Building a DIY Music Server

[Savolax]

29 minutes ago, Nenon said:

I've had the USB card on the left running for over a week in my system and will be doing some critical listening this weekend. 

 

 

I asked Taiko if I could buy one of those USB cards, but I was told it was only available to Taiko Extreme owners.

A friend of mine with a Taiko Extreme was nice enough to send me his card for evaluation since he knew he would not have a chance to listen to it for some time. Let's say that I am providing a free "burn-in" service to him :).

More to come on this...

Do you have chance to power the Taiko card with your preferred external LPS also?

[Nenon]

35 minutes ago, Topk said:

Do you have the Taiko USB driver?

No, I don't. That's a proprietary driver as well that is only available to Extreme owners. But since I currently use a Chord DAVE DAC with Sean Jacobs DC4 LPS, the DAVE has an Amanero USB, which is not supported with the Taiko driver. My understanding is that you need a XMOS based USB interface for the Taiko driver to work. 

 

7 minutes ago, Savolax said:

Do you have chance to power the Taiko card with your preferred external LPS also?

No, I had to use the Taiko ATX for the card. It takes 5V and 12V, and those rails need to be powered exactly when the PCIe slot is powered on. It might be tricky to use an external LPS, and I did not want to abuse my friend's USB card too much. 

[Darryl R]

For those with Z590 boards, what are the best options for NVMe SSDs?  Last I checked, pricing for large Optane SSDs was exhorbitant.  I'm focusing on the M.2 slots, as I don't need more than 2TB for data, but do we still want to separate the OS drive?  Thanks for getting me up to date on this.

[Exocer]

@Darryl R - I have seen mention of the 665P for music file storage. Good performance for the price.

 

In other news, I am excited to share that the new Taiko DC-ATX module has arrived.

I am feeding it the 19V input of the PH SR7T the same exact way I did with the HDPlex 800W DC-ATX.

 

Connected this way using Mundorf Silver Gold 15.5awg wire with additional cotton sleeve:

 

Pin 1 for +3.3v 

Pin 3 for Ground

Pin 4 for +5v

Pin 5 for Ground

Pin 6 for +5v

Pin 8 for PWR-OK

Pin 9 for +5Vsb

Pin 10 for +12v

Pin 16 for PWR-On

 

The long-term plan is to get more of these wires connected to see if this will further improve performance but this is sounding wonderful as is. I would think 15.5awg solid core wire would probably be as good or better than the crappy relatively thin stranded wire in most basic ATX cables for transferring adequate current.

 

Not sure if break-in is complete after just two days but it is sounding very good and improving 2 days in.

 

Will report back with my findings after about a week but so far this has been a very good purchase!

 

Many thanks to @Nenon and Emile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dev]

20 minutes ago, Exocer said:

 

In other news, I am excited to share that the new Taiko DC-ATX module has arrived.

I am feeding it the 19V input of the PH SR7T the same exact way I did with the HDPlex 800W DC-ATX.

 

Connected this way using Mundorf Silver Gold 15.5awg wire with additional cotton sleeve:

 

Pin 1 for +3.3v 

Pin 3 for Ground

Pin 4 for +5v

Pin 5 for Ground

Pin 6 for +5v

Pin 8 for PWR-OK

Pin 9 for +5Vsb

Pin 10 for +12v

Pin 16 for PWR-On

 

The long-term plan is to get more of these wires connected to see if this will further improve performance but this is sounding wonderful as is. I would think 15.5awg solid core wire would probably be as good or better than the crappy relatively thin stranded wire in most basic ATX cables for transferring adequate current.

 

Not sure if break-in is complete after just two days but it is sounding very good and improving 2 days in.

 

Will report back with my findings after about a week but so far this has been a very good purchase!

 

Many thanks to @Nenon and Emile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice. Which motherboard are you using to power it and what wiring were you using with the hdplex ?

 

Btw, the Mundrof takes a very very long time to break-in due to the teflon. At least 300 hrs or even more. Keep playing music 24x7. 

 

 

[Exocer]

16 minutes ago, Dev said:

 

Nice. Which motherboard are you using to power it and what wiring were you using with the hdplex ?

The Gigabyte Designare Z390.

HDPLEX was swapped out for the Taiko.

 

Have been using the Mundorf for months with the hdplex. The wire is very well broken in. (Since October 20')

 

Only the ATX input on the motherboard for now and the improvement is very noticeable.

 

16 minutes ago, Dev said:

, the Mundrof takes a very very long time to break-in due to the teflon. At least 300 hrs or even more. Keep playing music 24x7. 

 

 

100% spot on and mirrors my experience.

[ASRMichael]

47 minutes ago, Exocer said:

@Darryl R - I have seen mention of the 665P for music file storage. Good performance for the price.

 

In other news, I am excited to share that the new Taiko DC-ATX module has arrived.

I am feeding it the 19V input of the PH SR7T the same exact way I did with the HDPlex 800W DC-ATX.

