Build a dedicated Audio PC

[nige2000]

holy 5h1t !!!!

wouldnt have expected that

must try that test tonight on mine

take it you didn't bother hauling the p4 machine over to the dac for a standalone test?

using 24 bit for all testing in the assumption that 16bit is half as easy or so.

[nige2000]

Nige, played this morning and the B***ard wouldn't play properly. Not at all on Hires and stopping on 16bit. I switched back to USB wireless from cable and everything was fine. Currently using US=170 on RC15a. The sound quality is fine.
I ran the little DPLatency check program http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml on the 2pc's and found that the latency was worse on the AudioPC with lovely Intel SSD and PPA Studio SATA cable etc than the POS Meath CoCo scrap Streamer PC.
KM

what sort of figures did u get?
mine wasn't that exciting
averaging about 612 max 750 microsecond
both pcs about the same

[nige2000]

right im on jplay 5.1 rc15a

has the gap in quality between 1pc and 2pc streaming disappeared? or am i doing something horribly wrong? here's to hoping!!!

EDIT: AFTER A BIT OF LISTENING STREAMING BETWEEN PCS STILL HAS THE ADVANTAGE BUT THE GAP IS CLOSING

still able to play at ultrasize 28 but don't think it sounds at its best there, im playing at over 110 but get confused after that (ultrasize 110-170)
has anyone found their sweet spot yet on ultrasize?

[jkeny]

please don't leave the evaluations up to me, only in the audio game a few months
i didnt do a whole lot of listening on it either, couple of tracks, audivarna sounds good but when you switch back to jplay you realize audivarna just is not at the same level

Your impressions are as valuable as anybody else's - trust your ears

but would suggest everyone on mac trial jplay, to me there's a big difference in soundstage

also think the windows to go usb stick is adding more quality over interal ssd what do you think john?

I just made a Win8-to-Go stick (I had re-used this stick for other reasons).

Anyway, I also had a Intel NUC delivered today (very sexy & neat little device - leaves MacMini in the shade :)) but no SSD so I wanted to see if I could boot solely from a USB stick without having a disk installed. I removed the HDD from my netbook & booted it from the USB stick with no problem. I'm currently posting this using it. Next will be to use it to boot my NUC - I'll audition JPLAY RC15 when I have it all setup & check the sound quality of SSD Vs USB stick

When I boot it this way (without HDD) I get a new dialog window - It's because there is no paging file on disk - I think read somewhere not to use any paging file?
The other part of the dialogue window is:

"Processor Scheduling - choose how to allocate processor resources - for best performance of:
- programs
- background services"

I set it for best performance of services. What do you think is best for Jplay program or services? I'm not sure, my feeling is services

[nige2000]

please don't leave the evaluations up to me, only in the audio game a few months
i didnt do a whole lot of listening on it either, couple of tracks, audivarna sounds good but when you switch back to jplay you realize audivarna just is not at the same level

Your impressions are as valuable as anybody else's - trust your ears

but would suggest everyone on mac trial jplay, to me there's a big difference in soundstage

also think the windows to go usb stick is adding more quality over interal ssd what do you think john?

I just made a Win8-to-Go stick (I had re-used this stick for other reasons).

Anyway, I also had a Intel NUC delivered today (very sexy & neat little device - leaves MacMini in the shade :)) but no SSD so I wanted to see if I could boot solely from a USB stick without having a disk installed. I removed the HDD from my netbook & booted it from the USB stick with no problem. I'm currently posting this using it. Next will be to use it to boot my NUC - I'll audition JPLAY RC15 when I have it all setup & check the sound quality of SSD Vs USB stick

When I boot it this way (without HDD) I get a new dialog window - It's because there is no paging file on disk - I think read somewhere not to use any paging file?
The other part of the dialogue window is:

"Processor Scheduling - choose how to allocate processor resources - for best performance of:
- programs
- background services"

I set it for best performance of services. What do you think is best for Jplay program or services? I'm not sure, my feeling is services

i think the nuc will work out fine

i have no idea about the processor scheduling, never came across it before

nuc should boot fine with no hard drive in it only windows to go ive been running my i3 picu psu bulid that way with no issues and works as good as my i7 silent build,
although the fans in the i3 bug me as there another factor that may effect sound and i think it has a small effect on the quality but its well fit to play.

