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    The Computer Audiophile

    Computer Audiophile Pocket Server - C.A.P.S.

    m10_shot2-s.jpgOver the last several months I've researched different combinations of motherboards, computer cases, audio cards, and accessories that go along with these components. The goal of all this research was to put together a hardware and software music server solution that I would actually use and the Computer Audiophile readers could actually use. I would do the leg work, test & listen to everything, and provide the information for CA readers to put together the exact same music server. This sounds somewhat simple until one considers all the requirements that go into such an audiophile solution. Great sound, great looking, no moving parts, silent, fairly inexpensive, and 100% of the components must be available today. Along the way this server was named the Pocket Server by a colleague who was very surprise at its small size when I pulled it out of my carry-on luggage. The server is a bit larger today than it was at that time but the name hasn't changed. What follows is the story of the Computer Audiophile Pocket Server and all the information required to recreate the $1,500 C.A.P.S solution.

     

     

     

    Jack of All Trades Master of None

     

    Like many audiophiles I am never satisfied with the status quo. The status quo in computer based audio is to purchase a Windows based PC or a Macintosh, plug it in, and let 'er rip. That type of a solution works wonderful for the vast majority of the world's population and it's one I recommend frequently when the situation arises. Moving beyond the status quo many audiophiles including myself customize standard Macs and PCs until they're satisfied with the sound quality. This customization still does not address many of the issues inherent in a machine built for general computing and is often like polishing a turd. The CA Pocket Server Project began with a completely blank whiteboard. This way I had no turds to polish or in audiophile terms I had no jitter to clean up from the start. It's always better to build a fanless system rather than install inches of acoustical foam, fight with noise, and worry about other issues related to fans. That's the general thought process I used to approach this project. Plus, the always pertinent acronym K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid.

     

     

     

    Requirements

     

    The Computer Audiophile Pocket Server requirements were non-negotiable. I had to satisfy these requirements or the project would be a failure. I also elected to use many components that I haven't already discussed. I didn't want to rehash The Zalman or hFX based music servers I wrote about in 2008 and 2009. Those servers are still great, but don't meet all the C.A.P.S. requirements.

     

    • Absolutely silent.
    • Capable of great sound.
    • Great looking.
    • No moving parts.
    • Fairly inexpensive.
    • No legacy components.
    • Easy to operate.
      • Directly or
      • Remotely
    • Easy to assemble / install
    • Assembly / installation by one's self or
    • Assembly / installation by local computer shop, son, daughter, neighbor, or friend.
    • Small size.
    • Low power consumption.
    • Low heat.
    • Accept an add-in card for audio or additional capabilities. Hardware & Software must accept appropriate add-in cards.
    • Play 16/44.1, 24/44.1, 24/88.2, 24/96, 24/176.4, and 24/192 all bit perfect.

     

     

     

     

    Operating System

     

    The first step in the process was to test different operating systems. I rules out previous versions of Windows, including the apparent audiophile standard XP, because they were not current. Copies of Windows XP (OEM) are still floating around some of the online shops, but I was ready to retire XP anyway. That left Windows 7 as the Microsoft based candidate. Building a Mac OS X based machine (Hackintosh) is of no interest to me as it violates the Terms Of Service of OS X and is more of a tweaker's system than most audiophiles are willing to accept. Beyond the mainstream consumer operating systems I used used a variant of Berkeley Unix called FreeBSD in addition to a few distributions of Linux. I ruled out FreeBSD fairly quickly. After using it for a few hours as a music server I concluded FreeBSD was better left to host web servers and other business type applications. I am very fond of FreeBSD and I really wanted to like it as a music server OS but squeezing a square peg in a round hole wasn't a goal of the CA Pocket Server Project. I spent much more time researching and using Linux based operating systems than all the others combined. As I said at RMAF 2009, and I still believe today, Linux is the future for music servers. The only caveat is Linux requires quite a bit of knowledge to setup as a music server. The amount of knowledge required is a show-stopper for 99% of the Earth's population let alone analog loving audiophiles. However, if I could satisfy the C.A.P.S. requirements I was willing to attempt writing an extremely thorough how-to Linux guide for CA readers to build this music server. The Linux based operating systems I used are Debian Linux, Voyage Linux, Puppy Linux, Arch Linux, openSUSE, Ubuntu Studio, and probably a couple more that I can't remember at this time. The final selection of an operating system for the C.A.P.S. server came down to Windows 7 and Voyage Linux.

