Building the ideal(ish) Music Server

[BioBrian]

Stewing overnight on it, I realised that using the 2.5mm barrel-type connectors, the earths would be shared by all equipment connected, including different power supplies - a potential nightmare.

 

Also, that to avoid confusing 12V and 5V by using the same connector type, I should use what I already have on the 1st server:

 

 

Rated to 10A at 32VCD, and hey it's a computer, so why not screw-on?

 

Still looking for Oyaide sockets for the lower ones; I'm pretty sure they are insulated. "Nobody knows"?

[kukynas]

5 hours ago, realysm42 said:

@Chanh @Tasso and @anyone else that can help;

 

I'm going to dip my toes into soldering to upgrade various components (predominantly SOtM cards ) and could do with some advice on purchasing a:

 

1. decent soldering iron 
2. solder sucker and 
3. any associated equipment

please. I'm willing to spend what it takes to get something that lets you do the job well (and I'd be the bottleneck instead of the gear) but ideally don't want a SOTA uber station as I doubt I'll be that  serious. 

 

Any advice welcome,

 

Thanks in advance.

depended on your budget but I would suggest following for easy operation

 

* Rework station best thing I ever bought for soldering, easy to work with, fully adjustable for different purposes

Solder tips or another package

* Vacuum solder sucker second best thing I ever bought for soldering

* Solder wire third best thing I ever bought for soldering, low melting temperature for delicate components

Solder tip cleaner

Magnifier

Desoldering Braid Solder Wire

 

you might not need all of it for start and you can choose different type or even cheaper products but can't guarantee quality and operability, my top 3 are marked, this will let you do the job in very easy way for decent money...

youtube will be your friend for soldering/desoldering technique and how to use those things or just ask if you are unsure  

[AccuTidal]

Second day with soldering fumes..., slowly progressing....

[realysm42]

@Chanh Do you take precautions when soldering with fumes, or doesn't it matter?

[Rob181]

1 hour ago, realysm42 said:

@Chanh Do you take precautions when soldering with fumes, or doesn't it matter?

 

Oh dear...the things I could say...never mind...

[Luc]

@Rob181  Go on, just say it.

 

your no longer a Qlder and you live in the land of sun&honey.

 

Say it.

[AccuTidal]

@Chanh Do you take precautions when soldering with fumes, or doesn't it matter?

I reckon they are good for my lungs, assist the growing of my brain cells, and provide the antioxidants to my growing body. [emoji23]

I simply can not have enough of em...!

All in seriousness - they haven't killed me but making me stronger.. [emoji106]

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Chanh said:

I reckon they are good for my lungs, assist the growing of my brain cells, and provide the antioxidants to my growing body.

I simply can not have enough of em...!

All in seriousness - they haven't killed me but making me stronger..

HAHA, would have to agree, keep away from the acid flux fumes though.

Nice soldering BTW, impressive.

[kukynas]

...for several months I was fooled like little child until yesterday when I found out my Onkyo HF player upsampling everything to high-precision DSD 5.6Mhz, I knew I set it up at the beginning to get best out of my HA-2+PM3 combo but fully forgot about it and didn't realized until I tried other music player streaming same music from my NAS in original format, lifeless  ....why am I saying this? I didn't realized how important role could upsampling of music play, I believe this is well known for those using HQ player on their PCs but I couldn't imagine it'll be so obvious and audible...

good news I found out bad news I know what does it mean...more money into more powerful PC  

 

@Chanh are you ready with your DC->ATX board, I might need one 

 

 

[Guest rmpfyf]

33 minutes ago, kukynas said:

@Chanh are you ready with your DC->ATX board, I might need one 

 

Me three @Chanh  

[AccuTidal]

37 minutes ago, kukynas said:

...for several months I was fooled like little child until yesterday when I found out my Onkyo HF player upsampling everything to high-precision DSD 5.6Mhz, I knew I set it up at the beginning to get best out of my HA-2+PM3 combo but fully forgot about it and didn't realized until I tried other music player streaming same music from my NAS in original format, lifeless  ....why am I saying this? I didn't realized how important role could upsampling of music play, I believe this is well known for those using HQ player on their PCs but I couldn't imagine it'll be so obvious and audible...

good news I found out bad news I know what does it mean...more money into more powerful PC  

 

@Chanh are you ready with your DC->ATX board, I might need one 

 

 

Daniel - Have you carried out the comparison between;

1. The authentic DSD mastered materials, playing direct to a DSD capable DAC?

2. The PCM mastered source via up sampling player like the HQ-player to the same DSD DAC?

If so, any idea which is better? I am certain to put my hard earned monies on the number one for SQ!

 

Wrt ATX management board, a revise version will be released early next year. I will offer to those interested in both pcb and fully tested assemble unit(s). Might consider offering the complete upstream power supplies for those are preferred not to diy. Should the demand for the complete build server is high enough, I will be happy to offer them too. Pls feel free to shoot me a pm with your query or registered your interest? Profit will be donate to snakeoil and StereoNet Australia.

 

Issue is I am currently working away from home and can only work on this hobby on my R&R. Need the primary funding for this hobby somehow....

Edited October 14, 2016 by Chanh
typo

[Guest]

server porn  4K beasty

CPU went in today, stopped for a moment to marvel at the "thing"

[Guest]

proof of concept

Never ever plan for a fan

[BioBrian]

Topic:

"Building the ideal(ish) Music Server"

[Guest]

[AccuTidal]

:party

Do tell what you have there, pls!

