these are centrifugal blowers. They are more common with turbo chargers instead.

These blowers are commonly used in notebooks. They are very quiet at low rpm but can get noisy at 3-4k rpm.

Regarding the distance, its more likely due to height constrains. Due to the board studs and board components, there is very little height for the fan. By mounting it to the frame, apple could use a bigger and taller fan. Of course a bigger fan means it can operate at lower rpm to move same amount of air. Since rpm affects noise, yes it will be quieter.

 

[escksu]

I just bought an NOS Asus VivoMini as a audio/HTPC. Supposedly 20dBA at idle but I can hear a faint whine at the listening position when everything else is quiet. It does have fan speed control (ASUS Q-Fan) but there is no control in the BIOS other than to turn that off. I tried the SpeedFan utility but it can read the speeds/temps but not be able to set them in the PC, alas. The fan is always on, running at least 1700 RPM. The unit has been sitting around so perhaps I should try and oil the fan bearings.

Oh, thats why its noisy. 1700rpm will make the fan audible . I dont have the asus unit but check if you can set min/max temp. What this means is the min temp the fan will start and max is the max allowed temp. So at this temp, the fans will ramp up to keep the temps down.

I recommend 55-65c for min and 80-90c for max temp. This should help to keep noise down. Btw, asus likely has its own fan utlity.

 

[dougi]

Oh, thats why its noisy. 1700rpm will make the fan audible . I dont have the asus unit but check if you can set min/max temp. What this means is the min temp the fan will start and max is the max allowed temp. So at this temp, the fans will ramp up to keep the temps down.

I recommend 55-65c for min and 80-90c for max temp. This should help to keep noise down. Btw, asus likely has its own fan utlity.

The CPU is only at 35 degrees yet the fan is on . They seem to have a utility for their gaming motherboards but not from what I can see for others.

 

[mononoaware]

Headless M1 Mac Mini (Big Sur 11.4) + iPhone control (iOS 14.6) settings:
(Windows PC to Mac example, Mac to Mac Data transfer process should be easier)

Prologue.
Here are only the necessary settings in order to get your Mac running in headless configuration with automated function and the native “Apple Music” application (previously known as iTunes) controlled via your iPhone with the iOS iTunes Remote App.
Your audio archive must be ALAC for iTunes compatibility.
If you do not want to bulk convert your FLAC archive to ALAC (be careful when different bit-rate/sample rate), I suggest looking at JRiver + JRemote for Mac/iOS solution.

Regarding audio archive data transfer, you may use “Migration tool” or External storage drive.
If Migration refer to Apple’s “Move your data from Windows PC to Mac”.
Notes:
- Migration process creates a new administrator “account” on your Mac each time it transfers, so I recommend Sign In your Apple ID and apply all “headless settings” below on this newly created Migration account to minimise complications.
- External drive must be formatted to exFAT for compatibility if copying from Windows to Mac.

M1 Mac Mini settings:
(First setup assistant: Choose strong password, Skip all “Accessibility” etc, “Screen Time”/“Hey Siri” = off/disabled)

1.
In order displayed in “System Preferences”. . . Only changed mentioned.
Apple ID - All off, except “Find My” on.
Notifications - All off.
Users & Groups - Click the lock icon, click “Login Options” from “Automatic Login” dropdown and select your account username.
Click “Login Items”, Click “+”, Go to “Applications” on the left, Add “Music” application.
Security & Privacy - General - “Require Password” off, “FileVault” off (default), “Firewall” on (after Migration finished).
Software Update - Click “Advanced” make sure all on.
Sound - Sound Effects - All off.
Energy Saver - “Turn Display off” = 10 mins, “Prevent computer sleeping” = off “Wake for network access/Start up automatically after Power failure” = on.
Sharing - “Media Sharing” on. “Home Sharing” on. Library name: “Music” “Device update play counts/Share photos with Apple TV” off. “Share media guests” off.

Open “Apple Music” application, go to “Account” and Sign In then “Authorize”.
Go to top right click on “Music” then drop down “Preferences”.
Files - “Keep Music folder organised” off. “Copy files to Music Media Folder when adding to Library” off (otherwise it will just copy audio taking up 2x data).
Restrictions - “Music Profiles”, “Apple Music” off.

2.
Now copy your audio archive files to Mac, I just copied main folder to inside “Music” folder on Mac.
Drag copied folder (ALAC files only) into “Apple Music” application.
Create Custom Playlists if you want.

3.
Download free iOS iTunes Remote App on iPhone (make sure you are signed in your Apple ID on your iPhone and “Home sharing” is enabled).

Open iTunes Remote App on iPhone.
Tap on “Use iTunes Home Sharing”, a code will appear.
On Mac in Apple Music application, your phone will appear on left column with Lock icon, Click on lock icon and enter code,
Music Library is now connected and you can now access iTunes using iOS iTunes Remote App.

You can create/edit/rename playlists and control playback.

Every time you open iOS iTunes Remote App and connect to Mac iTunes Library, Mac will auto-wake from sleep and be ready to function.

-

Requirements:
- You must Sign In with your Apple ID on both Mac (System & Apple Music Application) and iPhone.
- All iCloud sync options can be disabled to minimise background processes, I left only “Find My” on.
- Most recent version of MacOS is recommended for security reasons, as the WiFi must be left on, and Mac will be connected to the internet.

Connecting DAC:
- Plug DAC into Mac USB port (no driver needed).
- Power on DAC, select USB input.
- Open Mac “Audio MIDI” settings and select fixed sample rate.
- Bit-rate is fixed to 32-bit (if you want bit-perfect then look at JRiver + JRemote software solution).