DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

[Steve]

It's time we started our very own AudioShark DIY Digital Music Server thread based on popular Silent PC concepts that have evolved considerably over the past 18 months. I propose we make this thread sticky.

The purpose of this thread is to discuss the technical merit of implementing various off-the-shelf hardware & software solutions. It is to encourage those who are technically proficient to gravitate here with a view to sharing their project objectives, creations, successes & failures.

It is also to encourage the novice who has no real clue about anything computer tech but wants to learn, create & participate HERE! I probably fall somewhere in between.

There is NO ultimate SOLUTION here, ONLY experimental FUN. In the end, your subjective LISTENING experiences WIN despite any opposing scientific argument or methodology.

Some of you know I am an analog music man by heart & an IT guy by day. I've lived past the lossy iTunes revolution with disgust & avoidance. I've abstained from lossless digital audio to date as the market continues to sure itself with bit rates & format wars. I've watched vendors put DACs into all of their product lines & continue to see DAC technology change & improve every year. I've seen the HiFi industry struggle with product positioning & standardisation.

As it gets cheaper & cheaper to pick & throw a computer part, the DIY project market is growing along with the emergence of vendors offering audiophile grade peripheral components! This could be the ticket into high end digital audio for some of you without breaking the bank on something that may be dated by next year.

Let's Begin!

 

[Steve]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

I'll start with my project off the shelf bits & pieces for my initial build which is subject to change (additions/deletions/alterations).

1. Streacom FC5WS Evo Fanless Chassis (available black or silver) I chose black but equally like silver.

All aluminium chassis, 10mm thick front panel, Silver or Black – sandblast finish, 1 RU (rack unit high), Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX motherboard format sizes,
Hard drive bays - up to 3 x 3.5″ or 4 x 2.5″, Side Ports: 2 x USB2.0, right side (USB3.0 Ready), Expansion Slot: 1 x Full height or 1 x half height expansion slot (riser card required),
Cooling: Heatpipe Direct Touch 4 Pipes – Recommended CPU TDP 65W, Max TDP 95W**, Dimension: 435 x 325 x 60mm (W x D x H), Power Supply option: NanoPSU & AC Adapter, Remote Control: MCE compatible IR receiver & remote (not included)
Net Weight: 5.2KG

2. Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Z77 MicroATX motherboard (IvyBridge)

The reason why I chose this motherboard is because it is a gaming motherboard. Gaming motherboards are usually built with higher quality components to withstand the rigors of performance tweaking. Such a board allows for a wide generational choice of CPU & memory. Having the ability to perform voltage adjustments on a gaming class motherboard allows you to UNDERCLOCK as well. This motherboard also allows for the disablement of features that are not required for running a music server.

Equally important, you must be careful with your choice of motherboard for placement in this type of chassis. Many motherboards, especially current generation boards have power yokes with high heat sinks positioned where they would obstruct the placement & positioning of the necessary copper heat pipes from the CPU to the side of the chassis where the heat sink fins are.

3. Intel i7 3770T CPU 45w TDP

4. 4x 8GB G.Skill RAM PC3-19200

5. SOtM USB card & shielded flexible riser

To be continued...

 

[CDLehner]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Steve...it's a worthy topic; and near and dear to my heart. But it's been covered quite well, often and elsewhere.

But...for those who want to collect the information here; for one-stop shopping. Here are the first two links I can suggest.

One...Chris Connaker's C.A.P.S. builds, to my mind; are the "mother sauces", of all hi-end streamer/servers Computer Audiophile - C.A.P.S.

v4s shouldn't be far off! And I have just recently switched from an Win8-based build, to a Server 2012r2/AO approach; which you can read/learn about here Highend-AudioPC | AudiophileOptimizer

This manual http://www.highend-audiopc.com/PDF/audiophile_optimizer_setup_guide.pdf does an excellent job, of documenting the process...every step of the way.

Warning...it's another rabbit-hole to chase. To summarize...the enemy of a computer-based music system; is the computer. All the stuff...hardware and software, that run your typical PC; all stand in the way, of the purest path...from music-delivery to your system.