 

Connected this way using Mundorf Silver Gold 15.5awg wire with additional cotton sleeve:

 

Pin 1 for +3.3v 

Pin 3 for Ground

Pin 4 for +5v

Pin 5 for Ground

Pin 6 for +5v

Pin 8 for PWR-OK

Pin 9 for +5Vsb

Pin 10 for +12v

Pin 16 for PWR-On

 

The long-term plan is to get more of these wires connected to see if this will further improve performance but this is sounding wonderful as is. I would think 15.5awg solid core wire would probably be as good or better than the crappy relatively thin stranded wire in most basic ATX cables for transferring adequate current.

 

Not sure if break-in is complete after just two days but it is sounding very good and improving 2 days in.

 

Will report back with my findings after about a week but so far this has been a very good purchase!

 

Many thanks to @Nenon and Emile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have plans to use for your CPU also? 

[Exocer]

1 hour ago, ASRMichael said:

Do you have plans to use for your CPU also? 

Yes I do. I currently use the Paul Hynes silver DC cables to the EPS input from the SR7T and I think these cables are fantastic:

 

 

@ASRMichael - Yes, in the future I do plan to use it for CPU as well.

 

To conduct a fair test, I would need something similar to the PH wire from the Taiko DC-ATX to EPS. Unfortunately I have no idea what wire Paul uses. When @Nenon completes the unregulated LPS I will likely go with whichever wire he chooses (although I have no immediate plans to go the dual CPU route).

 

So if I were to test, the test would be:

 

19V into Taiko DC-ATX feeding ATX and EPS VS Unregulated LPSU into Taiko DC-ATX again feeding ATX and EPS

Other tests will have to factor in the wire I have available right now, which is the Ghent Gotham JSSG360 cable I used when I was powering the HDPlex with an SMPS. The Ghent cable is good but I do think it would be a step back compared to what I am using now.

 

All worthwhile tests would need to wait until I have a high quality EPS cable IMHO.

 

Would I recommend those with single CPU builds to buy the Taiko Dc-ATX even to power ATX with an existing high quality LPSU rail? Absolutely. The PHSR7T responded very well to this change.

[bit01]

@Exocer - I thought I had signed up for the Taiko DC DC-ATX but have not heard anything about it since - are they taking orders now and how does that work - or was yours a special case?

 

Thanks.

b.

[Exocer]

10 minutes ago, bit01 said:

@Exocer - I thought I had signed up for the Taiko DC DC-ATX but have not heard anything about it since - are they taking orders now and how does that work - or was yours a special case?

 

Thanks.

b.

Yes, it was a special case. I happened to get one a bit early. You should all be hearing from Emile in ~ the next two weeks.

[Nenon]

4 hours ago, bit01 said:

@Exocer - I thought I had signed up for the Taiko DC DC-ATX but have not heard anything about it since - are they taking orders now and how does that work - or was yours a special case?

I am told Taiko will have the batch of ATX any day now. A couple of early units that were sent out last week. There might be another 2 or 3 left. If you want one ASAP, send me a PM (I will send you Taiko's PayPal account to order one if still available). If you want to wait until the production batch arrives, just wait a little bit more. 

 

6 hours ago, Exocer said:

When @Nenon completes the unregulated LPS

The design is pretty much completed. I am waiting for the special transformers Taiko has ordered for this. They should be a couple of weeks away. Then I can find a case and post instructions on how to make one. 

 

Emile also told me he has reserved CNC time for the DIY chassis around the end of this month. As far as I know, the design of the chassis is ready, but he has not done the rendering to show us. He is going to order a small batch (most likely 20 pcs) and figure out how much they cost. We'll get more details at the end of the month. 

 

I have been listening to the Taiko USB card but haven't had a chance to do a write up on it. Will spend a little more time with it and share what I think. 

[matthias]

1 hour ago, Nenon said:

I have been listening to the Taiko USB card but haven't had a chance to do a write up on it. Will spend a little more time with it and share what I think. 

 

I am VERY curious.

 

Matt

[Tatomek7]

3 hours ago, Nenon said:

I am waiting for the special transformers Taiko has ordered for this.

Hi, do you know, how will look logistic with EU DIYers? It will take time and money to send it to US and back to EU, can we get it somehow directly?

[Nenon]

7 hours ago, Tatomek7 said:

Hi, do you know, how will look logistic with EU DIYers? It will take time and money to send it to US and back to EU, can we get it somehow directly?

 

You will buy them directly from Taiko,. They will ship from the Netherlands. 

[JayM]

Hello everyone! 

 

My real name is Jelle, but all my American/English friends call me Jay. Somehow my Dutch name keeps – unintentionally - being pronounced as Jelly or Yellow.

 

So, hello everyone, I am Jay! ;)

 

For a - relatively short – while I’ve been working closely with Emile, Edward, Ton, Ted and Wout at Taiko audio. We’ve recently moved from our old, shared facility in Hengelo to our own new headquarters in Oldenzaal. Our new location and set-up will allow us to do a lot more development and testing.