     

     

    Voyage Linux is an incredibly small operating system. It can fit on a tiny USB memory stick, compact flash drive, or any hard drive currently available. The initial installation requires about 128 Megabytes of disk space, not to be confused with 128 Gigabytes. Voyage installs as a barebones operating system. The user must add or update audio features such as Music Player Daemon (MPD), Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA), and other tools like NCMPC and Minion. There are countless options when using Linux. This is a great thing for most Linux users but can be overwhelming to those trying it for the first time. I forced myself to use Voyage Linux for many weeks. Without the option to jump over to a Mac or Windows based server one can become very well versed in Linux music servers. On the contrary one can quit using a Linux music server due to frustration if one doesn't have the necessary time and skills to work through problems. The Voyage based system I setup satisfied all but three of the stated C.A.P.S. requirements. Requirements 7,12, and 13 were constant battles. I tried a few different audio cards and had varying levels of success with each of them. I used an ESi MAYA44 and RME 9632 for much of the time. I was unable to pass 24/176.4 digital audio out of the ESi MAYA44. The MAYA44 data sheets proclaim support up to 24/192, but the user manual states clearly on page 34, "Sample rate supports : 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, (192)kHz *Coaxial Output only." Without 24/176.4 the MAYA44 card failed the requirement. The RME 9632 audio card was a different story. About 100 hours into the configuration nightmare I was able to pass bit perfect audio on all required sample rates. Configuring the RME 9632 in Linux was extremely frustrating. There are bits and pieces of outdated user generated documentation all over the Internet. If there is demand I will create my definitive guide to the RME 9632 on Linux. There are software, firmware, and hardware incompatibilities to work through. I'm really happy I put in the time to make it work on the C.A.P.S. server as I learned quite a bit in the process. Once I had the card working on all the required sample rates I still had problems changing sample rates on the fly when I switched audio tracks. I could not get this to work no matter what I tried. I did create scripts to change sample rates but each one had to be called up via command line before playing a track that required a sample rate change. This mix of problems is what lead me to exclude Linux from the list of possible operating systems. Requirements 12 and 13 combined equate to a system that is not easy to use. Audio cards with Linux support that also support the required sample rates are few and far between. The cards that do exist are not user friendly enough for most people to use on a daily basis. Canned servers, that one can purchase off the shelf, based on Linux and cards such as the RME 9632, RME HDSP AES-32, Lynx AES16 (with OSS drivers), or even the ESi Juli@ card have a bright future. Creating this type of solution at home for one's self is not for the average audiophile seeking to listen to music rather than fiddle with a computer. That said, I continue to use Linux in my listening room next to my other servers.

     

     

     

    Note: The ESi Juli@ card supports all the required sample rates but can be very hard to obtain. I was unable to procure one during the several months of this project. Even with a Juli@ card a Linux based solution still does not meet the C.A.P.S. requirements.

     

     

    <b>Windows 7</b> satisfies all of the software based requirements. It is capable of great sound, it's a current OS, easy to operate and install, works with more hardware than any other OS, and is capable of bit perfect playback at all required sample rates when configured properly. I selected the more efficient 32-bit version of Windows 7 Ultimate as the operating system of choice for the C.A.P.S. server. More than anything the 64-bit version ruled itself out because of the minimum hardware requirements for a 64-bit OS. I could not use the hardware I wanted and still use the 64-bit version of Windows 7. Even if the hardware supported 64-bit Windows 7 I still think I would use the 32-bit version. There are no benefits to using a 64-bit operating system on the C.A.P.S. server. I selected J River Media Center 14 as the playback and library management application for the C.A.P.S. server. MC 14 has become my new go-to Windows based music application because of its features, flexibility, and bit perfect playback.

     

     

     

     

    Hardware

     

    The motherboard is the most critical component of the C.A.P.S. server. Without the right motherboard most of the requirements can't met. Readers not schooled in computer hardware should know a motherboard is the main board to which everything in a computer connects. The motherboard dictates what CPU can be used, how much memory can be used, how many and what type of hard drives can be used, and everything else that goes together to build a working computer. The first criterion I used to determine the best motherboard for the C.A.P.S. server was number four, no moving parts. There are many methods to eliminate moving parts from a motherboard such as the addition of passive cooling used in servers based on the Zalman TNN300 or hFX chassis. Adding passive or active cooling only increases complexity. I wanted a motherboard with no moving parts out of the box. Such a motherboard had to include passive cooling as part of the board's design. This requirement reduced the number of qualifying motherboards down to a handful. I had previously built a Linux based music sever using a motherboard from the swiss company PC Engines. These boards are very small, have incredibly low power requirements, but have too many limitations for the C.A.P.S. server. PCI slots, memory slots, hard drive capabilities, and operating system limitations were too much to overcome. One capability I really like using with a current PC Engines board I have is Power over Ethernet (PoE). This board receives all its power via an Ethernet cable. It's a nice bonus in the aesthetics department when one can remove the power cable from a component. After much research and testing I selected the mini-itx Intel D945GSEJT motherboard for the C.A.P.S. server (Photo 1)(Photo 2). This board has a built-in, non-removable, Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz CPU that is passively cooled with low profile attached heat sinks. No CPU fan required. The Intel D945GSEJT has two SATA hard drive ports. Connecting standard SATA solid state hard drives (SSD) eliminates another source of moving parts from the server. Spinning hard drives are a source for noise, greater power requirements, increased heat, and can limit the computer case options. One feature that elevates the Intel D945GSEJT motherboard above others is the built-in full size PCI slot. This satisfies the requirement for add-in audio cards or additional capabilities. By additional capabilities I am talking about a PCI FireWire card to connect a FireWire DAC or FireWire hard drive for people using USB DACs.

