Agreed TDP should have no effect on sound, but you still need to cool an 80W TDP CPU and that's a lot of hear to dissipate passively..
Lampizator Komputer vs. Aurender N10
- Thread starter Alpinist
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Agreed TDP should have no effect on sound, but you still need to cool an 80W TDP CPU and that's a lot of hear to dissipate passively..
You will get lower heat if you are enabling power management which uses a significant amount of resources and is known to degrade sonics. I would never recommend an 80W TDP CPU for a music server. Unless you don't mind a nice, big, fat, loud noise -generating fan
The new generation CPUs, even with power management switched off, genereate very little heat at idle (and they basicly sit there at idle palying music).
The original CAPS V4 Pipeline project from Computer Audiophile uses 80W max TDP CPU in Streacom FC-10 case - no problems with excess heat whatsoever.
Perfect. I assumed it did. Sometimes the product descriptions are not complete.
I have everything on order now. Hopefully I will receive all the parts by the time I am off for a week between Christmas and New Year's.
It's more than just CPU activity that determines processor heat, it's the P states which can be controlled by Power Management. If Power Management is disabled you won't get into the lower power saving processor states and you'll still be running at higher processor frequencies = heat; that's the whole point of power management. So while you may not achieve 80W TDP with low CPU usage and PM off, I'd be surprised if there is not considerable heat at the right side heat sinks of the Streacom (I have the same chassis). I would rather go with a lower TDP processor and not have to worry about it and disable Power Management which is a hog of a Service and quite invasive.
Assuming it runs Windows you can run Windows Desktop remote which does not require graphics support enabled on the remote machine.
Thanks. I was more concerned with the initial set up which can take a little while. I run WDR for my 2 other headless machines.
That is true and this is exactly what I did. The point I'm trying to make is that while not optimal, the more powerful CPU is not a deal breaker.
Hello gentlemen, In reference to the original question I would like to hear the Aurender someday as I have heard a lot of good things about it but I have been a Lampi guy almost from the minute they arrived on U.S. shores several years ago...[in fact I was a happy owner of one of Lukasz's early dac's ( Gen 4 Level 4) before most people knew the name]. I upgraded through the line fairly quickly and recently had my Big 7 revised to the latest specs...so when it was finally time for me to jump into a Music Server the DSD Komputer was pretty much my natural progression...So I did.
Let me say up front that I know more about the mating rituals of obscure arctic bacteria than I do computers (do bacteria mate? I don't think so...they just 'multiply' somehow???) but you get the point. Considering I made the purchase just a few weeks ago I am obviously late to the music server party but honestly I was dissuaded for three particular reasons:
1) [And most importantly]:With no disrespect to anyone or their rigs; up until now I had never heard a computer based system that I was really convinced didn't exhibit some degree of [fairly obvious] unnaturally 'glassy' or 'hyper-detailed' character that instantly brought attention to itself and to which I found very unacceptable. NO, of course I haven't heard many of the exceptionally high caliber systems I see on this and many other sites but I have been around enough over the years to hear many fine systems that seemed to have this type of common denominator ...
OTOH more and more lately the advancements in this vein have been improving such that I am now hearing some enviable levels of 'greatness' coming through on more and more computer/server based systems and have therefore become more encouraged...
2) I have let my lack of knowledge in this area intimidate the heck out of me... After dipping my browser into countless sites [about computer audio] and listening to all the rhetoric I'm realizing how much it is growing and thus how much more and more over time I DON'T know... "The cumulative effect" if you want to call it that...
3) Lastly, and either the toughest / or easiest 'hurdle' (depending on one's perspective): I have been in this hobby for almost 40 years +/- as it's hard to declare a start date but I knew if/when I was going to do this I wanted a very high quality example of the latest iteration(s) of this medium and of course that would require at least a fairly considerable monetary entry point. The squeezebox with upgraded power supply I was told to buy several years ago has sat in my closet untouched by human hands since [almost] the purchase date because I realized it simply didn't fit what I was looking for at the time (I still have it if anyone's interested?!). So, when I finally got the $$$$ aspect within reach...I naturally turned to Lukasz...
And that's my story (I know you didn't ask but thanks for your patience). SO:
As of now...after just a few short weeks of ownership...several friends have helped me download and copy a significant amount of music which I am thoroughly enjoying at a level of sound quality (with hi rez files and / or DSD) that readily exceeds my CD transport/Big 7 combination and sounds very close to some very favorite systems I have ever heard. Of course I don't even have to mention the "Convenience factor" that such an extended world of music choices offers...probably the biggest plus to this avenue...
As far as specific listening impressions of the Komputer/Big 7 rig: (Currently using EML Mesh Plate 5U4G Rectifier with Sophia 300B Carbons and Jupiter caps in the B7) feeding Duelund Copper PIO Caps in pre-amp feeding [same] Duelund Copper PIO Caps in tube amps, the sound is all I could want. IMHO it's getting too much these days to hear people describing how their rig sounds...they give all the adjectives: punchy bass, extended highs, great mids...ya ya ya ..or just claim how all that never registers anymore as it just sounds so "naturally musical" so I'm not going to jump on that wagon anymore...I'll simply say it is the most satisfying I have known and most 'guests to the room' unfailingly agree...and THAT's via a music server based system... Hmmm, never thought I would hear the day...
