Audiolinux Server configurations, Software, Hardware, and Listening Impressions

[flkin]

10 hours ago, lmitche said:

Late last week a blind test of Euphony Stylus, Euphony Stylus Endpoint, and Audiolinux RoonBridge was performed. There was one listener, a very experienced audiophile, who is someone with zero understanding of the digital world. As such, he has no bias or interest any software solution. Nevertheless during the test no indication of the current test configuration was shared. Indeed the names of the software being tested were never shared.

 

All tests were performed on a NUC7I7DNBE endpoint connected via 5ghz wifi to a I7-6700k server running RoonServer or serving files via Samba for Euphony Stylus.  Audiolinux and Euphony were configured in the "best" way possible based on my experience.

 

Bottom line, the Audiolinux/Roonbridge config was the best sounding of the three configurations.

 

The Euphony Stylus SQ was declared darker and lacking presence and liveliness. This despite having the entire track buffered in RAM before playback start.

 

The Euphony Stylus Endpoint sounded better, but transients seem to lack control and dynamic passages can sound harsh and distorted at the peaks.

 

Audiolinux/Roonbridge was the most balanced presentation with the best tonal qualities, and most natural presentation.

 

There are many variables at work here, and of course others may have a different experience.

 

Thanks for working on this Larry. Your findings are exactly the same as mine in my recent tests of AL and Euphony/Stylus with my Pink Faun 2.16x streamer. What are your preferred menu AL settings today?

[lmitche]

36 minutes ago, flkin said:

 

Thanks for working on this Larry. Your findings are exactly the same as mine in my recent tests of AL and Euphony/Stylus with my Pink Faun 2.16x streamer. What are your preferred menu AL settings today?

Boot mode standard, ram boot enabled, split cores, and expert mode options enabled are all preferred settings here.

[Dev]

@lmitche Larry, did you try play with the CPU settings in Euphony ? Though for i7 NUC you really can't set any CPU freq settings like you can do with AL but multiple of base frequency somewhat (not perfectly) seem to work, i.e. i.9GHz, 3.8Ghz. The Stylus seem to run the CPU at full swing by default.

[Dev]

5 hours ago, lmitche said:

Boot mode standard, ram boot enabled, split cores, and expert mode options enabled are all preferred settings here.

 

Can you clarify what is expert mode in AL ?

[lmitche]

12 minutes ago, Dev said:

@lmitche Larry, did you try play with the CPU settings in Euphony ? Though for i7 NUC you really can't set any CPU freq settings like you can do with AL but multiple of base frequency somewhat (not perfectly) seem to work, i.e. i.9GHz, 3.8Ghz. The Stylus seem to run the CPU at full swing by default.

 

2 minutes ago, Dev said:

 

Can you clarify what is expert mode in AL ?

Yes, I had read to let Euphony scale the CPU as required from 400Mhz to 4200 Mhz and that was where it was set. I didn't know to try multiples of the base frequency.

 

Also, the AL Expert mode settings in Realtime expert configuration were enabled.

[Dev]

7 minutes ago, lmitche said:

 

Yes, I had read to let Euphony scale the CPU as required from 400Mhz to 4200 Mhz and that was where it was set. I didn't know to try multiples of the base frequency.

 

 

I would agree to the consensus that the dynamics scales with higher freq but at the expense of harshness if the psu is not upto the task. Mine is set at 1900 Mhz and is also powered with SR4 but @ 12v. Not sure if this psu is even tasked to run the i7 NUC at max.

[hifi25nl]

Menu 119 is out!

Some more system configuration status in the first screen.

Now some user files are stored in the folder /opt/configuration

This way your expert menu configuration will not be lost after a menu update.

Added the option to enable/disable web interface

 

I am thinking of introducing some audio profiles in the future and I will try to clarify how the sound could change.

I will also explain how to check if your CPU is powerful enough for your configuration. 

 

Really with Audiolinux you can obtain the sound you want, possible configurations are so many that a comparison does not make sense, much less a shootout... 

 

[lmitche]

19 minutes ago, hifi25nl said:

Menu 119 is out!

Some more system configuration status in the first screen.

Now some user files are stored in the folder /opt/configuration

This way your expert menu configuration will not be lost after a menu update.

Added the option to enable/disable web interface

 

I am thinking of introducing some audio profiles in the future and I will try to clarify how the sound could change.

I will also explain how to check if your CPU is powerful enough for your configuration. 

 

Really with Audiolinux you can obtain the sound you want, possible configurations are so many that a comparison does not make sense, much less a shootout... 

 

Thanks for the new menu options Piero. 

 

Yes, AL has many knobs and switches, so comparison is tough. Nonetheless it is comforting to know we are not missing something spectacular by choosing AL. 

[Monge]

Hi Piero,

The idea of introducing some audio profiles in the future etc. would be a very nice feature In Al headless.

Thanks for the news.

Cheers Monge

[JohanJ]

Hi Piero,

from the update menu I updated the audiolinux menu, the kernel and all other packages.

Updating the audiolinux menu says I am allready up to date. After reboot the menu still shows version 118...

Anything  wrong?

[elan120]

11 minutes ago, JohanJ said:

Hi Piero,

from the update menu I updated the audiolinux menu, the kernel and all other packages.

Updating the audiolinux menu says I am allready up to date. After reboot the menu still shows version 118...

Anything  wrong?

Not Piero...have you try root and see if updated menu (119) is there?  But if you have ramroot enabled while doing the manu update, make sure to save it and then reboot.

[JohanJ]

Thanks elan,

I disabled and removed ramroot before I started updating.

