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    The Computer Audiophile

    SOtM Launches sMB-Q370 Motherboard

     

     

    Wow, what a week for product announcements. First HQPlayer integrates Qobuz, then VOX integrates Qobuz, then AURALiC integrates Amazon Music Unlimited. Now, SOtM launches its own motherboard named sMB-Q370. For many audiophiles this will be beyond geeky, but for many others this is really a neat product. Building a motherboard is a huge undertaking to say the least. 

     

    I can't wait to see this one in the wild and to start getting feedback from the Audiophile Style community as more people integrate this motherboard into their systems. Very cool indeed. 

     

    sMB-Q370 Product Page

     

    sMB-Q370 User Manual

     

    MSRP $500

     

    From SOtM:

     

     

    The sMB-Q370 is a high-performance computer motherboard specially designed for audio. Since this product is equipped with an Intel series CPU, it can replace all commonly used computer motherboards.

     

      There is a variety of motherboards and network audio players on the market that meet the high-performance specification and certainly there are a variety of choices too, but the products using these general motherboards are designed simply for fast operation to accomplish processing of large-capacity music files or converting music files to high sampling rates such as DSD. You won’t be able to avoid the limitations of the sound quality, which will be revealed clearly if you use such products as audio players.

     

    Even if the sCLK-EX, tX-USBexp, sNI-1G and others are installed and used on these general motherboards to improve sound quality, the source itself cannot be compared with that of a system using the audio grade motherboard, sMB-Q370.

     

    So, using the sMB-Q370 means starting a new beginning to your listening experience.

     

    You would simply get clear improvements in every aspect of the music including the background, texture, tension, resolution, and location in space of the music with the sMB-Q370 designed exclusively for audio. If you close your eyes and listen to the music, you will feel as if it is the beginning of a new world with the subtle reverberation of instruments resonating in the dark.

     

    In order to implement audio performance that exceeds the limitations of general motherboards in the existing market, the sMB-Q370 has applied a large number of audio parts that have been verified by being used in SOtM products for a long time and is designed to minimize the impact on each element inside the board to reduce noise as much as possible. Although this explanation may seem very simple, it can be said that it is the culmination of the many technologies that SOtM has implemented so far. The very deep and in-depth accumulation of technologies has made this possible.

     

    In addition, the sMB-Q370 has all the features of an existing PC, so everything that was possible with a regular PC can be replaced to the sMB-Q370. A high-performance graphics card, various types of PCI express add-on cards, M.2 NVMe SSD, M.2 Wifi module, M.2 Ethernet port, SATA storage device, etc. can be installed to expand the performance and use of the PC. With this combination of scalability and low noise performance, the sMB-Q370 has no limits in the fields where it is difficult to use general boards, such as mixing and mastering computers for studios and medical devices that require 3D functions.

     

    If you’ve been looking for a high-performance motherboard that has the features you need and meets the best sound quality and performance ever, we can assure you that there’s no need to worry anymore. The best performance, sound quality and expandability, all of these can be realized with the motherboard designed exclusively for audio, sMB-Q370.

     

    Now, it is the time to make the choice that will bring your system to its peak with the sMB-Q370.

     

     

     

    SOtM Motherboard sMB-Q370 01 .jpgSOtM Motherboard sMB-Q370 03.jpg 

    SOtM Motherboard sMB-Q370 05.jpg SOtM Motherboard sMB-Q370 06.jpg




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    1 hour ago, botrytis said:

    I am sorry but for a generation or two behind, that is Apple pricing.

     

    Intel has already pulled the plug on making the 8th and 9th gen CPU's and this was from last year. That also means the chip sets will not be made any more either.

     

    9th Gen Intel CPU's discontinued


    Newegg has plenty of CPUs, all the way back to 1st Gen Intel. Not sure what discontinuing a Gen actually means if one can still get them from 13 years ago.

