the_doc735

hi bob, still winning? do you mean this thread: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/?tab=comments#comment-613370 ....if yes(?) .... I have been on and off that thread all the way through for quite some time now. Unfortunately though I did ask questions and like you now suggest - I wish I had just READ like you say in hindsight it would have been better that way infact! But too late now, I've already made that mistake, sorry! I know that dCS are expensive items, like £20,000 per box? Out of my league and out of my reach, prohibitively expensive! I must have spent around £10.000 over the last four years or so and lost out on re-sale prices! I take your point about the data centre's LOUD NOISE! (LOL). Read and understood, that's out the door then, straightaway (LOL). I agree with everything else you said in "this" message, SPOT ON! Have a peaceful evening and a good sleep! Cheers!

Thanks for pointing this out, I will check it out soon! many thanks!

hi ralf, please forgive me if I misunderstand you but do you mean room acoustics please? and I'm not quite sure what you mean by "source material"? the speakers are in my profile, audio system section: https://audiophilestyle.com/profile/32749-the_doc735/?tab=field_core_pfield_3 "wait for an optical setup"? ....the only optical thing I am using is the FMC's (and a while ago I used the optical output on a PC motherboard > to DAC input). Very grateful for your input, hope you're having a nice day? Cheers!

many thanks for your further explanation/elaberation! Good Day!

hi bob, regarding moving the needle: sonic transporter will be investigated. Tried microrendu 1.4 (AKA ultrarendu) which isn't quite as good as my one box DIY PC was. TLS switch is unknown to me at the moment. I have LPSU's on everything now. Don't trust USB toys in general (regens). My speakers are on granite plinths that I had custom made. (w/spikes). Is NUC/AL doubtful in your opinion? My budget is as cheap as I can get "period" (LOL). Please don't worry if you are inexperienced with tweeks, nobody can no everything! It's perfectly OK. Just relax, take a breath and calm down! We all fail sometimes it's part of life, it's part of life's learning experience. Failing helps us succeed at a later date! AND - if I fail I won't blame you in anyway, OK? I know you are only trying to help me and I am very grateful. OK? If you feel that you cannot support me any further, that is fine with me! I am grateful for your input this far! You don't have to write anymore if you don't feel comfortable? I wish you all the best in your hifi journey, good luck. He all take chances with these purchases and sometimes we win and sometimes we lose (it's not a win/win situation); unfortunately! (LOL).

Hope you are having a nice day so far? Argh yes! - the NAS fan could be a problem I suppose. I have upgraded the fan to the latest offerings from noctura with a slow speed resistor, it has extremely efficienct air flow and is practically mechanically noise free, barely a whisper! On the electromagnet side of the fan I have fitted a SOtM fan filter. Both SSD's have SOtM sata filters. Also see 'above', quick thought. Yes it does sound like I have quite a bit invested in the setup, but then again I try to get used/shop soiled/ B grade stuff or things that need an easy fix, and I often have a part exchange as well, I am very thrifty, I practically always wait till somethings drops into my price range. I don't really have a budget to discuss on an open forum but the rule of thumb would invariably 'cheap'! (LOL). Yes the audiolinux could be a bit of work but i've read your NUC/AL/RAM page and it doesn't sound too difficult on the SW side and I'm usually OK with the HW side anyway. Yes remote help can be slowish, but never mind, I not going anywhere (LOL), Just take your time, no rush! LMS (logitech media server for the NAS) pretty straight forward really, not that difficult to handle. I'm not familiar with apple/mac, I have not used it. I'll check up on sonic transporter as a server, thanks! My microrendu is the 1.4 precursor to the ultrarendu (i.e. practically the same infact!). Don't know if the optical Rendu is out yet, could be expensive and there won't be any secondhand ones yet? Fancy audio switch? Kind regards, take care.

Quick thought: Although many say NAS isn't powerful enough for this audio business, my NAS has a 2.5Ghz CPU + 6GB RAM and even roon help said this was enough resources? On the NAS resource monitor I noted when music plays that the memory usage is only 10%, and the CPU usage between 7- (28 bursting) %. So it looks like it can cope on paper, but maybe I'm missing something here? thanks in advance for ideas and suggestions (if there are any?).

Oh thank you! I thought on one of them that had the lid off in a picture I could see a whole bank of screaming tiny fans all the way across the front/back? Is the one I put up what you have called a data centre please? And also they have built in PSU's? (redundant?) One more possible thought/solution! What if you have a data centre but stick a FMC channel in the ethernet cable path, as the fibre apparently doesn't allow electromagnetic noise to pass through? Many thanks!

many thanks for your comments. I didn't like Roon, nothing extra for the price. Trial ended. Now using squeezelite + LMS (again). Ironically, the first thing I did was to plug the laptop into the DAC via a COAX converter (M2TECH) and it sounded very nice indeed! But I wanted to know if there was MORE to be had, and started to explore at that point. Box upon box was bought and sold, over and over again sometimes. The only thing I haven't had a go at is 'clocks'; it appears to be very expensive route to follow and from what I've read certainly doesn't offer the biggest bang for the buck? (i.e. diminishing returns!). I did have ROON on the NAS? (& laptop). Yes, I agree that volume is often set to high on the bar when mastering in some cases, and it absolutely destroys the quality of the sound. I never got round to using the Roon DSP function. (LOL). This NUC thing has to be a consideration I suppose (that they are all making a big song and a dance about currently)? (LOL) - I would be ultra critical in that experiment and I doubt if it would yield any extra benefits either as a server or endpoint? We shall see, and in due course deliver my findings here. I could be about to blow this dream out of the water once and for all. I am thinking of a server like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-Poweredge-R610-1U-Server-2-x-Intel-Xeon-Quad-Core-X5570-2-93GHz-96GB-Ram/382826224500?hash=item5922389b74:g:gR0AAOSwEp5cUaya, in place of the NAS. Is there any reason why not, that you are aware of please? Take Care & Thank you!

