Building a DIY Music Server

[RDOK]

6 hours ago, mikicasellas said:

Greetings All,

 

Any of you Guys using JCAT USB XE card with Sablon 2020 USB cable with success and without an issue ?

 

Thanks in advance, 

Cheers !

 

I do, great sound and no issues at all

 

[RDOK]

13 hours ago, MarcelNL said:

I'm using a Hypex module, could not be bothered designing one myself....

just add a relay if you do not want to reach to the back of the amp...or a remote controlled relay...modules are out there.

My tube amp will initially have regular switches on the side panels, to be perhaps replaced by remote controlled relays at some point.

 

Just finished my Nenon power supply v3.

It is making its first hours now in my breadboard endpoint system (running NAA on Gentooplayer), replacing an SR7T.

First impression: There is a lot more energy in the music, it is much more lively. It is more dynamic, details are more pronounced now.

Therefore more details are to be heard, focusing is better.

Still more to come when it settles over the coming weeks......

 

The Hypex soft start module has the option to add a on/off switch or alternatively a push button toggling the on or of state. This switch is not in the main power path, so there is no need for a hefty circuit breaker in the path! The tiny switch on the front my board is all that is needed.

 

Thanks Nenon and all others contributing on this forum. I learn a lot from you and my system has never sounded so good!

 

Rob

 

 

[RDOK]

11 minutes ago, dminches said:

 

Can you take a picture from the front so I can see how you wired the switch into the Hypex?

 

 

 

Here is picture from above the Hypex soft start module. It is close to the Jcat cards on the motherboard.

On the Hypex website you can download the manual for the soft start module. Very helpful.

You can also add one or two LED's, for both the on or off (standby) state

 

 

[RDOK]

34 minutes ago, MarcelNL said:

I totally forgot about that feature on the Hypex module! I ordered it so long ago....and am still waiting on the Lundahl chokes....think they are digging up the iron ore right now....

 

You may want to try rotating the chokes by 90'degrees so their magnetic fields do not interfere and using single leads from each cap to one point for the negative leads 

 

Good suggestions.

For the moment I enjoy the music, but I will consider turning the chokes later.

I use multiple leads to lower the resistance. They are Neotech OCC by the way.

 

Rob

[RDOK]

18 hours ago, Exocer said:

I will have to try this! Interested in learning why you suggest single leads vs lowering resistance with multiple leads for the negative leads.

 

Was just going to ask you if this was Neotech UP-OCC. 16AWG?

 

Planning a full re-wire for scientific reasons with Neotech...

 

 

Indeed I used 16 AWG UP-OCC (stranded) Two wires for the first two legs, three for the last two and of course to the Molex connector to the Taiko DC-ATX converter.

 

17 hours ago, Nenon said:

Sure but make sure you use thick wires. A single 16 AWG wire is not recommended. I would use at least 11 AWG (which is what 3 x 16 AWG wires do). Lower resistance makes a much bigger difference on this power supply than star grounding, at least in my system. 

Good to know, I'll stick to what I have now.

 

Funny detail about the Hypex soft start module: Adding the small switch is optional. This means that if the path between the binding posts for the switch is open, the module is on, if it is closed it is off. A normal on/off switch works the other way round. So if the switch is in 0 (off) position the system is in fact on, and if the switch is in 1 position it is off. Just one small heart attack while testing the system :)

 

 

[RDOK]

1 hour ago, MarcelNL said:

the hypex module comes with some info; https://www.audiophonics.fr/fr/softstart-et-protection/hypex-module-softstart-pour-amplificateurs-p-1616.html

 

And on the Hypex website you can find a full description for download:

 

https://www.hypex.nl/product/softstart-module/38

 

the link to the description itself:

 

Softstart_02xx_R3.pdf

 

[RDOK]

10 hours ago, Gavin1977 said:

Looking at it - you can only boot Windows to a GPU/VRAM using a virtual machine i.e. within Windows.  Unlikely to be any benefit for audiophiles due to the increased overhead.

 

However, a significantly de-bloated version of Windows looks very attractive - potentially down to 30-40 processes.  I checked my main work laptop - 400 concurrent processes!  Nothing essentially new here, but there are some good tools out there you can substitute for audiophile optimiser (I've never used it).

 

Hi Gavin1977,

 

In

 

Windows PE as AUDIO OS - General Forum - Audiophile Style

or more elaborate

Windows 11 PE Audiophile Creation Guide - Computer Audio - JPLAY - hi-end audio player for Windows

 

it is shown that it is very well possible to run W10 or W11 directly in RAM.

I tried, found the learning curve to be steep (not being familiar with Windows tweaking).

I managed to get it running with HQPlayer's NAA with less than 40  processes running.

On the Jcat forum quoted above they are down to 10 processes....

 

I compared the sound I got from this to Gentooplayer and I prefer the latter (my ears, my system etc.)

Later I might try to reduce the number of processes running but for now I am focusing on another project.