Article: Computer Audiophile Pocket Server C.A.P.S. v4 Pipeline

[zerung]

JRiver,

Thank you for sponsoring this. I will surely buy your software with the pipeline.

[JMotzi]

Any info on motherboard or processor temperatures with this fanless combo? Just curious how well the case can handle the 80W processor.

[nuAudio]

Nice build but i think the cpu power is a waste for only music playback. Streacom recommend only a 65W cpu for permanent use. Have you noticed any problems with the cpu getting too hot?

 

greetings nu

[kaka]

Hi Chris

 

Can you please provide more on what the two power supplies are supplying - motherboard and USB card respectively?

Are they in the case or external?

 

Thanks

[Elberoth]

Great new project Chris ! Rather expensive @ $2800, but indispensable for all of us wishing to explore more advanced up/resampling options available in programs like HQPlayer.

 

I have aready ordered all parts. My build will feature much cooler (25W max TDP) but stil plenty powerful Xeon 1230L v3 processor, Jplay USB card and ATX linear PSU from Teradak.

[firedog]

It's not designed only for audio playback. It's designed to also do pretty intensive tasks such as upsampling on the fly and DRC.

 

Nice build but i think the cpu power is a waste for only music playback. Streacom recommend only a 65W cpu for permanent use. Have you noticed any problems with the cpu getting too hot?

 

greetings nu

[nuAudio]

It's not designed only for audio playback. It's designed to also do pretty intensive tasks such as upsampling on the fly and DRC.

 

 

Hallo firedog,

 

yes i understand why but I'm using a Intel i5-4460T for upsampling und 2xDSD. With foobar2000 it works realy nice. So i ask why a quadcore with 3.5Ghz? Would'nt a 65W cpu better?

 

greetings

 

nu

[EuroChamp]

My Intel Celeron 1037 does upsampling without any issues, and DSD or 2xDSD is no problem, too. Nevertheless, I think Chris is right, this is a State of the Art CAPS ready for the next years. It's the best of the best - great!

[nuAudio]

My Intel Celeron 1037 does upsampling without any issues, and DSD or 2xDSD is no problem, too. Nevertheless, I think Chris is right, this is a State of the Art CAPS ready for the next years. It's the best of the best - great!

 

Hi EuroChamp,

 

"ready for the years" is a Illusion. What you've bought today is out at evening ?

 

greetings

 

nu

[Aryoh]

I have some confusion about how to use this in addition to the Cortes. I built the last iteration of this Caps sever and use it currently. Am very happy with it, thank your for the work you did to come up with the specs. You state you are running Windows with Jriver on the Cortes. You are running JRiver on this Pipleline Server as well. This has me confused. Which version of these multiple Jriver controls everything?

 

I understand your arguments of the benefit of the Cortes over traditional nas.

 

What is confusing me is your discussion of having Jriver on the Cortes machine with the music along with another instance running on the Pipeline which connects to the DAC. What I don't grasp is which instance of JRiver do I use? I don't want multiple instances of playlists etc... I do not understand how to integrate all of it.

 

Hope my question makes sense.

 

I think that in this case Chris use Cortes like any other NAS, just for storage, dont use JRiver, in this case Pipeline is main server for playback and Cortes only storage.

[stuarth]

I have some confusion about how to use this in addition to the Cortes. I built the last iteration of this Caps sever and use it currently. Am very happy with it, thank your for the work you did to come up with the specs. You state you are running Windows with Jriver on the Cortes. You are running JRiver on this Pipleline Server as well. This has me confused. Which version of these multiple Jriver controls everything?

 

I understand your arguments of the benefit of the Cortes over traditional nas.

 

What is confusing me is your discussion of having Jriver on the Cortes machine with the music along with another instance running on the Pipeline which connects to the DAC. What I don't grasp is which instance of JRiver do I use? I don't want multiple instances of playlists etc... I do not understand how to integrate all of it.

 

Hope my question makes sense.

 

Good question. I would expect that the main reason for having JRMC on the server in this context is for tag editing, as the Pipeline is really acting as the media server and the Cortez just hosts the music library. I expect Chris will elaborate more when he unveils the two NUC based servers he mentioned in the CAPS4 introductory article. These NUC options are what I'm interested in, as the two offerings so far are technological overkill to a simple problem in my humble opinion.

[EuroChamp]

Hi EuroChamp,

 

"ready for the years" is a Illusion. What you've bought today is out at evening ?

 

greetings

 

nu

 

Dear nu,

 

IT is my profession, I know what you are talking about. Nevertheless, Chris makes a statement with this Pipeline - and finally, a customer can be really happy with this "streamer" for the next years.

Chris will release solution No 3 and 4, they will be cheaper, I think.

[Amar]

Were any other PCIe USB interface cards tested? (like JCAT or PPA Audio?)