Thanks for keeping an interesting site going. Questions/comments...LMK. And Happy Lissn'n
Let me say up front that I know more about the mating rituals of obscure arctic bacteria than I do computers (do bacteria mate? I don't think so...they just 'multiply' somehow???) but you get the point. Considering I made the purchase just a few weeks ago I am obviously late to the music server party but honestly I was dissuaded for three particular reasons:
1) [And most importantly]:With no disrespect to anyone or their rigs; up until now I had never heard a computer based system that I was really convinced didn't exhibit some degree of [fairly obvious] unnaturally 'glassy' or 'hyper-detailed' character that instantly brought attention to itself and to which I found very unacceptable. NO, of course I haven't heard many of the exceptionally high caliber systems I see on this and many other sites but I have been around enough over the years to hear many fine systems that seemed to have this type of common denominator ...
OTOH more and more lately the advancements in this vein have been improving such that I am now hearing some enviable levels of 'greatness' coming through on more and more computer/server based systems and have therefore become more encouraged...
2) I have let my lack of knowledge in this area intimidate the heck out of me... After dipping my browser into countless sites [about computer audio] and listening to all the rhetoric I'm realizing how much it is growing and thus how much more and more over time I DON'T know... "The cumulative effect" if you want to call it that...
3) Lastly, and either the toughest / or easiest 'hurdle' (depending on one's perspective): I have been in this hobby for almost 40 years +/- as it's hard to declare a start date but I knew if/when I was going to do this I wanted a very high quality example of the latest iteration(s) of this medium and of course that would require at least a fairly considerable monetary entry point. The squeezebox with upgraded power supply I was told to buy several years ago has sat in my closet untouched by human hands since [almost] the purchase date because I realized it simply didn't fit what I was looking for at the time (I still have it if anyone's interested?!). So, when I finally got the $$$$ aspect within reach...I naturally turned to Lukasz...
And that's my story (I know you didn't ask but thanks for your patience). SO:
As of now...after just a few short weeks of ownership...several friends have helped me download and copy a significant amount of music which I am thoroughly enjoying at a level of sound quality (with hi rez files and / or DSD) that readily exceeds my CD transport/Big 7 combination and sounds very close to some very favorite systems I have ever heard. Of course I don't even have to mention the "Convenience factor" that such an extended world of music choices offers...probably the biggest plus to this avenue...
As far as specific listening impressions of the Komputer/Big 7 rig: (Currently using EML Mesh Plate 5U4G Rectifier with Sophia 300B Carbons and Jupiter caps in the B7) feeding Duelund Copper PIO Caps in pre-amp feeding [same] Duelund Copper PIO Caps in tube amps, the sound is all I could want. IMHO it's getting too much these days to hear people describing how their rig sounds...they give all the adjectives: punchy bass, extended highs, great mids...ya ya ya ..or just claim how all that never registers anymore as it just sounds so "naturally musical" so I'm not going to jump on that wagon anymore...I'll simply say it is the most satisfying I have known and most 'guests to the room' unfailingly agree...and THAT's via a music server based system... Hmmm, never thought I would hear the day...
Thanks for keeping an interesting site going. Questions/comments...LMK. And Happy Lissn'n
Congrats on the Komputer. So will get to hear it when I visit you. I had the EML 5U4G but moved to KR 274b and that was big jump. The KR 242s will bring your B7 in line with the GG. Lukasz is selling them at 360 Euro/pair for 242, and the recti, not sure but would be around 250 - 300 Euro. It makes a BIG difference.
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Thanks, "sounds like a plan". I've been exploring 274's too, we'll have a few to try. I'll talk to Fred or Rob about your other suggestion too... Best regards
Excuse my ignorance, but I have a question about audio PCs/CAPS - why spend $$$ on a heavily customised audio PC to minimise the effects of noise etc, when a better solution might be to use a more standard PC, house it in another room, and connect to a rendering device (e.g. MicroRendu) via ethernet cable?
I'm with you as that makes the most sense to me. Once you go ethernet you never go back.
+1!
I was making this very same argument in a different thread. On DACs with properly implemented Ethernet streamers/cards, that is generally the preferred option.
But of course, there's no one solution that fits all, so I think there's room for proper music servers connected to a DAC via USB, specially for folks who don't want to mess about with computers, storage/NAS, etc...
The microrendu has to connect to the dac through USB again so not really the solution. An Ethernet interface in the dac is a different proposition - used by Linn for ages and more recently with Merging although the latter isn't that user friendly based on all online feedback (let's not resurrect thread again lol).
The SGM team tried this configuration using 2 SGMs are part of their campaign of leaving no stone unturned and found 1 direct to be superior FYI
I am currently working through the same situation.
I finally got around to trying Roon and I think it is awesome. The endpoint feature is very appealing to try, however I am leary there might be a sonic impact given the endpoint processing. In theory, this should not be an issue given the core is doing all of the main lifting leaving little to nothing for the endpoint to do besides send to the DAC via usb.
I would like to ty this implementation with something like a Pi3 or Micro Rendu. This would actually be fantastic because the steamer can be any chassis, with fans and HDD instead of SSD located anywhere else in the home. It also makes it more affordable to the masses with a lot more options for a Roon core besides uses a CAPS design.
I finally got around to trying Roon and I think it is awesome. The endpoint feature is very appealing to try, however I am leary there might be a sonic impact given the endpoint processing. In theory, this should not be an issue given the core is doing all of the main lifting leaving little to nothing for the endpoint to do besides send to the DAC via usb.
I would like to ty this implementation with something like a Pi3 or Micro Rendu. This would actually be fantastic because the steamer can be any chassis, with fans and HDD instead of SSD located anywhere else in the home. It also makes it more affordable to the masses with a lot more options for a Roon core besides uses a CAPS design.
For what it is worth, I was streaming from a windows 10 PC with a regular power supply and normal fans. I replaced that with a fan-less PC with an upgraded power supply running Windows Server 2012R2. The resulting sound was significantly better - quieter, more detail, etc etc. The streamer matters.
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