Gary's latest music server

FrantzM · Jan 20, 2012

Hi

This wil not close the debate for many, it has however for my ownself. I am looking for a DAC that would make me forget the Burmester 980. Once that this is done , I am also done. I will use a good PC with if possible a linear Power Supply , Windoze 7 or Linux (Thinking about the Vortex Box) , foobar if windoze, connect this to my NAS and be done.
We will continue the debate and from time to time I will read or interject, I do know however that we are making a lot of NOTHING... What Garry has done and given up to the audiophile community is a great sounding gift. Because of it being so inexpensive, we expand hours trying to decide if two files which at the and are the EXACT same do sound different. We don't want to admit to the fact that the differences during playback, if they exist at all, are too small to matter. To us, audiophiles, everything matters , a mosquito on our interconnects means a night and day in the Soundstage (why is it always the Soundstage?) and the air and the separation between instruments ... So we have translated this fixation to the world of computer music. Music playing is one of the least CPU intensive activity and I am dead certain no one can hear the sound of HDD (Oh Yes! Now people are saying they can hear differences between BRANDS of HDD).
I will in the meantime enjoy music from Pandora and listen more to the music server I built using Garry's instructions, the first not the portable one ...

See you later

carolkoh · Jan 20, 2012

garylkoh said:
OCZ Agility2 240GB

Oo. Pro-Gamer quality. Nice choice, Gary.

Vincent Kars · Jan 20, 2012

A SSD to store your entire music collection (1.6 Tb)

mep · Jan 20, 2012

Vincent Kars said:
The only thing you have to do (but probably done already) is choosing ASIO in Output Device

Vincent, my menu will allow me to select my 0404 DAC with either ASIO ouput or WASAPI. Why do yoiu recommend ASIO over WASAPI?

Vincent Kars · Jan 20, 2012

In general with discrete sound cards automatic sample rate switching works using ASIO and not when using WASAPI.
In case of USB both have a bit transparent path to the audio device and allow for automatic sample rate switching.
I probably had the wrong impression you were using a discrete PCI sound card.
Anyway, try both of them and check if you do hear a difference.
I expect a difference with DS anyway

garylkoh · Jan 20, 2012

bblue said:
Please forgive a possibly dumb question, but why are you making a music server out of a portable? And on any platform why have all the files and general storage on the same machine where you are trying to optimize audio? It makes no sense to me.

Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier to have a NAS or standalone W7 machine as a server for all the files, then use a low cost 'playback' computer with all the services you want shutdown, optimized audio, RF/EMI protection, etc? Connect them via ethernet and be done with it?

With a networked server you'd have the best of both worlds and could have multiple playback stations, each optimized as necessary for top performance.

--Bill

Hi Bill, the objective was to make a standalone music server - not a general machine that will be used to store files, emails, and your spreadsheets. It can be connected to a NAS thru ethernet to access more files. The on-board SSD should give you the best sound quality.

bblue · Jan 21, 2012

garylkoh said:
Hi Bill, the objective was to make a standalone music server - not a general machine that will be used to store files, emails, and your spreadsheets. It can be connected to a NAS thru ethernet to access more files. The on-board SSD should give you the best sound quality.

And that, theoretically because of no seeking (varying load on the PS) as in a conventional drive? If so, wouldn't a computer with no source drives at all using a remote server be a better option? No expensive SSD's and no seeking drives other than periodically in the OS.

I didn't notice when reading this thread whether or not you were using higher power single bus power supplies (single bus, high current, heavy duty rails for each voltage) rather than the typical supplies which may have up to 4 different smaller supplies split up among the devices. It would seem like a super low power supply source impedance would be very helpful to your goals. The Corsair TX-550/650/750 supplies are one example. Obviously that wouldn't be possible on a portable....

