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

[k27R]

2 hours ago, Metnoc said:

It probably applies to a certain degree since the result is also dependent on the inputs of the dac.
SOtM is not state of the art, but certainly quite good, especially with the new software updates.

You say that the cec: "probably still has less "digitalis" overall" but "less resolution", these things also has to do with taste, I might prefer your cec over your computer.

 

Did you have a tx-USBultra with the sms-200ultra?  When I owned the SOtM stack, I found that the sms-200 Ultra Neo was lacking in resolution without the tx-USBultra SE.  

[AnotherSpin]

For a couple of recent years I went through downsizing to rather simple and compact audio system: mac mini with HQPlayer desktop, Gungnir mb DAC and active Dynaudio speakers. Music files stored locally on external HDs attached to mini. By some reasons I decided to try NAA. After first trials with addition of another mac and Miska’s free NAA image I realized the NAA is the way to go. Sonore and SOtM commercial products were considered at the beginning, but after reading more info on the forum I became aware of DIY options as well. I was lucky to communicate with Rajiv @austinpop, who provided a wealth of pertaining info and invaluable guidance on a practical steps on home networking, NUC endpoint, switch, etc. Even though all this seemed to be quite mysterious at the beginning, I was able to do work myself with advisory from Rajiv. Entire project took less than two month from initial considerations/discussions to present stage of implementation.

 

As a result I have a DIY NUC with 7i7DNBE board in Akasa fanless case, powered by Paul Hynes SR5 LPS (have it from previous larger system). NUC is used as a NAA endpoint with mac mini/HQPlayer desktop. There is bridging between two ethernet ports on mini (USB/Ethernet adapter used for second). Router connected to one Ethernet with generic CAT cable and NUC to the other via short Supra CAT7+ cable. Three types of NAA software were trialed/used for booting NUC from USB stick - Miska’s, Audiolinux, Euphony. Addition of Netgear switch with LPS and grounding is planned. I also found out I prefer Supra CAT7+ (unshielded termination) than Supra CAT8. AL headless is a choice for NAA software.

 

It is difficult to describe every improvement in SQ, the audible change is rather qualitative than quantitive. Music became alive, instruments sound as instruments. Presence, resolution, focus, separation, all this at the very different level. Listening fatigue and annoyance almost disappeared. Computer based system sounds on par or better than my former set based on Jadis CD player.

[austinpop]

5 hours ago, AnotherSpin said:

For a couple of recent years I went through downsizing to rather simple and compact audio system: mac mini with HQPlayer desktop, Gungnir mb DAC and active Dynaudio speakers. Music files stored locally on external HDs attached to mini. By some reasons I decided to try NAA. After first trials with addition of another mac and Miska’s free NAA image I realized the NAA is the way to go. Sonore and SOtM commercial products were considered at the beginning, but after reading more info on the forum I became aware of DIY options as well. I was lucky to communicate with Rajiv @austinpop, who provided a wealth of pertaining info and invaluable guidance on a practical steps on home networking, NUC endpoint, switch, etc. Even though all this seemed to be quite mysterious at the beginning, I was able to do work myself with advisory from Rajiv. Entire project took less than two month from initial considerations/discussions to present stage of implementation.

 

As a result I have a DIY NUC with 7i7DNBE board in Akasa fanless case, powered by Paul Hynes SR5 LPS (have it from previous larger system). NUC is used as a NAA endpoint with mac mini/HQPlayer desktop. There is bridging between two ethernet ports on mini (USB/Ethernet adapter used for second). Router connected to one Ethernet with generic CAT cable and NUC to the other via short Supra CAT7+ cable. Three types of NAA software were trialed/used for booting NUC from USB stick - Miska’s, Audiolinux, Euphony. Addition of Netgear switch with LPS and grounding is planned. I also found out I prefer Supra CAT7+ (unshielded termination) than Supra CAT8. AL headless is a choice for NAA software.

 

It is difficult to describe every improvement in SQ, the audible change is rather qualitative than quantitive. Music became alive, instruments sound as instruments. Presence, resolution, focus, separation, all this at the very different level. Listening fatigue and annoyance almost disappeared. Computer based system sounds on par or better than my former set based on Jadis CD player.

