Is this website about "computer" audio anymore?

[4est]

On 9/1/2018 at 1:12 PM, wgscott said:

 

 

They have quite a bit of breathing room!

 

One issue (which is minor, but still annoys me) is that I get "pops" when the power comes on to the amplifier boards.  This happens with one power supply connected to both boards, or two separate power supplies each connected to one board.  It is silent when I turn it off (no "thump").  But this annoys me.  The Ncore-400s I was loaned don't do that.  Is this an artifact of linear power supplies?  Is there something I can do to get rid of it (within reason -- it isn't that big of a deal, and I don't want to interfere with sound quality due to a momentary issue).

 

 

A simple time delayed relay on the outputs would work.

[jabbr]

11 minutes ago, rando said:

I have no doubts @jabbr could make even a Walmart computer functional.  Most here probably could.  It isn't a question likely to hold interest for an interminable amount of time though.  What are you going to do once it's no longer fun to play with.  The kids know better than to get saddled with it.  Seems wasteful to let it sit in the closet until it dies of old age.  Why bother in the absence of a very solid reason for pursuing this when there are more worthy uses of time?

 

Hmmm ... never tried getting a computer at Walmart ?

 

I do think there are many important things that remain to be done here:

 

1) devise a proper input and shielding to a DAC so that it won't be subject to the whims of cables

2) further integration of room/system correction with upsampling

3) along with digital crossover

4) new DAC architectures that ...

5) ... integrate with new amp architectures i.e. ...

6) multichannel

 

Kii, Estelon are in this area

[Sal1950]

On 9/1/2018 at 2:11 PM, wgscott said:

 

That is what I am hoping for, but I don't know the first thing about it. But it is 3:00 am next Tuesday in Australia.

This might be of some help for you Prof.

https://hoppesbrain.com/product/universal-amplifier-soft-start-power-supply-board/

[sandyk]

3 hours ago, Sal1950 said:

This might be of some help for you Prof.

https://hoppesbrain.com/product/universal-amplifier-soft-start-power-supply-board/

 Sal

 This is designed for a different purpose. It  will not stop plops from the speakers at start up.

 Where you have a large bank of filter capacitors it will help to prevent the amplifier's fuse from eventually blowing at start up, as well as permitting a more suitably rated fuse to be used .

 A large current inrush at start up may even cause nearby lamps to momentarily dim.

Yes, I have used a similar device to the one you linked to in a DIY 240W/Ch Power Amplifier quite a few years ago.

 After a time delay governed by the 555 timer, the relay operates and short circuits a series Power Resistor to permit full current into the amplifier.

Alex

[Doak]

The BEST "computer audio" is one W/O the computer.  

[kumakuma]

2 minutes ago, Doak said:

The BEST "computer audio" is one W/O the computer.  

 

Yes, and systems without speakers have no audible distortion...

[mansr]

2 minutes ago, kumakuma said:

Yes, and systems without speakers have no audible distortion...

Capacitors and inductors will occasionally buzz a little.

[kumakuma]

Just now, mansr said:

Capacitors and inductors will occasionally buzz a little.

 

[sandyk]

6 hours ago, 4est said:

A simple time delayed relay on the outputs would work.

 

 Agreed. However for the low sum of Au$27.95 + P&P you can buy a complete kit from Altronics with additional protection features, not just a time delay.

[sandyk]

1 hour ago, mansr said:

Capacitors and inductors will occasionally buzz a little.

 

The earlier SSDs had inductors that made audible noises.

[Doak]

1 hour ago, Doak said:

The BEST "computer audio" is one W/O the computer.  

Translation: Research purpose built servers/renderers and buy one that serves your needs and meets your budget constraints - limiting the computers to file acquisition/management .... and posting on CA.

[diecaster]

You can't have digital audio without multiple computers (whether general purpose, special purpose, or embedded).

[Sal1950]

On 9/2/2018 at 6:55 PM, sandyk said:

Sal

 This is designed for a different purpose. It  will not stop plops from the speakers at start up.

Thanks for the info, I mis-understood it's correct applied function.

 

[Sal1950]

23 hours ago, kumakuma said:

 

Yes, and systems without speakers have no audible distortion...

I didn't hear you, what was that? 

[Kal Rubinson]

22 hours ago, Doak said:

Translation: Research purpose built servers/renderers and buy one that serves your needs and meets your budget constraints - limiting the computers to file acquisition/management .... 

if it exists.

[firedog]

On 8/31/2018 at 7:29 PM, MikePM said:

Not really splitting hairs.  As I acknowledged, any "chip" is really a computer, but my comments were directed at the direction of this website which I think was for years the source of all things audio for the computer geek.  It's not my site, but I don't think it is controversial that it really does not address the same topics it used to.  If we will never see a new CAPS or description of the benefit of various NASs, so be it.  Right now you have to delve deep into the forums to get much of a hardware discussion, or a description of the benefits of various operating system tweeks.