     

    05872C30-8320-4AB8-83E0-A6FD7D457C18.png

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    1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:


    Newegg has plenty of CPUs, all the way back to 1st Gen Intel. Not sure what discontinuing a Gen actually means if one can still get them from 13 years ago.

     

    05872C30-8320-4AB8-83E0-A6FD7D457C18.png

    Yes, but Intel doesn't support them anymore. Drivers, etc. That IS the point.

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    48 minutes ago, botrytis said:

    Yes, but Intel doesn't support them anymore. Drivers, etc. That IS the point.


    Intel drivers aren’t needed. 

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    2 hours ago, botrytis said:

    I have been building my own PC's since I-486 days. Much of what is reported by audiophiles about 'noise', etc. from PC's is more urban legend than anything else. The reason being, to a PC - data is data - if noise affects digital music, it will affect other data as well. Also working with scientific analytical instruments, more data is there than any music file could possibly have. Noise would affect it all.

     

    Both data and power ride along the USB connection to a DAC. The data can remain perfect while at the same time dirty power can have averse effects on the audio component. This is partially why some companies use optical isolation between the USB input and the rest of the DAC. 

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    1 minute ago, botrytis said:

    Which has been shown to be nonsense, sorry to say.

     

    A well designed USB chip and USB input does not let noise through.

     

    If you believe it, go forward and enjoy. But it makes absolutely no sense.

    I’ve only seen a few select cases where folks thought they were proving to the world that none of this mattered, by using a sample size of about one computer. 
     

    The old “well designed” phrase is a common one too. As if engineering isn’t about compromises and solutions to specific issues don’t cause other unintended consequences. 
     

    I’m old enough to remember some internal DAC isolation causing issues not caused by the very thing it was meant to stop. 

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    16 hours ago, botrytis said:

    It has been shown Linear PS are as noisier as a well-designed regular ATX PS.

     

    Ok. Which linear PS and which "regular" ATX PS? Do you have data (charts and graphs) to back this claim up?

     

    By the way, I think this "audio" motherboard is just another way to pull dollars from gullible consumers. But, ATX power supplies are not known to be electrically quiet.

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    17 hours ago, botrytis said:

    It has been shown Linear PS are as noisier as a well-designed regular ATX PS. They are also way less efficient, meaning heat,

     

    I have been building my own PC's since I-486 days. Much of what is reported by audiophiles about 'noise', etc. from PC's is more urban legend than anything else. The reason being, to a PC - data is data - if noise affects digital music, it will affect other data as well. Also working with scientific analytical instruments, more data is there than any music file could possibly have. Noise would affect it all.

    you have no clue what you're talking about

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    Now the price with clock input is almost $1500, and then you will need to add an expensive clock as well I assume. 
     

    BAE670F0-2D29-4C16-BF78-5F5BF4789035.jpeg

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    2 hours ago, Boomboy said:

    I asked may about the clock input .. here's her reply

    I don’t understand the answer. How many clock input do they offer, at what frequency and ohm ?

    Is the clock input a PCI card ?

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    12 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

    I don’t understand the answer. How many clock input do they offer, at what frequency and ohm ?

    Is the clock input a PCI card ?

    I'm probably a bit confused about it myself . So the sclk-ex can have multiple outs to connect to their products at an additional cost providing their products have the clock input ?

    The ohm can be selected at checkout .

    I'm planning to send another email probably after Xmas when sure of what I want to ask .

    I wish they had a few pictures of the finished motherboard with their products connected to the motherboard. 

     

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    6 hours ago, bbosler said:

     

    And yes, there are many things in audio that "make no sense" from a measurement perspective, but that assumes we have identified everything that can be measured, are measuring it properly, and have identified an exact correlation between what we measure and what we hear. Just because we have some measurements doesn't mean we are measuring everything that is relevant.

     

     

    The peculiar paralysis in the audio game, of people's ability to think, is quite intriguing - anyone who takes getting best sound seriously very quickly finds out that "dumb things!" matter; and then starts doing things to try and improve the situation. Which triggers the never ending river of snake oil and other products, which in turn triggers strong outbursts of anger from those who are deeply troubled by this "idiocy!!"

