A novel way to massively improve the SQ of computer audio streaming

[Iving]

1 hour ago, lmitche said:

Every so often someone expresses this sentiment about the "Novel" thread. This is a good thing. It is helpful to know how others perceive our progress.

 

To my mind, nothing fundamental has really changed since September with the early use of a NUC in ramboot using Audiolinux. But as one of the early adopters here, it makes sense that I would have this perspective. Nevertheless, I'd like to see if we can agree about where we are at, and where we are going with this thread.

As more mainstream adopters try the NUC solution, and after they post their experience, it sounds like they have discovered a new thing. For themselves this is true. Three months in, it is great to know more and more people are validating the benefits and enjoying the SQ available here. Let's hope this continues. Perhaps this could be one reason that a casual reader would suggest we are always on a new path. Make sense?

 

Instead, I'd say the truth is we are in the optimization stage.

 

1) We have new software releases tying up loose ends by adding user interface improvements and minor SQ enhancements

2) Many more NUC hardware combinations and permutations are being tested for incremental value and reported here

3) integration with a larger set of audio hardware and software solutions (player software like LMS, new DACs and LPSUs) continue to be reported

4) all the above are going to carry on for a long while

 

We have no firm findings that explain the mechanisms that are contributing to the SQ we are hearing. My hunch is that it is a combination of many HW and SW things.

 

Curiously there a small few that have tried and haven't heard the benefits. We don't know why. Attempts to discuss the reasons haven't been productive.

 

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I am sure there are other points of view that I haven't, or can't represent. What do others think? Where should we take this? Should we make changes or carry-on?

Since you ask Larry!

 

I realise I am throwing a small spanner in the works - but only as food for thought: I am not trying to be "right" about anything!

 

I get that our ears (and our goosebumps) shall be the final arbiter of what constitutes good SQ. I know that a good philosopher confronts the subjective(ly experienced) as an angel fearing to tread. In ancient Norse mythology, "Iving" (my forum moniker) is the thrashing, unbridgeable river between the giants and the gods: perhaps a metaphor for the noisy shortfall audio equipment will never close between it and live music. With the exception of the lucky few owning or managing Hi-Fi stores, we have little (objective!) idea how distal from SQ Utopia we orbit at a given time. We revel in marginal improvements - yet there is so much headroom!

 

I don't own a NUC. I haven't ever owned one. I might consider trying one out, but I flinch from USB instinctively, like a rat exposed to "flavour aversion" in the laboratory. Instead I use a RedNet interface, and afaik AudioLinux doesn't support the Dante environment. I use fb2k sitting on "tamed" Windows 10 Pro manipulated via a tablet at the listening position courtesy of Remote Desktop. The convenience is enormous. I can select what I want in a heartbeat. Alternatively, I can trigger a playlist and detach the machine from the external network/tablet (although I haven't noticed a SQ advantage to write home about). I wholly endorse the notion that the PC is very much "where it's at". Whereas the early audiophile adopters in AoIP considered that upstream vagaries mattered little, I persevered with building a solid front end, and happily attest to SQ enhancements attributable there. In particular, an Optane PCIe AIC carrying the o/s and (flac) music raises the bar significantly. I use a PCIe AIC for ethernet too. Everything else is disabled. Reference to my mobo's block diagram suggests that the PCH/chipset is circumvented entirely. Dedicated clean power serves the PCIe AICs on the mobo. NB: Optane AICs are a different proposition to the smaller M.2 options which Larry (@lmitche) endorsed on another thread.

 

I have been encouraged by the various observations @PeterSt has rendered about PC power; especially this post: https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/38000-operating-systems-and-their-sound-signatures/?do=findComment&comment=758711. I have a sneaking suspicion - remaining happy to be corrected in time if that is how it works out - that it may not be so much *NUC* that accounts for the SQ enjoyed by so many of you right now as *PC power* - whether CPU spec. (cf. existing machines), cores etc. I have found that disabling SpeedStep (Asus BIOS) and keeping the CPU running at 100% helps.