Thank you for your comments. I tried roon but didn't think it was anything special, considering it's not even free! Trial ended. Software would now be squeezelite + LMS. DMS 6.2.1. on the NAS. MS windows 10 pro/64 O/S on the laptop and foobar. Please note: just underneath my diagram 'above', I wrote: "....all LPSU driven". (i.e. everything with LPSU's). I am thinking of getting a QED Reference USB A-B Cable . Also some IBRA ethernet cables based on advice from the Roon Forum thread: https://community.roonlabs.com/t/validity-of-audiophile-ethernet-cables/30251 ? How much use would a Iso-Regen be in my current setup 'see above diagram', where would it fit in please? Cable and Filtering: The Missing Link Ultra-Pure System ~ EPS-100 ~Audiophile Silver Un-switched Double Wall Socket + APC ‘SurgeArrest’ Surge protector - PM1W-UK (Schneider), + AG1500P Power Inspired mains – ‘pure sine wave’ re-generator. Interconnects: Chord Odyssey 2 speaker cable, QED Reference Audio 1 RCA/Phono (red), QED HDMI 2.0 Reference cable (graphite), Audioquest Neutrik Speakon flx-slip 14-4 subwoofer cable (for BK). Meterware ViaBlue x25 silver power cables + Martin Kaiser 10a C14 IEC Male mains cable connectors silver, + MCRU SILVER IEC C13/14 fe/male mains power connectors, + silver plated ‘UK mains plug’ MK 655 audio grade (3 pin) with Bussmann Gold fuses. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll certainly have a look at the Innous gear, but if it's expensive, then it will be a big no no! Also I would like a server to be just a server ONLY. I don't need to pay for 'services' like on line radio, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Apple, Deezer etc. I only play local files. I don't need a server to multitask. HTPC could play a part somewhere, somehow(?), either in place of the NAS, or a one box solution in place of the NAS/RENDU? Many thanks for your valuable suggestions for which I am most grateful. ....and contrary to my detractors unfounded beliefs, I won't demand replies, it's entirely up to you? I won't swear at you or threaten you in any way! Why should I? I will be straight talking though, it's my personality. Thank you again for what you have brought to the table so far. Please take your time and answer whenever you feel like it? I DO NOT think that my needs come before anyone else's, and I don't think I am more important than anyone else either. Those who say this are character assassinators, please ignore them. Take Care!

Thank you for interesting information bob. Much appreciated! Those server ideas are more like HiFi solutions and look interesting. I was thinking more of a computer/networking solution e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-Poweredge-R610-1U-Server-2-x-Intel-Xeon-Quad-Core-X5570-2-93GHz-96GB-Ram/382826224500?hash=item5922389b74:g:gR0AAOSwEp5cUaya, is there any reason why something like this cannot be used to feed the rendu? I am assuming that this 'monster' would be superior to a NAS? NAS software hasn't been a problem for me and also makes clear sense. I don't mind playing with bios & O/S, and flashing things. Aren't things like Innous & Aurender terribly expensive though? Don't you have any interest in PPA & JCAT gadgets? Kind regards.

....do you have any suggestions as to what could be a commercial (audio) server please? There are so many out there, the choice is bewildering and used ones seem to have decent low prices; something better than a NAS? thanks in advance!

hi bob, you seen this for ideas? https://www.pursuitperfectsystem.com/building-the-ultimate-music-server---hardware.html there is a lot of talk about PPA & JCAT stuff there, these are supposed to enhance audio quality, but not cheap! Cheers!

the music is stored on a dedicated SSD in the NAS. I have 200-300 albums. I do rip CD's on the laptop. I like to listen through stereo speakers w/sub, mostly. Occasional headphones. prog rock mostly. Anything except country & opera. The tube amp is fantastic, won't go back to solid state. What am I missing. Well I think the NAS is the problem? It maybe under powered for this operation.? I accidentally connected to the laptop with a music memory stick/USB plugged in to it, and this domestic general purpose laptop sounded better than with the dedicated synology/SOtM NAS W/LPSU! A lot more to my liking and personal taste! PeterST said: it needs to be big and powerful with lots of memory, cores and hard drive space....... .....so I was thinking of a Xeon Server with 48 GB RAM & 2x 2.66ghz hex CPU's. Many Thanks! PS: Please ignore snide remarks from uastinpop & others who appear to be hell bent on character assassination due to my disability, try to turn a blind eye and ignore them if you possibly can?

HP Pavilion G6 - 2382sa D0Y14EA ABU (Web Controller) snology ds218+ singxer SU-1 Sonore microrendu 1.4 FMC's (2x) TP-Link MC200CM VMG3925-B10B_1.00 router LKS 004 DAC. 'ONT'. I also have a DIY PC "On the shelf". MY HTPC: MSI Z370i GAMING PRO CARBON AC mini-ITX + Intel® HD Integrated Graphics 630. Intel Core i7 Coffee Lake 8700 SE Gen.8 2.9GHz LGA1151 TDP 35W CPU. Pink Faun i2s Bridge PCI-e (expansion/riser) Card. Samsung (250GB) 960 M.2 (2280) Evo PCIe 3.0 (x4) NVMe 3D V-NAND SSD MZ-V6E250BW (x1). Patriot Viper 4 16GB Dual Ch. DDR4 3000MHz PC4-24000 DIMM PV416G300C6K. Streacom st-fc9b-opt-alpha PC Fanless Chassis. Seasonic Prime Ultra ’80+’ Titanium 650 Watt ATX M-PSU.