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

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Hi guys

 

sorry but is there a sticky post which specifies what parts to buy to make an AL end point, which nuc components are recommended, as that would be handy.

 

be handy to see 3 types, end point only, server only, combined server and end point.

 

thanks in advance for endpoint nuc component recommendations, in terms of budget, I’m happy to spend £700.

 

also, if running roon server in ram, you can’t make changes to the library? Like adding playlists? How would they be persisted ?

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4 minutes ago, EnjoyTheMusicNow said:

This is good to know as the difference in my case was massive. Before it sounded like the highs and mids were behind a sheet and the lows were being heard from another room. 

 

I have a DAVE on the way to replace my Qutest and Preamp but in the meantime I guess I will just enjoy the inproved dynamics of having the Quetest go direct to my pass labs amp. 

 

Outside of upsampling  (I also have an m-scaler on the way) or DSP,  are there any other settings that tend to improve SQ - even though the rationale may not be all that clear?

Do you know volume control should be given to the chord dacs? It has a preferable algorithm for handling the volume control.

altering volume before it arrived at the chord dac with mean it is no longer but perfect.

i coukd be wrong, but this is my understanding.

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1 million and 1 now!

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11 hours ago, Bricki said:

Listening impressions

 

SMS-200 (latest 4.6 update) vs Celeron NUC7 (audiolinux)

The software for both of these has changed considerably since I last did this comparison, so I thought it was worth a revisit. Both are powered by an sps500 with JSSG360 DC cable and furutech TCS21 ac cable. Ethernet connection to the server is bridged and running in half duplex mode at 10mbps. With a 1 meter Supra cat8 with JSSG360.

The SMS-200

This is the original sms-200 non ultra with no neo upgrade

 

Pros: 

-has a blacker background with more focused images.

-has a slightly more refined or lower noise feel about the presentation

-has a bit more depth to the soundstage

Cons:

-despite the more focused image outlines the image itself somehow seems flatter and digitally smeared. I know this sounds like a contradiction, but it's like a nicely focused caricature vs the NUC that is a slightly out of focus but more natural image of the original recording.

-less dynamic

-has a flatter less colourful tone

-has smaller images

-although it has more depth to the soundstage it feels smaller with less width

 

The NUC

The NUC is in an akasa fanless case running the latest audiolinux headless mini 140 with the 5.2 BFQ kernel in ramroot with isolated cores and acpi CPU scaling driver.

Pros:

-has a much more natural sound

-has larger images and soundstage

-piano, guitar and brass instruments sound much more like the real thing with less digital smearing and a more analogue sound. Live recordings are particularly good with a feeling as if the output from the sound desk is plugged into my amp.

-has a more colourful tone that makes everything seem more alive.

-makes me want to listen to music more and not change tracks but listen to a whole album

-more captivating

-more dynamic

-lyrics are more easily discerned

Cons:

-the background seems slightly more gray and less black

-the images aren't quite as focused in their outlines

-doesn't sound quite as refined in the presentation

Final thoughts

Although the software on both devices has changed for the better, the NUC is still the better sounding of the 2 in my system. It gets deeper into recordings and lets you hear things you didn't even know were there. It makes me wish I had more financial resources to get more powerful hardware 😁👍

Is the nuc your end point or server or both ?

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23 minutes ago, Johnseye said:

 

Did you inquire as to whether the Farad3 19v could be directly connected to the PC with the right cabling/adapters, eliminating a need for the converter?

 

I’d like to know too, I’d like to power a minimalist music server, like the one romaz has, with the gaming motherboard, but I’m not sure how to spec the needed power supply, and am on a budget.

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22 minutes ago, austinpop said:

 

 

Just a caveat - are you sure a single Farad 3 supply has enough power for your needs? It's a great PSU, but it's limited to 3A, as you know.

 

The whole point of the single server that Roy mentioned - see this post and this one - is to power it with generously overprovisioned PSUs, which we think contribute to the outstanding dynamics. Even with his current server, which I believe he mentioned consumes under 50W steady state, he is powering it with 2 rails from his SR-7:

• a 19V/5A rail to an HDPlex DC-ATX adapter, which then feeds the ATX input (12v, 5v, 3.3v) of the motherboard.
• a separate 12V/5A rail to the EPS input of the motherboard, to power the CPU separately.

That's way more than a single Farad Super 3 can supply - nor is it designed to.

Sorry to ask for advice lol, but if i got a NUC NUC7i7DNBE, what way could i reasonably power it, whats a good choice for economy and performance?  I'm trying to take the first steps, but can't settle on a strategy.  I was thinking single server, i'm now thinking NUC as NAA, which i could afford to power by a linear power supply, but which one, the farad 3?

 

ps, i just did a little test and changed from optical out of chrome cast audio to optical (Xonar soundcard) out of my pc (and into mscaler), and the xonar definitely sounds better, much sharper to my mind, in this little test.

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Does anyone rate any of the nucs with optical out? Or is it a case, if you go NUC then you go usb?

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11 hours ago, TheAttorney said:

 

I'm also tempted by @auricgoldfinger's post for my nuc7i7dn Euphony Stylus standalone server, which I ordered with 16GB RAM to allow for maximum future flexibility, even though Euphony's guide states that 4GB is sufficient (as written before the new ramroot feature became available).

 

With no DSP, but with 100% buffering of the music file, the Euphony readings state that only 3% of RAM is being used.

With ramroot enabled, that goes to 10% RAM (1.6GB). Therefore 4GB RAM should be enough even for a ramrooted server, and I'm very tempted to just try that because of cost and SQ (romaz's old post stated that smaller RAMs sound better - presumably due to less noise and current draw).

