Building a DIY Music Server

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7 hours ago, SK8 said:

I think I will buy 2 used Xeon Gold 6148 to try delidding later. I remember @littlej0e mentioned that higher cores count resulting in better audio performance in his tests. These Xeons were dismantled from retired servers so they are really cheap, about US$50 per chip. 

 

For those going to do delidding, you may consider not putting back the IHS and install a new protector to enable the direct contact between the silicon and the copper heatsink:

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004069216700.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.5.5b6b35e7kyVNUE&algo_pvid=fb774ffb-b930-4cc1-bed9-c682c99c72c2&algo_exp_id=fb774ffb-b930-4cc1-bed9-c682c99c72c2-2&pdp_npi=4%40dis!HKD!358.86!340.92!!!329.99!!%402101fd4b16916359329852605e6cdb!12000029558856272!sea!HK!0!A&curPageLogUid=wvnITT8qXina

 

I will buy one and check it out too.

 

Hi, if You want to try/use these cpues at the Asus sage ws c621e mb, why not buy the Intel Xeon silver 4114 instead? They are cheaper used, than US$50 and it was the cpu Taiko Audio used in their Extreme, before the Xeon 4210 came at the marked. 

The icemancooler cpu protector is a little bit cheaper here:

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004069216700.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.3.708954414Bbz45&algo_pvid=d8653557-7664-4793-9ba0-320a8f244463&algo_exp_id=d8653557-7664-4793-9ba0-320a8f244463-1&pdp_npi=4%40dis!EUR!53.29!50.63!!!412.49!!%402101e9d416916633545696230e400e!12000029558856272!sea!DK!718482759!&curPageLogUid=4AmK166DxBcX&gatewayAdapt=glo2esp

 

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4 hours ago, BOBO said:

i`ve noticed that alot of power supplies have that blue potentiometer for voltage adjustments. 

how does that work, if the PSU`s current voltage is set to 12v, can i adjust it and set it to 5?

Yes, this psu can be adjusted from 5 to 24v, but it depends on the voltage output of the transformer. I think to get 5v a 9v transformer are preferred,

but maybe a 12v can be used to…

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4 hours ago, MarcelNL said:

I vote against the product, I bought a dual output dual transformer version based on this circuit to test the effect on SQ on my general use (not audio) Wifi AP's, the first transformer had a catastrophic meltdown within a month, used well within spec and the second one weeks later.....the only thing the seller could do was to tell me I surely had modified the unit and did not know what I was doing. 

 

junk.

Sounds weird, was it with toroidal transformer or R-core transformer?

I have a few with R-core transformers and there have been no problems with them. It is basically the same psu as Xymox at "whatsbestforum" uses with a few modifications for his AppleTv X and switches/AP. 

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2 hours ago, MarcelNL said:

the R core version, the weird thing was that one R core transformer was labeled 18V, which is a LOT for a 12V output PSU to didssipate in heat, the other side was a 15 V Rcore that also released its magic smoke....the first one we inhaled, for the second I recognized the smell.

Ok, sounds dangerous/worrying. You didn’t use both of the outputs?
Ask, because they are parallel connected, so if the psu max. is 3A, it will be max. 1.5A per. output.

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20 hours ago, MarcelNL said:

I did use both outputs, my version was a dual output...one R Core rectifier caps and regulator per output.

If Yours psu is the same as at “BOBO’s” picture, then it just have one regulator to both outputs and the outputs are therefore, as I wrote parallel connected.

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7 hours ago, MarcelNL said:

For those using a dual xeon what is the advise sa to which CPU carries the OS and which CPU the player etc?

 

I'm probably having to place both heatsinks above each other and think it's good to connect the CPU with the least heat generation to the upper heatsink but I wonder if there is a lot of difference.

(use case of simple WAV and FLAC streaming, 24bit at the highest, NO upsampling, no PGGB, no filtering no DSP)

 

The Taiko Extreme pcie slots are often occupied as this:

• CPU 2 - 1 (16x, blank), 2 (8x, SFP card or network card), 6 (8x, blank), 7 (16x, Music storage card)
• CPU 1 - 3 (8x, OS storage card), 4 (8x, blank), 5 (16x, Taiko USB card).
  I think I have read that the CPU 1 with the OS gets a few degrees warmer.

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@SK8 

Thanks and smart to use a vice ;0) instead of this there are expensive…

 

https://www.caseking.de/en/der8auer-delid-die-mate-ws-3647-fsd8-028.html

 

Lucky You, that You have copper cpu heatsinks, so You can use liquid metal

because this isn’t possible with the Taiko aluminium cpu heatsinks in their diy chassis kit.

 

 

 

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On 3/16/2024 at 4:16 AM, Exocer said:

Totally agree and onboard lan is surprisingly good on the Asus sage. Among the best I’ve had so far in this journey (5 or so motherboards in).

 

I am using a DC4 powered Etherregen, Ref10 reclocked using an Hapa copper BnC cable. I tried the Mikrotik Cr309:

 

Really impressed with the SQ in stock form. I unfortunately crippled it taking my mods a bit too far, so will have to revisit that when time allows. Projects are stacking up. In my system it did not beat the ER setup mentioned above several weeks in but was an admirable performer.

 

I really love what you’ve done with the copper plate and copper enclosure! Kudos to a job well done.

You have made some of the mods at the CR309 as Xymox has done at WBF?

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12 hours ago, abase said:

..today I installed this thing - I`m not happy with it. The card get`s very hot.
I have installed the same cooling like griggaudio.
 

If we could put the x2522 in a external cabinet etc. as Afterdark do here:

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/69478-afterdark-constellation-giesemann-sfp-optical-network-enhancer/#comment-1272453

 

but I assume that we need some sort of af USB-C to pcie card converter/adapter/cable, so it can be connected to a pc?