Advice needed for htpc build set up

[goodsguys]

Hi. Thanks for the replies and giving me so much to think about.
 
Am busy purchasing away and waiting for shipment.
 
Many Many Many thanks to all those who participated
 
@ ProtegeManiac: Massive Respect
 
@ MHZ Tweaker:  Big-Ups
 
@ LazerBeam: Kudos Points
 
@ Prot :  Thanku for helping me w that
 
@ PixelWitch: Respect
 
@ Yay101@ :  Cool Guy.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MHzTweaker /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

I am using this simple nMEDIAPC Home theater case. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811204037

 

The PC sits in the center of the middle shelf of an open shelf entertainment center.

 

I'm going to use my next build for gaming as always but I want it to be even quieter as I might move it into my room in case I convert the library with the gaming rig in it into a listening room and HDD storage for my ebooks and audio files. It'll be a PITA if I'm downloading a huge game while I sleep and the fans ramp up, so the down-clocking bit really got me interested. Planning on using a Thermalright HR-22 on a Silverstone case and I'll just let the hot air mostly through convection, so I'll use a high-airflow (but low static pressure) exhaust fan on an FT03 (which doesn't have a grill over the exhaust fan mount, further reducing noise); also the intake will be PWM so on those loads a Noctua NF-F12 Industrial would work at 1000rpm.

 

 
@ ProtegeManiac: Massive Respect
 

 
 

 

[MHzTweaker]

 

 

I'm going to use my next build for gaming as always but I want it to be even quieter as I might move it into my room in case I convert the library with the gaming rig in it into a listening room and HDD storage for my ebooks and audio files. It'll be a PITA if I'm downloading a huge game while I sleep and the fans ramp up, so the down-clocking bit really got me interested. Planning on using a Thermalright HR-22 on a Silverstone case and I'll just let the hot air mostly through convection, so I'll use a high-airflow (but low static pressure) exhaust fan on an FT03 (which doesn't have a grill over the exhaust fan mount, further reducing noise); also the intake will be PWM so on those loads a Noctua NF-F12 Industrial would work at 1000rpm.

 
 
 

 
I just installed all the new hardware this morning and I will say that I am thrilled beyond belief.
The left and right 120mm intake fans run thru the Elfidelity PWM power filters and spin at about 600RPMs.
 
I miscalculated and purchased a Cooler-master 212EVO which is way too tall so I ended up running a stock Intel heatsink with a copper core from some socket 1150 CPU. I had planned on running twin PUSH/PULL CPU fans but until I get a replacement I ran an 80MM case fan to exhaust hot air from the case off the 2nd connector of the "Y" cable which is also filter by an ElFidelity PWM power filter.
 
I got rid of as many internal and external wires as I could on this rebuild. There are no SATA cables, no USB header cables connected to the motherboard, Ethernet is fiber so there is no wire to act as an antennae either. I only have a single USB 3 wire coming out the back which is connected to a new Hub. All fans are power filtered now. I still have the USB hub,Molex power to the Xonar sound card, and motherboard power supply as possible sources of contamination. TeraDak makes linear power supplies to power mobo, USB Hub and sound card if I wish.
 
I am finally beginning to understand what people are talking about when they speak of the background being "Black".  I never really knew how much noise was there until some of it was removed. Amazing. I cannot wait to get my first external DAC in the coming months.
 
Intel i7-6700k onboard graphics seem very strong. Before today I was using a repurposed Sapphire HD7970 video card. These make noise and even more heat.
 
Here is the kicker. While playing music, this i7-6700k CPU powered by an eVGA 750 P2 power supply only draws 45 watts of power from the UPS. My boot drive is a Samsung SM951 M.2 drive, NIC is an Intel 10G fiber optic, and sound card is ASUS Xonar Essence STX. Yet the power draw is 45 watts. I am amazed at just how far Intel has come with their power management.  This is a long way from the P4 or X58 chipset based space heaters.
 
I have a GTX 980 FTW in another rig driving a 32" IPS monitor and the fans rarely even come on. I think when nVidia releases Pascal chips in 2016 we will finally have quiet 4k capable cards suitable for home theater use.
 
Good luck with your build. I hope some of my rambling will be of some use.

 

[goodsguys]

Hi. Does anyone know anything about audio graphic equalizers.
 
I cannot live without the things but i have noticed the sound loses detail, its not so punchy or dynamic any more. Is really bothering me.
 
I asked the technical guy at the shop who does all the servicing and upgrades and he said eq's are well known for compressing the sound.
 
Thinking about it the sounds does feel more compressed, smaller sound stage.
 
Is there anyway around this. At the moment i am using my pc to an external dac for the audio, windows 7, Jriver media player. It's the only decent media player i can find with built in eq.
Nero and a few others i have tried are better for picture and sound quality but no eq.
Vlc and media player classic are behind Jriver for audio and picture as is xbmc/ kodi.
 
Many thanks. John.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MHzTweaker /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

Good luck with your build. I hope some of my rambling will be of some use.

 

Of course it does, it gives me practical applications for some stuff that I might consider 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodsguys /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Hi. Does anyone know anything about audio graphic equalizers.

 

I cannot live without the things but i have noticed the sound loses detail, its not so punchy or dynamic any more. Is really bothering me.

 

I asked the technical guy at the shop who does all the servicing and upgrades and he said eq's are well known for compressing the sound.

 

Thinking about it the sounds does feel more compressed, smaller sound stage.

 

Is there anyway around this. At the moment i am using my pc to an external dac for the audio, windows 7, Jriver media player. It's the only decent media player i can find with built in eq.

Nero and a few others i have tried are better for picture and sound quality but no eq.

Vlc and media player classic are behind Jriver for audio and picture as is xbmc/ kodi.

 

Many thanks. John.

 

Some of those effects can be attributed to the implementation of the EQ; the others may be due to the settings you put in. You might be boosting too far, at the same time, what's your basis for the adjustments? You need to get a baseline and work from there, like, use an RTA and take a measurement of your system's response using a 20hz to 20khz sweep. Primarily, you should identify any peaks, and then cut to trim them.

 

I personally prefer parametric EQs since you have more control. In my car for example I get five bands with selectable center frequency and Q factor (width of the gain effect) on top of the +6/-6dB adjustment range. In my older system I had to use an RTA program and a USB microphone on a laptop to get the baseline, but I acquired a new processor that can work with stock systems for newer cars that has its own Audyssey calibration system. that also sets the time alignment and delay the output to the nearer tweeter and midwoofers to sync with each other and the subwoofer.

 

In my home system I use NeutronMusicPlayer, which has up to ten bands with infinitely variable (ie, 20hz to 20khz) center frequency, wider range of Q factor adjustment, plus the boost/cut gain control. I just use graphs since the ones posted online were done with a proper system instead of just me sticking a USB mic between them. This app works on Android MiniPCs though so if you used one of those plus a DAC, then all you need to do is run a laptop or any other kind of computer with a USB mic on a tripod on your seat at ear level, then you can tweak all these settings in Neutron.

 

[goodsguys]

Hi. Thanks for the reply.
 
Did some googling found an eq for nero media player
but it only works with the pc's inbuilt soundcard
tried it with the usb dac but the dac is unaffected by the eq.
Nero picture and sound quality are unrivalled and i really wanted to use this
but there were complaints from users about bloatware and slow loading times so the company slimlined the software and stripped out all the features
eq, upmixing, downmixing
 
Did find a few guys who had used voxenga vst plug-in eq's with JRiver media player
By the description it looks as though these plug-ins should affect the dac
I have emailed voxenga and am waiting for a reply
 
Many thanks