improvedsound Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Hi Friends. I would like to tell you, about my experience made with the industrial grade hardware. My new DIY music server is based on Supermicro motherboard and Xeon processor 1151 socket with a Seasonic Fan less 80+ platinum power supply . The OS is an optimized Windows Server 2012 R2, HQ Player, Jplay 6.2 and ramdisk as virtual hdd. The result is fantastic. I never heard sounding a pc so natural and "analogic" before. I have tried many brands, like Asus, Asrock, MSI, Gigabyte. Supermicro has been a revelation. Its products are really excellent. Great build quality, excellent quality of the components, great sound. Highly recommended. My next step will be a linear power supply, and I dare not imagine what will happen !!!! Link to comment
kilroy Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Hi Friends. I would like to tell you, about my experience made with the industrial grade hardware. My new DIY music server is based on Supermicro motherboard and Xeon processor 1151 socket with a Seasonic Fan less 80+ platinum power supply . The OS is an optimized Windows Server 2012 R2, HQ Player, Jplay 6.2 and ramdisk as virtual hdd. The result is fantastic. I never heard sounding a pc so natural and "analogic" before. I have tried many brands, like Asus, Asrock, MSI, Gigabyte. Supermicro has been a revelation. Its products are really excellent. Great build quality, excellent quality of the components, great sound. Highly recommended. My next step will be a linear power supply, and I dare not imagine what will happen !!!! SuperMicro boards are very nice. Most are made for server applications so drivers can be a problem sometimes for home audio use. Glad yours worked out. How did you implement the RAM disk? Link to comment
improvedsound Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 Regarding Supermicro, I'm using a server motherboard without any problem. For the RAM disk I have reserved a part of the RAM as virtual disk, thanks to the software "Primo RamDisk". It's easy to use... :-) Link to comment
improvedsound Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 Some Photos. :-) Link to comment
tboooe Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Nice work! I keep thinking about trying RAMdisk but havent gotten around to it. I wonder if RAMdisk offers any sonic benefits over running everything from an SSD? How much space did you have to reserve for Server R2, HQP, and Jplay? Perhaps a dumb question...when using RAMdisk is the data still stored on the SSD or is everything running of memory? 12TB NAS >> i7-6700 Server/Control PC >> i3-5015u NAA >> Singxer SU-1 DDC (modded) >> Holo Spring L3 DAC >> Accustic Arts Power 1 int amp >> Sonus Faber Guaneri Evolution speakers + REL T/5i sub (x2) Other components: UpTone Audio LPS1.2/IsoRegen, Fiber Switch and FMC, Windows Server 2016 OS, Audiophile Optimizer 3.0, Fidelizer Pro 6, HQ Player, Roonserver, PS Audio P3 AC regenerator, HDPlex 400W ATX & 200W Linear PSU, Light Harmonic Lightspeed Split USB cable, Synergistic Research Tungsten AC power cords, Tara Labs The One speaker cables, Tara Labs The Two Extended with HFX Station IC, Oyaide R1 outlets, Stillpoints Ultra Mini footers, Hi-Fi Tuning fuses, Vicoustic/RealTraps/GIK room treatments Link to comment
ElviaCaprice Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Which Supermicro mobo did you use? The weakest link with those mobo's is the PSU. I'm thinking the Jetway mobos are getting much closer to the ideal mobo for HTPC when incorporating one of the new supercapacitor LPS's. If one is concerned "only" with audio, then the renderer route is by far the more ideal low power computer. (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) Link to comment
dminches Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Which Supermicro mobo did you use? The weakest link with those mobo's is the PSU. I'm thinking the Jetway mobos are getting much closer to the ideal mobo for HTPC when incorporating one of the new supercapacitor LPS's. If one is concerned "only" with audio, then the renderer route is by far the more ideal low power computer. What do you mean by the PSU being the weak link? Speakers: Vandersteen Model 7s, 4 M&K ST-150Ts, 1 VCC-5; Amplification: 2 Vandersteen M7-HPAs, CI Audio D200 MKII, Ayre V-6xe; Preamp: Doshi Audio Line Stage v3.0; Phono Pre: Doshi Audio Phono Pre; Analog: Wave Kinetics NVS with Durand Telos composite arm; SME 3012R arm, Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement v2; Reel to Reel: Technics RS-1500; Doshi Tape Pre-Amp; Studer A810, Studer A812, Tascam BR-20; Multi-channel: Bryston SP-3; Digital: Custom PC (Sean Jacobs DC4/Euphony/Stylus)> Lampizator Pacific Link to comment
improvedsound Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 the OS is resident on a 128GB Samsung SM951-NVMe M.2, the music, is stored on a Seagate HDD NAS 8TB by SATA connector. When I must listen the music, I drag the files into the RAM Disk. For my hear is the better way. Link to comment
improvedsound Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 Which Supermicro mobo did you use? The weakest link with those mobo's is the PSU. I'm thinking the Jetway mobos are getting much closer to the ideal mobo for HTPC when incorporating one of the new supercapacitor LPS's. If one is concerned "only" with audio, then the renderer route is by far the more ideal low power computer. [h=1]Supermicro X11SSH-F and Intel Xeon E3-1260L v5 (TDP 45W). As I wrote, I will soon be an update with a linear power supply. But with Seasonic, the result is amazing.[/h] Link to comment
ElviaCaprice Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Supermicro X11SSH-F and Intel Xeon E3-1260L v5 (TDP 45W). As I wrote, I will soon be an update with a linear power supply. But with Seasonic, the result is amazing. Won't matter, I would stay with the fanless Seasonic. There is no good way to power such an atx motherboard, your choice is probably just as good as any LPS on the market today. I'm talking about powering a much smaller low power mobo with one of the newer galvanic isolated supplies, non ATX. (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) Link to comment
dminches Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Except for the cost, a HD-Plex PSU should work fine. I am using one to power a different Supermicro MOBO. I am also using a Teradak to cover a different Supermicro MOBO. Speakers: Vandersteen Model 7s, 4 M&K ST-150Ts, 1 VCC-5; Amplification: 2 Vandersteen M7-HPAs, CI Audio D200 MKII, Ayre V-6xe; Preamp: Doshi Audio Line Stage v3.0; Phono Pre: Doshi Audio Phono Pre; Analog: Wave Kinetics NVS with Durand Telos composite arm; SME 3012R arm, Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement v2; Reel to Reel: Technics RS-1500; Doshi Tape Pre-Amp; Studer A810, Studer A812, Tascam BR-20; Multi-channel: Bryston SP-3; Digital: Custom PC (Sean Jacobs DC4/Euphony/Stylus)> Lampizator Pacific Link to comment
kilroy Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Supermicro X11SSH-F and Intel Xeon E3-1260L v5 (TDP 45W). As I wrote, I will soon be an update with a linear power supply. But with Seasonic, the result is amazing. Good board. I used this briefly last year and it responded well to a LPS driven pico and with the HDPlex HIFI. Link to comment
bengl3rt Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 What case is that? Homemade? Aries Mini -> Audioquest Forest -> Musical Fidelity M6si -> Nordost White -> Ascend Acoustics Sierra RAAL tower Link to comment
improvedsound Posted January 26, 2017 Author Share Posted January 26, 2017 What case is that? Homemade? This is a made in Italy case for a generic use.[emoji2] Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile Link to comment
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