Now I logged in as root and the menu is still showing 118. I did another menu update, but it keeps telling me that I am up to date.

Reboot still shows 119.

So no luck.... for now

[jcn3]

32 minutes ago, JohanJ said:

Hi Piero,

from the update menu I updated the audiolinux menu, the kernel and all other packages.

Updating the audiolinux menu says I am allready up to date. After reboot the menu still shows version 118...

Anything  wrong?

 

i have the same issue -- have saved/rebooted a few times.

[hifi25nl]

Sorry I was changing upload script...

It should be fixed in the next hours, now the server has connection problems. 

[hifi25nl]

Now it should be fixed

[Dutch]

And you released 1.4, thanks. Will upgrade when I find some time!

 

 

Quote

Version 1.4.0

1) Full system update

2) Kernel updated to 4.19.37-rt19-1-rt-bfq no NUMA

2) Menu updated to version 119 with

- Added status (kernel, Boot mode, Isolated cores, Priority etc.) to the main menu 

- Hyper-Threading disabled as default

- New option "SET CPU C-states" in expert menu. The script will set CPU sleep states with a systemd service instead of kernel line option. This is an alternative method to the option "SET boot to Extreme, Extreme2 or Standard" in configuration menu which eventually allows to set different sleep states for isolated cores. This way you can set to Extreme only selected cores and leave the other in standard mode. This method will disable the other one

- Now user files are stored in the folder /opt/configuration
This way your expert menu configuration will not be lost after a menu update

- Added the option to enable/disable web interface

 

[JohanJ]

Yes.... thank you very much... menu 119 is up and running.

 

[sergiocurvelo]

I still can not transfer the AL to my SSD. I did the script, I did the edits, but when I boot, it says there is no operating system. Any suggestion?

[hifi25nl]

For copying to internal SSD  you should pay attention to this:

1) You don't need to format it
2) The target drive must be unmounted
you can check with the command
lsblk -f
3) Source size must be < than target size.
4) Be sure that no other drive is mounted (NAS etc.)
For example if a remote drive is mounted to /media samba you can umount it with
umount /media/samba
etc.
After check with the command  lsblk -f that no other user drive is mounted to /media or some other folder.
5) Eventually disconnect the network removing the Ethernet cable (just to be sure...)
6) Be sure that you are not in ramroot typing
ramroot status

--> if you have errors during cloning send the the output
--> at the end, after switching off, you must remove the USB stick and set BIOS to mount from internal SSD
 

[sergiocurvelo]

I did all this, still without boot. I think it's some error editing in fstab. I'll try to contact Piero.

[davide256]

On 6/5/2019 at 5:14 PM, hifi25nl said:

Now it should be fixed

... 50% of the time I can't update headless, have to reinstall new image. The latest issue is after disabling RAMRoot, doing system/app/menu updates and

then trying to re-enable RAMroot I get UUID not found??

Configuration was pretty basic, Roon endpoint on headless, no extreme modes, copied using original USB stick menu to have

unique DNS/WINS name. Prior image dated from April. Tried RAMroot remove, still getting UUID not found when I try to enable.

 

Is there an easy way to change hostname at initial install vs install then copy? Maybe add a menu item for install,  "choose default hostname {Audiolinux}

or overwrite to proceed"

That would make fresh install less time consuming for a 2 NUC solution update

 

[luisma]

On 4/2/2019 at 6:35 PM, LTG2010 said:

On 4/2/2019 at 6:35 PM, LTG2010 said:

To disable it:
Create a file in /etc directory:

asound.conf

the following parameters for the file:

pcm.!default {
        type plug
        slave.pcm hw
}

 

This file exists in the latest version but in /opt/configuration/asound.conf so is the /etc file deprecated? and thank you for posting

 

[hifi25nl]

alsa asound.conf default place is /etc/asound.conf

Your personal file is instead in /opt/configuration/asound.conf

When you edit and activate it this second file will be copied to the first

 

To change hostname you can edit as root /etc/hostname

 

 

[hifi25nl]

New menu 123 with:

 

1) Option 2 "ENABLE/DISABLE Hyper-Threading" in Expert menu

Note: If you enable Hyper-Threading the option  exclusive CPU cores for audio and SET CPU C-states will not work correctly

2) Improved status in main and status menu

3) Completely rewritten option  21 "SET CPU governor to max, performance or custom (turbo on/off)"

Now you can select intel_psate or acpi as scaling governor. AMD Ryzen users should use acpi

Possible options:

     0 "Change scaling driver to acpi or intel pstate"
     1 "PERFORMANCE Turbo on"
     2 "PERFORMANCE Turbo off"
     3 "CUSTOM FREQUENCY"

You should reboot to make the changes fully effective.

 

 

[elan120]

10 minutes ago, hifi25nl said:

New menu 123 with:

 

1) Option 2 "ENABLE/DISABLE Hyper-Threading" in Expert menu

Note: If you enable Hyper-Threading the option  exclusive CPU cores for audio and SET CPU C-states will not work correctly

2) Improved status in main and status menu

3) Completely rewritten option  21 "SET CPU governor to max, performance or custom (turbo on/off)"

Now you can select intel_psate or acpi as scaling governor. AMD Ryzen users should use acpi

Possible options:

     0 "Change scaling driver to acpi or intel pstate"
     1 "PERFORMANCE Turbo on"
     2 "PERFORMANCE Turbo off"
     3 "CUSTOM FREQUENCY"

You should reboot to make the changes fully effective.

 

 

Thank you for another updated menu, just updated.