 

To manage the ever-increasing complexity of our operation, Emile has asked me to work with him as General Manager for Taiko Audio. In the coming months we will try to streamline our production and logistics process to expedite the time between order placements and actual shipping. This will enable us to fulfil orders faster and faster in the coming months.

 

That brings me to the reason why I’ve decided to introduce myself in this thread.  Until now we’ve only shipped a very limited amount of DC DC-ATX’s for testing.  If our supplier delivers some of the last needed components for the DC DC-ATX as scheduled, we will be able to ship all existing (paid) pre-orders on the 30th of April. 

 

16 hours ago, bit01 said:

@Exocer - I thought I had signed up for the Taiko DC DC-ATX but have not heard anything about it since - are they taking orders now and how does that work - or was yours a special case?

 

Thanks.

b.

Everyone who pre-ordered a DC DC-ATX can expect an email in the upcoming days:)

[auricgoldfinger]

6 minutes ago, JayM said:

Hello everyone! 

 

My real name is Jelle, but all my American/English friends call me Jay. Somehow my Dutch name keeps – unintentionally - being pronounced as Jelly or Yellow.

 

So, hello everyone, I am Jay! ;)

 

For a - relatively short – while I’ve been working closely with Emile, Ton and Ted at Taiko audio. We’ve recently moved from our old, shared facility in Hengelo to our own new headquarters in Oldenzaal. Our new location and set-up will allow us to do a lot more development and testing.

 

To manage the ever-increasing complexity of our operation, Emile has asked me to work with him as General Manager for Taiko Audio. In the coming months we will try to streamline our production and logistics process to expedite the time between order placements and actual shipping. This will enable us to fulfil orders faster and faster in the coming months.

 

That brings me to the reason why I’ve decided to introduce myself in this thread.  Until now we’ve only shipped a very limited amount of DC DC-ATX’s for testing.  If our supplier delivers some of the last needed components for the DC DC-ATX as scheduled, we will be able to ship all existing (paid) pre-orders on the 30th of April. 

 

Everyone who pre-ordered a DC DC-ATX can expect an email in the upcoming days:)

 

Welcome, Jay!

[genvirt]

Nice to meet You, Jay!

[bit01]

@JayM -thank you for introducing yourself. I please have a query in a PM that I have invited you to.

 

ATB

b.

[magnium]

Welcome @JayM

 

For those who pre-order the Taiko DC DC-ATX and interested in the Taiko DIY case, is there a possibility of consolidating the orders to save shipping costs?

 

Hard to say if I will order the case without knowing the design and cost but just throwing it out there!

[Nenon]

7 minutes ago, magnium said:

Welcome @JayM

 

For those who pre-order the Taiko DC DC-ATX and interested in the Taiko DIY case, is there a possibility of consolidating the orders to save shipping costs?

 

Hard to say if I will order the case without knowing the design and cost but just throwing it out there!

Shipping cost for the Taiko ATX is a flat rate of 30 EUR to anywhere in the world. I suggest you get one as soon as you can as supply shortages may impact future batches. 

 

There will also be a transformer that Taiko would provide with the case. Perhaps the transformer can be packaged with the chassis. 

[austinpop]

Welcome to AS, @JayM!

[Marcin_gps]

I will just leave it here

 

https://jcat.eu/the-revolution-in-digital-audio-is-about-to-begin-optimo-atx-psu-final-prototype-sneak-peak/

[Dev]

Welcome @Jay

 

2 hours ago, JayM said:

That brings me to the reason why I’ve decided to introduce myself in this thread.  Until now we’ve only shipped a very limited amount of DC DC-ATX’s for testing.  If our supplier delivers some of the last needed components for the DC DC-ATX as scheduled, we will be able to ship all existing (paid) pre-orders on the 30th of April. 

 

Was there any announcements for pre-ordering ? I did sign-up but have not received anything to pay for it. Maybe I have missed it.

[ASRMichael]

5 minutes ago, Marcin_gps said:

I will just leave it here

 

https://jcat.eu/the-revolution-in-digital-audio-is-about-to-begin-optimo-atx-psu-final-prototype-sneak-peak/

Live the timing of this post. Good on you Marcin. Competitive market place. 

[Dev]

1 hour ago, Nenon said:

Shipping cost for the Taiko ATX is a flat rate of 30 EUR to anywhere in the world. I suggest you get one as soon as you can as supply shortages may impact future batches. 

 

There will also be a transformer that Taiko would provide with the case. Perhaps the transformer can be packaged with the chassis. 

 

@Nenon I am under the impression that the transformer should be available for sale independent of the chassis. I should be able to buy the DC DC-ATX along with the transformer. Is that not the case ?

 

On a different note, now that the DC DC-ATX is close to shipping, should we start finalizing the unregulated PSU parts ? Maybe a group buy scheme ?