 

Naturally, reflections on (i) Optane as PCIe AIC and (ii) PC specs inc. power supply and management are not contingent on RedNet vs. USB.

 

As a minor digression, whereas PC peculiarities are at the heart of the matter, the SQ gains to be had from mains noise management are truly astronomical in my experience (not that I receive especially dirty power where I live) - probably outstripping in most cases the difference between a very good PC and another one. I wonder about the extent to which mains noise can be favourably mollified for the price of a NUC.

[Iving]

14 hours ago, diecaster said:

https://www.fidelizer-audio.com/extreme-dual-pc-computer-audio-setup-shootout-between-audiolinux-and-windows-server-2019/

 

@Windows X for comment

[Iving]

27 minutes ago, Holzohr said:

 

Hmm.. according to Rajiv's first post "the focus of this thread is on direct listening impressions".

 

It should be quite easy to Keetakawee (Fidelizer) to collect "direct listening impressions" with Audiolinux and Windows Server 2019 himself instead sharing the opinion of Mr Unknown. Or better he (biased or not) doesn't start such topics and lets his customers decide.

 

15 minutes ago, TubeMan said:

all he does is undermining his own credibility,

by writing negative about other software

 

OP also says , " If anyone ... attacks people ..."

1. Anyone interested to venture into NUC/AL will read avidly here, finding Windows comparisons highly relevant.

2. The "shootout" link looks relevant enough to me: much of what ostensibly accounts for SQ here is AL vs. Windows.

Why neg on Keetakawee/Fidelizer (not that I have it) if you are secure enough in your convictions re NUC/AL?

It's just an OT conversation, right?

 

[Iving]

28 minutes ago, Holzohr said:

 

to 1. I find comparisons much more interesting and valuable the way as Rajiv has described: made by "direct listening impressions". So the link from diecaster was not that useful (imho). At least not to me. Ok, I already knew the neighbor thread where Keetakawee has posted the same. I will give the Windows Server 2019 a try by myself when Phil's next version of AO is ready.

 

to 2. When you quote someone you should set the link to the source. Keetakawee has forgotten about this for some reason and therefore the "opinion" of Mr Unknown is rather valueless.

Btw, I use Fidelizer.. lol (pls have a look at my signature) and have tried Audiolinux headless and ramroot as server and endpoint. The main reason I keep with Windows Server 2016 core is because I already had this rockstable Windows server running with all the software as AO, Fidelizer and especially HQPlayer. Without the HQPlayer I probably would have changed to Audiolinux as server. Or now to GentooPlayer? *scratching my head*

 

1. Surely the point of "direct listening" is that first hand experience counts. No armchair philosophy. The shootout looks like a direct listening impression (of AL vs. Windows) to me. I can't evaluate NUC/AL a priori: I have to jump in first. So all "direct listening" accounts are relevant to me - especially if comparison of A. what is discussed here with B. my existing o/s. I haven't seen the "neighbor" thread but you have piqued my interest.

 

2. I do not subscribe to celebrity culture! You can't sell a book these days unless you are already known - even infamously. In other words - it is (or should be) the argument that counts - not who wrote it. I am able to evaluate what is written without knowing who wrote it.

 

Appreciate your first hand remarks on Fidelizer etc. An obstacle to NUC/AL for me is that I use Rednet and AL doesn't support Dante afaik. I'm not ready to revert to USB - I hated it when last I had a relationship with it. But I keep track of things with much interest. Who knows when I might be persuaded.

[Iving]

33 minutes ago, mourip said:

 

In my mind If WindowsX posts reviews of his own software here or compares it positively to other methodologies then to me that is marketing and should be reported to Chris. He has already done that here and also on the Roon Community forum.

 

If someone else points to another site where he has done that then we just have to use our own judgement as to whether he is biased or not.

