Gary's Music Server

carolkoh

[Industry Expert] Member Sponsor
Sep 17, 2010
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www.genesisloudspeakers.com
Cross-linking the posts here so they don't get lost, as more than one person has asked me about it because they couldn't find it on this forum!

Here's the discussion thread on this forum: http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?5793-Gary%92s-stupid-good-music-*server*

Here's the paper off our website for building a laptop based music server: http://www.genesisloudspeakers.com/newsletter/Newsletter_10th_Anniv.pdf

Here's the previous "Music Server Cookbook" : http://www.genesisloudspeakers.com/newsletter/Newsletter_10th_Anniv.pdf

Here's the original music server paper : http://www.genesisloudspeakers.com/whitepaper/Absolute_Fidelity_Music_Server.pdf

And another build/discussion thread on this forum: http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?1201-Music-Server-Project
 
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Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Thanks Carol! Have you called your mother on your IPAD? I think we are going to get my mom one for her birthday or Christmas.
 

carolkoh

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Sep 17, 2010
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www.genesisloudspeakers.com
Thanks Carol! Have you called your mother on your IPAD? I think we are going to get my mom one for her birthday or Christmas.

Haha! My mother's very first email she ever sends to me was done on her iPad. It said, "Turn FaceTime On. You haven't called in weeks." I am also commanded to bring my iPad with me when I go to Gary's for dinner so she can see her grand kids.

I should see about finding a short clip of Vadar's theme to use as a ring tone... ... ...
 

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
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It's been nearly a year since I published the latest Music Server "recipe". Unfortunately, the laptop that I built it out of is no longer available. I was asked how to identify a replacement, and this is what I said:

The problem with the computer industry is that most models have a 6-month lifespan at most. The great importance is not the Pentium B950 processor - that is important, but not the most important criteria.

1) Most important is that the laptop must have a USB port that is stand-alone and independent for driving the DAC. Usually a computer (any type) will have several USB hubs (each hub usually has up to 8 ports). The keyboard and the mouse is often incorporated into one of these hubs. The USB port for driving the DAC should have an independent hub. This you can find out by searching the specification of the chip-set the the laptop runs, and the board it uses. Not a trivial task, but possible.

2) The reason for the B950 processor is the Intel speed step technology allows it to be stepped down in both speed and voltage. This allows the laptop to run cool so that the fan does not kick on.

It's not a trivial task to identify a replacement, and will take quite a bit of time and research. Hopefully the audiophile I answered this to will do the work, and share the answer with us here!
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I should see about finding a short clip of Vadar's theme to use as a ring tone... ... ...

As many a husband knows, you must search under "Imperial Death March Ringtone". LOL!
 

ktm777

New Member
Mar 19, 2013
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Nope. Sorry. Have been showing with a Burmester 111.
Looks more serious than Toshiba :) I found one of the last TOSHIBA C655-S5339 laptop, do you think its still worth investing in this project?
I also found Fujitsu Lifebook AH531GL B960 - this one has exspresscard slot for indenepndend USB - and is B960 Sandy Bridge :)
 
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jkeny

Industry Expert, Member Sponsor
Feb 9, 2012
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Just wanted to pitch in my 2C here as I & others are investigating the variables in hardware/software that make for good sound in computer audio. Let me be a bit more specific - because we are all committed Jplay users (the best playback software on a PC that I & others have heard) & Jplay recently introduced a 2PC configuration where each PC has a specialist function & audio is streamed between them, we set about looking at how best to optimise these configurations.

One PC is connected to a USB DAC & is termed the AudioPC - it is the one that is most critical to the sound. The other PC, called the ControlPC, is the front-end controller, interface & server for the system. It communicated with the AudioPC via ethernet LAN connection. There are a number of different playback engines that can be chosen, the most interesting perhaps being Ultrastream, which is a low latency player, sounds exquisite & is so revealing of system changes.The lowest level of latency achievable with any system is very dependent on the hardware/software/drivers/processes & so there are many factors to investigate. The lowest possible level is 2mS latency & it remains to be seen if lowest latency = best sound.

