Endpcnoise.com

Dimfer said:

had anybody in the forum used pc's built by this company?

I am looking to buy a music server, to play PCM files and some DSD and still debating if I will go with music servers like the Wyred 4 Sound MS-2 or Aurender X100 and the likes..

then somebody suggested a fanless pc based server as it can offer more functionality.. is there any advantage in going with Aurender over going with a purpose built pc?

been looking at this Streacom Music Server model from endpcnoise.com


Streacom Music Server - $ 3,219.00 (with Linear power supply upgrade) - info from their website

Fanless, Noiseless, Dustless

This is the fanless music server you've been waiting for!

Intel Z97 Chipset

We have created this beautiful music server, featuring computer audiophile level power filters specifically for exemplary audio playback. Our audio expertise and extensive knowledge of the perfect quiet PC have come together to create a powerful yet silent music server that produces flawless, high-definition audio playback, and can fit into any listening room. This music server is a must for any audiophile looking for the cleanest sound quality available, without the distraction of computer noise (physical noise or electrical ripple).

Exclusive Audiophile Music Server

In addition to the fanless music server itself, high-end audiophile components have been included in order to make this into a true music server. We have configured this music server with the best options in USB and SATA noise filtration ensuring the best possible sound, with options for an external linear PSU for even better performance. SOtM tX-USBexp Computer Audiophile PCIe to USB Audio Card

The SOtM tX-USBexp is an advanced audiophile PCIe to USB audio card like no other. This audio card has a unique design incorporating an ULNR(Ultra low noise regulator) for digital, clock, USB power circuit. Power input noise filters. PCI express slot noise filters. Extremely Low Jitter clock. Active noise canceller for clock power. You can also use the audio card's external power connector to bypass your computers internal power supply and feed the card directly with the HDPlex Linear PSU for an additional boost in performance. Audiophile SOtM In-Line SATA Power Noise Filter MKIII



We default our Fanless Music Server with the SOtM In-Line SATA Power Noise Filter MKIII. This device has a unique design incorporating individual 12V, 5V, and 3.3V RF noise and ripple filters to improve the sound quality in your Music Server. We recommend these for use with all SATA drives, including Optical Drives. The MKIII has an Improved noise filter section compared to MKI and MKII, and SATA the data lines no longer route through the filter to improve compatibility. We recommend that you put your data storage drive in an external enclosure to minimize electrical and physical noise in your Music Server.


HDPlex Linear 100w PSUAlong with the SOtM SATA Filters and SOtM PCIe USB Card, the HDPlex 100w Audophile Linear PSU is highly recommended for the true audiophile. Linear PSUs are much quieter than standard Switchmode Power Supplies, which can cause distortion to your audio, as well help reduce ripple and general electrical noise output for your music server.

Pure Sine Wave UPSPure Sine Wave UPS We default our Music Servers with a Pure Sine Wave UPS to get the cleanest power possible into your entire PC, and external devices. In order to ensure the best sound quality available, it is important to make sure that your entire power chain is clean, and a Pure Sine Wave UPS provides clean power to all devices connected to it.

Fanless Music Server Features

This Mini Fanless Music Server is an audio component size Micro ATX based PC with a HiFi Design and a truly silent passive cooling. With its miniscule dimensions and pure aluminum design, the Streacom Fanless Music Server fits perfectly into your professional HiFi environment. Its unique heatsinks it cool down passively resulting in a strong performance without any fan noise.
•Intel® Socket 1150 i7 Processor
•Up to 32 GB of DDR3 Memory
•Up to 5 Quiet Hard Drives
•Completely Fanless
•Zero Noise!
•Zero Dust!
•Configured with the SOtM tX-USBexp Audiophile PCIe to USB Audio Card
•Configured with the SOtM In-Line SATA Power Noise Filters
•Configured a Pure Sine Wave UPS
•Configured an External Hard Drive for Data Storage
•Support for the Linear HDPlex 100w External PSU

Streacom FC10 Alpha Mini ITX Fanless PC
Streacom FC10 Alpha Dimensions
•Width: 17.1" (435mm)
•Depth: 12.5" (319mm)
•Height: 3.9" (100mm)
•Weight starting at: 19lbs


Front/Side Ports
•2 x USB 3.0
Streacom FC10 Alpha PC Front Ports

Music Server Core Components

Intel CPU logoLGA1150 Intel® 4th Generation Processor Ready This motherboard supports Intel® 4th generation i7 processors, with iGPU, memory and PCI Express controllers integrated to support onboard graphics output with dedicated chipsets, DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 3.0/2.0 lanes. This provides great onboard graphics performance. Intel® 4th generation processors are among the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world.


Silent Disk DrivesSilent Disk Drives All of our Quiet Music Serves are defaulted with a dead silent, extremely fast, and ultra reliable Samsung SSD (Solid State Disk) for the Operating System. For anyone requiring ultimate performance and silence, we recommend one of the ground breaking Intel 750 series PCIe based NVMe SSDs, which has write speeds that are nearly twice as fast, and read speeds that are about four times as fast as a standard SATA3 based SSD.




Asus Motherboard logoQuality Asus Motherboard We feature the latest ASUS® motherboards in our quiet systems. ASUS® is the world's best selling and most award winning motherboard manufacture. They provide supreme reliability, top notch cutting edge features and excellent manufacture support. Our motherboards contain fanless heatsinks and heatpipes to effectively cool the chipset heatsink and voltage regulators, without the use of noisy fans.