 

I have generally concluded that if you get a sonic transporter I5 with a microrendu, you are close to maxing out the potential of server sound quality.  But how about a discussion on say whether the newer I5's are capable of handling roon DSP, since they have the computing power of older I7s?  Or how to modify linux on the base transporter or roon nuc to add an app to access Qobuz or Deezer.  Or how to . . . 

The CAPs discussions etc. have mostly faded b/c a) most of us have moved to a different model, which makes many of those discussions moot; or, b) such devices are readily sold commercially by numerous vendors at reasonable prices. 
Chris posted about just such a PC  a few days ago.
The whole CA area has moved much closer to plug and play than it was just a few years ago. Your example of the ST and mRendu is a perfect example. It's almost as easy as receiving the shipment and plugging everything in. Result: great SQ. 
 

But some of those types of questions you refer to are still discussed here. There are still active threads on some of those topics.  It's a forum. Post any idea or question you might have and I'm sure you will get some responses. 

 

 

[firedog]

On 9/1/2018 at 8:12 PM, wgscott said:

 

 

They have quite a bit of breathing room!

 

One issue (which is minor, but still annoys me) is that I get "pops" when the power comes on to the amplifier boards.  This happens with one power supply connected to both boards, or two separate power supplies each connected to one board.  It is silent when I turn it off (no "thump").  But this annoys me.  The Ncore-400s I was loaned don't do that.  Is this an artifact of linear power supplies?  Is there something I can do to get rid of it (within reason -- it isn't that big of a deal, and I don't want to interfere with sound quality due to a momentary issue).

 

 

What did you think of the NCores compared to your amp? Sound any different?

[firedog]

On 9/2/2018 at 1:49 AM, wgscott said:

This is why we need a DIY sub-forum!

So start it.

[lucretius]

On 9/2/2018 at 9:25 PM, diecaster said:

You can't have digital audio without multiple computers (whether general purpose, special purpose, or embedded).

 

I don't think that statement is saying anything.  E.g. you put some DSP chips in a radio receiver and all of a sudden it's a (special purpose) computer.  Almost all electronics have chips and/or firmware.  I believe the OP and others were referring to devices that are general purpose computers or, although built or configured for a specific purpose, could be used as general purpose computers.

[Ajax]

15 hours ago, Kal Rubinson said:

if it exists.

 

Translation: Research purpose built servers/renderers and buy one that serves your needs and meets your budget constraints - limiting the computers to file acquisition/management .... 

 

Hi Kal & Doak,

 

I purchased an Auralic Mini several years ago and wasn't much impressed by it. The addition of a S Booster power supply and several upgrades to the Lighting DS app, which greatly improved its stability and added Spotify Connect and Tidal to my own music, which I have stored on an internal 500G SSD.

 

I now have one hell of a music server feeding my Devialet 200 and ATC SCM 19 speakers.

 

I play my own music (16/44.1 and Hi Res) from the SSD and stream Tidal via the Lighting DS app, which I have installed on a second hand iPad sitting on the coffee table. My family access the Mini via airplay and Spotify connect, where it simply shows up as "living room" under "other devices".

 

The sound quality IMO is excellent although I have not bothered to "benchmark" it against anything else. I connect to my Devialet via the optical out, so I don't use the internal DAC, and could most likely have got away without the S Booster power supply.

 

The form factor (slightly larger than an Apple TV) is unobtrusive, it is simple to set up and use, and the total cost was less than US$1k. I also bought another for my beach house ,which is connected to a Marantz PM 5005 amp via optical into a pair of Wharfdale speakers.

 

I learnt how to set this up from the Auralic Mini thread on CA, so many thanks to the contributors there.

 

So IME "it exists".

 

All the best,

 

Ajax

 

PS - you can also link several together for multi room so Bill doesn't have to turn up the volume !  

 

[Doak]

15 hours ago, Kal Rubinson said:

if it exists.

As in all such matters, the assignment is to get as close as one can with what one's got to throw at it. 

[Kal Rubinson]

23 minutes ago, Ajax said:

So IME "it exists".

I am glad that it does for you but that does not come close to suiting my needs.

9 minutes ago, Doak said:

16 hours ago, Kal Rubinson said:

 

As in all such matters, the assignment is to get as close as one can with what one's got to throw at it. 

Agreed.  The nature of the target differs greatly among users.

[Doak]

4 minutes ago, Kal Rubinson said:

I am glad that it does for you but that does not come close to suiting my needs.

Agreed.  The nature of the target differs greatly among users.

Certainly. I understand there are some who seek such equipment with several (or more) audio channels. ?

[Kal Rubinson]

1 hour ago, Doak said:

Certainly. I understand there are some who seek such equipment with several (or more) audio channels. ?

As well as DSP.

[wgscott]

14 hours ago, firedog said:

So start it.

 

14 hours ago, firedog said:

What did you think of the NCores compared to your amp? Sound any different?

 

I haven't had a chance to write up a summary.  I'll do so and post to the thread I started.