     

    <img src="https://audiophilestyle.com/s3/images/graphics/2010/0208/psu.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left">Power requirement for the Intel D945GSEJT is very flexible. One can use a traditional computer power supply that connects to the board's 2x2 power port. These traditional power supplies are rarely fanless, rarely silent, and can decrease the number of computer case options due to mounting requirements. The Intel D945GSEJT also accepts an external 12 volt power supply similar to most laptops on the market. A silent fanless external power brick was easily my choice to power the C.A.P.S. server.

     

     

    Other notable features of the Intel D945GSEJT include on-board S/PDIF digital audio output headers. Header is another term for pins on the motherboard to which one can connect devices. This output supports 16/44.1, 24/48, and 24/96 sample rates. A special cable is required <a href="" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S-Cable">(Photo 1)</a> <a href="" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S-Cable">(https://audiophilestyle.com/s3/images/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0080.JPG)</a> to use this S/PDIF output as there are no built-in S/PDIF ports. A full-mini PCI Express slot is available for wireless cards or other devices like a hardware decoder to increase video playback capabilities. One of the USB headers on the D945GSEJT can be used for an eUSB solid state drive. I purchased an eight GB eUSB drive for this server <a href="https://audiophilestyle.com/s3/images/graphics/2010/0208/atp-8gb.png" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S-eUSB">(Photo 1)</a> <a href="https://audiophilestyle.com/s3/images/graphics/2010/0208/atp-8gb-measurements.gif" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S-eUSB">(Photo 2)</a>, but did not use it with the Windows 7 installation. Windows 7 will not install to a USB drive even if it's placed directly on the motherboard. I have installed Linux to this tiny drive without any issues. An underrated feature of small mini-itx motherboards is the network speed capabilities. Many small boards only contain 10/100 Mbps network cards. The Intel D945GSEJT has an on-board 10/100/1000 Mbps card commonly referred to as a gigabit Ethernet card.

     

     

    <img src="https://audiophilestyle.com/s3/images/graphics/2010/0208/sodimm2gb.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left">The maximum amount of random access memory <b>(RAM)</b> the Intel D945GSEJT will accept is two GB in its only memory slot. The decision to use two GB of RAM doesn't require any thought or further discussion here. Just add to cart, it's cheap. Selecting a hard drive to meet the no moving parts requirement is easy if one has unlimited funds. Fortunately Solid State Drives <b>(SSD)</b> continue to decrease in price every week. At the time of this writing an OCZ Vertex Turbo 60GB SSD is $219. This is not the exact drive I used in the C.A.P.S. server but it's contains the same amount of disk space as the one I used. If I were putting together the C.A.P.S. server today I would purchase the OCZ drive previously mentioned. There is currently no way store most people's music collections on local solid state hard drives. The available sizes just aren't large enough without spending thousands of dollars on convoluted PCI/e SSD devices. That's why I selected a 60GB SSD. Most music must be stored elsewhere. My music is located on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. If an external spinning USB or FireWire drive is necessary then so be it. At least C.A.P.S. server is free from internal moving parts for now. In the future it will be possible to house all one's music locally on solid state storage.

     

    <b>Audio card</b> selection for the C.A.P.S. server was fairly easy for me, a Lynx AES16. I am a strong supporter of the Lynx AES16 PCI card for its sound quality and its advanced capabilities. The Lynx enables one to use an external clocking device and supports dual wire AES. I used both of these features during the <i>d</i>CS component review. Along with the Lynx AES16 card I also recommend a custom cable from a place like Redco. Redco will make a cable with only one or two AES wires and a clock wire if desired for about $60. That said, there are many more audio cards available. I hesitate to say it but I did use the Merging Technologies Mykerinos card and Pyramix software on the C.A.P.S. server for a few weeks. Wonderful sound, but it doesn't meet many of the requirements of this project. An audio card I would really like to use in the C.A.P.S. server is the ASUS Xonar Essence St. I currently have the STX PCIe version that will not work in the C.A.P.S. server as it doesn't have a PCIe slot. A few weeks ago ASUS provided me a prerelease ASIO driver for the STX card. I was very pleased to see the card now outputting bit perfect audio at 16/44.1, 24/96, and 24/192. According to ASUS 24/88.2 and 24/176.4 support will be part of the final ASIO driver version. The reason I mention all of this about a card that won't work in the C.A.P.S. server is because this driver also works for the ST PCI version of the Xonar Essence card. Since I haven't heard the ST version I can't comment on the sound quality. However if the quality is similar to the STX version with the new ASIO driver I will highly recommend the ASUS Xonar Essence ST card and consider it a great option for the C.A.P.S. server. The ST PCI version of the card is available for around $200 at many online stores.

