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SOtM Mini Server - sMS-100 Announced


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This product intrigues me. I'm very happy with the performance of my SOtM gear and this might be a nice addition (looks nice too!). That being said, I'm completely intimidated by networking. My Mac mini-based firewire-connected HD is simple and works flawlessly. Can the same be said for a device such as this? Is it really that simple?

 

Melvin, this system is very stable. I may make a YouTube video to show the system...

 

Jesus R

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Could Sonore / Jesus please clarify some of the details on their website - it lists the new SotM device as having inbuilt linear PSU; but I believe that is a copy & paste, search & replace from the description of their own Orbiter device.

 

Could they also clarify the description of the volume control if this is more than just the standard LMS volume control which (I understand) works at a server level rather than in the device itself?

 

Eloise

 

Eloise, there were three lines in error on the webpage. The webpage has been updated and the checkout service re-enabled. The volume control is built into LMS and works seamlessly with the server.

 

Jesus R

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  • 2 weeks later...
So.. for those of us (maybe only me) who aren't sure about where this fits into the overall scheme in a digital playback system, can someone point me in the right direction for further research, reviews. etc.. It seems to me that you still need another device to make this work within the analogue world we all live (and hear) in.. I am guessing that some sort of usb dac to analog output device needs to be acquired also to make this work ?? Not sure and also wondering if anyone has purchased this product and what their thoughts are on the performance, ease of us, integration into the playback role, etc

is??

 

Thanks..

PS.. Santa is waiting to see what the final tally is on this (hopeful) purchase..

 

Taking a look at your signature I noticed that you have a Logitech Touch. This unit replaces the Logitech Touch and gives you USB Audio output. You would need a USB DAC or USB digital interface for playback.

 

Jesus R

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  • 2 months later...
Hi,

 

It´s possible to set the SqueezeLite service to ACTIVE state on every reboot ?

On my sMS-100, SqueezeLite is always OFF on a reboot of the system.

I must connecting to webpage to turn it ON.

Maybe i miss something.

 

Regards

Toufik

 

The SqueezeLite application is set to run on boot. However, it requires that you have a USB device connected and ready to go when the unit boots. If your doing that and it is not coming up on boot then your DAC has some strange feature like sleep mode and you will have to press the button.

 

Jesus R

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  • 3 weeks later...
Hi - This product is very interesting. I have a couple of questions:

 

How does it work with DACs which have an asynchronous USB input? For example a Benchmark DAC2 HGC, (which needs a custom driver for windows).

 

Do you have to use LMS? Or can it also be configured as a UPnP client - I would prefer the latter as that way I could use JRiver as a server and JRemote. If so, will it play gaplessly?

 

Thanks

 

No issues with asynchronous USB devices. The official output mode "Squeezelite" uses LMS and is gapless, supports internet radio and streaming services. The unit also has a UPNP output mode that is in bata. The final feature set for the bata apps has not been set.

 

Jesus R

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Thanks. I very much hope the UPnP output mode will support gapless - perhaps you would post again here when it is finalised and out of beta, as I would then be very interested in a unit. I was a great fan of LMS and iPeng in the past - and still use it for Spotity etc - but find that JRiver and JRemote is considerably nicer to use.

 

One other question: If you were using a Benchmark DAC2 HGC would you rather use a Sonore Mini Server and USB or a Sonore Rendu and SPDIF?

 

I'll be sure and let you know. I have a lot of customers that love LMS and I think it's great. LMS is very robust in this application and part of the success of the product. JRiver and JRemote are great as well, but it's for a different application.

 

The SOtM Mini Server, SOtM Mini Server and SOtM battery supply, and Sonore Rendu are in three different price points and you have to factor that in. If DSD is an important feature for you the Rendu has very good support for DSD/DoP via SPDIF output and your DAC supports this. The SOtM Mini Server has support for DSD/DoP via USB output, but only with a modified Vortexbox. If your primary interest is PCM then both will do the trick.