 

I'm so pleased that, after taking a leap of faith and implementing the NUC solution, you are hearing, and happy with, the SQ improvements you described. And I'm glad you evaluated Miska's NAA, AL, and Euphony for yourself, and picked the one that sounded best - to you. That's what it's all about!

[AnotherSpin]

1 hour ago, austinpop said:

 

I'm so pleased that, after taking a leap of faith and implementing the NUC solution, you are hearing, and happy with, the SQ improvements you described. And I'm glad you evaluated Miska's NAA, AL, and Euphony for yourself, and picked the one that sounded best - to you. That's what it's all about!

 

Thank you, Rajiv. Little more on NAAs. Each of three I tried and compared would be an excellent choice, and the difference is very small. Also, I tried it with HQP desktop on server, what might be not the best combination for AL and Euphony which may sound better with AL and Euphony software on server too. At the same time, given the difference is not dramatic, I am slightly hesitant to buy Euphony when Miska's NAA is free, and AL is roughly three times less expensive. Comparing two left, I found Miska's NAA very "honest" in its sound, and it should provide excellent combination with Miska's HQP on server. Nevertheless, AL has very small edge over it in sound (in one word it is slightly more coherent), and AL gives also a plenty of settings variations to play with. Still, after trying some (acpi, ramroot, hyper-threading, etc) I returned to default, it gives most neutral presentation to my ears in my set. 

[Superdad]

1 hour ago, AnotherSpin said:

Thank you, Rajiv. Little more on NAAs.

 

After loads of careful comparisons (related to AL, Roon, server, etc., my current system nirvana chain:

 

Headless 2012 quad-core i7 Mac mini (powered by JS-2), booting AudioLinux from thumb drive with HQ Player Embedded and Roon Server >>

Cisco Catalyst 2960 100Mbps switch >>

Custom NUC (powered by UltraCap LPS-1.2) set to low speed running AudioLinux and NAA >>

ISO REGEN (LPS-1.2) >>

Lush^2 USB cable >>

Heavily modified Singxer SU-1 (LPS-1.2) >>

I2S over HDMI to Holo Spring Level 3 >>

Intact Audio 47-position Slagle/Elnaformer autotransformer level control (currently the copper version; silver wound version on may desk waiting to be wired in).  

Player/control via Roon from 27" iMac on my desk.  Music storage dives also on desktop--shared/watched via SMB with Roon.

 

A huge thanks to @lmitche (nuckleheadaudio.com) for many hours of patient work getting all the Linux stuff working and tuned (with a bunch of his own special tricks) and for making various sticks to make my comparison work easy and valid.

 

My SACD rip of the fabulous Ryan K. Smith/Analogue Productions remastering of Nina Simone's "Little Girl Blue" (don't even bother with the awful 24/96 download version done it Europe or any other version) continues to amaze and move me as my system advances. I only wish I had more time to listen to music. 

 

[Ralf11]

S'dad - can you add in the amp & speakers to your list?

 

Also, what is your Pearl Jam chain?

[Monge]

@Superdad Thanks 😀

Custom Nuc?

[Superdad]

2 hours ago, Monge said:

@Superdad Thanks 😀

Custom Nuc?

 

Just not an off-the-shelf NUC.  Akasa fanless case, bios tweaks, etc.  All done for me by @lmitche.

[Dev]

Every NUC used in this forum is a custom NUC one way or other. Generally speaking, its hard to qualify it as a “custom NUC” just by changing the case or tweaking the Bios or s/w - they are meant to be fiddled around by the end user 😀

[Metnoc]

Tried Entreq grounding:
Minimus->rg45->switch
Silver minimus->Apollo rca->digital input on dac.

It makes the system sound more like vinyl. 

Vovox vocalis usb, euphoric and sonorous, it lacks some PRaT and size of soundstage, but I enjoy it very much.