 

One unknown is if there are any start-up peaks, or library management activities, which would go well beyond the steady state RAM usage. i assume an endpoint would have lower RAM requirements than a server.

Where would you library of music live?

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What does soc mean plz?

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On 3/30/2020 at 9:26 PM, kennyb123 said:

 

Yes ... but in my case it would have been a bit more difficult. Per Alexey, here's what it would have taken to convert mine to dual stage:

 

"Yes, you can add preregulator board (i can send preregulator board, Copper heatbride with thermal tapes, set of srews and nuts, interconnect jumpers), but the Inut/output board shipped with 15VDC out (it might be possible to change setting and configure for 12VDC out, but need to solder internal jumper)."

 

I figured it would be easier to just order a new one as I don't have soldering skills.  

 

I may repurpose my single stage model into a different use - or just sell it to someone needing a 15v output.

 

Hi Kenny,

 

I'd like to order these regulators for my mscaler\tt2.  Is double regulator the way to go, or does that leave the resulting voltage too low ?  I think i remember rob watts saying the devices take a range of voltages and internally it converts it down to 12, but i may be confused.

 

Id like to be able to place an order, but just need a hand to understand the best possible configuration for these regulators and mscaler\tt2.

 

Thanks in advance.

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On 5/10/2020 at 4:11 PM, lmitche said:

HI Bodiebill,

 

As a rule, I don't like to guess on how equipment is going to sound preferring to hear it with my own ears first. Nevertheless, if I were spend some money to experiment with a new off-the-shelf USB card for an Intel system, I'd look for:

• an Asmedia chip, 1, 2 or 3 generation series with USB 3 gen 2 support
• 5 or 12 volt power injection through a molex or sata connector
• and at least two channels at 10gbps each on a single card

The Startech card referenced above ticks all these boxes.

 

Larry

Are there any good suggestions for an ethernet card, similar to the startech USB card that a budget minded DIY'er could investigate?

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5 minutes ago, ted_b said:

Many of us with the startech card use a simple inexpensive internet dongle (rj45 to usb). 

Is this because the star tech usb card is also leveraged to handle the Ethernet via the dongle?

or was that a decision based on lack of slots on the motherboard ?

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3 hours ago, matthias said:

 

AFAIK, there is only one Startech card with the "best sounding" ASM3142 chipset, the PEXUSB312C3.

 

Matt

This exclusively uses usb-c, so it all the same to the Dac to use a usb-c to usb-a cable to connect it to the card?

 

https://www.startech.com/uk/Cards-Adapters/USB-3.0/Cards/2-port-pcie-usb3-1-card~PEXUSB312C3

 

or you could use an adapter 

https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/psg91229/adapter-usb3-0-type-c-male-a-female/dp/CS29239?mckv=s983Q4I1w_dm|pcrid|224689766569|kword||match||plid||slid||product|CS29239|pgrid|49729733449|ptaid|pla-737233862611|&CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-SHOPPING&gclid=CjwKCAjw7-P1BRA2EiwAXoPWA7BNfO3NbkHGel0oavW_apm81HmnLe1PQY4iGcYAYnP9LCyLIRYY5xoCpG8QAvD_BwE

 

[Aberrant-Decoder]

17 hours ago, lmitche said:

Well they are all inexpensive enough to try two, or three and to have a listen.  If you do this, please let us know how it goes.

 

Thanks,

 

Larry

I was able to get one of these PEXUSB312EIC as a damaged box sale item on Amazon:
https://www.startech.com/uk/Cards-Adapters/USB-3.0/Cards/usb-3-1-combo-card~PEXUSB312EIC

 

I installed it last night and was very pleasantly surprised at the audio change.  Firstly noticed the music sounded punchier and tighter.  I listened for the next 4 hours solid and was really enjoying the new presentation, its not a sublte change at all. Clean, crisp, towards a kind of perfection i'd say.

 

Previously, I had been using USB direct off the motherboard, a gigabyte B-85 https://www.gigabyte.com/uk/Motherboard/GA-B85-HD3-rev-1x.

 

i had bought that card before I saw mattias post to say its the later chipset that is associated with improved audio, so i have ordered one of these PEXUSB312C2 And will be able to compare them.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-Dual-Port-USB-C-Card/dp/B071WYWFJC/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=startech+usb+c+pci&qid=1589373070&s=computers&sr=1-3

 

I dont have any linear psu, so its just powered off the sata strip cord.  If anyone has any advice on a cheap way to power the card or a custom sata cable that would improve things on a budget, it would be great to hear.

 

But overall, this is the biggest sq improvement I've heard when you consider the cost of just £40.

 

My system is currently, Laptop (roon server) running Gentoo Player in RAM, to a PC running squeezelite 2 in Gentoo Player in RAM, to mscaler, opto dx, TT2, HD800s.  I recently destroyed 2 pilot pros by putting the DC In cable into the out port, so i'm waiting on those to be replaced.

 

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The problem with my new usb pcie card is that it’s usb c, and my existing usb lead is usb a.  The only budget cable i could see was a cable matters brand from amazon and it’s possibly too cheap at £7.

 

anyway audioquest have an adapter for £12, which is probably fine for me, better then starting to rebuy more expensive usb leads (I think my last one was only £50), but anyway, thought I’d share.

 

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/audioquest-usb-3-0-a-to-c-adaptor/

[Aberrant-Decoder]

I just wondered if anyone had tried this passive cooling widget ?

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/nofan-copper-icepipe-cpu-cooler-80w-fanless-for-all-intel-and-amd-cpus