Build a dedicated Audio PC

[jkeny]

john did you get any further progress with the nuc?

I was waiting for mSata SSD (& wrong memory) delivery but also got caught up in building production devices. Have to get back to NUC when I get a chance.

hows the Franzuma today?
Do u loose much SQ with plugging the cpu cooler onto the motherboard?
how hot does your maplin power supply get?, i wouldn't care to put my hand on the block for any length of time

are you guys using windows to go or ssd?

I was using WTG stick - that's why I got SSD - to check the various options, booting from WTG, SSD, music files on WTG, SSD & variations thereof.

john what would a battery power supply trickle charged by motherboard for usb (windows to go)
involve to make up?

nige

You mean having an external 5V battery supply for USB, trickled charged from m/board? I'm not sure you would see the benefit in doing this as I think the trickle charger should not be taken off the m/board, - I think it should be an external supply.

[Fran]

franzuma sounding good, very happy with this build now. The supply heatsink gets good and hot, I estimate 70 deg C which means the actual power device must be 15 degC more. Probably well within tolerances, but I wouldn't be leaving it on all day. I might just use a bigger heatsink on mine.

I did almost all the SSD tweaks linked earlier and I'm running from the SSD. Its a OWC mercury elite 6g 128gB drive. I haven't tried running the fan off the motherboard - maybe something for our meet up?

Another thought struck me re the PS. There is probably a fairly big difference in the quality of SMPS supplies out there, and the one I picked may have been particularly crap. The one you were using might not have been as poor, hence you hearing less of an improvement.

Pearse, maybe before you pull for a new teddy pardo supply, you should wait and hear one of these linear supplies with your zuma?


Fran

[tony]

Tony the Teddy Pardo is just a really clean Linear Power Supply (no batteries) which is one of the best available, maybe a Paul Hynes linear supply may be a tad better but they are very hard to get at the moment with long waiting lists for the mans work.
I am a bit concerned the TP supply may not have enough juice in 4 amps but will take the gamble for clean power!!

Talking about clean power this whole digital lark is getting weirder by the week, spent the evening stripping the Meitner right back so as to screen the inner case of the big Switch Mode Power Supply with some of the 3M EMI/RFI sheets I had and the result has me shaking my head in disbelief.

Next outing of the Meitner I will have to look for a sanity check from yourself or others who heard it to see if anyone can hear a difference as it sounds very different after powering it up once the job was done...and all in a very good way.

Next project to try what I have left in the Zuma and see if it makes any difference.

Sorry Pearse just noticed this now. Happy to oblige re hearing the zuma. This week is out for me until either saturday evening or sunday. Not sure when Fran is holding his event. I take it the emi/rfi has added more to the performance of the meitner? If so is covering the ciunas worth it or does John feel that this issue is sorted already by his implementation?

I will order my parts after next weekend and start on the road. It looks like I will have to consider factoring in some sticky sheets of emi/rfi also.
Is it easier to do this while building or is adding on afterwards no issue? Will wait to see how you get on with the zuma I think.

Fran: Same days apply re your suggested tests for me. I would agree Pearse might as well test his current supply against your linear one before pulling any more triggers. John was talking today about exploring powering the usb port with an individual power supply. Pearse could use the Teddy pardo one on the SOTM USB card and maybe SSD and the brick for the rest of the zuma

[nige2000]

franzuma sounding good, very happy with this build now. The supply heatsink gets good and hot, I estimate 70 deg C which means the actual power device must be 15 degC more. Probably well within tolerances, but I wouldn't be leaving it on all day. I might just use a bigger heatsink on mine.

I did almost all the SSD tweaks linked earlier and I'm running from the SSD. Its a OWC mercury elite 6g 128gB drive. I haven't tried running the fan off the motherboard - maybe something for our meet up?

Another thought struck me re the PS. There is probably a fairly big difference in the quality of SMPS supplies out there, and the one I picked may have been particularly crap. The one you were using might not have been as poor, hence you hearing less of an improvement.

Pearse, maybe before you pull for a new teddy pardo supply, you should wait and hear one of these linear supplies with your zuma?


Fran

Yea about 70 or so degrees sounds about right for the heatsink I've no way of taking its temperature.
You mentioned about fitting a bigger heatsink how would you go about that?
I ran it for 8 hours straight today didn't seem to get any hotter maybe it's ok.

What did your ssd tweaks accomplish for you?
There's a few things on your link I have to try yet, maybe tomorrow

The maplin power supply has improved quality of sound alright it's not a vast difference but its there I'll have to do more comparison so I can explain it better.

What's the difference between the teddy pardo and our maplins best?
Would the 12/4 not struggle powering the Zuma seems close to the limits.

Nige

[nige2000]

john did you get any further progress with the nuc?

I was waiting for mSata SSD (& wrong memory) delivery but also got caught up in building production devices. Have to get back to NUC when I get a chance.

hows the Franzuma today?
Do u loose much SQ with plugging the cpu cooler onto the motherboard?
how hot does your maplin power supply get?, i wouldn't care to put my hand on the block for any length of time

are you guys using windows to go or ssd?

I was using WTG stick - that's why I got SSD - to check the various options, booting from WTG, SSD, music files on WTG, SSD & variations thereof.

john what would a battery power supply trickle charged by motherboard for usb (windows to go)
involve to make up?

nige

You mean having an external 5V battery supply for USB, trickled charged from m/board? I'm not sure you would see the benefit in doing this as I think the trickle charger should not be taken off the m/board, - I think it should be an external supply.

Will this work to power the USB http://www.maplin.co.uk/ac-dc-multi-vol ... cification

[jkeny]

Will this work to power the USB http://www.maplin.co.uk/ac-dc-multi-vol ... cification

It will work but I think it is a SMPS & may not sound great but then who knows?

[nige2000]

It's the old fashioned heavy ones I'd be looking for right, this one is very light it's most likely smps ill try it anyhow

[jkeny]

It's the old fashioned heavy ones I'd be looking for right, this one is very light it's most likely smps ill try it anyhow

Yea, SMPS get a bad rap ut they are not all bad - the corollary applies to linear PS too, they are not all good.

[nige2000]

right got testing the maplin ps and the separate usb supply from wall wart vs power brick only
on wtg stick

well i was struggling to describe what these power supplies were doing to the SQ individually, so i thought id just do both power supplies vs power brick to see if i could get a clearer decision, and i did there is a larger sound-stage, more detail especially in the lower end there seems to be more music between silence and where the sound was before with the power brick.

someone needs to teach me how to describe sound, i think im making a pigs ear of it.
correction welcome!!!

the usb power mod i did cost me dearly in data transfer speeds im down to usb 2 speeds around 30mb/s. although i didnt notice any ill effect i just wonder would it be better @ usb 3 speeds

i bought a cable and adapter (usb3) on ebay to make a mod but there from hong kong so it will take a month to get here

still have not improved my ultrasize figure, im holding on to some hope that a change in dac/drivers will get me the rest of the way

nige

[jkeny]

Another information resource - this time for thermal pastes - some are better than others 10 degree diff in CPU temp between best & worst - if you have to buy some might as well look at this chart
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cooler ... up_11.html