[austinpop]

A Mini Review of the Farad Super3 Power Supply

 

Here is my review of the Farad Super3 Power Supply. I know this has taken longer than anticipated, but I wanted to ensure that the PSU and all associated cables were fully burned in. In addition, as you'll see, Mattijs Vries (designer of the Farad) and I explored some more cable alternatives, and this took additional shipping and burn in time.

 

Why is the Farad Super3 PSU interesting? First, several listening reports on this and other threads have been very positive. Second, it is a supercapacitor LPS design, claimed to be designed for low noise and low output impedance. Third, it supports current up to a max of 3A, which is significantly higher than the 1.1A max of the Uptone LPS-1.2 and the 2A max of the Paul Hynes SR-4. Finally, at a base price of €439, it competes very strongly with these units.

 

This review is an attempt to do a systematic and thorough listening comparison of the Farad with these existing best-of-breed PSUs commonly in use for digital audio gear. As we on this thread know, the quality of a power supply in a digital component can be as important as it is in an analog component. Yet, the set of really high-quality power supplies is rather small. On the pinnacle of this range is the lofty Paul Hynes SR-7, which in its DR and XL incarnation has reigned supreme in all my listening tests. But this PSU is almost impossible to acquire, now that Paul has stopped taking new orders for his custom PSU business. Next in the spectrum are the Uptone JS-2, LPS-1.2 and the Paul Hynes SR-4, which are more accessible. These are excellent supplies in their own right, while not quite at the level of the SR-7. How does the Farad Super3 compare to these? While I no longer have a JS-2, I do have LPS-1.2s and SR-4s on hand to compare, as well as access to an SR7 DRXL unit.

 

I requested an evaluation unit from Mattijs, who very kindly and promptly shipped me one. By mutual agreement, this unit was configured for 12V. Farad supplies are designed to be configured for a specific voltage, as Mattijs feels the provision of voltage selectors degrades sound quality. In addition to the default DC cable with the unit, Mattijs also sent me his Level 1 (shielded quad core 18 AWG tin-plated copper), and Level 2 (shielded quad core non-inductive mil-spec 16 AWG tin-plated copper) upgrade cables. I picked 12V, since it allowed me to test the Super3 in several different spots in my chain.

 

Before attempting any critical listening, I burned in the Super3 and the Level 2 cable for 500+ hours. I know it took a long time for my SR-4 to reach peak SQ, so I afforded the same courtesy to the Farad. 

 

Listening impressions of the Farad Super3

 

Before getting into comparisons, I tried out the Farad in my system to get a sense of its sonic characteristics. I tested it in 2 separate locations in my chain:

• powering the sNH-10G switch
• powering the tX-USBultra

I also tried this both in my primary headphone system, and in @limniscate's speaker-based system.

 

From the get-go, I liked what I was hearing. The first impression with this PSU is one of tonal calmness. It has a smooth, relaxed character, with a black background, speaking to its low noise floor. The other characteristics that are immediately apparent are its tonal richness, the depth and slam of the bass, and great dynamics. Even without any comparisons, I was very please with the sound quality I was hearing.

 

A note about cables

 

As I was preparing for the comparisons, I realized that all of the other PSUs were using silver cables of one type or the other. Over time, I have gravitated to silver DC cables. Unlike analog silver cables, that can tend to add brightness and sparkle, I find silver DC cables to enhance clarity, neutrality, and depth. Here are the PSUs and associated cables that I was preparing to compare:

• LPS-1.2: Audio Sensibility Signature, and a custom cable that a kind ASer from Japan sent me a few months ago, built with the Oyaide FTVS-910 cable. Both cables are terminated with Oyaide 5.5x2.5 barrel connectors. I've modded the AS cable with JSSG360 shielding.
• SR-4: Paul Hynes fine silver DCFS3XLR 3A cable, modded with JSSG360. Terminators are XLR-4 to Oyaide 5.5x2.1
• SR-7 Paul Hynes fine silver DCFS6XL 6A cable. Terminators are Jaeger to Oyaide 5.5x2.1

I didn't want cable quality and materials to affect the comparison, so I discussed this with Mattijs. At Pink Faun, they had shied away from silver, but he was open to the idea. In fact, he has been experimenting with a "Level 3" silver cable, which is still a work in progress. While he sent me a sample, I won't be talking about that until he's finished tweaking, and is happy with the result. In addition, he supplied me with adapters (GX16 to 5.5x2.5 and GX16 to XLR-4) that allowed me to use all my existing silver cables with the Farad - all but the SR-7 cable.