--Bill

FrantzM · Jan 21, 2012

Bblue

DO you have any template for Music Server? I believe some of us here would be interested. I have built Garry's previous "Music Server" and am pleased with the results... Any other options, alternatives you can share with us? Feel Free to start a thread on the subject.

garylkoh · Jan 21, 2012

bblue said:
And that, theoretically because of no seeking (varying load on the PS) as in a conventional drive? If so, wouldn't a computer with no source drives at all using a remote server be a better option? No expensive SSD's and no seeking drives other than periodically in the OS.

Possibly.... With 4Gb of memory, and all services turned off, when playing one song repeatedly, there is no seeking at all. In the case of this build, the objective was a server I could bring along to dealer visits and to use at shows like CES. Hence, the one-piece construction with the laptop was the most convenient way to do this.

In 2010, I had a PC-based version and I also posted that design here. That one can be easily tweaked, and I use it with a NAS at home - because the 60Gb SSD (which was still expensive in 2010) wasn't enough to store much music.

I didn't notice when reading this thread whether or not you were using higher power single bus power supplies (single bus, high current, heavy duty rails for each voltage) rather than the typical supplies which may have up to 4 different smaller supplies split up among the devices. It would seem like a super low power supply source impedance would be very helpful to your goals. The Corsair TX-550/650/750 supplies are one example. Obviously that wouldn't be possible on a portable....

--Bill

I built a linear power supply for the PC-based one. Simple regulated affairs using LM338 with the addition of choke filtering in the input stage to the regulator. However, I didn't hear a difference in SQ.

bblue · Jan 22, 2012

FrantzM said:
Bblue

DO you have any template for Music Server? I believe some of us here would be interested. I have built Garry's previous "Music Server" and am pleased with the results... Any other options, alternatives you can share with us? Feel Free to start a thread on the subject.

Do you mean by 'Server' a PC that plays audio, or a PC that serves audio or video files?

If you mean one that plays audio, no nothing particular. I do have everything on a remote fileserver, but my main audio playback is my DAW and studio monitoring gear. In that, though I do have an PCI audio card in it (Delta 1010LT) its digital output is not as good as a Firewire connected box that I use also with recording tracks (Profire 2626). However, I don't use any of its DA, just the S/PDIF outs to my monitor controller/DAC. Other PC's around the house that playback audio are not serious listening devices, so I don't pay much attention to them.

I'm getting to like Gary's idea of the portable 'server' from the standpoint of having a high quality portable with source and good S/PDIF output to take with you...

--Bill

Vincent Kars · Jan 22, 2012

Often when audiophiles say “a music server” they mean a dedicated PC optimized for audio playback. I do think “dedicated audio PC” more apt as in the computer world a server is a box hanging around in the network waiting for a client to ask for his services e.g. a webserver.

You can store the audio on a local HD or on a NAS. In this case we use the NAS for file service.

You can also have a true client/server model. This is in general called streaming audio.
You have a computer running a service process and the client browse the library of the server, selects a track and the server send the track to the client.
The server might do additional processing like transcoding on the fly to supply the client with a format it can play.
This requires a specific protocol like DLNA or proprietary protocols like Airplay, Squeeze, etc.

mep · Jan 22, 2012

Vincent Kars said:
Often when audiophiles say “a music server” they mean a dedicated PC optimized for audio playback. I do think “dedicated audio PC” more apt as in the computer world a server is a box hanging around in the network waiting for a client to ask for his services e.g. a webserver.

You can store the audio on a local HD or on a NAS. In this case we use the NAS for file service.

You can also have a true client/server model. This is in general called streaming audio.
You have a computer running a service process and the client browse the library of the server, selects a track and the server send the track to the client.
The server might do additional processing like transcoding on the fly to supply the client with a format it can play.
This requires a specific protocol like DLNA or proprietary protocols like Airplay, Squeeze, etc.

I guess that means I have a dedicated pc optimized for audio playback.

garylkoh · Jan 22, 2012

I like it - DOPA - Dedicated Optimized PC for Audio

mep · Jan 22, 2012

Gary-You will have to be careful with that acronym lest someone mistake you for an Italian talking about their stash.

garylkoh · Jan 23, 2012

I lika my dopa

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Gary's latest music server

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