Building a DIY Music Server

[ASRMichael]

1 hour ago, StreamFidelity said:

 

During the boot process, high current peaks can overload weak power supplies. The boot process is aborted or repeated. This can destroy the motherboard. Which CPU are you using?

i9 10900k - has been working for 2 months now with turbo on. set to short 150w and long 120w. I have a 10a supply. I turned off Turbo and still the same issue, which leads to me the ATX rail. 

 

Interestingly when I connect my PC PSU and boot it then shutdown and connect my LPS, it works, but only once. 

 

I have my Taiko card, awaiting for my cables to get made. That will resolve the issue I'm sure. 

[ASRMichael]

38 minutes ago, StreamFidelity said:

 

Is the CPU multiplier set to Auto? If so, try a fixed assignment for all cores, for example 42 (4.2GHz).

Tried that also. 👍

[ASRMichael]

@StreamFidelity

 

I got it booted again. Connected pc psu loaded up Euphony. Shutdown. Connected LPS & worked. One thing I noticed was HD button flashes fast with pc psu, but same button lights up but doesn’t flash fast. It gets stuck on 2 flashes, maybe be drive is stopping the boot process.

 

I have added two extra sticks of ram and additional m.2 card. I wonder if ATX is getting enough power on boot. 

[ASRMichael]

RE Taiko ATX Upgrade
 

A few months ago I said to myself, I need to cut back on my audiophile spending....well my wife did! 😂 no seriously I did! 

 

Then I got a notification that the Taiko ATX was available to purchase! I hummed & hawed. Well not for long! Thinking “what happens if there’s was only one batch made & I miss out” I went and purchased the Taiko card! It arrived and I said ok how am I go to power this. Yes, without any plan! Crazy I know! 

 

Realising I’ve already overspent this year I had to come up with a cheap alternative using my existing LPS’s. 

 

What I’ve read from Nenon’s posts. I needed an unregulated LPS 24v or higher. 
 

To cut a long story short. 
 

I had 2 Sean Jacobs DC3’s, 11 rails in total

 

Rail 1 - 10a 12v rail

Rail 2/3/4 - ATX

Rail 5 - EtherRegen 

Rail 6 - Pink Faun Ultra USB

Rail 7 - JCAT Eth XE

Rail 8 - NUC (NAS)

Rail 9 - NUC (OXCO Board)

Rail 10 - Spare

Rail 11 - Spare

 

As you know all Sean’s rails are already double regulated. So what about double, double regulated? 

 

Here’s what I’ve ended up with;

 

Rail 1 - 24v - 10a feeding Taiko - Unregulated

Rail 2 - EtherRegen Double, double regulated 

Rail 3 - Pink Faun Ultra USB Double, double regulated 

Rail 4 - JCAT Eth XE Double, double regulated 

Rail 5 - NUC (NAS) double regulated 

Rail 6 - NUC (OXCO Board) Double regulated 

Rail 7 - Spare for 2nd EtherRegen - Double, double regulated

 

Effectively we used all the spare regulators on 12v CPU & ATX to double up to 4 regulators for Rail, 2,3,4,7. Added bonus.

 

I was very fortunate according to Sean that there was such a step down from 24v to 12v on the 10a rail. Having 24v at 10a feeding the Taiko was a bonus. 240w versus my 150w what I had. In addition because it’s now unregulated this means I can set my mobo psu settings for “long” at 240w and “short” to 368w (need to change the fuse to 16a to do that). That’s if I’m understanding Sean correctly. 

 

It’s going to be difficult to measure any SQ benefits from double, double regulated, but in theory it should. 
 

It’s very rare in this game to come up with a solution that doesn’t completely break the bank! Maybe just pure luck on my part! 
 

I’ve had to order new cables. Both cables & LPS’s should be up & running this weekend. 
 

Hopefully next year if funds permit I can purchase the V5 unregulated design from Nenon! Kidding, V3! 
 

I’ll feedback in 2-3 weeks once broken in! 
 

Thought I would share! 