 

My cable findings? I preferred all 3 silver cables over the Farad Level 2 cable on the Farad PSU. Within the silver cables, the differences were very small. If I had to choose, I would rank them: 1) Audio Sensibility, 2) Oyaide FTVS-910, 3) Hynes DCFS3XLR.

 

I do understand that these adapters are suboptimal, and almost certainly increase the output impedance of the PSU. The fact that the silver cables performed better, despite this disadvantage, suggests that a properly terminated (GX16) silver cable for the Farad will sound even better. 

 

For the remaining comparisons, I used the same DC cable with the Farad as the PSU under comparison.

 

Comparison with the LPS-1.2

 

The LPS-1.2 is the go-to LPS for digital gear, and is a tough-to-beat combination of excellent SQ and reasonable price. I've had as many as 3 of these simultaneously in my system, and currently use 2 of them. For this comparison, I alternated between the LPS-1.2 and Farad, both with the AS cable, first powering the sNH-10G switch and then the tX-USBultra.

 

These two PSUs certainly have different sonic attributes! The LPS-1.2 sounds open and spacious, but also brighter, and slightly more in-your-face. The Farad, in contrast, is smother, darker, with deeper bass. Its resolution and rendition of fine detail is just as good, while being less fatiguing over longer listening sessions. I also felt it was a bit more dynamic than the LPS-1.2.

 

I'd say the Farad is the better PSU sonically, although it does cost approx. 25% more than the LPS-1.2.

 

Comparison with the Paul Hynes SR-4

 

For this comparison, I used the DC3FSXLR cable with both PSUs, with the Farad using a GX16 to XLR-4 adapter. 

 

This was a close one! I had to go back and forth many times to form a lasting opinion on this comparison. Tonally, both the SR-4 and the Farad share the dark tonality that I find so pleasing and fatigue-free. They were neck and neck on dynamics and bass. The one area where the SR-4 pulled  ahead - and only by a nose - was fine detail and resolution. The texture of instruments, the detail in fine cymbal and brush strokes was just a little clearer and better defined with the SR-4. 

 

However, the difference was very small, and let's keep in mind that the Farad was handicapped in the output impedance department due to the use of a GX16 to XLR4 adapter. It would not surprise me at all if the Farad closed the gap with a properly terminated cable.

 

I'm going to declare this a tie between the Farad and SR-4.

 

Comparison with the Paul Hynes SR-7 DRXL

 

Did I really expect the Farad to match or outperform the SR-7 DRXL? Not really, and it didn't. With the SR-7, there was just more of everything. Dynamics, bass, clarity, resolution, and texture - they were all there - and all emerging from an inky black background. You pay dearly ($1200+ per rail, plus the patience of Job to get a unit) for the SR-7 DRXL, and you do get what you pay for!

 

Other Use Cases

 

I haven't yet remarked on the 3A capacity of the Farad, which is in fact a great advantage it holds over the LPS-1.2 and SR-4. One concrete use case where this came in handy was in powering the Chord Hugo TT 2. When I reviewed the TT2 a few months ago, I had found that its SQ improved modestly over the stock SMPS when powered by an SR-7 DR rail at 15V. Since I received my own purchased TT2, and since I don't yet own an SR-7 DRXL, I've been using a PowerAdd Pilot Pro 12V to power the TT2. This battery improves SQ over the stock SMPS supply. However, that is the extent of my PSU experimentation. While the TT2 nominally consumes under 2A in steady state (unless powering speakers), it does have an inrush peak of 3A (per Rob Watts) for several seconds while the supercaps "charge." For this reason, I've been loath to try my SR-4 with it, although Paul Hynes has promised to run some tests with the SR4-19, set to 15V, driving a 3A load, to see if it can handle this transient.

