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pc as source advice needed


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Hi all , I'm thinking about using one of these https://www.reichelt.com/?LANGUAGE=EN&CTYPE=0&MWSTFREE=0&CCOUNTRY=447&ARTICLE=169956&PROVID=2788&wt_guka=22596815537_79177395137&PROVID=2788&gclid=CjwKEAjwsuK_BRDD9ISR1bawwUwSJACbOiixwPN5-j5U46RmMh1IUSpHhkkGF801qlatseXkWtM5EhoCG6_w_wcB

 

after reading this it seems to fit the bill DIY Digital Audio Computer for playing Music via an USB connection

 

low powered but no fans , looks like theres a lot to switch off with windows os but its cheaper than a mac , I would go for a ssd drive and 4gb of ram , maybe using j river , and a nexus 7 tablet to operate things , I'm looking for the best sound quality , what do ya think folks cheers phil.

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there are so many options for pc as a source -- that's why this site exists! read the threads on the site -- you'll learn a lot about the pros and cons of different operating systems and the software that runs on them.

 

as far as atom processors so, make sure you think it through as an atom will limit your options for software. i have a caps v3 machine that runs win 10, audiophile optimizer, fidelizer, and jriver/foobar easily. it will not however handle jplay or hqplayer (and probably not roon). if you want to give yourself a bit of flexibility, i agree with zackthedog that an i5 would be a better choice.

 

if you want to have some fun, get a raspberry pi 3, a hifiberry digi+, and use moode audio. for $100 you'll have a nice little player. just add the dac of your choice -- maybe a schiit modi multibit ($250)

(1) holo audio red (hqp naa) > chord dave > luxman cl-38uc/mq-88uc > kef reference 1
(2) simaudio moon mind 2 > chord qutest > luxman sq-n150 > monitor audio gold gx100
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...and I don't want to be party pooper, because I love tinkering with computers, but if you want a media bargain, why not a base Mac Mini? It'll do everything from music to movies to YouTube and beyond, and without any tweaking mine just plays music to beat the band. Get JRiver or Audirvana and you'll be tapping your toes and air conducting. ;-) By the time you buy a kit box and fill it up with decent stuff, you've exceded the price of a Mini, and it probably won't be as solid or powerful. And you can put any OS you want on it. I've tried a lot of systems and Macs just beat them all for my money.

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Hi all , I'm thinking about using one of these https://www.reichelt.com/?LANGUAGE=EN&CTYPE=0&MWSTFREE=0&CCOUNTRY=447&ARTICLE=169956&PROVID=2788&wt_guka=22596815537_79177395137&PROVID=2788&gclid=CjwKEAjwsuK_BRDD9ISR1bawwUwSJACbOiixwPN5-j5U46RmMh1IUSpHhkkGF801qlatseXkWtM5EhoCG6_w_wcB

 

after reading this it seems to fit the bill DIY Digital Audio Computer for playing Music via an USB connection

 

low powered but no fans , looks like theres a lot to switch off with windows os but its cheaper than a mac , I would go for a ssd drive and 4gb of ram , maybe using j river , and a nexus 7 tablet to operate things , I'm looking for the best sound quality , what do ya think folks cheers phil.

 

I would add a PCIe USB card made for audio and powered separately as another critical need for good SQ. Also good clean power for your mobo, CPU and separate for your OS SSD is important.

(JRiver) Jetway barebones NUC (mod 3 sCLK-EX, Cybershaft OP 14)  (PH SR7) => mini pcie adapter to PCIe 1X => tXUSBexp PCIe card (mod sCLK-EX) (PH SR7) => (USPCB) Chord DAVE => Omega Super 8XRS/REL t5i  (All powered thru Topaz Isolation Transformer)

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Here's a thread from a few years ago where someone mentions using that Intel NUC with Daphile as his OS/server:

 

Call for testers! Daphile - Page 25

 

The OS is written to a USB drive and the PC is booted from there:

 

https://www.daphile.com/#overview

https://www.daphile.com/download/DaphileInstallation.pdf

 

With this configuration the server can play locally via USB DAC as well as deliver streams to any other compatible devices on your network. It should work fine for everything up to but not including running upsampling, e.g. PCM -> DSD; it is just an Atom after all. I'd looked at that device at one point but decided instead to get a traditional tower-format server running an i3 so that it could also run Plex, a web server, and a few other things. Has a fan but in a closet it doesn't matter.

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