Building a DIY Music Server

[AME]

Hello,

 

I'm  following this thread with great interest, I'm fairly new on the forum, but hope to contribute more in the future. 

I'm also in the process of building a music server and almost have finished it, I allready started building, before I learned of the Taiko DIY project, otherwise I probably would have waited. 

 

Parts used:

- HDPlex case

- Asus Sage C621 single processor mainboard

- Intel Xeon Silver 10 Core

- 6 RDIMM memory modules with Samsung IC's

- Custom copper cooling for Xeon

- Intel P900 Optane 280Gb for OS

- M2 drives for music files on M2 PCI Express adapter

- Windows LTSC 2019 and Process Lasso

 

I choose to use a single processor, mainly because of the added extra cost for a dual Xeon system, the complexity with the passive cooling and the power supply requirements. The Power supply I'm planning to use can simply not handle two CPU's.

 

I choose to use a Xeon, because of the 48 PCI Lanes direct to CPU and the sound signature according to Emile from Taiko.

The Asus board has 4 PCI slots directly attached to the CPU.

 

One thing which was a challenge, was to find a proper passive cooling solution for the Xeon. I looked initially at the solution Nenon used for his build, but decided to take another route. So together with a friend of mine, who also wanted to build a new music server with the same components, we started to make our own cooling solution.

It all started with a copper block of a few KG. It was a lot of work, but the result is great.

 

I did a burn in test for a couple of days and the CPU never exceeded 49 degrees celsius. Under normal load it stays around 29 degrees celsius.

 

 

 

 

I have used a HDPlex 400W ATX PSU to test the server and it sounds great, a lot better then my former Intel 7700 build.

 

I also compared a SoTm USB Card with external clock from my former build with the motherboard onboard USB and couldn't believe that the onboard USB sounded better. Probably the new USB controller chip is a lot better.

 

Next step would be a very good power supply. I actually had a Farad Full ATX prototype PSU on loan, not cheap, but it sounded fantastic. I will write a seperate post on this.

 

I'm very interested in the Taiko DIY project and probably can use a lot of parts from my current build.

 

@Nenon any idea when the Taiko DIY components wil be available?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AME]

Hello Nenon,

 

Thanks!

 

It was a lot of handwork, but I quess a lot can also be done with an computer controlled milling machine.

I will drop an email to Larry from HDPlex to see if he is interested.

 

I will definitely wait with the power supply decision.

 

A picture of the Farad ATX PSU next to 400W HDPlex PSU

 

 

 

[AME]

35 minutes ago, Savolax said:

 

Would you be kind to tell more about the Farad ATX PSU? I heard one is being designed but heard nothing since and the website does not tell anything? Are you a beta tester or something? Have I missed out something relevant info here?

 

I was searching for a PSU and had some experience with Pink Faun and Farad, they are both located in the Netherlands and so am I. So I contacted them to see if they had somekind of solution, maybe a Pink Faun chassis with PSU.

 

Then Mattijs from Farad told me he was working on a Farad ATX PSU and he had a pre production sample which he was willing to loan to me for a week for testing.

 

These are the specifications which he provided to me.

 

Farad SuperATX                                                                                                      

Full ATX, 5 rail, three transformer double regulated low noise supercapacitor supply with a total of 20 regulations. Gold plated Molex ATX type output connectors according to Corsair RMX connections. The SuperATX has a ground post and ground lift switch. This supply delivers:

• Transformer 1 and Rail 1: 12V/8A on a Molex 8 pin uP connector (max 100W TDP)
• Transformer 2 and Rail 2+3: 10+14 to 24 Pin ATX connector, all outputs 3A
• Transformer 3 and Rail 4+5: 3 times 6 pin Molex output peripherals with 5V/3A (total sum 7.5A) and 12V/3A (total sum 3A). One of the 6 pin outputs can be switched to always on for for example motherboard OCXO ultra clocks.
• Two switchable outputs with GX16-4 connectors (6V, 7V, 7.5V, 8V, 9V, 10V, 11V, 12V) of 1.1A max. The current drawn on these outputs add up to the 12V Peripheral rail max 3A.