The most "extreme" builds...using AO and JPlay; separate the two, by using 2 "PCs". One to receive and process the file; the typical "computer"-type stuff...and then another box, that does NOTHING, but pass the file along to your DAC. It's kind of akin, to a dedicated power-supply...outside and isolated, from the signal; but for the 1s and 0s.

Don't say you weren't warned.

 

[Mike]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Two computers now? Sounds way too complicated. Buy a Lumin and enjoy life.

 

[Bobvin]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

I just received a similar case and build, but with an ASUS Gryphon Z97 Socket 1150 Intel Motherboard, for my music server. I purchased from EndPCNoise, whom I have purchased about five systems from so far. They are the company that Goodwin's High End bought from for their custom builds a while back.

I omitted an optical drive of any kind, since I rip CDs from my desktop. A minimalist build with a 240GB SSD, with room for more. So the unit just sits there silently delivering files to my DAC, which happens to be very happy getting files via USB. (ARC DAC8)

If going this custom route be sure to get a motherboard with on-board WiFi unless you want to go wired LAN. I did not notice the mobo did not have on-board wifi so had to get a PCIe card.

 

[Steve]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

CD....Undoubtedly, the application of Chris Connaker's C.A.P.S methodologies & solutions have helped pave the way for the PC to become a formidable platform & his forum is a wealth of information. A must stop for anyone contemplating such a project. As people build these devices, there has been some unique & innovative solutions to problems along the way. More recently, new vendors are springing up with components & even complete turn-key products based on the CAPS principles.

No doubt there will be a successor to the CAPS Zuma & then some. The Windows Server 2012 R2 Core build is an exciting twist & the OS I will be using for my first completed build. Using a distributed services architecture as you have pointed out is also an exciting proposition. Many products are emerging like Paul Pang & HDPlex.

The great thing is that others have been trailblazing along which makes it much easier for us that want to DYI. To pick the best outcomes at a targeted price point. Given Moore's Law, every 6 to 12 months we see something new, that is more powerful, requiring less power, made better & is cheaper to buy. Standardised PC components can cross generational boundaries, so it is possible for your project remain intact & to evolve over a longer useful lifetime.

 

[Steve]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Two computers now? Sounds way too complicated. Buy a Lumin and enjoy life.

Sounds like Coca Cola from a glass bottle. I would love to experience the new Lumin someday. Beautiful looking package, oozes sophistication.

 

[Mike]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Sounds like Coca Cola from a glass bottle. I would love to experience the new Lumin someday. Beautiful looking package, oozes sophistication.

If there is any way you can snag a Lumin S1 to try, you won't look back. And the initial setup will be a breeze with your background.

 

[CDLehner]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Steve...I've been streaming, for; gosh...can it really be. About 10 years, or a little better; hard to remember.

Once I started...I gave us disc-based media ENTIRELY; so I've been all-digital, all-discless...for a while now.

As I said earlier...going discless, is no different than any other realm of the hi-end; you can go simple and cheap, and be satisfied with the results...or endlessly tweak, and pursue that last nth.

Mike is not wrong; you can buy a streaming solution, and be done with it. The 2 downsides, are cost...and flexibility. Cost is cost; and you'll have to decide, how much your time and sanity are worth. I used to be very much against these solutions...because as an IT guy; I knew they were charging thousands, for what could be built for hundreds. As I said...that's my POV; but I'm an IT guy...so the futzing, tweaking, and tech isn't "worth" 4-figures to me. But for someone who is clueless...it may well be.

My bigger problem...was flexibility. In the "early" days of streaming solutions; you were looking at an extremely closed ecosystem. Needed a bigger hard-drive; couldn't do it. Wanted to change audio formats; couldn't do it. And the UIs; let's just say, they left a LOT to be desired.

That is starting to change; so I SMH less than I used to. I guess I would summarize like this...and I've helped MANY, get started with both audio and video storage, transport, and streaming (and video is 10 times as challenging). There is NO doubt...you will spend some time; with set-up, tweaking, trial-and-error...reading, learning, re-assessing, changing, fixing, etc. In the beginning. The idea is, to get to a point...where you're dialed-in, and can just sit back and enjoy.