     

     

    During this project I researched a countless number of <b>computer cases</b>. I'm glad I did the research, but I could have saved all that time by selecting the case I originally wanted from day one of the project. The Origen<sup>ae</sup> M10 computer case was clearly the best case for the C.A.P.S. server. Audiophiles not only like great sound, we like excellent build quality and products that look just as good as our audio components. The all aluminum (5mm) Origen<sup>ae</sup> M10 case meets or exceeds all the requirements set out for the C.A.P.S. server. The case ships with a 60mm fan, but it's only required if the internal components need additional air flow. I never took the fan out of the box. The M10 is built for a mini-itx motherboard such as the Intel D945GSEJT. Installation is very simple. Origen<sup>ae</sup> provides the four required screws to attach the board to the bottom of the case. The 2.5" 60GB SSD selected for the C.A.P.S. server screws easily onto the inside panel right next to the SATA power and data cable ports on the motherboard <a href="https://audiophilestyle.com/s3/images/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0077.JPG" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S-SSD">(Photo)</a>. Also included is a mountable tray to hold a slim slot-loading CD/DVD drive. I didn't install such a drive as I wanted to keep things very simple and I had no need for an internal CD/DVD drive. I used a USB CD/DVD drive to install Windows and I use a different computer to rip my CDs to the easily accessible NAS device. If I did install a DVD drive I would select the Pioneer DVR-TS08 slim slot-loading SATA drive for under $60. The M10 case features a very nice looking front display and hidden infrared sensor. I was unable to utilize these features because the Intel D945GSEJT motherboard has a power incompatibility with the M10. The M10 ships with its own 150 watt external power supply but I was unable to make it work with the Intel D945GSEJT motherboard. The D945GSEJT would not accept power via the 2x2 connector and the internal case electronics required a 20/24 pin motherboard connection, that the D945GSEJT doesn't have, to function properly. This incompatibility may have a silver lining. Audiophiles are always seeking ways to turn off unneeded features or capabilities and frequently use single purpose components such as a DAC with separate power supply or separate external clock. Turning off a component's display is nothing new to audiophiles either. This time there is no option to turn the display on or use the included remote control. I don't know if the lack of these features reduces any electrical noise inside the case but I'm willing to bet an argument could be made in support of such a reduction. Again, this is strictly because I selected a motherboard that was not 100% compatible with the M10 case. I've read other reports of these features working very well. In fact with a compatible motherboard it would be possible to control applications like J River Media Center via the infrared remote control. The Origen<sup>ae</sup> M10 case supports half-hight PCI cards sitting vertically in the motherboard's PCI slot. I placed an ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 Slim card into the PCI slot and it lined up perfectly with the hole to screw the card into place stabilizing it with the unique internal metal frame of the case. The M10 can also accommodate full size PCI cards like the Lynx AES16 and ASUS Xonar Essence ST by use of a PCI riser card <a href="https://audiophilestyle.com/s3/images/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0076.JPG" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S-Riser">(Photo)</a>. A PCI riser card simply enables the PCI card to mount horizontally instead of its native vertical placement. I know of no detrimental effects by using such a riser card. I was initially concerned about heat dissipation as most of the motherboard rests underneath the horizontally mounted Lynx AES16 card. Thus far I've yet to experience any heat related issues. I've even listened to four hours straight of 24/176.4 HRx material outputting dual wire AES to a DAC without a single hiccup and the M10 case is cool to the touch. Inside the case the Lynx AES16 card is no hotter than any other installation I've seen. The bottom of the Origen<sup>ae</sup> M10 case features four metal with rubber bottom feet. The feet are tall enough to allow placement of the case on short carpeting and the rubber bottom of the feet enable one to place the case on any surface without scratching. I currently place the M10 case on carpet in my listening room instead of behind a wall where my other music servers reside. The case looks very nice and I have no reason to hide such a component. This placement also allows me to use short AES cables from my Lynx AES16 card to my DAC. Overall I don't consider the power incompatibility an issue. I would purchase this case without the extra features were it available in such a configuration. Plus, I personally user remote desktop for control of the server and wouldn't use the IR receiver or front panel anyway.

     

    <img src="https://audiophilestyle.com/s3/images/graphics/2010/0208/imo_touch.png" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left">Use of a <b>monitor</b> is not something I normally consider with my music servers. The Intel D945GSEJT does have analog DSUB and digital DVI video outputs. One of these is certainly required for system setup and could continue to be used if necessary. Seeking to add something extra to the C.A.P.S. server I contacted the nice people at Mimo. A few days later an iMo 7" Pivot Touch USB monitor arrived at my door. On paper or computer screen this touchscreen monitor seems too good to be true for only $199. Unfortunately it is too good to be true. I used the iMo 7" Pivot Touch on Windows and Mac system before concluding it wasn't my cup of tea. Connected to the C.A.P.S. server I had nothing but trouble using this little touchscreen. Initial setup wasn't very smooth, but I was eventually able to see my desktop on the iMo. Next I went through all the calibration steps to fine tune the touchscreen. Calibration is pretty simple, but when it came to actual use the iMo was a nonstarter. If I had infant size fingers I would like the monitor about 10% more than I currently like it. I don't have huge fingers but they are too large to click on a single track easily. Forget about navigating a menu. I had to touch the screen about one inch away from my intended target. This was troubling when I had to touch the lower right corner. My finger needed to be an inch off the screen over the non-touchscreen frame of the monitor. The only good thing I can say about the iMo Pivot Touch 7" touchscreen is that it may work as neat display similar to how Jeff Kalt of Resolution Audio used the non-touchscreen version at CES this year. I do not recommend people purchase this monitor before using it themselves. Needless to say the iMo 7" Pivot Touch did not make the cut to be part of the C.A.P.S. server.