     

    That the industry can't pull back, for one second, and properly evaluate all of this, leaves me bemused - I've been watching for decades now the excruciatingly slow building of an understanding that best SQ depends on 'getting everything right'; the excitement of having the latest bit of bling to play with seems to override, every time - and barely any progress in developing deeper understanding happens ...

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    I was hoping the SMB-Q370 would have included a high grade clock baked into the motherboard.  Hmm…

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    3 hours ago, Gavin1977 said:

    I was hoping the SMB-Q370 would have included a high grade clock baked into the motherboard.  Hmm…

    …..and that actually make a lot of sense. I don’t know how many various clock frequencies a MB needs, but the correct FPGA ought to accomplish the task. And you could even get a nice clock output as an option. 
     

    Still I’m asking where such a possible audiophile MB can be used. I can only think about as an endpoint or containing your player SW. In both cases the quality of the USB out should matter. Or any ideas how to best use this MB ?

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    On 12/23/2021 at 7:50 AM, bbosler said:

     

     

    This boils down to the age old listening versus measuring conundrum. If you are a fan (cult member) of Audio Science Review then you believe that the only thing that matters is measurements, but just because you can't explain it with a set of measurements doesn't mean it doesn't exist.. He often doesn't even mention that he listened to a device that he "reviews," he only posts measurements. However, if you believe as I do that measurements only tell part of the story, then the aforementioned noise measurements are not conclusive.

     

    And yes, there are many things in audio that "make no sense" from a measurement perspective, but that assumes we have identified everything that can be measured, are measuring it properly, and have identified an exact correlation between what we measure and what we hear. Just because we have some measurements doesn't mean we are measuring everything that is relevant.

     

    To assume that we have  positively identified exactly how our body reacts to the sounds around us and can measure everything that affects us  is ludicrous. We have no more positively identified how our brain processes sound than we have sight, smell, or touch. Again, just because you can't explain it with a set of measurements doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

     

     

    We do have to be careful here not to get mystical as well!

     

    For example the statement:

    Quote

     

    "A well designed USB chip and USB input does not let noise through.

     

    If you believe it, go forward and enjoy. But it makes absolutely no sense."

     

     

    Is speaking about noise through the USB interface. That is quite well defined and certainly measurable beyond any science we know to have significance for human hearing abilities. If one argues that the human ears can actually hear some kind of noise that cannot be measured beyond better than say -100dB that we can readily test from the DAC output, then it would be nice to discuss this!

     

    To speculate that there's "something else" out there is fine but this cannot really be taken seriously unless there's some hint of what we're talking about. That's like saying "it's possible" that the Boogeyman lives under my bed. As adults I trust there's no need to be concerned, right?

     

    Personally, I have never heard noise coming from my USB DACs that don't show up in the noise floor or audible distortions not showing up when measured.

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    55 minutes ago, Archimago said:

     

    To speculate that there's "something else" out there is fine but this cannot really be taken seriously unless there's some hint of what we're talking about. That's like saying "it's possible" that the Boogeyman lives under my bed. As adults I trust there's no need to be concerned, right?

     

    Personally, I have never heard noise coming from my USB DACs that don't show up in the noise floor or audible distortions not showing up when measured.

     

    When a system doesn't sound right I'm sure that it will always be possible to measure in some way the presence of anomalies. Which is a long, long way from what is actually done - in the real world of ongoing efforts to extract best sound from setups.

     

    However, what really matters is where an individual is not happy with the SQ he's getting - and that he knows how, or can access some expertise, from somewhere, to sort things out ...

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    So based on the manual, an i5 is the most powerful 9th gen cpu you can put in it due to the core vs TDP limit. 
     

    With 8th gen you can go to i9. 

    64F51723-8C05-4B77-8D14-C67AA06D5D75.jpeg

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