 

[ASRMichael]

7 hours ago, jean-michel6 said:

Hi Michael , 

 

I did like you 😂. Very interested by your results . I have not yet installed my Taiko ATX . I will initially power it with a SJ DC3 19 V@5A . 
I am waiting on some feedback and may be I will use one of unregulated ps from Nenon . 
My server is a supermicro X10sdv-f ( Xeon 8 cores ar 2.1 MHz ) . This board is only fed through the atx there is no eps connector . I run only Daphile so no need for more horsepower . 
I have measured 4A at start up and about 3A during normal operations . 
 

Since you have an etherregen, I very very strongly recommend an external 10 MHz master clock . I did that recently and I call the result a small miracle . It does improve everything in sound quality and makes the sound so much more natural . It really worth every penny . 
I went for an afterdark Giesemann  the cost is 1700€ , I did try before an afterdark double crown loaned by a friend and it was also really excellent cost is more reasonable about 900€ 

 

Jean-Michel 

Hopefully cables arrive this week and I’ll give early impressions.
 

I’ve decided not to spend anymore on network. I’m only using local files at present. No streaming services.

 

I had Edge X & OM before my EtherRegen. All powered by DC3 rails. I after 12 months in place I removed the Edge X and OM because it sounded better without them. This might be because my DC3 was powering 2 less devices, who knows! Also Euphony now has a feature to disconnect network. 
 

IMHO £1700 for a clock is a lot of money, could this amount of money be spent better elsewhere? 

[ASRMichael]

@Nenon whilst things are quite here at present, you posted previously you were going to post how to setup windows affinity etc on dual CPU’s. Using Asus sage board. 
 

I maybe see myself on a journey towards the dual cpu. Especially since I have the Taiko ATX card. 
 

I think users who plan to buy Taiko ATX, Unregulated PSU, Taiko case may be thinking about how to setup windows affinities etc. You posting how to do it may gather a lot more interest to go down that route. 
 

If you could do you write up that would be great. 
 

Cheers

[ASRMichael]

17 minutes ago, Nenon said:

I noticed a quite significant variable while doing tests with my DIY server. Every time I turned it off to make some changes and back on as part of my A/B tests, it sounded better. It took me some time to understand why but it became clear after a few tests. The HDPlex chassis runs a bit hot after my dual CPU is powered one for several hours/days. When I turn it off and all the components cool down, my server sounds quite a bit better! I knew there was a difference but did not expect it to be that big. With that variable in mind I had to redo most of my tests. 

 

After living for several weeks with V3 of the unregulated LPS, I decided to switch back to V2. I heard exactly what I heard the last time. V3 gives you a very expansive soundstage but loses some clarity. If clarity and transparency is what you are after, go with V2. If you prefer to have soundstage way beyond the walls of your listening room, then go with V3.
I had a pretty hard time deciding what I prefer. But I picked V3 for me and my system at the end. The good thing is it’s easy to switch from V3 to V2 when I get bored :). The main point is that V3 should not be considered an upgrade to V2. They are just two differnet sounding versions. Many people may prefer V2. I like the big and expansive soundstage on V3! 

Thanks. One of the reasons I installed an array of fans (Not connected to server or dedicated mains supply) was to keep everything as cool as possible. These we mini fans do a great job, heatsink and components are cold to touch. Not even slightest bit warm. They blow the heat away. I have 6 now. Clearly helps dissipate the heat from the Hdplex heatsink.
 

3 here on photo. 
 

Temps are 33c on my i9 10900k, running at 5.0ghz

 

[ASRMichael]

22 minutes ago, Gavin1977 said:

Any extreme owners compared the Taiko USB to the JCAT USB XE yet?

 

I've had a Pink Faun Ultra Clocked spdif bridge card for a while, but decided to return it as the performance delta was not very large over JCAT USB XE -> Matrix Audio X-spdif 2 to warrant upgrade. The main difference was due to the ultraclock, with instrument placement (imaging) being cleaner (less haze around each instrument) on the pink faun.  How much better, not much, maybe 5% - so not big, but big enough to notice.  The Pink Faun Ultra Clocked spdif bridge is still the best bridge I've had so far mind.