 

Jesus R

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  • 1 month later...
Could anyone confirm what Eloise has said? Thinking of getting the mini server and run it from my control PC via JRiver. Not really good at all these NAS n streaming stuff

 

All the units ship with the capability to stream to it via DLNA. You just have to go into the web gui and enable the DLNA output. With the DLNA output enabled you can use most DLNA controllers and servers in combination with the unit. Foobar2000 with the plug-in and J River should work great. The DLNA output is still in bata form, but it's working pretty good. You can also install Logitech Media Server (LMS) on your PC and use it as the controller and server with the default SqueezeLite output. Email me at [email protected] and we can work out the best way for you to use the unit.

 

Jesus R

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  • 3 months later...
Hello. I'm a long time Vortexbox user and am currently using their DIY VAMP player in my music systems and am thinking about an upgrade. How does the SOtM Mini Server compare? It seems very similar.

 

It shares some of the same hardware. However, the Sonic Orbiter software has additional selectable output modes, updates and much more sophisticated code included compared to the VAMP...

 

Jesus R

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Thank you for the reply. I'm really only interested in using Squeezelite from the LMS, just exploring options and wondering if the SOtM has a better or faster processor or more memory which might lead to better SQ.

 

I know what your thinking. This is just my opinion, but a faster processor at is junction in the system will just add noise. The point of the SOtM Mini Server is that you can improve it's power supply compared to the $5 power supply in the stock Pogplug. Improving the quality of the PS will make it sound better...

 

Jesus R

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Two newbie questions:

 

1) Can I send audio data from a Mac Mini to this device? If I use Audirvana Plus on my Mac (my current setup) or JRMC on either a Mac or Win server, will the device work?

You can install MinimServer that transforms your Mac into a DLNA/UPNP server. You can also use JRiver as a DLNA/UPNP server and controller. Audirvana Plus would not help you for DLNA/UPNP streaming as far as I know.

 

2) Precisely what DSD/DoP types will the device support? Can I send a DSD128 or even DSD256 stream to it, and will it output that to a capable DAC like a new Exasound E20MkIII ?

Right now we have DoP DSD64 via SPDIF. DoP DSD128 via SPDIF may be possible via a pending firmware update. We also have native DSD256 playback via i2s. I would have to defer to someone who knows more about the Exasound products to be sure what it supports and under what circumstances.

 

I would like a Rendu but I want an async USB output to slave my server's data flow to the clock of the DAC. I don't know why the Rendu was crippled by the exclusion of USB output (unlike the Auralic Aries...). But I'm sure there is a good reason. If I understand correctly, I2S works asynchronously and slaves the server timing to the DAC's clock like Async USB, but there are only a handful of I2S-input DACs.

The Rendu has been on the market for some time and it has been battle tested. It has the highest satisfaction rate of any server we have produced to date and I attribute this to it's simplicity and to it's refinement as a product. The Rendu takes Ethernet and asynchronously converts the data received to very high quality SPDIF and i2s.

 

I'm interested in both products. My short-term goal is to put distance between my server (headless Mac Mini) and my DAC, having the server squeezed next to a DAC and other gear is a nightmare when I need to access the Mac Mini when it screws up, a common occurrence :( .

This is really what we try to do with the SOtM sMS-100 via USB output and the Sonore Rendu via SPDIF/i2s output.

 

Thank you Jesus!

 

Sure....anytime.

 

Jesus R

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Just wanted to post my impressions of the SMS 100 mini server, as I think it totally deserves it. I've received it yesterday after a couple of emails with Mark (ItemAudio in UK) and the first listenings have been quite a surprise.

 

Rest of the system is: fanless PC based on Intel DN2800 board with win 2012 and JRiver/JPlay, Ayre QB9 DSD, Megahertz Guerra and STAX 009. The Mini Server is connected to the Ayre with a DYI USB cable without the 5V and configured in DLNA mode.

