Build a dedicated Audio PC

[Sligolad]

I have a new MSI board ready to go and I received a Haswell processor yesterday but I would be afraid to go messing with the PC at the moment it sounds so good, going to bring it to Fran's on Saturday and fingers crossed it still sounds as good!!
By the way it still has that Intel board that I have had a love/hate relationship with....maybe it knew it was about to be replaced and finally decided to play ball :-)

[nige2000]

Got a serious lift in SQ this evening that has me shaking my head in disbelief again, just when you think there are only small gains left something like this hits you out of leftfield!!
I think it is due to moving my OS with MQN on a Sandisk USB stick from a back USB port (#2) to direct on to one of the Mobo USB pinouts (#12), I have no Pico anymore and no relays just 3.3, 5, & 12v Linear's to the Mobo.
I connected the USB OS stick power pins to the 5v linear supply which also supplies the 24 pin atx, the PPA USB card and the CF Card drive and the improvement was amazing.

I tried feeding the USB stick with the Anker 5v but it would not pick up on the PC even though there was 5v going to the stick and the blue light in the stick was lit....very strange.
I also stuck back in the PCI capacitor board at the weekend which seems to act as a reservoir on the PCI bus so maybe that has charged up and helps but the difference this evening when I changed the USB stick was amazing to say the least.

The sound is so detailed and smooth with rich body and loads of attack which is something that really jumps out of the Quads, not something I have heard from them before.
Keeping my fingers crossed that when I turn the Zuma on tomorrow that new sound is still there, maybe there is some crazy ground stuff going on since I tidied up my wiring also at the weekend and adding the USB stick inside with its power direct off the Linear supply broke some noise loop.
Mad stuff is all I can say!!

great stuff is that the intel board or the msi thats running without the dc converter?

an odd time when moving configurations the sandisk will not be recognised, just disconnect/unplug and reconnect
anker supply should be good on the OS if you can get it going

[tony]

I have a new MSI board ready to go and I received a Haswell processor yesterday but I would be afraid to go messing with the PC at the moment it sounds so good, going to bring it to Fran's on Saturday and fingers crossed it still sounds as good!!
By the way it still has that Intel board that I have had a love/hate relationship with....maybe it knew it was about to be replaced and finally decided to play ball :-)

Yahoo that is the same board as mine. Another potentially free upgrade! Hopefully get to see and hear it Saturday.

[nige2000]

actually yould likely be as well building a separate new pc, you likely have nearly all the parts and the haswell doesn't need much in the way of cooling, as you seen
that way you can do direct comparison

i plan to build a test bench for the ram power modifications

[nige2000]

Ok PPA USB card arrived couple of days ago, i have wired in another 5v battery especially for it, i had temporally took power from rear usb port and it sounded much better at that
the real improvement came by providing direct battery power

[tony]

Ok PPA USB card arrived couple of days ago, i have wired in another 5v battery especially for it, i had temporally took power from rear usb port and it sounded much better at that
the real improvement came by providing direct battery power

When did you order that? Sounds if it got delivered very quickly. Not sure if it is in my mind but the 3m paper seems to reduce noise floor a lot. I did get monster bass traps the other week so not sure if they are doing something also but feel mine sounds very sweet. Was the card plug and play or is there messing with drivers?

[nige2000]

Ok PPA USB card arrived couple of days ago, i have wired in another 5v battery especially for it, i had temporally took power from rear usb port and it sounded much better at that
the real improvement came by providing direct battery power

When did you order that? Sounds if it got delivered very quickly. Not sure if it is in my mind but the 3m paper seems to reduce noise floor a lot. I did get monster bass traps the other week so not sure if they are doing something also but feel mine sounds very sweet. Was the card plug and play or is there messing with drivers?

ordered the ppa card after pearse left here couple weeks ago
delivery isnt too slow
the card is plug and play but there is drivers for it thats supposed to sound better, i didnt a-b it but think there might be a little sq in it

i also tried to power it with 3.3v as i like them a123 batteries, but wouldn't work

[tony]

Thats what I thought. It looks like it only took approx a week to 10 days to get here.That is not bad. Are you suggesting it may sound a little better or not sure?

[nige2000]

Thats what I thought. It looks like it only took approx a week to 10 days to get here.That is not bad. Are you suggesting it may sound a little better or not sure?

yea it better no doubt

even just to get another access point to put clean power in
mobos are a shockingly dirty power even going from one point to another on the mobo picks up noise sad but true :(:(:(:(

[mjock3]

i have wired in another 5v battery especially for it, i had temporally took power from rear usb port and it sounded much better at that
the real improvement came by providing direct battery power

Nige, could you give me some details in regards to the battery? What is the ah rating, is it sla or lifepo4?