     

     

     

    <b>Comparison</b>

     

    Compared to a Zalman TNN300 based silent music server the C.A.P.S. server comes out very well. The two main benefits of the Zalman baed server are disk space and the ability to use PCI Express cards in addition to PCI cards. The Zalman is also capable of handling more memory. Both servers are absolutely silent with no moving parts. The Origen<sup>ae</sup> M10 based C.A.P.S. server is far more visually appealing than a Zalman TNN300. The Zalman case is no longer manufactured although there are plenty left in the supply chain here in the U.S. The C.A.P.S. server case is $320 and the Zalman TNN300 is $690. Not a single component in the Zalman servers is less expensive than coresponding C.A.P.S. serve component. The C.A.P.S. server (9.5" x 4" x 9.8" w feet, 6.6 lbs.) consumes far less space than a TNN300 (13" x 9" x 18.5" 32.5 lbs.). The CA Pocket Server is an excellent way to use a Lynx card in one's system without planting a huge PC tower next to audio components. I think both the C.A.P.S. and Zalman based servers are capable of similar great sound quality.

     

     

     

    <b>Wrap-Up</b>

     

     

    The Computer Audiophile Pocket Server project was frustrating at times but well worth the time, money, and effort. Make no mistake the C.A.P.S. server will never be a commercial product that benefits Computer Audiophile financially. This server was created to be a great solution for myself and CA readers alike. There are an unlimited number of ways to change this configuration or adjust it to one's personal needs. No single configuration is the right configuration for everyone. Despite some technical terms weaved into the article this is a really easy music server to build as a whole or in part. I know many people who like to dig into projects like this and I also know many people who want nothing to do with a computer project. Fortunately the C.A.P.S. server was created with both groups of people in mind. Using off the shelf parts currently available to anyone CA readers can undertake this project themselves or simply call up a local computer shop and have them put it together. Whether one builds it, buys it, or brushes it off is irrelevant. The Computer Audiophile Pocket Server's purpose is to increase one's enjoyment of our wonderful hobby.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    <i>The Computer Audiophile Pocket Server piece by piece</i>

     

    <b>Motherboard</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.logicsupply.com/products/d945gsejt">Intel D945GSEJT Johnstown Mini-ITX Motherboard</a> - $109.00</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Power Supply</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.logicsupply.com/products/pw_12v6a7">Power Adapter DC 12 V, 80 W</a> - $29.00</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>RAM</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.logicsupply.com/products/256msq64v6u">TRANSCEND 256MSQ64V6U SO-DIMM DDR2 667 Memory 2GB</a> - $73.00</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Solid State Drive</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227469&cm_re=ocz_ssd_turbo-_-20-227-469-_-Product">OCZ Vertex Turbo OCZSSD2-1VTXT60G 2.5" 60GB SSD</a> - $219.00</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>PCI Riser</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.logicsupply.com/products/bp_pci_jt">PCI Riser Card for D945GSEJT</a> - $10.95</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Digital Audio Card</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://sonore.us/Lynx-AudioCards.html">Lynx AES16 PCI Audio Card</a> - $625</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Custom AES Cable</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.Redco.com">Lynx AES16 Cable</a> - ~$60</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Computer Case</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.shop.perfecthometheater.com/product.sc?productId=201&categoryId=30">Origen<sup>ae</sup> M10</a> - $320</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Music Application</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.jrmediacenter.com/purchase.html">J River Media Center 14</a> - $50</li>

    </ul>

     

     

     

    Other bits and pieces used during the C.A.P.S. Project that did not make the final build.

     

    <b>Hardware Decoder</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.logicsupply.com/products/bcm970012">Broadcom BCM970012 - PCIe Mini Card</a> - $59.00</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Solid State Drive</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.logicsupply.com/products/fdm44xdi4g">Emphase 44-pin Industrial Flash Disk Module 4 GB - 4000X</a> - $69.00

    (Windows installation too large for 4GB version)</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Solid State Drive</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.memory4less.com/m4l_itemdetail.asp?itemid=1442265462">OCZ 16GB PATA PCIe Mini Solid State Drive</a> - $151.69

    (Will not fit on Intel D945GSEJT motherboard)</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Solid State Drive</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.memorysuppliers.com/eusb-ssd-8gb-af8gssgh.html?CAWELAID=325272124">ATP eUSB SSD 8GB Z-U130</a> - $139

    (Windows can't be installed to this drive)</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Wireless Card</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.logicsupply.com/products/int_5100">Intel Wifi Link 5100 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N PCIe Mini Card</a> - $29.00</li>

    </ul>

     

    <b>Wireless Antenna</b>

    <ul>

    <li><a href="http://www.logicsupply.com/products/kdbv0a_pc250">Wireless Dual Band Antenna, 108 mm (4") and Pigtail Cable</a> - $17.00</li>

    </ul>

     

     

     

     

     

    <b> Click To Enlarge Photos</b>

     

    C.A.P.S. Server in my listening room.