[Guest]

On 10/14/2016 at 11:30 PM, Chanh said:

Do tell what you have there, pls!

Hi

Some ATX micro's pulled from E Waste, sxcepting a nice brand new ASUS B-150M-A, Intel Skylake 14nm, board with a lovely "personalised" ASUS/Burson Supreme Audio Xonar STX Sound card, lots of DDR4 RAM, SSD, doesn't make much noise 

A couple of DC PSU's from the car audio world, bolstered by capacitor filter PCIE cards

Lots of other bits including a large collection of chipset and CPU passive coolers

The one with 28vdc on it is quite nice, almost slightly impressive, particularly the part where there is no hiss in the headphones.

 

Edited October 14, 2016 by Guest

[Steve M]

Chanh, 

 

Seriously, try not to breathe in lead solder fumes. Lead accumulates in your body and is not good for you and you are relatively young so have much life ahead of you - the first signs of lead poisoning in children for example, is brain dysfunction!

 

The best way to safely solder is to have a small fan running sideways across your soldering work so that the fumes are blown away from you, preferably to outside air through an open window or door.

 

Cheers,

 

Steve.

[Guest]

@Chanh

The boards you are building look somewhat familiar

What are they rated at in watts output ?

[AccuTidal]

Chanh, 
 
Seriously, try not to breathe in lead solder fumes....,

Thanks Steve! Much appreciated your inputs.
I was playing the humour game with Martin.
Of course - the lead's fumes are toxic. With audio grade soldering, there are minimal Pd%, or lead free. Correct me if I am wrong here Guys?

[Gieseler Audio]

Chanh you are correct. The temperatures used for your audio soldering work is way too low to actually vaporise lead.

The melting & vaporising temperatures of lead are very different.

However the flux/rosin fumes can be quite toxic so I would certainly be following Steve M's advise.

 

[AccuTidal]

8 hours ago, 125dBmonster said:

@Chanh

The boards you are building look somewhat familiar

What are they rated at in watts output ?

Very nice board you have there, I can see the complexity of a Pico PSU and switching DC to DC components. Would you pls sharing the build?

 

My ATX board, is far from yours. I would like something simple, less is more for me. The ATX management board is simply a duty to govern and to manage ATX 2.2 Specs for any type of mobo with ATX power socket up to the current skylake's mobo. Of course, it is reversible to lower specs for 20-pins mobo. As for the current limitation, they are the task of upstream linear psu(s). Managing the current in rush when turn on is managing by Current in-rush board. Often - Most server builds in the market today - disregard this very essential aspect, the in-rush current management. They treat the audio server like an office's computer. This including the ($10,000?) Antipodes DX or any Antipodes' product(s) for that matter. Prove me wrong if you're disagreed!

 

 

[AccuTidal]

1 hour ago, Gieseler Audio said:

Chanh you are correct. The temperatures used for your audio soldering work is way too low to actually vaporise lead.

The melting & vaporising temperatures of lead are very different.

However the flux/rosin fumes can be quite toxic so I would certainly be following Steve M's advise.

 

@SteveM, @Gieseler AudioCheers again Guys!

 

@realysm42 - I was playing jokes, and perhaps it was not conveyed funny at your end? Here to clarify - Yes - I do have small fan and fumes attraction unit on my table. Furthermore, I tend to hold my breath for the duration of melting the solder and until the fumes gone away. Mostly - I do all the soldering and desoldering in an open space, usually out side my backyard under the patio.

[Guest]

@Chanh

This is the control area almost completed that I have been building to serve a planned sound lounge in a remote bush area, off grid.

It has available supplies of 12v unregulated (battery) 12v regulated, 24v unregulated (battery) and 230v mains both earthed and isolated supplies. Still devising a decent 5.5v supply  All is supported by solar and a wind turbine.

The whole PC/server arrangement is run from DC, including monitor, Synology NAS, the PC, Internet NBN gateway and modem. 

The soldering station with fan extraction is in the next work bay.

Still  a lot of details to complete, data needs a lot of custom patch leads, monitor speakers hidden in plain view, with 2 x 12" subs. Yesterday all the above devices were connected to the 12v regulated supply. Only problem is the inrush current on the NAS causes the modem to reset, but when all devices are running all is well (around 220w inc PC). It would take quite a while to explain and go through all the individual builds and modifications to get to this point.

On the wish list is a 4K monitor for the control area.  although the one there is used as a TV as well and is ok. This system goes well beyond a "music server" and is more a full on "media server/streamer" with next generation 4K capability"

Battery Based Audiophile thread in the Showcase has more detailed build information.

Edited October 14, 2016 by Guest

[mwhouston]

I have probably posted somewhere here that I'm on a Pi kick. I have three which interface to various DACs etc. The latest one I tried was Pi2 under Volumio with the optical\digital daughter board attached. A friend has a super expensive CD player\DAC with optical in.

 

I want to take it to his place to play the Pi through his DAC. To test the optical interface I bought a Jaycar ($40) optical in RCA out. My main system has a Pi3 with a DIY USB, DSD DAC which I outperforms my Oppo 95 for sound quality.

 

For $40 it would be hard to beat the Jaycar DAC with both selectable optical and digital inputs. You could even run two sources into the DAC and switch between them. It supports 24/192 but I have also played DSD64 files through it.

 

Whether for a main system of a second system the above combo punches way above its weight. Has anyone else tried a similar setup?