 

So anyway, these findings lead me towards the Taiko USB which seems superb and USB is also more future proof than spdif... so probably a wiser investment.

 

(p.s. I presently use the USB XE to x-spdif 2 chain because Chord DAC's tend to sound better with spdif as noise generated internally to the DAC from the Amanero USB receiver is removed when USB is not in use.  I'll also be trying USB to spdif via SRC-DX courtesy of @Fourlegs shortly).

Are you aware Taiko USB is only available to Extreme owners? Yes I know pity, hopefully be made to others soon! 

[ASRMichael]

1 hour ago, Gavin1977 said:

Yeah, priced at 1600 euro plus taxes.  Might be good demand if someone can demo against JCAT XE.  Emile has had a JCAT XE in the extreme, but their own card worked out better - would be nice for a more nuanced comparison.

Understand! I use Pink Faun Ultra usb. I would also need a demo before purchasing a Taiko USB. Very happy with my PF mind you. 

[ASRMichael]

20 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

Just something to keep in mind. When I was doing some research about USB cards, I learned that to use the Pink Faun USB card you need an AMD Processor. That's straight from Pink Faun themselves.

Are you sure? Thought was just spdif? I’ve just PF USB with 3 Intel processors without any issue at all. Windows & Linux. 

[ASRMichael]

10 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 Let me find the email from Jord Groen

 

This is from January 26th. And may refer only to Euphony as an endpoint, I am not sure.

 

 

I’ve just tried playing from my nuc using stylus to server (PF Usb is located). It’s running StylusEP and plays fine. I don’t understand why he would say this?! As I said no issues from my end. 
 

Maybe not suitable with some Mobo manufacturers. Saying that I’ve used ASRock & Asus. 

[ASRMichael]

3 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

I have no idea either. I thought it was odd at the time but didn't inquire further because the server I built has an Intel processor.

I’ve just emailed Jord & asked him to clarify on this thread. 👍

[ASRMichael]

51 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

Awesome.

Response from Jord

 

About the cards, I think where the confusion comes from, not the full conversation is posted. It is like follows:

 

The USB card working fine on any system both Intel and AMD running either Linux or Windows.

The SPDIF- and I2S bridge working fine on both Intel and AMD on Windows systems.

The SPDIF- and I2S bridge working only on Linux on AMD based systems.

Something is going wrong between the Intel CPU and the PCI Express audio processor we use on both the SPDIF- and I2S bridge. What is odd is that the issue between the audio processor and Intel is random, it will play fine in some Intel/Linux systems, but most Intel/Linux systems produce issues with the SPDIF- and I2S bridge.

[ASRMichael]

14 minutes ago, ted_b said:

Why wouldn't he?  He could bundle it with the Taiko ATX and instruct folks it must be connected through it (so as to power up correctly).  Maybe I'm missing something.  That handshake (USB to DAC) is probably the biggest handshake in computer audio, and if Taiko has such a world beater, proven to have value even outside an Extreme, do it!

Exactly, I see more reasons to release to everyone...

 

Profitability = reinvestment/R&D.

Someone who buys a USB might be attracted to buying an Extreme.
More successful products = more successful brand. 
I could go on....

 

Steve Jobs only ever wanted iTunes for mac, and we know what happened here. Because it made business sense, market was much bigger and not niche. 
 

I would ask what are the reasons not to? 

[ASRMichael]

1 minute ago, Exocer said:

Wasn't there a some sort of agreement that he would not release it due to another competing product?

No comment! 

[ASRMichael]

On 6/6/2021 at 6:28 PM, ASRMichael said:

Thanks. One of the reasons I installed an array of fans (Not connected to server or dedicated mains supply) was to keep everything as cool as possible. These we mini fans do a great job, heatsink and components are cold to touch. Not even slightest bit warm. They blow the heat away. I have 6 now. Clearly helps dissipate the heat from the Hdplex heatsink.
 