The DAC is correctly recognised and I can use JRemote to choose the 'SonicOrbiter' zone. Gapless (which is critical for me) is working too. Haven't tried DSD yet.

I'm using a linear PSU with the SOTM, but I'd like to get a battery PSU sooner or later: a laptop battery pack should work and is probably cheaper than the dedicated SOTM psu...although not as nice :-)

It's of course too early to talk about the sound of this little guy, but I'm surprised by the difference I heard in the first few minutes, everything seems softer and richer, in a good way. I was listening to Steven Isserlis's Beethoven Cello Sonatas, and boy was Levin's fortepiano different! Richer, fuller and even 'louder', more like a fortepiano and less like a toy, to give an idea.

 

Had some issues with the DLNA service: basically the SonicOrbiter appeared twice in JRiver, with two names (upmpd or something similar, and SonicOrbiter) and when I was trying to send the music they both disappeared. I've restarted the DLNA service a couple of times using the web interface, but that didn't fix the issue. Renaming both the MPD and DLNA renderers did the trick, and today everything looks OK.

 

So far so good then! I was curious about new Auralic Aries (similar concept) but I'll probably stick with the SOTM. By the way, thanks Mark for the nice transaction and the quick shipping.

 

It sounds to me like that unit needs to be updated and the Settings pages resubmitted for each output. Also, best to place your iOS device on Airplane mode and then restart Wi-fi. Please follow this update procedure:

 

UPDATE INSTRUCTIONS last updated 4/15/14

1. Press the APPS -> Software Update -> Update and wait for a link to appear "Back to the Main Page". Do not close the GUI so you can track the update progress.

2. Reboot the unit and wait a few minutes for the system to restart.

3. In /settings/Squeezelite name the player Sonore-Squeeze and press save. Wait for the page to refresh.

4. In /settings/MPD name the player Sonore-MPD and press save. Wait for the page to refresh.

5. In /settings/DLNA name the player Sonore-DLNA and press save. Wait for the page to refresh.

6. In /settings/Airplay name the player Sonore-Airplay and press save. Wait for the page to refresh.

Update notes:

1. Once you update you can not revert back to an older version.

 

Jesus R

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Thanks Jesus, will try to update, I've noticed there's a 1.2 version available and 1.1 is currently deployed. I'd be curious to try the MPD output, but I haven't found a way to configure the library folder. The directory is shared by a Windows machine, so i'd need to configure samba to access it. Any way to do it without a vortexbox server?

 

By the way, before getting the mini server I tried to configure a raspberry PI to be a MPD player, but didn't work :-( had issues with my dac, hiccups, buffering etc etc Not sure if the problem was hardware or software, but clearly is not the case with the SOTM :-)

 

If you run a DLNA/UPNP server (JRiver or MinimServer) on your Windows computer you can server up the library folder to MPD. You will also need a DLNA/UPNP controller (Jriver, Audionet, and BubbleUPNP).

 

Jesus R

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I've updated the software on the SOTM and fixed the names for the DLNA, Airplay, MPD and Squeezelite services. The Sonore-DLNA zone now appears immediately in JRiver.

But I've noticed a problem with the DAC (Ayre QB-9 DSD): if I turn the SOTM mini server on when the DAC is already switched on the playback doesn't start, even if the zome appears in JRiver. The DAC is also correctly listed in the system status page, but the playback simply doesn't start. Restarting the DAC fixes the problem.

Any suggestion?

 

You have to refresh the status page to determine if it really sees it. I have a DAC that seems to firmware to the sever, but it will only it once per power cycle. This may be something similar (I'm not sure) and it can't be helped on the server side. Your DAC may also have some kind of sleep mode. You can keep them both on all the time.

 

Jesus R

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Jesus is probably right about the dac sleep mode: the Ayre goes on stand-by when the pc turns off and should restart when the pc is on. Possibly something doesn't get triggered and the dac stays in stand-by. Restarting the dac is not a big problem anyway.