 

 

Well - it was @diecaster's link! I appreciated it!

(God forbid we should ever encounter "bias" on any audiophile forum!)

[Iving]

1 hour ago, MrUnderhill said:

 

Hi,

 

I'm unsure of how a thread containing many people can be 'honest', and if you find some people's honesty upsetting then all you can do is call it out on a case by case basis. However, your discomfort CANNOT be allowed to cloud other peoples right to state their case freely as that may be the TRUTH.

 

This is a highly subjective area and ANY person who enters into a public forum when it is an area from which they make money will, rightly in my opinion, be viewed differently from an average Joe. I would like to see business owners asked to identify themselves and be marked as such, as happens on some other fora. Any such business owner MUST be very careful in what they choose to contribute. Mr Uptone is an is a good example of a person who tries to walk this line, and occasionally oversteps it but is quick to acknowledge or at least accept the admins judgement.

 

M

 

God relax this isn't religion

[Iving]

10 hours ago, mourip said:

 

I received a new HDPlex 200W LPS this week. I have owned a bunch of them including selling a couple to upgrade to newer versions.

 

The newest one is WAY better than the previous versions. I am using it to power my NUC with 19v and using 7.5 volts to power my Mutec USB with it's stock SMPS removed and a 6v LT3045 reg in it's place.

 

Much darker background and a lot more subtle detail with corresponding solid localization of instruments...

fwiw I have a "new" (as at Aug '18) HDPLEX 400W ATX LPSU.

I just asked Larry whether it sported LT3045s. He replied, "Only latest 200W LPSU has LT3045 for adjustable rails. 400W ATX LPSU does not have LT3045." When I asked about future 400Ws he replied, "I might eliminate 19V and 12V on the 400W ATX LPSU. Leave only two adjustable 2A rail using LT3045 on the 400W ATX LPSU."

Since at the moment I use only all 4 of the block PC connectors (mobo/mobo/PCIe/SATA), yet in the future may want (additional) DC for components with voltages as yet unknown, I guess this would suit me.

[Iving]

2 hours ago, lmitche said:

Dont ignore optane SSDs. 

Correct

 

2 hours ago, sandyk said:

 

The same still applies.

Optane SSDs are even less likely to be able to be used with a much cleaner power supply.

 Yes, they would be great for Processor intensive tasks such as 4K OR 8K video, but overkill for Audio.

Incorrect

As posted before at CA and elsewhere, Optane PCIe AIC gives splendid results. I supply dedicated PCIe power from HDPLEX. No other drives required. All CPU/Avoids chipset.

[Iving]

3 hours ago, numlog said:

 

How do you supply PCIe power from the HDPLEX? do you mean with a molex, SATA etc. to the PCI card? I ask because looking at optane PCIe cards I dont see any power inputs on them and cant understand how you would easily power it.

Is the power usage much higher to support these high speeds?

molex on mobo inc PCIe (I have 2 CPU-direct PCIe AICs - Intel Optane SSD 900P 280Gb AIC in CPU-direct slot PCIEX16_1 and Intel Converged Network Adapter X540-T2 in no-switch slot PCIEX16_3 )

I don't know about power usage/consumption for Optane PCIe AIC. It is a non-issue for me because I don't subscribe to low-power-religion/dogma in the PC/CPU. Optane PCIe AIC is one reason I don't have a NUC/AL (case size). Second reason is I hate USB/use RedNet/Dante and AL doesn't support Dante. Third reason is, whilst I'm very interested in Larry's experiments and views, I'm not sure that it's NUC per se that's accounting for your SQ advantages. Fourth reason is I am happy with what I've got and wouldn't upscale everything without some kind of paradigm shift.

I'm posting pictures so you can see the molex arrangement - and also that I manage mains noise from the front end via Isotek Titan with independent outlets feeding digits via small Topaz IT and analogue via larger Topaz IT. (And also downstream - I have a lot of Isotek in the whole system and find that through trial and error I can find an optimal permutation of isolation and shunts that gives me excellent results.)