[sig8]

Can someone tell me why newer Intel processors with very low TDP were not used (Broadwell).

[Elberoth]

I believe the Intel Xeon E5-1200 v4 „Broadwell” family of processors will be available from Q3 2015.

[Lowlands]

You should be able to use the FC5WS case - you'd need to check the heat pipes can be adapted. One limitation is that there is only a single slot accessible in the FC5WS.

 

Others can express an opinion but I'm unsure if there would be any advantage in "upgrading" to the CAPSv4 Pipeline if you currently have a Zuma.

 

+1

I also might be interested in this route IF it would fit in the FC5.

Does anyone have a good recipe / solution for sorting the heat pipe problem getting this mobo into the FC5?

 

thx,

Hans

[Lowlands]

Chris,

 

I rather like the thought of the IPMI interface combined with a CPU without graphics support. It makes the thing very audio centric & lacking unused features. Thanks for the find & thought. However, it does require an additional LAN port (noise source & input) and some additional hardware overhead on the mobo (I presume).

 

Questions:

- Are you running that IPMI LAN port via/using a LAN isolator?

- Any thoughts on the additional IPMI LAN port & HW overhead vs. a (hardly) used GPU inside a plain Haswell CPU? I guess this (partly) comes down to the question (allready asked): does it sound better than ZUMA, or, since ZUMA was 1155, have you compared it (SQ wise) to a haswell i-series configuration?

 

thx,

Hans

[Lowlands]

I believe the Intel Xeon E5-1200 v4 „Broadwell” family of processors will be available from Q3 2015.

 

Also, AFAIK Broadwell wil be different in terms of voltage regultation. Intell will move some of the regulation that was moved ONchip for Haswell back to the mobo for Broadwell. The logic behind that is said to be the ability to obtain higher clock-rates with regulation off-board. Since clock rates are not really a design objective for a music server, one can only guess if Broadwell will be an intrinsically better platform for a CAS than current low power Haswell.... ?

 

In the example of using a Streacom case &passive heat pipe cooling , any heat caused by CPU based regulation will be dissipated using the CPU passive cooling method, whilst heat caused by mobo based regulation will simply be vented inside the case. One MIGHT argue that the first solution is likely to run cooler...

[MikeJazz]

Great new project Chris ! Rather expensive @ $2800, but indispensable for all of us wishing to explore more advanced up/resampling options available in programs like HQPlayer.

 

I have aready ordered all parts. My build will feature much cooler (25W max TDP) but stil plenty powerful Xeon 1230L v3 processor, Jplay USB card and ATX linear PSU from Teradak.

 

I wonder if one could use a lower spec computer with HQPlayer and connect to a DAC using a simple inexpensive NAA. To me this seems very expensive indeed...

[Sam Lord]

Sure. This is a quiet but quite powerful server for people who don't choose the NAA route. I wish my server had a Xeon: I could try more kinds of upsampling, Mch, and room correction.

 

Outstanding work Chris! You did this *Fast*!

[zerung]

I upgrade my NAS PS to LPS. The gain was worth it, for a reasonable cost.

 

I use the Mac Mini and have the option of upgrading the PS to LPS. That should be some gain there. My Mini is the late 2011 model and has 4MB of L3 cache. I could upgrade to a Late 2012 Mini and increase the L3 cache to 6MB (With the additional LPS) or buy the same from professional tweakers.

 

The CAPS V4 cost adds up to $2X00. For audiophile that is perhaps part of the initiation price into CAS? What I would like to know is that would this amount of cash justified from a sonic point of view, or could you get 95% mileage with other rendered (If the Pipeline is to be used with the NAS) such as souped up Mac Mini, etc?

Perhaps someone with experience with the CAPS V3 Vs the Mac Mini, etc could perhaps give us their opinion.

Thanks.

[shahed99]

If I'm using Gigabyte H97M-D3H motherboard and i7 4770T CPU (TDP 45W), do I still need the extended heatpipes Streacom ST-LH4 Pipes? Is the standard length heatpipes that comes with Streacom FC10 is not enough? Boy, this chassis gets super expensive very fast.

 

How about Streacom ST-HT4 CPU Cooler Riser? If this is mandatory, I wonder why this is not included in the package.

[shahed99]

Where are you guys buying your Streacom FC10 from? I see in USA, the prices are higher than the MSRP ($330), usually around $350 or more.

[shahed99]

Where do you guys buying Streacom FC10 for $330 in USA? I see the prices are much higher online.

[Elberoth]

How about Streacom ST-HT4 CPU Cooler Riser? If this is mandatory, I wonder why this is not included in the package.

 

The riser is not needed for all MoBos. Unfortunately, the Supermicro proposed by Chris does need one to clear the RAM modules.