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

[Mike Gillespie]

I know on a normal computer it's best not to use a USB bus for more than 1 item - eg, my usb dac so I use a firewire hard drive for my music files. But on the Zuma server I'm using the SOtM USB card (externally powered by the SOtM battery).

 

My question is: with the Zuma, the USB bus issue wouldn't apply, right? Plugging my DAC into the USB Sotm would be on a separate bus than the usual USB bus attached to the motherboard so there would be no restrictions, right? I could use a usb 3.0 hard drive for music storage and attach it to one of the motherboard USB 3.0 ports without any effect on SQ.

 

Thanks.

[Mike Gillespie]

Mike: The way I understand it, it's still better to use eSATA even though your SOtM card separates the USB because the motherboard USB port is still using USB protocol which is not ideal where as the eSATA is treated like an internal drive for the most part. Whether that is audible or not I don't know.

 

Thanks, Scraps. I'll see if I hear a difference.

[Mike Gillespie]

Scraps, dumb question... What are you putting in the OWC case? Your music storage drive? Or, are you booting from an OWC enclosed drive? Thanks.

[Mike Gillespie]

Update: It's the OWC case. I bought a cheap enclosure from Microcenter, popped a drive in and it saw it right away via eSATA. I guess now I am curious if anyone else has tried the OWC Mecury Pro Elite enclosure with this computer via eSATA. I have another one but it's not here. I'll be able to try it in a week or so to see if it is a defective case or a compatibility issue with all of them.

 

Scraps,

 

Are you still using the enclosure from Microcenter? If so, can you send a link?

 

I'm interested in seeing if there's a difference in SQ by taking the SSD boot disc out of the Streacom case and isolating it with its own LPS and connecting it via Esata to the MOBO.

 

I could run into the same problem since I was going to use a OWC case.

 

Has any one solved the OWC case issue?

[Mike Gillespie]

Should we really be connecting the Molex from the mobo to the SOtM USB card? I ask this because May Park (see her note below reported above in this thread by Sebassie) says yes, you have to connect it.

 

But Chris, in his discussing using the Red Wine battery supply to Carbon server, said that running the Battery to the SOtM but using the AC/DC power supply to the mobo resulted in significant loss of SQ.

 

If the SOtM automatically disconnects power from the mobo when it detects an external source, then why was there loss of SQ in this example?

 

If there is no good answer, maybe then it's better not to connect the Molex from the mobo to the SOtM to prevent noise from getting into the SOtM.

 

Any thoughts?

 

-------------------------

 

Here is relevant portion from Chris' Carbon review:

 

I initially assumed that powering only the SOtM tX-USBexp card via battery, with the internal PSU disconnected, and the motherboard powered via the Seasonic PSU would yield an equal or nearly equal benefit as powering the entire server via battery. I was wrong with this assumption. Even though the clean battery power source of the Black Lightning was used to power the SOtM card that sends power to the USB receiver chip in the EMM Labs DAC2X I still heard harsh electrical noise through my speakers. Based on this test it appears that noise from the Seasonic PSU / motherboard combo is getting to the SOtM card via the PCIe slot's gold connectors.

 

------------------

 

Here's the relevant info from this thread above re SOtM's official position:

Answer from SotM Korea

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f10-music-servers/my-new-caps-v2-build%3B-best-digital-ive-heard-13548/index9.html#post201897

 

Posted by: sebassie

On: 01-29-2013 01:49 PM

 

 

---Quote (Originally by ejn1)---

I would have thought disconnected the molex would be desirable to stop the dirty power from the mobo getting in but maybe the sotm shutting it off prevents it but not sure the benefit of leaving connected. I'm going this route also now as Paul Hynes is going to add a second rail to the SR5 he is building me so I can power the SOTM. I really like the battery pack but would rather not live with another box on the shelve.

---End Quote---

I got an email with this information. I quote:

 

When you use tX-USBexp with applying the external power, you don't need to

connect the molex 4pin connector, but we recommend you to use it for the

safety. for example, when the external power is suddenly blocked, the

tX-USBexp will be damaged, but when you connect it to the molex 4pin, you

don't need to worry about the damages.

 

Thank you.

Best Regard,

May Park

Tel : +82-41-576-7663

[Mike Gillespie]

Thanks, Scraps. I'll post the results in about a week when I get the external drive and enclosure.

[Mike Gillespie]

harry26, I believe I posted many pages back that this is no longer being made. There is a Ballistix Crucial memory that I believe others are using with success. If you look back through this thread, you'll find some good replacements and sources.

[Mike Gillespie]

Can anybody answer this:

 

The mother board draws 12 volts but how many amps?

 

The SOtM USB PCIe board draws 9 volts but how many amps?

 

I ask this because some linear power supplies are limited to 3 amps.

[Mike Gillespie]

Thanks, Craig.

 

Anybody know how many amps the motherboard draws?

[Mike Gillespie]

Thanks, vpnogueira.

 

Yes, CraigL, the dual output Keces can't go above 3 amps in a dual output configuration, but Adrian, the importer says that configured as a single rail, it can support 6 amps, so it could power the Mobo. And another Keces with 2 rails could power the SOtM and if desired, an independently powered SSD boot disc, like the guys at the Jplay.eu forum say really makes a difference and what Item Audio from the UK (who has responded to threads on CA) agrees is important -- and why he advocates an ITX motherboard with independent boot drive power source.

 

I'm planning on trying putting my SSD boot drive on its own power in my Zuma when I get back in May. I'll post the results then.