3 here on photo. 
 

Temps are 33c on my i9 10900k, running at 5.0ghz

 

Just to see the comparison of external fans on versus off. 20c difference. Not I’m burning in Taiko Extreme. I’m using Euphony burn in tool. One photo fans off & one with fans on. 
 

[ASRMichael]

36 minutes ago, sakso136 said:

Oh also,i ordered the fan you use.

I received my new dac last month,and i m burning it.

So leaving my server working for ~8 hrs per day,on poorly ventilated room,without switching off,and tube amp g70 ( release a lot of heat),my dac have 5 tubes,basically when i enter my music room i feel like temperature is more than 30 degree celcius.

The sq was very bad.

Very frustrated,sceptical,i was suspecting the hot conditions are deteriorating the sq.

When i read your post,i reset the server,cool down the system,and boom,sq again top!

The p8 when left on for few days becomes bad i think.

By the way the temperature of cpu ( thru euphony os) where around 45 degrees celsius.

Why not turn amp off. Run Euphony burn in tool. Sending data to your dac. I’m running this way at the moment. I use Euphony burn in tool set to low. It’s been running for 5 days  24/7 now. Never need to check it. 

[ASRMichael]

Just now, sakso136 said:

Hi, 

Nice.

How i can do it?

Go to Euphony expert settings. Scroll down to stress test. You’ll see settings “Hard” change to “Low” and start it. Watch your temps for a few minutes to make sure they don’t go too high. Mine are 55c on low setting. 
 

 

[ASRMichael]

1 minute ago, sakso136 said:

Fantastic! Thks a lot.

Jyst be careful, if you see temps go above 90c terminate it. On low it shouldn’t but just watch periodically for 1st hour. The fact your room will cool down when you switch amp off should help dissipate the heat. 

[ASRMichael]

3 hours ago, Exocer said:

Some typos in my pervious post. I meant "single CPU" not single core. I also meant upsampling where I stated "oversampling".

 

Anyway...

Here is what the EPS cable looks like:

 

I am also sending external power to the Femto NVME drive and this was a substantial improvement across the board. I have zero recent frame of reference to what "analog" sounds like, but everything about the sound has improved. There are some real benefits to be had by using clean dedicated power and good clock for Storage.

 

 

 

@TopkInteresting. I remember @BCRich and I were chatting about this at one point. I would like to try this, but, I'm not sure it would be possible with the 2-rail LPS I have. At the moment, I am powering both ATX/EPS with 1 19v rail of my 2 rail LPS. I have the 2nd rail of the same LPS available for use.. Would I fry my machine by using that 2nd rail to power the 4-pin connector? The CPU would receive power from the Taiko DC-ATX and a separate dedicated 12v rail rated up to 12a continuous.

 

Cheers,

-Rob

 

Two Taiko’s. 1 for each EPS connector? 😂😂

[ASRMichael]

@Nenon Is the plan to have separate case for V2 & V3 unregulated LPS? If so will the dimensions of the Taiko now change to a smaller footprint? Enough to cater for full ATX mobo & Taiko ATX?

[ASRMichael]

2 minutes ago, Gavin1977 said:

I have returned my HDPlex 500w linear.  Good customer service from Larry, but I waited a year for it to become available and the product just isn't up to scratch at the moment.

 

Anyone got any alternatives for me?

All about budget. Taiko ATX & Sean Jacobs DC3? That’s what I’m using! Hence the response! 👍

[ASRMichael]

Since SR Orange fuses are used in these builds.
 

Buy 2 get 1 free at present. 
 

Please let’s not get into a debate on this thread about fuses. I’m only letting people know about current SR offer. 

[ASRMichael]

15 hours ago, Allan F said:

 

Is there a voltage SR offer too?

Only positive affects when listening to AC/DC High Voltage album! 

[ASRMichael]

1 hour ago, mrkoven said:

i'm looking for some atx cable upgrades, 24p and 8p eps. im aware of ghent but just wondering if there are any alternatives out there? or is it basically ghent or DIY

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