[The Jester]

I’ve been running a PC based server with JRiver for a while now but recently did a few upgrades with interesting results and possibly more potential improvements with the latest hardware, only looking at a relatively cost effective machine to build but with the right components I’m hopeful of further improvements,
Here‘s what I started with,
Asus Rampage Gene 3 mobo X58 chipset,
hex core i7
12gb ram
256gb ssd system drive
1tb ssd storage drive
Seasonic 550W PSU..
Recent upgrade was an NEC chip based USB PCIe card, and seeing the dac only needed a voltage signal, no extra power connectors,
1tb nvme ssd on a PCIe adapter card ..
with my music files transferred to the nvme drive and output via the USB card I heard a small but noticeable difference, cleaner, more detailed highs and a slightly “blacker” background … happy with the difference but then started thinking “why, and how to go further if possible”,
Looking at the data path from the old SATA ssd drive : Drive -SATA cable - Southbridge chip - Northbridge chip - memory, then back through NB -SB - USB port …
Now with drive and USB cards both on the PCIe bus it’s: nvme drive - NB - Memory - NB - USB card, so bypassing the SB chip and looking at the distance between NB and SB chips a lot of potentially noisy PCB traces …
Looking at the latest generation Intel Mobo’s with PCIe 4, the first nvme drive slot has direct access to NB, memory and CPU so potential for even shorter, quieter data paths, along with the cheapest Gen 11 CPU with integrated graphics, and keeping all but one PCIe expansion slots free apart from the USB card could make a fairly decent starting point, for streaming add a dedicated PCIe network card, and if the budget allows it‘s power requirements should be low enough for a linear PSU ..
Although the choice of Mobo helps too, going with a more expensive “overclockers” board usually gives better power regulation and higher quality components.
Just voicing thoughts at the moment but the more I think about it the more tempted I am with a new build …

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

I have more luck with Android based system. Try it.

If you have and android smartphone do this simple test:
- Copy your favortie tracks on your smartphone
- Download and install UAPP (trial here)
- Connect your phone to your dac via a data/OTG cable
- Play your favorite tracks using UAPP

There are alternatives that sound great and cost little. Mostly RPi based, Allo USB Signature Player is one of them. Khadas VIM3 with the M2X Extention is interesting too.

If PC you're after here is a interesting build: Shuttle XH410G + JCAT USB card XE.

 

[The Jester]

Thanks,
All my files apart from a few Hi Res downloads are my own CD collection so 16/44.1 …. around 850gb on the storage drive…
what I’m trying to achieve is the best “budget” setup that will scale up if I decide to go all out with Linear PSU’s and high end USB cards,
I can upgrade To the target PC for the price of a JCAT USB card alone …
going with the latest Gen 11 CPU and board allows direct control over the primary nvme drive which the previous Gen10 doesn’t do …

 

[Jon L]

Thanks,
All my files apart from a few Hi Res downloads are my own CD collection so 16/44.1 …. around 850gb on the storage drive…
what I’m trying to achieve is the best “budget” setup that will scale up if I decide to go all out with Linear PSU’s and high end USB cards,
I can upgrade To the target PC for the price of a JCAT USB card alone …
going with the latest Gen 11 CPU and board allows direct control over the primary nvme drive which the previous Gen10 doesn’t do …

YMMV depending on which DAC you use because USB, digital input, noise handling vary greatly among DAC's.
In my experience:
1. Try not to use too powerful of CPU or graphics card, which tax the power supply more and also generate more EMI/RFI. I removed the aftermarket graphics card from my server.
2. I also wouldn't sweat too much re storage drives. Not much SQ difference between regular vs. expensive SSD's IME. It's much more important to devise an efficient and functional data backup scheme in case of corruptions.
3. Do go for larger RAM/memory within reason.
4. Do use SSD (equivalent) for operating system and music player program.
5. Decent LPS does seem to make a difference.
6. IMO, what makes or breaks a server is the connection method to outboard DAC. I have JCAT USB card as well as SoTM USB card. These do sound better than the on-board USB but only truly reach next level when the card is powered by external battery, even over LPS.
7. Even with esoteric USB cards, I tend to hear improvements in many cases when a decent USB-to-spdif converter is used into spdif input of external DAC's. This is when truly YMMV due to variations in DAC input implementations.

 

[The Jester]

Thinking of going with a decent S1200 11th Gen board and the minimum spec i5 that has onboard graphics, nvme SSD drives connecting via the PCIe bus means less chance of noise picked up from board traces and SB chip, already have 1TB nvme ssd and a 1 Gb Samsung SATA ssd for backup,
going to a high end USB card and Linear PSU a further upgrade option down the road ..
Server feeds MScaler/Qutest and currently sounds slightly better to me than CD transport via Toslink …
main idea is to first get the best sound possible by optimising the data path in the motherboard itself, hence the latest 11th Gen board, CPU and nvme drives, if that can be optimised later upgrades could be more beneficial.

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

Innuos and Taiko uses Supermicro MBs, maybe take it into consideration.

 

[The Jester]

“Custom made to our own design” ….

 

[The Jester]

All finished,
slight change of plans and ended up with an MSI 460M motherboard with dual Nvme, a basic i3 1010 CPU with onboard graphics, 16mb ddr4 ram, a 250gb WD black SSD system drive and a new hybrid Seasonic PSU, hybrid switch on the back enables fanless mode up to half power,
add 1Tb nvme SSD storage drive and PCIe USB card from the original rig and all good, in the Lian-Li desktop case there’s an option to have the PSU mounted two ways so opted for the fan side facing outwards so the PSU is somewhat shielded from the interior by its own case,
motherboard only had a cooling plate over the first nvme drive, and after running a few benchmarks to check everything I added a small aftermarket heat sink plate to the second SSD after signs of thermal throttling on disc benchmark tests, not that being simply a storage drive for music and other files is going to cause the same stress as a drive benchmark but keeping it cool should extend the life of the drive, with the heat sink fitted no throttling and max drive temperatures down to 42c the same as the system drive,
sound quality wise the MSI board has an optical out port and comparing it using WASAPI vs Chord USB ASIO to me the latter sounded better, being a little smoother and a little more depth, going to leave it playing for a day or two to settle in and after that some more listening comparisons to a Cambridge CD transport via optical or coax,
benefits on paper at least is the later 460 motherboard design only has the CPU and one controller chip vs the old Northbridge/Southbridge of the previous board, and native Nvme ssd support so now the only other component inside the case is the optical drive…

 

[rebuk]

How are you liking the quality of Lian Li cases? Looking at the 011 Mini down the road.

 

[The Jester]

Been a fan of theirs for years, everything from the desktop case to the biggest EATX full tower, as well as the limited edition PC888, all well built and logically laid out, like their use of thumbscrews too …