Article: CAPS Twenty | Part One

[firedog]

Chris-

It's a cool idea and exteme in a good way. Don't think it is something I'd do, I'd just stay with a DAC that will accept some more standard streamers that do what I want. But it's a great idea and those gauges look great. 

I am though looking to get a new server for high level upsampling such as HQP. I've already decided on what I want, but haven't bought anything yet. So I'm very interested to see what the CAPS Twenty is - maybe I'll by one to replace my CAPS IV instead of what I have planned. 

[firedog]

1 hour ago, 57gold said:

Which one is that?  

 

Didn't see a description in the article nor in the video.

. 

"CAPS Twenty, What is it?

 

CAPS Twenty is a two PC system. One PC is the server and the other is the endpoint. The official names are as follows.

 

CAPS Twenty - The high horsepower server.

 

CAPS Twenty.One - Pronounced twenty point one like a 5.1 multi-channel audio system, this is the audio endpoint. "

[firedog]

I'd suggest that you add prices to the parts list, and a  total price for the build.

Yes, people can click the links and poke around, but I think the prices should be displayed in the article as a service to readers. 

I think many people will see a go/no go just from the price, and they should have that information in the article.

[firedog]

10 minutes ago, Le Concombre Masqué said:

Pardon me then for I was far far away of awareness that a GPU was required for a NAA endpoint and furthermore that its load (and CPU's and RAM's) monitoring was critical...

Chris said that, " I was evaluating a couple DACs that could handle very high rates of native DSD content, but I couldn't get any of my existing audio endpoints to work perfectly with the DACs. I often heard loud noises, pops, and much of the time the DACs were just not recognized by the audio devices. I needed a solution to this issue, so I decided it was time for a new CAPS design." 

and

" if there was more Linux support for native DSD playback with HiFi DACs, I would've never gone down this path. I would use my Sonore Signature Rendu SE optical for one half of this CAPS design."

so no, I don't think anything like that was stated. 

[firedog]

2 hours ago, 57gold said:

OK, amongst serious CA folks with tech savvy, so excuse the continued silliness one my part, but, if the 20.1 is just handling already upsampled data from a heavy duty computer (which is doing the serious lifting), why the big heavy, mostly empty box, with heat sinking and oversized or super duper power supplies, not in the big box, to run relatively light weight stuff?

 

Just an exercise of the possible...belts, suspenders and gaffers tape, because one can?

As Chris said in the article, he doesn't claim this build improves SQ over other solutions, etc. He built it to solve a problem between Linux based streamers and certain specific DACs. He also said, without those DACs, no reason not to stick with his Rendu solution.

Besides that, it seems pretty clear he was having fun building something extreme, both in terms of the HW and the gauge displays.  Clearly not for every one, and clearly not for those who aren't going to DIY or find a very capable and probably expensive custom builder.

 

I'd assume the CAPS Twenty server build is going to have a much broader appeal to the audience here, which includes lots of people doing heavy uspampling and DSP.

[firedog]

1 hour ago, bbosler said:

I think I get this, it is an endpoint to deliver higher rate DSD than other endpoints currently available commercially. Or just a fun project to build a Roon or HQplayer  endpoint if one feels these sort of projects are fun.

 

If correct, that leave the one question for me I don't see addressed.. sound quality.

 

As a confirmed skeptic about how much a device like this is capable of changing the sound from my DAC when it delivers the same digital data all other devices like this deliver, it seems like a huge leap of faith to invest the $3K or so it takes to put together the full blown version without at least some comment about sound quality.

 

And I get the viewpoint that "if you don't believe in it then just move one," but since this whole site is devoted to maximizing sound quality and chatting about how to do that, it seems like a huge omission not to talk about it.

 

 

Chris specifically stated that the project wasn't about SQ, but about enabling all format playback on a wider range of DACs. That, and the cool factor....

Maybe he will comment on the SQ one way or the other at some point.