 

However, the Farad, with its 3A capacity was easily able to handle this startup transient, and powered the TT2 beautifully. SQ was improved over the battery, and of course the stock SMPS. The main difference was the Farad sounded more relaxed and tonally richer.

 

Note that this experiment was performed with my 12V review unit. It remains to be seen whether a 15V unit would improve SQ even further.

 

Conclusions

 

The Farad Super3 is an exciting entrant to the world of high-quality LPSUs for digital audio gear. Its sound quality is essentially on par with the Paul Hynes SR-4 when used with a good silver DC cable like the Audio Sensibility Signature, while availability is - at least, for now! - much better than the 3-4 months current lead time for the SR-4. In certain applications, if your current needs exceed the SR-4's 2A, the Farad would even be the preferred option.

 

While the Farad Super3 does not match the sound quality of the vaunted SR-7, its easy availability and generous current capacity make it a very compelling choice for everything ranging from switches, DDC's, and clocks to NUCs and even certain DACs.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Next Steps

 

Mattijs will be shipping me a 15V unit soon to validate whether the Farad @ 15V is a better fit for the TT2. I plan to compare this with an SR7 @ 15V. The TT2 improves only modestly even with the SR-7, so the question here is whether the TT2 powered by the Farad is "close enough" to the SQ of the TT2 powered by the SR-7 DRXL.

 

I also expect to receive, in due course, Mattijs level 3 cable once he's perfected it. I'll be comparing this to my benchmark Audio Sensibility and Oyaide DC cables, and reporting back.

 

Stay tuned for an update in a few weeks.

[elan120]

Very nice review as always, Rajiv,

 

Your comparison review is very helpful since I only have some of the power supplies you used in your review, and it is very nice to see how you stack Farad power supply against these other ones.

 

49 minutes ago, austinpop said:

I do understand that these adapters are suboptimal, and almost certainly increase the output impedance of the PSU. The fact that the silver cables performed better, despite this disadvantage, suggests that a properly terminated (GX16) silver cable for the Farad will sound even better. 

 

I had a chance to try a pair of Audio Sensibility Signature cables terminated with GX16-4 connectors to power my NUC with both Super3-19 and Super3-12, and it is clearly a very good match to the Farad power supply.  Since one of the cable also has JSSG360 treatment, and the result is an even better background as well as finer level detail, I am now motivated to get my own soon.

 

Another interesting discovery is using Farad Super3-12 to power sCLK-OCX10, again, it elevated the SQ up a good notch.

 

Overall, I am very pleased with their power supply, and impressed with their lead-time as well, since all my orders came with a little over a week from placing the order.

 

Thank you, and I will be looking forward to your subsequent review.

 

[TheAttorney]

5 hours ago, austinpop said:

. Here are the PSUs and associated cables that I was preparing to compare:

• SR-4: Paul Hynes fine silver DCFS3XLR 3A cable, modded with JSSG360. Terminators are XLR-4 to Oyaide 5.5x2.1
• SR-7 Paul Hynes fine silver DCFS6XL 6A cable. Terminators are Jaeger to Oyaide 5.5x2.1

My cable findings? I preferred all 3 silver cables over the Farad Level 2 cable on the Farad PSU.

 

Another great review Rajiv.

 

I'm curious how the PH 6A cable compares with the PH 3A, using the same power supply?

I opted for the 6A versions when I ordered my SR7, but have occasionally wondered if they really gave a SQ improvement over the 3A - when both driving a small (< 3A) load?

 

When ordering very short lengths, the cost difference between the 3A/6A/10A is significantly reduced.

 

BTW, I found that JSSG360 was detrimental to SQ for my PH cable. Did you do a comparison when you JSSG360'd yours?

 

Edit: Correction: it was my DIY copper Neotech that I had JSSG360'd. It was a star quad construction - 4 twisted wires with no separate screen or ground wire. But this unexpected experience stopped me from JSSG360ing my PH cables.

