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Building the ideal(ish) Music Server


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For those who have chosen the Intel 2800Dn motherboard and SOTM PCIe card, you are in good company. This is the combo SOTM themselves use in their premium server. The one in the photo below also has the optional super-clock.

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For those of interests, if any.

I managed to butcher the SOtM PCI further. It is now powering by two separated rails. 5vdc direct to PCI bus and Clock via on board Ultra low noise step-down 3.3vdc regulators. The other is 12Vdc direct to USB bus.

This tweak simple enough but yielded great sonic outcome. The 5vdc psu is Salas Shunt regulator. 12vdc is feed by other choke input LPSU.

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well maybe can try temporary for now (long wires) to see if you find a difference ?! ..... power supply which connect to clock is very dirty, so best to have no other things connect to same.

Have you done this Exercise? Any photos - Dave? Why would it be dirty when upstream is powering by the cleanest power source!

Hmmm.., what could dirty it?! [emoji848]

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Guest rmpfyf

Have you done this Exercise? Any photos - Dave? Why would it be dirty when upstream is powering by the cleanest power source!

Hmmm.., what could dirty it?! [emoji848]

 

Clock effects are one, depending on the clock. Best net effect with isolation applied.

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Some great builds in this thread! Jsgrah just linked me to this thread, I hadn't been following but yeah amazed by thr DIY skill on some of these builds.

I am not so skillend in DIY but have recently rebuilt my music server. Specs: 3770k i7, P7Z77-V Deluxe, low power 2 x 4 gB Crucial DDR3, Corsair Neutron OS SSD, Intel 3500 512GB music storage SSD, PPA isolation blocks with sorbothane decoupling sheets, sata3 spec (verified destructive testing - not many cables are built to the sata 3 spec!) 10cm sata cables, JCAT USB 3.0 pcie card, HDPlex H5 gen ii enclosure, HDPlex 300w full linear ATX psu (shipped last week)

I have applied Dynamat to reduce resonance in the chasis.

Photos attached hopefully

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I jave also tried to supply linear power to my switch. Unfortunately it made the sound better anf I am unable to return to a more practical setup.

I should also mention that I have previously been using the Teradak 350W full linear ATX PSU. By compariaon this HDPlex resolves deeper into the mix and has more focus and speed, but perhaps more forward and dry. It runs extremely hot, much moreso than Teradak.

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Here's a few pics of my latest with the top off, minus the chest hairs...

The HDPlex H5 case is very well built and is a pleasure to work with, top quality. :thumb:

I have used the Intel Core i3-6100T CPU reducing the TDP to under 35 watts.

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Well done to HDPlex for another great product!

Also a big thanks to John at Sublime Hifi for the Sotm Card and epic ATC SCM40's

John is a great guy and an absolute pleasure to deal with, thanks mate :party

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It's a bit out of place with some of the marvelous efforts in here... and certainly not "idealish"... unless you're after small and cheap! 

 

A stunning little device. Easiest streamer I've ever set up and sounds great with DSD into an Accuphase DC37 straight out of the box. Will post more in a separate thread more appropriate to cheap and cheerful than the masterpieces here! 

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Nice build Drez, what's happened to the power button on your hdplex case?

I haven't attatched the button yet. Something makes me enjoy to see the switch pcb without the button lol.

@@Chanh thanks, awesome music server, that is some serious workmanship. I like the wiring. I need to get around to rewire this case ideally do without the extra comnectors and use some nicer, more substantial wire (this case/psu comes with 20 awg wiring, not sure what type conductor, not teflon jacket). I had good luck before with the 16 awg valab SPC/teflon wire. I hope I have some spare connectors.

Oh, and I have taken a dremel to the case already. On my motherboard the PCIEx1_1 slot is connected via pcie sharing chip and also shares IRQ with PHC SATA. Slot PCIEx16_1 is direct from CPU, but no easy way to do this without riser cable. I do not like riser cable. In the end the PCIEx16_1 still shares IRQ with one of the EHCI but the onboard USB are not used so hopefully not creating interrupts. Not sure I understand that correctly.

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You could probably drop the on-board EHCI support in BIOS, no? Or just blacklist the device (if Linux)?

Good idea, hopefully the usb card will work in BIOS so I canget rid of the motherboard EHCI. I haven't yet tried to set up linux from scratch - I'm using Daphile which basically does everything but would not permit me to configure hardware to that degree (if I understand correctly.)

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Guest rmpfyf

You could probably hack Daphile, but then you'd probably be better off using something else that's intended to be tinkered with.

 

I'd give Snakeoil a try if you're not super-confident in Linux, and work from there - someone here (or the author) could give you through reallocating interrupts and/or disabling devices. I think (I could be wrong) I may have seen it run softirq, which would go some way to solving your problem regardless. Give it a shot (it's free and quite good).

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You could probably hack Daphile, but then you'd probably be better off using something else that's intended to be tinkered with.

I'd give Snakeoil a try if you're not super-confident in Linux, and work from there - someone here (or the author) could give you through reallocating interrupts and/or disabling devices. I think (I could be wrong) I may have seen it run softirq, which would go some way to solving your problem regardless. Give it a shot (it's free and quite good).

It is truly amusing when "Snakeoil" is free and very decent, yet people are reluctant with load of criticisms! Especially those haven't actually try it?! It must be hard being a developer for Snakeoil!

What even more silly is "Antipodes 2" costs $500+ to upgrade from their ripoff servers, which from my first glance, has the similar web-interface, but lacking of player(s) options. Yet - people are willing to pay for it and raving it so much on SNA!

It is simply..., when something is free, it must be no good! Sighhhhh!!!

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It is truly amusing when "Snakeoil" is free and very decent, yet people are reluctant with load of criticisms! Especially those haven't actually try it?! It must be hard being a developer for Snakeoil!

What even more silly is "Antipodes 2" costs $500+ to upgrade from their ripoff servers, which from my first glance, has the similar web-interface, but lacking of player(s) options. Yet - people are willing to pay for it and raving it so much on SNA!

It is simply..., when something is free, it must be no good! Sighhhhh!!!

 

A human phenomena I do not understand...at all...if I wasn't going to continue to use XX Highend...this is THE FIRST software I would try...its free...design specific...its free...by enthusiasts for enthusiasts...its free...continual modification for improved performance & functionality...its free...contact with the developer direct...its free...

 

I see the problem...it requires the intelligence to understand the benefits of Snakeoil to use the software...

 

Beam me up Scotty... 

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