     

    <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0071.JPG" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0071-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0072.JPG" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0072-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0074.JPG" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0074-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0075.JPG" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0075-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>

     

     

     

    <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0073.JPG" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/IMG_0073-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>  

     

     

     

    Stock Photos of Origen<sup>ae</sup> M10

     

    <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/M10_main.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/M10_main-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_strip.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_strip-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>

     

     

     

     

    <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot1.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot1-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot2.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot2-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot3.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot3-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot4.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot4-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" align="left" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>   <a href="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot5.jpg" class="thickbox" rel="C.A.P.S"><img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2010/0208/m10_shot5-s.jpg" style="padding: 5pt 10pt 7pt 5pt;" alt="C.A.P.S 01"></a>

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     




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    Recommended Comments



    Hi Dennis - Here are a couple articles I wrote about ripping.<br />

    <br />

    By the way, I've never seen any program rip into cda files. usually these are only seen on the actual disc before ripping. I use dBpoweramp to rip and J River Media Center for playback.<br />

    <br />

    <br />

    <br />

    Very extensive:<br />

    http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Computer-Audiophile-CD-Ripping-Strategy-and-Methodology<br />

    <br />

    Automated Ripping:<br />

    http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Ripping-CDs-Style-GD3-Review

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    Gary Koh of Genesis just emailed his updated Music Server "white paper" describing his system that will be used at RMAF this month. There is a lot of great info. here and I thought it would be of interest, especially for to PC-based Music Servers.<br />

    <br />

    Building the Absolute Fidelity® Music Server:<br />

    http://www.genesisloudspeakers.com/newsletter/Newsletter_RMAF2010.pdf

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    Thanks for the extensive review Chris, having done all the leg work. It was invaluable.<br />

    <br />

    Since your review, more atom processors have become available, and I think this is a blessing for us computer audiophiles, considering what it took a few years back, to build a silent, fanless system.<br />

    <br />

    I used all of your info, but opted for the newer Intel D510M0 motherboard with the newer dual core D510 processor. I opted for a cheaper but effective black case.<br />

    <br />

    My audio system is based on the Weiss DAC202, so I didn't need to get the Lynx audio card: just a good PCI firewire card.<br />

    <br />

    160 gig SSD HD, 4 gig RAM.<br />

    <br />

    Win7 pro 32bit.<br />

    <br />

    Getting such a machine built was a breeze: there are web stores which specialize in mini-ITX machines, who have access to all the specialized components, and can build any such machine to your specification, for not much more than the component costs and shipping.<br />

    <br />

    The one chore most people must attend to is the need to "strip down" the machine and default OS components, to minimize the DPCs (delayed procedure calls) which I found to be moderate to long, in the default OS settings. This degrades the quality of the audio, and produces audible "clicks", whenever a particularly long DPC interval occurs.<br />

    <br />

    You have to carefully remove all the unnecessary features (disable audio, serial port, parallel ports, etc in BIOS and in the OS. I also removed various background services carefully. You have to update all the drivers to the latest versions. Slowly, I was able to bring down the average DPC interval to a very low value (<200 usec). <br />

    <br />

    I access my music library from a NAS unit on a gigabit network. To my delight, I found that the network access does not produce any significant increase in DPC intervals.<br />

    <br />

    So now, I have a smoothly running DEAD SILENT mini PC, accessing HD music on a gigbit network, feeding the Weiss DAC202 via firewire. This drives a headphone amp(Headroom BUDA), output to Senheiser HD800 headphones. All in the confines of a little cluttered office.<br />

    <br />

    This, for now, is bliss .<br />

    <br />

    This bliss will become audiophile heaven, when my RudiStor RP010-B MkII headphone amp arrives from Italy !<br />

    <br />

    <br />

    <br />

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    Hi Hojen,<br />

    <br />

    My audio system is based on a similar setup<br />

    CAPS server w windows 7 32bit, JRiver 15.0.95 player, 64G SSD HD, Intel D945 motherboard, Weiss DAC202.<br />

    I stored a quite large DB of about 1000-2000 CD's converted to FLAC on a Synology NAS (DS210J) linked w 100BT network.<br />

    <br />

    Looking at the network utilization i didn't identify any bottlenecks in the network, so i am not sure that 1G net will introduce any change to this setup.<br />

    Running the JRiver benchmark i got the following results:<br />

    Math 223<br />

    Image 262<br />

    DB- 277<br />

    JRMark 15.0.95 : 254<br />

    <br />

    The system works but slow, any TAGS updated take ages and the remote is very slow.<br />

    <br />

    Can u pls share w us the JRMark for the D510 motherboard ?<br />

    Are u aware of newer alternatives to look at ?<br />

    <br />

    Thx<br />

    Eli

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    Folks looking for a faster C.A.P.S. may want to check out http://www.fit-pc.com/web/<br />