And going back to the sound, I can confirm the initial impressions, very very positive. DSD is working fine too.

One more question Jesus: have you (or a customer) compared a linear psu to the sotm battery supply?

 

I don't have any feedback on this, but I would do one as it really improves things...

 

Jesus R

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I have just gotten a SMS-100 and realize that the device could actually make my Dspeaker Dual Core 2.0 play 24/192 files. The maximum resolution via USB input for the Dspeaker is 24/48. Does anyone knows how could this be possible? Is the SMS-100 doing some internal conversion or is the SMS-100 able to take full potential of the dspeaker? I am streaming via Jriver and have set the audio mode as original.

 

Take a look at this configuration and compare it to yours.

 

Sonore-JRiver-Setup.png

 

Jesus R

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It's the exact same configuration with mine.

 

With that verified...in DLNA mode the unit will automatically resample to the highest supported rate of the USB interface. This is not really a feature of the unit and more a default fallback setting in the player. This has not been tested and or optimized so the results may vary.

 

Jesus R

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Thanks for the help Jesus. I am just curious as technically the Dspeaker should be able to do 24/192. But with the current firmware, I can only get 24/48 via PC and anything above that, it doesn't play. So I was amaze when the sMS-100 could do it. But there are one or two songs which turns into white noise halfway playing.

 

We would have to alter the configuration file to optimize the process. However, I don't feel there is enough HP under the hood to perform the task properly. I would not recommend it as is for any kind of critical listening either because the default down sampling mode is not very good.

 

Jesus R

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Just to confirm the importance of the power supply with the SOTM mini server: today I spent some time with the original adapter, and the difference with a linear PSU is noticeable. With the linear PSU the sound has improved dynamics, instrument separation and a general 'refinement' in the midrange.

Using a balanced transformer improves the things even more. The improvement goes in the same direction, the stage becomes deeper and more stable: all in all the isolation transformer has a bigger impact on the mini server than on the dac, and I didn't expect that. The same balanced transformer has a huge impact on my Linn Akurate DS, not so much on the Ayre QB-9.

Now I'd be curious to try the dedicated battery supply: I'll probably do that in a couple of months.

 

Did you by chance try the balanced transformer with the original adapter?

 

Jesus R

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  • 3 weeks later...

The SOtM Mini Server includes a very basic power supply. Upgrading the PS is not mandatory, but part of the fun of exploring what the unit can do. I would say about 50% of customers do not upgrade the power supply. One thing is for sure the software side is highly optimized so you can focus your attention on the PS. I offer two PS options on checkout; 1. The SOtM battery supply which the unit was developed around. 2. We also offer an affordable linear power supply alternative. You are welcome to use your own PS, but please review and adhere to the unit's power input specifications.

 

Jesus R

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Jesus-

 

Do have any comments on Chris' findings in his review, that the mini-server needed complete isolation to sound its best, and that the battery PS didn't fully isolate it? Chris found the Berkeley USB converter, improved the sound, apparently because of better isolation before the USB of the DAC.

 

Is there something you'd suggest to improve isolation of the mini-server?

 

We have been told that USB is perfect and that it's the universal panacea. The truth is that there are good USB implementations and just plain old implementations. That aside...the SOtM mini server was specifically designed to allow customers to improve it's power supply should it be needed. I would not underestimate the value of a good power supply. One can also improve things on the USB output side with the various products on the market. Not all customers are finding the need to upgrade the power supply. If asked I encourage people to upgrade the power supply as there sensibilities dictate. Understand that we did not want to lock you into an upgrade power supply you did not want and or need. The option for a power supply upgrade is there at checkout and there is no pressure to execute it. Also, consider that this is the SOtM 100 series and that you could opt for the SOtM 1000 series that is specially optimized on all aspects of the design.

 

Jesus R

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