ill have my streacom case on tuesday,

picu psu vs standard atx powersupply ill be trying out both, but do you think there will be much in the difference

[jkeny]

i think the nuc will work out fine

i have no idea about the processor scheduling, never came across it before

I think this
'Processor Scheduling" dialogue box appears because there is no paging file automatically set-up when using Win-to-go & that is where the paging allocation choice appears

nuc should boot fine with no hard drive in it only windows to go ive been running my i3 picu psu bulid that way with no issues and works as good as my i7 silent build,
although the fans in the i3 bug me as there another factor that may effect sound and i think it has a small effect on the quality but its well fit to play.

Yea, first thing I did when I got the NUC was take it apart to remove the fan & heatsink to check for & apply new thermal paste. Glad I did, it was ll dried up & I reckon not making good thermal contact. Re-applied new paste which hopefully will keep the fan low. Next up will be looking at the options for powering this fan externally.

ill have my streacom case on tuesday,

picu psu vs standard atx powersupply ill be trying out both, but do you think there will be much in the difference

I haven't tried this yet myself - my experiments didn't work out but Fran says it makes a difference

[nige2000]

i think the nuc will work out fine

i have no idea about the processor scheduling, never came across it before

I think this
'Processor Scheduling" dialogue box appears because there is no paging file automatically set-up when using Win-to-go & that is where the paging allocation choice appears

nuc should boot fine with no hard drive in it only windows to go ive been running my i3 picu psu bulid that way with no issues and works as good as my i7 silent build,
although the fans in the i3 bug me as there another factor that may effect sound and i think it has a small effect on the quality but its well fit to play.

Yea, first thing I did when I got the NUC was take it apart to remove the fan & heatsink to check for & apply new thermal paste. Glad I did, it was ll dried up & I reckon not making good thermal contact. Re-applied new paste which hopefully will keep the fan low. Next up will be looking at the options for powering this fan externally.

ill have my streacom case on tuesday,

picu psu vs standard atx powersupply ill be trying out both, but do you think there will be much in the difference

I haven't tried this yet myself - my experiments didn't work out but Fran says it makes a difference

ive noticed on retail cpus in the last couple of years that the pre applied thermal paste on them is sort of dry and softens with a bit of heat.
but suppose better safe than sorry.
its only something like 17 watts aint it, so shouldnt be hard to cool. maybe a modded heatsink would do it

[jkeny]

its only something like 17 watts aint it, so shouldnt be hard to cool. maybe a modded heatsink would do it

Yep, working on that - a passive heatsink

This really becomes a neat solution for an AudioPC. Don't need SSd; don't need WiFi card (if running hardwired into router). Just install memory & it' ready to go with a Win-to-go USB stick. Leaving these options out saves cost & reduces heat - double whammy.

So barebones NUC cost including VAT + delivery about 300

[nige2000]

70-100 euro should put 8gb ram and usb windows to go stick, only trouble is its upgradeability you cant do a whole lot with it only ram, i dont know what way jplay is going with pc requirements but id miss the ability to change the cpu for 70 odd euro after a year or two.

but in saying that i was hovering over the buy tab on one of these last year for a different project i decided against because of upgradeability and the fact im already swimming in pcs and pc components

i built my parents a pc tower out of absolute 10 yr old scrap a new motherboard cpu harddrive and memory all for 180 euro upgrading these four components completely transform any pc

no doubt youll have it built, up and running and all tested by tomorrow
proof is in the pudding as they say

nige

[jkeny]

Yea, it has zero to limited upgradeability but the spend is low - my logic is this - in a couple of years the then current CPUs will probably not work optimally in our current motherboards so a new motherboard will be needed anyway. Haswell CPUs will be coming out at the end of the year with more power, lower TPDs, etc. - there's always something just around the corner in the CPU arena - it's their marketing strategy.

I reckon that if the Jplay guys push the hardware requirements too far they will lose the market so I I don't think esoteric requirements will be requird for Jplay in the future. In fact, I've said it already to some people, the way I would like to see Jplay go (& the natural route for them) is low power ARM processors - possibly a dedicated ARM based, singke function, AudioPC & separately optimised ControlPC