[dctom]

My intention last year was to get an off the shelf music server.

To this end I borrowed an Aurilac Aries G1 for a few weeks and was initially impressed by it’s SQ when playing music from my usb ext hdd into my Lampizator DAC. In this configuration it sounded more transparent, also, the treble response was more extended compared to my fanless mini-ITX build. Some of my friends did think it sounded more digital than the itx but I liked the extra detail.

 

Unfortunately the G1 was very temperamental, it kept losing the connection to the library files  and eventually refused to recognise the USB drive altogether. After some dealer input it transpired it would work better when networked via ethernet using my itx as a server sending files to the G1. The downside to this arrangement being a  reduction in sound quality in comparison to the USB hard drive. Although initially promising I decided not keep to the G1 and thought I would try out an Innuos Zenith mk111 as an alternative. Whilst trying to get hold of one (they do not seem that easy to come by) I discovered “A novel way ” which appealed to my DIY tendencies! 

 

I have since been following this  thread and a couple of other relevant ones on AS. Through the wealth of information and some interaction with helpful members I have managed to improve my original fanless Asus ITX server, and my computer audio knowledge considerably. As was described early on in the “novel” thread, getting a NUC then directly connecting it to the server has been a game changer. Echoing Anotherspin’s post thank you AS for making this possible.

 

I started off using Jriver MC on both machines with my  USB HD connected to the mini-itx server sending the files via Jriver directly to the NUC endpoint. As mentioned above this configuration produced excellent results, replacing the USB HDD with a NAS was another gain.

 

I have now added a HDplex 200w supplying the ITX + ssd, switch and NAS plus a  Sean Jacobs PS to the NUC. Today I have finally been able to compare a switch mode power  supply to the SJ DC3 - needless to say (or I should say thankfully at £900!) a considerable, massive even  😀, improvement in; transparency, dynamics, scale, instrument placement etc etc. I have posted my equipment/network diagram  below.

 

The latest addition is an installation of an audiolinux licence to see what it would add to the mix. Unfortunately I am not having a great deal of success here - I have got AL up and running ok but for some reason my direct connection won’t pick up NAA on the NUC, HQp on the server will not show my DAC in the settings under NAA.

 

However if I connect the NUC via the ethernet switch, instead of directly, I get my DAC to show up in the NAA settings window. Hence am able to play HQp via AL and Miska’s stand alone NAA (thanks @anotherspin). I have posted this alternative connection below as well.

 

Comparing Jriver direct connection with HPq through the switch  - Jriver direct sounds better! Further evidence of the importance of direct connection I guess.

 

 Does anyone have any ideas why the switch configuration works and the direct not? The ITX is bridged and the NUC happily shares the internet connection and files in either configuration.

 

 

[bit01]

4 hours ago, dctom said:

 

 

The latest addition is an installation of an audiolinux licence to see what it would add to the mix. Unfortunately I am not having a great deal of success here - I have got AL up and running ok but for some reason my direct connection won’t pick up NAA on the NUC, HQp on the server will not show my DAC in the settings under NAA.

 

..

 

Comparing Jriver direct connection with HPq through the switch  - Jriver direct sounds better! Further evidence of the importance of direct connection I guess.

 

 Does anyone have any ideas why the switch configuration works and the direct not? The ITX is bridged and the NUC happily shares the internet connection and files in either configuration.

 

 

I have not played with HQp but I have tried two bridged NUCs  with AL LXQt 3x +JRMC 25 running on both.  The AL installation on the 2nd NUC was from a cloned ÙSB drive of the 1st one. I had trouble with the bridge.

1. I had to change the computer name on the second NUC (in the text file /etc/hostname)

2. I originally cloned  it with J River - the license needed to be re-installed on 2nd NUC : deleted /home/audiolinux/.jriver, start JRMC)

3. Even though the NUCs were an i7 & a Pentium they showed the same MAC address. I had to change one of them manually (used - ip link)

I had excellent sound from this JRMC/LXQt3x setup (AL Menu ver. at 123):

NUC1(load NUC2 library)==bridge==NUC2 (i7,ramroot,USB music hdd, =JRMC server)--switch--LAN

                                                                                                   l

                                                                                               DAC

 

I would contact Piero with your detailed installation. He should be able to sort it out quickly.