But even then...there is always a little maintenance, with PC-based solutions. The less PC in your PC, the better; but then...that takes some doing.

 

[Steve]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

And then there's the new Windows Surface Pro 3 i7/8/512 running 8.1 Pro which I'm currently typing on. I wonder how this would sound running JRiver. Surely, it's got to outperform any MacBook...

 

[Mike]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

And then there's the new Windows Surface Pro 3 i7/8/512 running 8.1 Pro which I'm currently typing on. I wonder how this would sound running JRiver. Surely, it's got to outperform any MacBook...

Steve - do you have an iPad? It's required for the Lumin.

Mike

 

[Steve]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Steve - do you have an iPad? It's required for the Lumin.

Mike

Yes, I have the current mini & an older iPad 2. Trying to wean off them!

 

[Mike]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Yes, I have the current mini & an older iPad 2. Trying to wean off them!

OK....it's a big time long shot, but let me see if I can squeeze Li and Nelson to send you a demo Lumin to try.

 

[Steve]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

OK....it's a big time long shot, but let me see if I can squeeze Li and Nelson to send you a demo Lumin to try.

Man, you know how to scuttle a thread! :ko: I suppose I could do an unbiased A-B-C comparison using my rig. The best I can do is Wireworld Platinum Eclipse USB into a McIntosh MCD1100 DAC though. So 24/192 PCM is all I could offer, balanced into C1000T. Now, the new Lumin has the same DAC, stacked if I recall correctly? So XLR into the pre is no problem either...

 

[Mike]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Man, you know how to scuttle a thread! :ko: I suppose I could do an unbiased A-B-C comparison using my rig. The best I can do is Wireworld Platinum Eclipse USB into a McIntosh MCD1100 DAC though. So 24/192 PCM is all I could offer, balanced into C1000T. Now, the new Lumin has the same DAC, stacked if I recall correctly?

Sorry...oops....OK, Motherboards, Power Supplies, System Crashes, RFI/EMI - bring it on!! LOL!

 

[highEndguy]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Oops !!! Wrong thread
Hahahahah

 

[highEndguy]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Mike,
Is not fair of us to not cooperate
Let's leave alone the thread
We always gain more learning from others

 

[Rayooo]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

'thought I'd pop my 2cents into this thread....

The story begins years ago when on a whim I bought a Cambridge Dac-Magic to play with. I ended up with a laptop sitting on my lap, a long optical cable running over to the DAC Magic sitting with the preamp, amps etc.
I didn't expect anything, but figured the DAC-Magic was cheap enough so what the heck.
'was running Media Monkey I think on the laptop. In any case, I was shocked at how well this worked, sound was good, not necessarily great. The convenience factor was off the charts.

If you're watching this on TV, a very long dissolve to today. too many iterations of servers to count, now using JRMC.
Note that all of the iterations worked well, even very good, but of course me being a hacker anyway, tweaking is my middle name.

My goals were:
Dead quiet server.
Run the server with a remote control. i.e. Harmony One.
Music stored on a NAS in the other room.
Bare minimum config win7, JRMC configured completely for Audio only.
No re sampling and/or conversion whatsoever.
Async USB to a DAC.
Server boots fast directly into JRMC Theater View.
NO Video, Web Streaming, or anything other than pure FLAC/WAV/DSD native playback.

Current version is as shown below
Asus MB
Streacom case
SSD boot drive.
(pix below)

The reliability and sound quality of this latest version simply the best sound I've ever heard, anywhere. period.
If I'm deaf and don't know what I'm talking about..then so be it, I'm enjoying every second of listening these days.

Should someone build there own? simple, read "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" and you'll know your answer. :weird:

 

[Steve]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Very cool Ray!

 

[CDLehner]

Re: DIY Digital Music Server based on Silent PC concepts. Technical Considerations for the Novice & Experienced.

Bare minimum config win7, JRMC configured completely for Audio only.

Nice build Ray; and your GAT isn't too shabby either

But if you really believe in minimal over-head...and I agree, it's the right way to go; ever thought of going 2-box JPlay?