Article: CAPS Twenty | Part Two

[firedog]

Wow, Chris,  that looks amazing. Your investment in all aspects of this, including the aesthetics, is impressive. And the low CPU load is also amazing. 
I just ordered a new server based on the same motherboard. But "only" an i7 10700k. And Fan cooled, but quiet fans. It should be effectively silent, unless you are right near it. I'm only looking to do a max of 256 DSD which I think it will do fine. 

[firedog]

Chris, are you going to overclock this or feel no need?

[firedog]

25 minutes ago, gmgraves said:

Gorgeous computer, Chris; and well done. If one was doing video editing, 3D animation, or high-end CAD, this would be the computer to have. But, isn’t it rather overkill for a music server? I use a 2010 MacBook Pro with an Intel Core-2 Duo, a 1-Tb SSD and 8-Gigs of RAM, and even with just that, I feel that I’m wasting most of the computer’s capability running only Audirvana, Amazon Music, Audacity, and Audio Hijack (an app for capturing and recording audio from a web page; useful for capturing BBC PROMS concerts (in years when the BBC has PROMs - unlike this one). 
Too bad you’re lumbered with Windows, though. I don’t envy you that! If I had that hardware, I think I would turn it into a HackIntosh. 😉

 

When you are running HQP upsampling to DSD 256 or 512, you need a LOT of horsepower. Especially if you also run convolution-DRC-DSP as Chris does, at least some of the time.

I have a Xeon 1243 and it can choke in Roon upsampling to DSD 256, depending on what else I'm running in DSP, even if it is minor. It's passively cooled, and also gets very hot when running like that.

I also have a PC about to arrive based on the same MB and a i7 10700k for that reason.

[firedog]

54 minutes ago, sgr said:

Chris, 

The build looks amazing. Certainly should run everything you throw at it without doubt. 
 

But . . .  It seems to resist all the accumulated wisdom concerning server  and audio PC builds on your wonderful site. 
 

In my experience and many others running ROON or RoonServer on the same pc as HQPlayer is a solid no. Better to split them up in two PCs. 
 

I’ve not seen anyone recommending liquid cooled builds cool as it is and looks. 
 

Power supplies are critical to hood sound. Why not try a couple of large custom built linear power supplies or a couple of the 400 watt Hdplex and their converters. 
 

Again an amazing build that you should be proud of 

 

but how well does it play music? 

I'm not sure what "accumulated wisdom" you are referring to. All of your points are certainly not agreed upon by all.

 

And specifically Roon and HQP: I'm a long time user of both Roon and HQP and don't remember it being "wisdom" that they have to be on separate machines. I also don't remember Miska recommending it. In any case, they don't have to be run concurrently, so how can it be an issue?

 

edit: just looked over at the Roon community where this is specifically asked. Jussi did say that there may be practical reasons to have the programs on different machines, but he also said:

 

Quote

If the two are separated, then the content needs to travel over network, which may or may not be good thing.

 

Quote

If it works now fine in a single machine, there’s no need to reshuffle things since you are using a NAA. Sometimes having the two in different machines is useful for various reasons, but as long as you don’t see a particular need to split the two, it is simpler/better to keep both in the same machine.

He did explain that there might be specific setups where it's better to keep them apart. But certainly nothing like a "solid no".

 

So much for accumulated "wisdom". Maybe something else has been accumulated....

[firedog]

4 minutes ago, 4est said:

Not concurrently? Here I send from Roon to HQP and then off to an NAA.

Well, that's one way to do it. Not the only one.

And I still don't see how it's an issue in that setup, unless your PC is underpowered or not running suitable HW. See quote from Jussi above.

[firedog]

On 7/26/2020 at 3:38 PM, Ben-M said:

HQPlayer, the CUDA offload helps out for optimizing convolution filters for things like DSP room correction. It doesn't directly help with music upsampling. 

 

For the upsampling part, getting the best performance requires the highest 2 core clock speed you can get. More cores doesn't really make a big impact. The CPU with the highest 2 core clock speed is the new i9-10900K at 5.3GHz, if you're lucky. 5.1GHz for sure. 

As far as I understood Miska in a previous comment, you do need CUDA offloading if you want to successfully use some of the more demanding filters at 256 DSD upsampling - filters like Sinc-M with EC modulators. Apparently you can't get there without CUDA. I have a i7 10700K, and can't do that upasampling, modulator, and filter. I can accomplish most of the other filters with the EC moduators.