ATB.

 

[austinpop]

5 hours ago, TheAttorney said:

 

Another great review Rajiv.

 

I'm curious how the PH 6A cable compares with the PH 3A, using the same power supply?

I opted for the 6A versions when I ordered my SR7, but have occasionally wondered if they really gave a SQ improvement over the 3A - when both driving a small (< 3A) load?

 

When ordering very short lengths, the cost difference between the 3A/6A/10A is significantly reduced.

 

BTW, I found that JSSG360 was detrimental to SQ for my PH cable. Did you do a comparison when you JSSG360'd yours?

 

Edit: Correction: it was my DIY copper Neotech that I had JSSG360'd. It was a star quad construction - 4 twisted wires with no separate screen or ground wire. But this unexpected experience stopped me from JSSG360ing my PH cables.

 

No I did not, because the 6A cables available to me both have Jaeger connectors, while the 3a cables have XLR.

 

That is going to change, as I soon expect to have in hand more PH silver cables of both the 3A and 6A persuasion, with XLR connectors.

 

Once I do, I will be able to compare:

- JSSG360 vs not on 3A cable

- 3A vs 6A cable.

 

I’ll let you know.

[AnotherSpin]

On 7/23/2019 at 10:11 PM, Superdad said:

 

After loads of careful comparisons (related to AL, Roon, server, etc., my current system nirvana chain:

 

Headless 2012 quad-core i7 Mac mini (powered by JS-2), booting AudioLinux from thumb drive with HQ Player Embedded and Roon Server >>

Cisco Catalyst 2960 100Mbps switch >>

Custom NUC (powered by UltraCap LPS-1.2) set to low speed running AudioLinux and NAA >>

ISO REGEN (LPS-1.2) >>

Lush^2 USB cable >>

Heavily modified Singxer SU-1 (LPS-1.2) >>

I2S over HDMI to Holo Spring Level 3 >>

Intact Audio 47-position Slagle/Elnaformer autotransformer level control (currently the copper version; silver wound version on may desk waiting to be wired in).  

Player/control via Roon from 27" iMac on my desk.  Music storage dives also on desktop--shared/watched via SMB with Roon.

 

A huge thanks to @lmitche (nuckleheadaudio.com) for many hours of patient work getting all the Linux stuff working and tuned (with a bunch of his own special tricks) and for making various sticks to make my comparison work easy and valid.

 

My SACD rip of the fabulous Ryan K. Smith/Analogue Productions remastering of Nina Simone's "Little Girl Blue" (don't even bother with the awful 24/96 download version done it Europe or any other version) continues to amaze and move me as my system advances. I only wish I had more time to listen to music. 

 

 

Would you elaborate and tell more about your AL settings? For example, how you set low speed running for AudioLinux and NAA?  What else you set for SQ benefit? Thank you!

[auricgoldfinger]

11 hours ago, austinpop said:

 

I didn't want cable quality and materials to affect the comparison, so I discussed this with Mattijs. At Pink Faun, they had shied away from silver, but he was open to the idea. In fact, he has been experimenting with a "Level 3" silver cable, which is still a work in progress. While he sent me a sample, I won't be talking about that until he's finished tweaking, and is happy with the result. In addition, he supplied me with adapters (GX16 to 5.5x2.5 and GX16 to XLR-4) that allowed me to use all my existing silver cables with the Farad - all but the SR-7 cable.

 

 

Thanks for making the extra effort to ensure cable quality and materials were not a factor in your comparison.  I know this required extra time and patience on your part.

[austinpop]

6 hours ago, dctom said:

Does anyone have any ideas why the switch configuration works and the direct not? The ITX is bridged and the NUC happily shares the internet connection and files in either configuration.

 

Thanks for posting your success story. Glad you're hearing hearing improved SQ with your ITX server and NUC combo!