The build quality is really great and fairly compact, same footprint as the HDPlex ATX 400W, but a bit taller.

This PSU was sounding much better then the HDPlex.

More dynamic, bigger soundstage, more relaxed, each instrument had a more accoustic space of his own.

Every time I switched between the PSU's it was immediately noticable. Really a nice step up.

 

The HDPlex can quite hot, the Farad stays a lot cooler.

 

Offcourse all this is to be expected, since the price for this PSU will be around 2.700 Euro's, 3 times more expensive then the HDPlex.

 

This test proved again to me that a good PSU is very important.

 

Hope this helps

 

 

 

[AME]

17 hours ago, matthias said:

 

That would be 2250 USD for the complete PS with the Taiko parts and is then less expensive than the JCAT or Farad solution and probably less than SJ as well.

 

Most certainly better SQ than the alternatives?

 

Matt

 

It would be very interesting to know how the PSU's compare to each other.

 

The Farad however is different then the other PSU's, it is way more flexible, it has multiple output and voltage options. It can power USB, Network and Clock cards externally.

But it cannot deliver enough current for a dual CPU system. A solution could be to use a Super Farad 10 in combination with a Super Farad ATX. Only this will set you probably back another € 1000,-, so total will be  around € 3.700,-. That is way more then the Taiko/Nenon solution.

 

 

[AME]

44 minutes ago, Nenon said:

 

It can do 40A continuously on the 12V rail if that's of any use to you.

And it's 99% efficient. Depending on the input voltage and the load, it can get up to 99.3% efficiency. In fact the most inefficient component I have in the prototype is the transformer. 

 

 

40 amps very nice.

 

I am curious how much are the other voltages.

I noticed with the DHDPlex converter the 5VSB wasn't enought to ower the single Xeon setup.

It delivers 1,5 amps on the 5VSB, which is not enough. 

 

Also how large are the PSU components, will they fit in for example a HDPlex case?

I can imagine that you need a big transformator to supply all the power.

 

How much is the input voltage of the converter board and what input connector is being used?

 

Any pictures available yet?

 

[AME]

17 minutes ago, MarcelNL said:

BTW; a (what I consider a solid with good information for folks new to PSU designs) response from Emile (Taiko) on a question around PSU over at WBF on page 276 and 277 somehow I cannot paste the link: 

 

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/taiko-audio-sgm-extreme-the-crème-de-la-crème.27433/page-276

 

 

[AME]

@Nenon,

 

Did you compare your current lineair PSU, I believe with Jean Jacobs components against the Taiko solution?

And what are your findings comparing these?

 

The Hypsos Ferrum is also a combined Lineair and switching and gets pretty good reviews.

 

https://ferrum.audio/

 

 

 

 

[AME]

What about Audirvana?

 

I'm using this at the moment and it sounds definitly better then Roon.

It also has integration with Tidal and Qobuz.

 

It can also handle VST plugins.

 

 

 

[AME]

@Nenon,

 

Any news on the Taiko DIY?

 

I just filled in the Pre order form for the DC DC ATX:)

 

Do you have some more info about the unregulated PSU?

 

Availability of parts?

 

 

 

[AME]

Looks great,

 

I am however curious which USB chipset will be used. I understood that it will not be using the ASM 3142.

 

[AME]

4 hours ago, Gavin1977 said:

I'll be testing the Asus XI Apex shortly.  No iGPU support.  Any PCIe graphics cards people can recommend with HDMI out which is significantly under 75w PCIe limit?

 

I would prefer to leave it in rather than remove it, even when I eventually run headless.  I like the idea of using a USB to HDMI adapted, but these are useless for accessing BIOS.

 

I use the Asus GT710 1Gb, very cheap and uses very little power. 

[AME]

Anyone perhaps has a Solarflare X2522 working under Windows 10 LTSC?

 

After installing the card, the computer starts up fine, but after installing the windows drivers (Win Server 2019), I get a blue screen.

When removing the card everything works fine.