Build a 100% Audiophile computer.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Two big items that can lead this search are 1) HQPlayer and 2) use of a microRendu. 

 

HQP requires power.

 

mR enables you to use a big fat ugly PC and put it in another room.

 

In my experience, when using the mR, my computer didn't really matter because I was sending audio over Ethernet and it was powerful enough to do what I needed. 

 

Others have very different experience though, and only you will know which path will work in your situation. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, jcn3 said:

agreed.  just need cpu power to make hqplayer work -- the rest is less important when you're serving the music to the microrendu (recommend using the lps-1 with it).

 

Yes. Power supply at the microRendu is very important. All things upstream, less so. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 hour ago, GUTB said:

MicroRendu is dead to me until it can do DSD512.

 

I built a cheap, fanless audio PC using parts lying around as a sort of trial. That trial was a success -- clearly improved audio quality. Next step is to build a 100% fanless i7-7700K PC, using the gigantic Quiet PC 95W TDP cooler -- which should actually be arriving tomorrow. Then I'll figure out the best, most compact case I can get away with that can take my Paul Pang V3 card and also fit the giant heatsink.

 

I want to be able to run HQP+Roon using the poly-sinc filters upsampling to at least DSD256, but I really want 512 for a future DAC upgrade.

 

 

All audio is dead to me until I can get native DSD1024 :~)