Audiolinux Server configurations, Software, Hardware, and Listening Impressions

[Forehaven]

Larry, " I expect to replace the i7-6700k and z270 with a modern coffee lake and related motherboard in the next few weeks."  Really?  So interesting!  TBH, I'm surprised still to hear again that an i7 NUC sounds better than our super tweaked out pc's.  

 

Amazing progress in so little time

[Forehaven]

16 hours ago, lmitche said:

Hi Forehaven,

 

There are people that are looking for new tweaked out servers that are not NUC based, so the coffee lake and z370 type motherboard seem to meet those needs best.

 

This allows tweaking with special nic, USB cards and clocks in a way that is not possible on a NUC.

 

Will these solutions sound better then a NUC, I don't know.  How many angels dance on the head of a pin?

 

 

 

 

Ah!!  Now that makes sense Larry.  Despite all the improvements we've seen recently, there's still more to be had perhaps with clocks in particular.  I'll be following with much anticipation

[Forehaven]

Great update Larry, and surprising to me at least.  No matter how much we've focused on isolated, regulated lps's the last yr., we're still finding better results with even better/dedicated ps's.

 

Thanks bud!

[Forehaven]

15 hours ago, lmitche said:

Having read recent posts in the "Novel" thread it seems we are heading in the "gear head" direction again, where the fastest most bad-ass machine is said to produce the best SQ.

 

Hmmm. . .

 

SQ here is crazy good with a recent series of tweaks that move things in the opposite direction.  As evidence here are processor loads and temps for my server (AMD Ryzen 7 2700) and endpoint (NUC I7) while playing roonserver and roonbridge respectively on the most recent version of Audiolinux.

Server:

 

CPU temperature

Tdie:        +26.2°C  (high = +70.0°C)
Tctl:         +26.2°C

 

CPU load

 

Linux 5.2.19-rt11-3-rt-bfq (archaudio)        10/21/2019      _x86_64_        (8 CPU)

 

08:37:43 PM  CPU    %usr   %nice    %sys %iowait    %irq   %soft  %steal  %guest  %gnice   %idle x
08:37:43 PM  all    0.31    0.00    0.36    0.04    0.01    0.01    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.27 x
08:37:43 PM    0    0.01    0.00    0.02    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.97 x
08:37:43 PM    1    0.01    0.00    0.03    0.05    0.01    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.90 x
08:37:43 PM    2    2.46    0.00    2.67    0.07    0.04    0.01    0.00    0.00    0.00   94.75 x
08:37:43 PM    3    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00  100.00 x
08:37:43 PM    4    0.01    0.00    0.03    0.05    0.01    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.90 x
08:37:43 PM    5    0.01    0.00    0.02    0.05    0.01    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.91 x
08:37:43 PM    6    0.01    0.00    0.03    0.03    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.92 x
08:37:43 PM    7    0.01    0.00    0.07    0.03    0.02    0.03    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.84 x

Endpoint:

 

CPU temperature

 

Package id 0:  +31.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)

 

Core 0:        +31.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C) 
Core 1:        +31.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 2:        +29.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)

Core 3:        +29.0°C  (high = +100.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)

temp1:       -273.2°C                                                      x
temp2:        +27.8°C  (crit = +119.0°C)
temp3:        +29.8°C  (crit = +119.0°C) 

temp1:        +33.5°C

 

CPU load

 

Linux 5.2.19-rt11-3-rt-bfq (audiolinux)       10/21/2019      _x86_64_        (4 CPU)

 

08:51:48 PM  CPU    %usr   %nice    %sys %iowait    %irq   %soft  %steal  %guest  %gnice   %idle x
08:51:48 PM  all    0.06    0.00    1.11    0.02    0.12    0.01    0.00    0.00    0.00   98.69 x
08:51:48 PM    0    0.02    0.00    0.05    0.04    0.01    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.88 x
08:51:48 PM    1    0.02    0.00    0.04    0.01    0.01    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.92 x
08:51:48 PM    2    0.02    0.00    0.08    0.01    0.01    0.03    0.00    0.00    0.00   99.86 x
08:51:48 PM    3    0.17    0.00    4.29    0.00    0.47    0.00    0.00    0.00    0.00   95.07 x

 

The ambient temperature of the room is 22°C. 

 

SQ is holographic.

 Ditto here.  New Ryzen 7 server is an incredible upgrade.  

[Forehaven]

How's this work Larry?  The 1321 uses 5v 1A input.  A LPS 1.2 outputs 5v at 1.1A so you could get away using just one right?  Is it due to using two LT's?