 

[Iving]

6 minutes ago, rickca said:

OK now I see what you mean.  I didn't realize the Z270-WS has a 6-pin for the PCIe slots on the motherboard.  I've never seen that feature before.

can be 8-pin

[Iving]

3 hours ago, jean-michel6 said:

You have those fabulous Peter Snell designed speakers which I owned back in the eighties !j

🙂

Very astute!

They are Type A III.

I have maintained them myself. Drive units have been re-foamed and much else besides. In discussion with Peter Qvortrup he said they look "agricultural". True! They don't emit sound - they emit wind. Listening to music is somatic and visceral. I love them.

[Iving]

39 minutes ago, Blackmorec said:

Many, many years ago a friend of mine in the US owned a pair. I only had a brief listen so I don’t remember how they sounded but i do remember being completely bowled over by the sense of reality they imparted. One of the great designs

According to Peter Q, "best 3-way speaker ever made". Whilst we mustn't take Peter too seriously, I believe him on this matter!

{Actually Type A III is 4-way with rear super-tweeter - I don't use them)

[Iving]

@The Computer Audiophile pse check your facts

[Iving]

46 minutes ago, numlog said:

I find it really unusual that different speeds on the same CPU has an effect on sound but a different CPU with entirely different specs, including speed, does not

 

"different speeds on the same CPU" means Speedstep, Turbo Boost etc [Asus BIOS] or equiv. settings On ... and Windows sits on these behaving erratically ... anyway I do find best SQ with CPU speed adjusters in BIOS Off and Power in Windows High (=/or CPU at 100%) ...

[Iving]

15 minutes ago, numlog said:

no, it means underclock with a user defined clock speed.

 

 

If you mean "user defined" in Windows (CP/Power) then anything <100% ineffective unless BIOS Speedstep etc On. Oh well - that is my experience.

[Iving]

2 minutes ago, numlog said:

in BIOS

OK - same idea tho' - CPU throttling mucks up SQ (on the whole more than SQ effect attributable to a different CPU unthrottled)

[Iving]

3 minutes ago, numlog said:

ok so you are saying CPUs have a  ''native'' frequency?

nice inductive - faulty deductive 🙂

[Iving]

4 minutes ago, numlog said:

?

 

Im talking about a fixed frequency underclock in BIOS with speedstep disabled,

hardware analysis software reports the set frequency. 

Do you still mean speedstep when you say ''CPU throttling''?

 

 

I have never set a user-defined fixed frequency in BIOS.

Yes - I do understand Speedstep (or parallel BIOS settings) a pre-requisite for throttling in Windows.

I am suggesting as a conversational and general proposition that CPU throttling is not good for SQ.

Sorry that I can't match your specific experiences.

[Iving]

3 minutes ago, numlog said:

I agree.

The original point was that setting frequency manually, regardless of speedstep/other setting, should give an idea how frequency alone will influence sound.

So its unusual that, after both of us noting those influences, a new CPU with different speed among other things would sound the same.

 

I haven't followed your posts; however, I'd have thought that a direct comparison of two different CPUs would require an awful lot of "all other things equal" (experimental) control.

All the same, I buy the idea (for argument's sake) that two unthrottled (not terribly dissimilar in terms of evolutionary technology) CPUs would sound more "similar" than a throttled CPU vs. an unthrottled one ... and that unthrottled ones would sound better than throttled ones.

Although I haven't done it, the idea that fiddling with CPU frequencies in BIOS would "influence sound" - and do so negatively - would appeal to me because of my prejudice against throttling.

Anyway, I posted my remarks in response to, and sympathetically with, your post, " I find it really unusual that different speeds on the same CPU has an effect on sound but a different CPU with entirely different specs, including speed, does not" supra.