 

Let's try to direct troubleshooting to the appropriate thread.

 

Are you saying the issue is specific to HQP/NAA, or is it system-wide? Can the NUC not see the network at all. If so, that means the network bridge on your ITX server is not correctly working, and needs to be troubleshot - in the AL thread.

 

If the bridge is working fine, the NUC can "see" the network just fine, but it's only HQP/NAA that isn't working, then it's not an OS (AL) issue - that points more to a HQP issue. This should be raised in the HQPlayer thread.

 

 

 

 

[Nenon]

What is the best sounding AMD Ryzen motherboard people have tried here?

I am thinking about building another server with the gen3 Ryzen and doing a side by side comparison with my highly tweaked i9-9900K / AsROCK Phantom Gaming server. It would be an interesting test and will try to keep as many things constant as possible. 

From a quick search I am leaning towards the ASUS ROG Strix X470-I. Any recommendations? 

[rickca]

Here's an interesting article discussing TDP and turbo from the Intel Fellow responsible for many of the patents in the area of power states and power budget allocation.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/14582/talking-tdp-turbo-and-overclocking-an-interview-with-intel-fellow-guy-therien

[George Hincapie]

On 7/25/2019 at 5:38 AM, elan120 said:

Very nice review as always, Rajiv,

 

Your comparison review is very helpful since I only have some of the power supplies you used in your review, and it is very nice to see how you stack Farad power supply against these other ones.

 

 

I had a chance to try a pair of Audio Sensibility Signature cables terminated with GX16-4 connectors to power my NUC with both Super3-19 and Super3-12, and it is clearly a very good match to the Farad power supply.  Since one of the cable also has JSSG360 treatment, and the result is an even better background as well as finer level detail, I am now motivated to get my own soon.

 

Another interesting discovery is using Farad Super3-12 to power sCLK-OCX10, again, it elevated the SQ up a good notch.

 

Overall, I am very pleased with their power supply, and impressed with their lead-time as well, since all my orders came with a little over a week from placing the order.

 

Thank you, and I will be looking forward to your subsequent review.

 

 

Is it possible to get a 19V output version to power my Audio Store Prestige MX?

[elan120]

1 hour ago, George Hincapie said:

 

Is it possible to get a 19V output version to power my Audio Store Prestige MX?

There is no straightforward answer to this question,  and it will depend on how the computer is configured and used, such as what components are installed, whether HQPlayer upsampling is used.  If you know the power consumption on your computer, both at peak, which could be challenging to measure, and normal, then it will be easier to determine whether your Prestige MX can be powered by Farad Super3-19 that has a maximum output power rating of 57W.

[dctom]

On 7/25/2019 at 4:46 PM, austinpop said:

If the bridge is working fine, the NUC can "see" the network just fine, but it's only HQP/NAA that isn't working, then it's not an OS (AL) issue - that points more to a HQP issue. This should be raised in the HQPlayer thread.

 

Thanks, I will enquire at the HPQ NAA thread,

[dctom]

On 7/25/2019 at 1:50 PM, bit01 said:

I have not played with HQp but I have tried two bridged NUCs  with AL LXQt 3x +JRMC 25 running on both.  The AL installation on the 2nd NUC was from a cloned ÙSB drive of the 1st one. I had trouble with the bridge.

1. I had to change the computer name on the second NUC (in the text file /etc/hostname)

2. I originally cloned  it with J River - the license needed to be re-installed on 2nd NUC : deleted /home/audiolinux/.jriver, start JRMC)

3. Even though the NUCs were an i7 & a Pentium they showed the same MAC address. I had to change one of them manually (used - ip link)

I had excellent sound from this JRMC/LXQt3x setup (AL Menu ver. at 123):

NUC1(load NUC2 library)==bridge==NUC2 (i7,ramroot,USB music hdd, =JRMC server)--switch--LAN

                                                                                                   l

                                                                                               DAC

 

I would contact Piero with your detailed installation. He should be able to sort it out quickly.

ATB.

 

 

Thanks, yes I will contact Piero - I want to find out how to put my MC24 onto audiolinux