    <br />

    I like the industrial design. Prices are reasonable.<br />

    <br />

    Just to let you know,<br />

    <br />

    Regards, <br />

    <br />

    Simon

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    My D510 motherboard-based silent PC is fast and sweet! No performance issues whatsoever! I don't think the current D510 chip was available at the time Chris did his work.<br />

    <br />

    Sure, I'll get my benchmarks for you later. Off hand, I would guess that it must have something to do with the dual core nature of the latest atom processor. I also used 4gig or ram (yes, I know that a 32-bit OS can't use all of this).<br />

    <br />

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    Just got my new legendary Rudi stor RP101B from Italy.<br />

    <br />

    Wow! headphone listening with this is probably the closest you can come to live music, as of the current state of technology:<br />

    <br />

    -modified silent CAPS PC server<br />

    -NAS server on gigabit ethernet<br />

    -Weiss DAC202<br />

    -Rudi stor RP101B QuadMono Headphone amp<br />

    -Senheiser HD800 headphone, in Balanced mode<br />

    -custom balanced silver foil headphone cables and interconnects<br />

    <br />

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    I agree with your comment about the gigabit net. However, once you have a well-tuned gigabit net installed (using jumbo frames, for optimal speed), there's NO GOING BACK to 100 mbit !!!<br />

    <br />

    Enormous files in the 100 of megabyte size (such as HD audio) whiz back and forth between machines in seconds!. <br />

    <br />

    It's not even expensive to implement. Gigabit switches dropped considerable in price, all support jumbo frames. Most new mobos are gigabit compatible. Most drivers will allow you to use jumbo frame mode. <br />

    <br />

    What's holding you back?

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    Of course, I'm talking about music listening in the HEADFI domain! <br />

    <br />

    I don't want to insult all the owners of monster speaker units out there!<br />

    <br />

    Now, I'm in Headfi Heaven !!!

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    "If there is demand I will create my definitive guide to the RME 9632 on Linux."<br />

    <br />

    This would be much appreciated.<br />

    <br />

    Br

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    Excuse my ignorance but I have just bought a W4S Dac2 with Async USB and am i correct in assuming that this bypasses the sound card therefore I dont need to add an expensive sound card or any card at all as there will be an onboard sound chip ?<br />

    <br />

    I am trying to put together a music server solely for the use of this DAC and am looking for any tips.<br />

    <br />

    thanks in advance

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    On a (sort of) related area: using USB -> DAC (at least in Windows XP) DOES NOT bypass the "dreaded" kmixer, etc.<br />

    <br />

    Is this correct?<br />

    <br />

    Thanks

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    Chris,<br />

    <br />

    Are you still planning an update to the CAPS article i.e. v2?<br />

    <br />

    Any ideas of timeframe yet?<br />

    <br />

    Thanks<br />

    <br />

    Mike

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    Hi Chris - I've been reading for weeks in different forum threads and have found a lot of very usefull info, thank you for that.<br />

    <br />

    I have a W4S DAC2 and would like to build a CAPS server.<br />

    I'm thinking of using the Asus AT5IONT-I Fanless Dual Core 1.8GHz Atom ION2 Mini-ITX Board in the M10 enclosure.<br />

    <br />

    Do you see any issues with this board?<br />

    <br />

    Thanks,<br />

    DVL<br />

    PS: Looking forward to the CAPS v2 article.

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    hojen <br />

    <br />

    Your headphone system looks exceptional. <br />

    <br />

    I would really appreciate your feedback on the relative SQ merits of the Weiss DAC202 headphone out, compared to the Headroom Buda amp, compared to your new Rudistor RP101B headphone amp.<br />

    <br />

    Some owners of the DAC202 have said its headphone amp was great. Obviously your experience differs?<br />

    <br />

    Frank

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    Frank: <br />

    Keep in mind that I do my headphone listening exclusively in BALANCED mode, using XLR outputs. I have used my Seinheiser HD800's only briefly in Single-ended mode for the first month that I owned it. Since converting it to balanced mode, I have never looked back. The only way to drive my converted HD800, with the XLR plugs, is to use the XLR output of the DAC202, which was not meant to drive headphones. I don't necessarily disagree with the experience of others who say that it drives headphone well with its conventional single-ended headphone plug. However, you should check to see if those people drove high-impedance, demanding headphones such as the HD800.<br />

    <br />

    Prior to my current rig, I had<br />

    the headroom BUDA/UDAC combo to drive my converted HD800's. I use custom made (DIY) silver foil interconnects and Headphone cables as per the Allen Wright (Vacuum State Electronics) design. Quite enjoyed this system, for ~2-3 years. Open, dynamic, accurate, musical.<br />

    <br />

    I then replaced the system with the Weiss DAC202, after reading Chris' review. True to his words, the DAC202 is simply outstanding as a DAC. More revealing, more subtle detail, especially for HD symphonic works; more clarity.<br />

    <br />

    I have now replaced the headroom UDAC with the Rudistor RP101B headphone amp. The theory of its design made sense to me: quad channel class A amp. In balanced mode, all four channels (+, inverted, R, L) are individually driven by their own power supply. The sound? Beautiful, definitely more life-like. Its raw power is obvious, but that's not where you appreciated the difference, compared to my headroom BUDA, which also had ample power. With the Rudistor, the overal auditory image is more lifelike, has more air, and is more "accurate". Loud, complex passages sounded more clear, accurate, remained better defined, and less fatiguing. Softer passages have more flesh on each individual performer, and more air between them.<br />

    <br />

    For me, the price difference between Rudistor RP101B/Weiss DAC202 vs headroom BUDA/UDAC is worth it, based on the performance difference, but that is an individual choice.