[Iving]

4 minutes ago, numlog said:

you might be happy to know this type underclocking did not have a positive influence on sound

Yes - delighted

 

the higher the speed, the better

Yes - presuming no overclocking

 

consider a  more powerful CPU as a potential upgrade

Yes - that is how I tend to think

 

[Iving]

13 minutes ago, austinpop said:

Folks, please describe your experiment and what you heard.

 

Let's not get into sweeping generalizations and meta-arguments.

Numlog and I shared compatible empirically-derived conclusions.

 

Our observations are relevant to the "NUC" debate - whether you like them or not.

 

There are no meta-arguments anywhere.

 

(To date) we have got on famously and have set a good example.

[Iving]

2 minutes ago, numlog said:

that's another interesting subject that I havent explored, assuming you have experimented with overclocking why dont you recommend it?

 

SQ better with Turbo Off in BIOS

Anyway - I'm scarpering - about to get an unfair detention ...

[Iving]

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

It's been a long time and so forgive me if I have a lot to say ...

Thank you for taking the trouble to summarise your experience under several headings.

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

high efficiency, crossover-less Alnico drivers and excel in delicacy, nuance, and tone.  I am continually amazed by how well these drivers express the subtlest textures ... the type of listening I prefer and so I have moved on to point source speakers once again in my large listening room

I have a pair of restored/well-maintained Mordaunt Arundels with 12" Alnico cones. Whilst not resolving on the whole, I can hear mid-range subtleties not obvious listening to the same source/materials on my restored/well-maintained Snell Type A III.

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

what I have to share are personal observations and opinions based on my sensitivities and personal preferences ... I'm guessing that we all claim live music as our reference and yet it's interesting to see how we each vary in our approach to achieving the recreation of a live performance ... what type of listener you are to understand which compromises you should accept above others ... We are who we are and so gear will speak differently to each of us ... There are 2 types of listening that most of us do.  There is critical listening where we focus on what we are hearing hoping to dissect the qualities of a performance, recording, or some piece of equipment and then there is pleasurable listening where the goal is to relax and to escape.  Given the choice, I'm sure most of us would prefer the latter.  

Nicely put ... I have done far more critical listening via PC (mainly trying to eliminate digititis) than ever I did listening to records (hedonically). But the convenience and thus education-facilitating advantages of vast digital libraries controllable from the listening position keep me persevering with computer playback.

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

Low power CPUs are not necessarily what sound best ... aside from noise, there is performance to consider and sometimes performance requires power and sometimes performance is more important than low noise.

Agreed - perhaps the "NUC effect" is not attributable to "performance-diluting" factors (in a system).

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

Here is the Asrock IMB-1215 which will be released to the U.S. in a few months ... It is a mini-ITX board that can accommodate an 8th or 9th generation i7 and with an open PCIe slot that can be powered by a single 19V rail and so I find this board to have intriguing possibilities.

Agreed - (i) perhaps the "NUC effect" is attributable at least in major part to "small motherboard" or the mitigation of (electronic) turbulence in a small system; (ii) being a RedNet user I am particularly interested in (small) mobos with CPU-direct PCIe slots, and appreciate this and other relevant "heads up".

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

I found better SQ powering the NUC with the 19V rail from my HDPlex which came as a surprise ... With this NUC powered by the 19V rail from an HDPlex 400W ATX LPSU, while the SQ is not in the same league as an SR7 or even the SR4, it is much less harsh than the stock 19V switcher that Intel provides and so the HDPlex is more than just a passable option ... I heard no benefit clocking either of these CPU beyond 3.8GHz when powered by the HDPlex 400W ATX LPSU due to harshness but who knows what would happen if I had a better ATX PSU on hand?  I have explored such a PSU with both Adrian Wun of TLS and Sean Jacobs but the cost of a "no compromise" ATX PSU from these gentlemen will run somewhere in the $4-5k range ... Some will ask why I didn't go with the 200W HDPlex LPSU when this server consumes no more than about 50 watts max and more typically about 30 watts.  First, I wanted as much headroom as possible ... Second, I wanted to avoid a DC-ATX converter ... According to Sean, the 5V rail is extremely important and requires high current for optimum performance (ideally 4-5A) even if you're not planning on powering any 5V devices such as an SSD.  Apparently, many parts of the motherboard utitilize this rail and unfortunately, the 5V rail on the 200W HDPlex outputs only 2A.  Even if I wished to bypass a DC-ATX converter and create special cables to directly power a motherboard, 2A of output, at least according to Sean, would be less than ideal ... I'm sure that a bespoke ATX PSU built by Sean or Adrian would be even better but for $800, I am very impressed with the HDPlex 400W ATX LPSU.  