We are still working through the endless variables but so far one critical factor has emerge - - Power supply fluctuations is a very critical factor.
For instance powering the fan from a separate PS has notable benefits to the sound (going fanless also solves this). Using SSD instead of HDD seems to also have benefits. Playing audio files stored on a USB disk is improved when this is independently powered.

Many more experiments are needed but there are a group of us each working on our own AudioPC configuration who will get together in a week or so & compare the results sonically. This may tease out some other factors or not, who knows?

Just thought I would add this little write-up on what's happening in our little world of computer audio
 

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
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Thanks, John. I hope that your group will post your recipe.

One of my friends found a current model laptop that he built a server out of, but he doesn't have one of the originals to compare to. Still it sounds better to him than his megabuck transport and server.
 

jkeny

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Feb 9, 2012
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Thanks, John. I hope that your group will post your recipe.

One of my friends found a current model laptop that he built a server out of, but he doesn't have one of the originals to compare to. Still it sounds better to him than his megabuck transport and server.

Well, there is a current recipe called the Zuma, published on ComputerAudiophile involving Core i7 CPU, SSD, Pico PSU & fanless case. I & others have had a listen to it & it makes our laptops sound anaemic by comparison. So rather than follow blindly this recipe, this has been the impetus to investigate what are the important factors in the Zuma that give rise to it's superior sound. I believe, from tests so far, that the PS is very important but hopefully we can publish a list of factors of decreasing importance to SQ rather than just blindly follow a recipe. You know "teach a man to fish......."

EDIT: You know the Intel NUC seems to be a good option for this role, i3 CPU, mSATA SSD, etc - low TPD & nice looking, living room friendly case (4" X 4"). Gigabyte are about to launch their own version with more powerful i5/i7 CPUs
 
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ktm777

New Member
Mar 19, 2013
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Thanks, John. I hope that your group will post your recipe.

One of my friends found a current model laptop that he built a server out of, but he doesn't have one of the originals to compare to. Still it sounds better to him than his megabuck transport and server.

Could you ask him Gary what model was it?

Jkeny, zuma for audio PC, what about control PC. simple netbook, or powerfull laptop?
 

jkeny

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Feb 9, 2012
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Could you ask him Gary what model was it?

Jkeny, zuma for audio PC, what about control PC. simple netbook, or powerfull laptop?

Ordinary laptop but too soon to say what is optimal for sound
 

ktm777

New Member
Mar 19, 2013
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Ordinary laptop but too soon to say what is optimal for sound
But as I understand, JPlay is to be instaled on both audio and control PC and this soft needs a lot of power to work in extreem engine mode. What you say is one powerfull PC is enough (audio PC)? In what mode will work JPlay on control PC?
 

jkeny

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Feb 9, 2012
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But as I understand, JPlay is to be instaled on both audio and control PC and this soft needs a lot of power to work in extreem engine mode. What you say is one powerfull PC is enough (audio PC)? In what mode will work JPlay on control PC?

No, Jplay doesn't NEED a powerful PC to run in Xtreme mode. There are two ways that Jplay can be run:
- Single PC mode & I can run this on my HP Pavillion DM1 netbook using AMD E-350 CPU in Xtream mode
- dual PC mode streaming from one PC (ControlPC) to another (AudioPC). Again I can use my netbook for either AudioPC or ControlPC. The thing is a Zuma as AudioPC sounds better & we are trying to work out why. Probably a lot lot do with the power supply fluctuations being minimised i.e fanless & SSD & Pico PSU

But you will have to wait until we have finished our tests/comparisons for a better handle on this
 

jkeny

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mep

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Apr 20, 2010
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I am still running Gary's second version of his music server and I love it. I am still using FooBar and it plays all of my files from RBCD to 24/192 to DSD. It's hard to imagine the sound getting better, but I'm sure it can.
 

jkeny

Industry Expert, Member Sponsor
Feb 9, 2012
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I am still running Gary's second version of his music server and I love it. I am still using FooBar and it plays all of my files from RBCD to 24/192 to DSD. It's hard to imagine the sound getting better, but I'm sure it can.
Try Jplay!!
 

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