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    Hi all,<br />

    <br />

    I'm looking to build one of these. Do people have any recommended motherboards? I see some people have started using the AT5IONT, however from what I can tell it only has PCI-e.

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    Hi Guys - I have all the components for C.A.P.S. v2 selected and I'm waiting for them to arrive. I'm shooting to have the article published before CES.

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    Hi Chris,<br />

    <br />

    That's great news, I'm looking forward to it. Dare I ask which motherboards you're looking at? The Intel D525MW looks interesting.

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    Hi Chris, can't wait to see what you'll come up with! <br />

    <br />

    Just out of curiosity: will you be testing Voyage MPD as an OS for the new C.A.P.S.?<br />

    <br />

    Rgds,<br />

    <br />

    Simon

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    First of all hi everybody,<br />

    <br />

    I've been through the CA site a couple of times and after reading the CAPS thread I decide to embark in this project which for me is the 1st experience in building a PC.<br />

    Many thanks to Chris who made this topic fully understandable even to the most inexperienced ones.<br />

    And now a couple of questions:<br />

    <br />

    Motherboard: since the C.A.P.S. will be required to play also my small collection ov DVD (live performances of the musicians I like more - BTW any suggestion on how to rip them in the best way to preserve both audio and video quality?) I was thinking to upgrade to a motherboard with better graphic capacities like the ASUS AT3IONT-I DELUXE (ION, Atom N330, VGA, PCIe x16, DDR3 1066, SATA II, USB 2.0, GLAN, WiFi, HDMI, 8ch audio, 19V) using for the moment the nuforce uDAC I already own, to switch later to a separate audio card like the Xonar Essence, or an external asynchronous DAC.<br />

    <br />

    Case: I located this one from an Italian manufacturer supplying some small Hi-End local manufacturer and the DIY market (I'm Italian myself, but living in Czech Republic)<br />

    http://www.modushop.biz/ecommerce/cat193_l2.php?n=1<br />

    the link for more info seems to be broken in the English page but it works in the Italian one, anyway here it is:<br />

    http://www.hifi2000.it/redirect.asp?id=10&type=dw<br />

    I like how it looks and it seems to be well built. I asked them if a backpanel with te slot for the connector plate for the additional PCI card is available but I'm still waiting for the answer (typical ... :-)). In case of negative reply I'll easily cut it by myself should I decide to install an internal card.<br />

    What do you think as a choice? Do you foresee any problem using this case with the motherboard I selected? <br />

    <br />

    Control of the C.A.P.S.: what do you think of controlling the server through a cheap 7" Android tablet dedicated to this task only. Do you think that one with the 1.6 Android version available on ebay for less than 100 bucks could do the job with J River MC SW? On the J River site I read that is possible to control it from Android devices but couldn't find more info. Does anybody have experience with similar solutions?<br />

    <br />

    Being the V 2. of the C.A.P.S. around the corner I'll wait before ordering the parts, but your suggestions, opinions and possible caveats will be in the meantime very welcome <br />

    <br />

    Thanks for the attention<br />

    <br />

    Max

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    Hello Chris,<br />

    <br />

    I've just ordered a Lynx AES16 card to take advantage of the AES input on my Bryston DAC since it seems to be widely recommended as the input of choice for audiophiles. I've noticed you suggest replacing the stock multi cable with one with perhaps only the AES XLR end for the DAC input (as I don't have any plans to add a clocking device). Do you recommend that for performance reasons? Is there some signal degradation introduced by the stock multi-cables?<br />

    <br />

    If so I'm in! Can you kindly let me know what to call the connectors I need on either end? I'm guessing its:<br />

    Cable type: AES/EBU Mogami 2 channel<br />

    25 pin DSUB to XLR straight.<br />

    <br />

    Does that sound right?<br />

    <br />

    When I try that on the Redco site it seems to always only allow me to choose 2 or more channels when selecting the AES cable type. Maybe I'll have to call them.<br />

    <br />

    Cheers<br />

    dbdog

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    Hi dbdog - I recommend using a dedicated single ended cable for your Bryston for a couple reasons. One is that a single ended cable is much easier to place in an equipment rack or anywhere else your DAC may be sitting. With 10 or so extra XLR ends it gets to be a bit much. Seconds is that I think some of the single ended cables do sound better in my system. What you need is an HD26 to XLR connector. I believe Lynx has the info on its site.<br />

    <br />

    I'll also mention that two Computer Audiophile advertisers and site supporters sell these cables. Simple Design (http://www.sonore.us) sells a couple different brands of these cables. Wireworld also sells a Lynx cable. Support these guys if the fit is right for you, otherwise Redco is a very good choice.

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