High Quality Memory This PC comes with high quality Kingston® memory. We use Kingston® memory because it is highly reliable and features a lifetime warranty. This Fanless Music Server has options for up to 32GB of RAM for those desiring ultimate performance!




Streacom Mini Music Server Motherboard
•Intel® Socket 1150 for 4th/5th Generation Processors
•Max. 32 GB, DDR3
•Intel®Z97 Chipset
• 1 x HDMI ports | 1 x DVI-D | 1 x VGA
•1 x Sata Express Port
•1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M Key
•6 x USB 2.0 (2 at back panel)
•8 x USB 3.0 (4 at back panel)
•6 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports
•8-Channel High Definition Audio
•ATX Form Factor




We don't just choose quieter parts, we choose the quietest, best performing parts available and assemble them cleanly to optimize airflow and minimize the slightest vibration. We don't just replace one or two parts in our system with relatively quiet components, we replace each component with the quietest part available.

In addition to silent parts our systems are built with pride for many years of use. From start to finish, we anticipate, research, and test each system for maximum compatibility and performance; all while being absolutely silent. You will be amazed at how quiet our systems are!

They have another model above this..

and my wishlist also include I2S connectivity (to my PS Audio Direct Stream Dac).. hoping to upgrade to Lampi, but that would be a 2016 project as I have another major upgrade in the work

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They are a fantastic, very service oriented company. I own their monster fanless server with soundcard as MCH Media server. I also have a CAPS 3.0 in the same FC10 chassis as the advertised server you are looking at. It has not Linear PC, but uses the Red Wine audio battery. If you are interested PM me, I will be selling both since I am moving to the Pink Faun av-streamer to consolidate my two servers.

As to your question. You get more flexibility and far better value for money buying from a company like endpcnoise than some turnkey, very higly marked up box like aurender.

Dimfer said:

thanks for the response Edorr.. I think a system doing double duty as music server and HT source is the way to go and what I will pursue. Pink makes/sells I2S card and their system is also worth investigating. I just saw your PF thread.

A guy from enpcnoise.com has responded to my inquiry and said doing what i want to have is not a problem for them, but PF seems to offer better value.

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I cannot say anything one way or the other about the specific machines of interest to you. I have no concrete proof of what I am about to say other than limited anecdotal experience. It is just my belief for now.

Many computer audiophiles do need a "silent" PC that uses liquid cooling or very quiet fans because they think they need to put that machine in their listening rooms and create as little ambient noise as possible. That need has morphed into unsubstantiated claims or hints that those PCs are also better in lowering internal electrical noise or other positives in the actual signal delivered to the DAC. I have no trouble with the ambient cooling noise reduction, but I do with most all claims of better sound. I have never seen a measurement that substantiates better sound by more careful internal component selection, better power supplies, special shielding etc.

Again, no measurements, but I am inclined to accept Baetis's claim of somewhat better sound via their proprietary SPDIF or AES outputs. I have done some listening comparisons that seemed to validate that. On the other hand, via USB or HDMI, I do not think the Baetis is special in any way sonically. There might be other specific cases out there of some sonic improvement, but little proof positive.

So, I am inclined to believe that sonically, most PCs are pretty much identical within reason. Although, some of that rests with the DAC used, as some might be more susceptible to electrical noise than others, and some PCs might happen to generate a different spectrum of electrical noise that works better with certain DACs. So, part of my view is based on DAC quality and isolation. But, I think, in general, a better DAC would be a better investment than an audiophile PC.

You already have an excellent DAC, so the question becomes can a specific PC further improve sound quality with it? I think in the absence of measurements, it becomes a crap shoot resolvable only via tedious trial and error to find an accidental match made in heaven, if one exists. User anecdotes at CA Forum are not worthwhile, in my view, and even if they are, it might be specific to the DAC they used, not mine.

Personally, I use a simple, nothing special DIY Windows 7 Pro PC that is powerful - I7, 16 Gig RAM, etc. - that cost under $1,000. It is in the adjoining room, so ambient noise is a nonissue. I use a galvanically isolated Exasound e28 DAC via asynch USB. I am quite happy, and I feel I am unlikely to find a PC that provides better sound. I would be glad to revisit this if someone can provide some objective data there is something better sounding out there.

Aurender is easier to configure and does not need a monitor (ever).

PC will require some basic IT skills to setup, requires a monitor (can be run headless most of the time though) and offers much more options like upsampling, room correction etc, works much better with NAS and offeres better sound quality if setup right and built with the right parts.

From my experience, Jcat USB card offers much better sound quality than the SOtM one (which I also had).

Dimfer said:

thanks for the response Edorr.. I think a system doing double duty as music server and HT source is the way to go and what I will pursue. Pink makes/sells I2S card and their system is also worth investigating. I just saw your PF thread.

A guy from enpcnoise.com has responded to my inquiry and said doing what i want to have is not a problem for them, but PF seems to offer better value.

Click to expand...

Definitely a path worth pursuing, with a one caveat. Be prepared to deal with a fairly basic operation one continent away. They will bend over backwards to help you out but they are not close geographically and if you have an issue there will be delays getting them resolved (case in point, my MCH I2S card just failed on two channels, and they are shipping a new one which will take a while to get here). If heaven forbid you ever have a problem with the massive proprietary powersupply you will have a real problem on your hands.

What will be your MCH setup? Will you use a stack of 3 I2S DACs?