(i) I too have a HDPlex 400W ATXPSU and found it better than the 200W + Converter - same power consumption give or take. I agree with the headroom argument. (ii) fyi In January I asked Larry about LT3045. He told me that only the latest 200W has LT3045 for adjustable rails, and that he is consulting his engineer about including LT3045 on a future 400W. Also he was interested in my response to his assertion, "I might eliminate 19V and 12V on the 400W ATX LPSU. Leave only two adjustable 2A rail using LT3045 on the 400W ATX LPSU."

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

But what would happen if I pushed my Mac Pro's CPU clock from it's base idle frequency to max turbo levels?  Of course, this is the beauty of AudioLinux and it has proven to be a very useful learning tool.  With higher CPU frequency, dynamics goes up but at the expense of subtlety and nuance and with progressively increasing harshness and the sNH-10G is incapable of completely isolating against these changes ... As you go up in frequency, dynamics improves but it is at the expense of subtlety and nuance and at some point, harshness will set in.  I have found that harshness sets in sooner with lower quality PSUs.

I favour a working hypothesis that unthrottled CPUs sound best (whether throttled up or down).

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

I have read commentary that the upcoming opticalRendu will supposedly be completely immune to the virtues of the upstream server.  I suspect this is probably the goal of the upcoming EtherREGEN also.  Well, I believe this is both naive and wishful thinking and so people will need to adjust their expectations appropriately or else they will be disappointed ... I say this because I currently have 2 SOtM sNH-10G switches in my possession and I can tell you that while 1 switch makes a very big difference, 2 switches make an even bigger difference ... if I varied CPU frequency, I could hear differences in the server.  The server still ABSOLUTELY matters and this is because it's not just about noise, there is also the matter of performance and it would appear that RoonServer likes horsepower.  At this time, the delta I am hearing from my best server setup to my worst server setup is about the same as the delta I am hearing from by best endpoint setup to my worst.  In other words, my current stand is that the server matters as much as the endpoint.

To me a strong argument in favour of a single box arrangement! Easy for me to say because all my listening is offline. That said, I would be interested to know whether an EtherREGEN would nicely "clean" the path between my PC and D16 AES [Gigabit?].

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

SSD vs Optane ... It would appear that the Optane cards have the best of both worlds and so hats off to Larry for introducing us to the Optanes ... The Optane seems to be a nice compromise if capacity, low latency, and low noise are desired since Optane behaves more like RAM than an SSD.

I'm not sure why Optane PCIe AICs are consistently overlooked. I have 2 CPU-direct PCIe AICs - Intel Optane SSD 900P 280Gb AIC in CPU-direct slot PCIEX16_1 and Intel Converged Network Adapter X540-T2 in no-switch slot PCIEX16_3. I would have thought an Optane PCIe AIC (large ones available now) would be just as fitting for a USB user (cf. RedNet) - and whether single box or dual. I have posted on this thread and elsewhere that an Optane AIC is better than an SSD.

