Article: Computer Audiophile Pocket Server C.A.P.S. v3 Lagoon

[dpaws]

Chris... Can I ask if you would go into (perhaps in another article later) some of your testing processes in designing the CAPS v3. I think this would help other people also.

 

For example in deciding on the Red Wine battery supply: Did you also test other people's battery systems? Did you try any Linear PSU? With the motherboard did you test for audio differences between Intel's DN2800 vs Zotac and Asus equivalents or was it purely chosen based on reading the spec sheet?

 

If I was being harsh, (for an example) the recommendation of Red Wine could read like an advert for a particular manufacturer without any comparison to other solutions. (I don't think that but it could be said...)

 

Not expecting a detailed answer now but some of your testing methods may be of interest to some of us mortals and make an interesting read as a finale after the 4 CAPS versions are revealed.

 

Eloise

 

Just to add to the questions Chris - I don't understand why the benefit of a battery supply for the motherboard. Internally there still exists the DC:DC converters which produce a whole heap of noise on the supply rails. Now if the new power supply bypassed all of these with multiple voltage feeds then yes, a big advantage in theory...

 

For the PCIe card I can understand the benefits entirely. I would also have thought that the mSata drive would have offered a superior performance too, although open minded to contrary findings. Thanks for all your work...

 

BTW - will there be a new discussion for the development of the CAPS Linux one touch install iso?

[dpaws]

Noise is also creeping backwards

 

Only a batterie supply prevents, that a disturbing noise is going backward from the server to the mains and then again forward via the DAC power supply into the DAC. Sure, a linear power supply can deliver also a clean 12 Volt power to the server, but to prevent, that the still internal noise on the motherboard does not exit backward, is a heavy task and can only best made, with a batterie power supply. And in both cases, with the batterie power supply or with the linear power supply, on the motherboard, there are a lot of switching regulators and so a lot of RF noise, that need to be blocked.

 

Juergen

 

That makes a lot of sense, thank you -and thanks Barrows for sharing your findings about the AC regenerator which I also have in my system. It does, however, seem to suggest that a separate server / zone player 2 piece system may have an advantage in this respect. That said, such a system would then reintroduce networking with either noise over Cat5 (see Meridian Anniversary ferrites) or noise from going wireless... ho hum! Suddenly playing a CD doesn't seem such a bad idea!