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

Ethernet - JCAT Femto Network Card ... the improvement pales in comparison to what I am hearing with the JCAT Femto Network card.  The JCAT card is a game changer ... I looked at other cards, specifically TLS's LAN card with OCXO but I decided to go with the JCAT card because it had 2 Ethernet ports that I could bridge and because it was the only card I could find that I could independently power with an outboard PSU ... Even the 5V port from the HDPlex sounds better overall.

I might have been interested to know whether a JCAT Net Card Femto would beat my Intel X540-T2, but read the aggressive "snake oil" thread at SBAF where the "femto" aspect is disparaged if not the dedicated power issue.

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

If there is a downside to the H3, it's build quality is not to quite to the same level as the fanless cases by Streacom

I would vouch for Streacom cases. I have a Streacom F12C and a NOFAN CR-80EH Copper IcePipe CPU Cooler which is tall. No fan/moving parts.

On 3/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, romaz said:

  Best wishes to all.

Returned 🙂

 

 

[Iving]

58 minutes ago, Nenon said:

So much useful information on this thread. Thank you for all the contributions. I have spent several days going over all the posts, and starting with over 500 pages did not make it easy to catch up. But I finally did after a few sleepless nights. I can see consensus on many topics and different opinions on others, but I mostly get a pretty good idea on everything, except one area. Storage. It seems like there is a consensus that SSD drives are noisy and people boot from a USB drive or Optane. If the OS loads to the RAM, the USB gets unplugged. The Optane does not seem to cause much harm. But what about your music? I have 1TB worth of ripped CDs. How do people get that music to their favorite player (I use Roon). Here are some of the options:

1. SSD drive with a dedicated LPS. Too noisy / adding harshness to the music.

2. HDD. Also noisy + vibrations.

3. USB flash drive. Limited storage.

4. External USB hard drive with dedicated LPS. Shared USB with your DAC could be a problem. HDD or SSD based? 

5. Get the files over the network. Perhaps with good NICs/switches/cables that may not be that bad, but how would the files be stored on the server and wouldn't we run into the same problems (i.e. SSD is noisy and harsh, HDD has noise and vibrations, etc.).

 

I am sure there are many other options. What do you think is the best way to get 1TB of music to your player? I will try to do some comparisons but wanted to narrow down some of the options to begin with. 

 

Here is a test that I just did.

Loaded AL in ramroot. Plugged in an external USB drive and mounted it. Copied an album from the USB drive to /root (essentially to RAM). Configured Roon to look for new music in /root. Unmounted and unplugged the USB drive. Played the album in Roon. Also disconnected the network cable after hitting the "Play album" button. It sounded pretty good, but it's not practical at all. 

I have exactly this problem ... and a good solution.

Music  Library is approaching a Tb / comprises ripped flac / carefully tagged exactly how I want it / backed up to >1 any drive.

I copy whole Library to a 1Tb SSD inside my player PC (single box).

In fb2k I copy over from this SSD only files tagged up as "favourites" per some fb2k Filter (preference HAS 3 AND demo IS 1 etc) using Convert/Copy - the copied files amount to about 220Gb - to a 280Gb PCIe Optane AIC which has the o/s on it too (see post above response to romaz).

Change fb2k Library to the Optane drive and disable SATA in BIOS.

Playing is all "CPU direct".

 

[Iving]

3 hours ago, tapatrick said:

I find recording quality more of an issue these days after setting up AL/NUC server and endpoint and I put more attention on choosing good recordings over tweaking. 

 

Watch developments at PS audio as Paul is bringing audiophile attention to the recording process....

The following remark is conversational not confrontational! ... One of my favourite tracks ever is Gene Vincent's rendition of 'Roll Over Beethoven' sounding like it's recorded live in a Town Hall on a cheap tape recorder. I listen to music for the goose bumps. This recording epitomises Rock 'n' Roll. The better my system gets, the better this track rocks my inner world and forces my feet to tap. Pure Mojo. Makes me smile. What else is music for.

 

This Youtube link is the same recording - but you'd have to come to my place for coffee to hear what I mean 😉