Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Anything to do with computer audio, hardware, software etc.
item_audio
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by item_audio »

nige2000 wrote:mark
did you ever test the passive seasonic atx supplies?
how does the pico + linear compare to the leadex?
im a little skeptical :)

the problem with the dac-up is that it still sources the +5v from the motherboard, its a sort of half way sort of thing and still requires all the further modding :(

fractal make lovely cases :)

were a bit of a divided bunch here
theres those who are really into ca and want the best and those that cant get far enough away from it
there is a couple trying it out low level style but not many

think the bbb and tp botic (properly implemented) will clean up the bottom half of the ca market (maybe more)mostly because of sq but also the simplicity and foot print it can have
Believe me, I was skeptical, too. But look at this:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Supe ... -750F14MG/
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?na ... 4&reid=370
Seriously, though, for less than half the price of a JCAT card, this combo is a knockout.

Sorry to harp on about it, but we were the first people to shout about the Pico PSU + Linear combo as a cut-price alternative to our multi-rail linear - back in 2009. I was wedded to the thing, but only out of desperation: nothing else let us use a linear for AC-DC quite so inexpensively and simply. It's a shame, because the HDPlex version is a nice step forward, but then - out of the blue - this!

It's so much lower noise than the PicoPSU it's not even funny. I can't begin to tell you how gratifying it is to have practically infinite headroom available on three ultra-clean taps for 3.3V, 5V and 12V: shoot one into USB, bypass the PCIe bus with an injector ribbon - no problem. Obviously you don't want to be passing it off-board recklessly because the board injects plenty of crap back into it - but what a novelty! A PSU that need protecting from the board, not vice versa! I like it.

It works great with Core Audio filtration, and like any PC it benefits from mains isolation, so I'm certainly not suggesting the basic £600 T1 is the last word. Far from it. But it's definitely a new platform - all shiny and Haswell - to build for 2014 and beyond. More memory bandwidth and full speed PCIe for USB cards - ready to rock and roll. We're still ironing out the latency bugs, but I think we'll a few OS images in circulation soon.

The dual 25MHz clocks on that board are nice and accessible, too - through-hole jobs . . .

I'm pretty strongly anti- boards bigger than Mini ITX. Although the spacing of the board is sometimes a bonus, they suck more power and generate more RF. It gets a bit troublesome to be developing more than one board, so we'll be tweaking the heck out of this one unless we hit an insuperable problem running software like Server or run into glitches with driver clashes down the line. No reason not to use this board for the JCAT, SoTM, Adnaco, et al, even though the fancy bus is then wasted. It's still an ideal board for a single-card build: only £65.
nige2000
Posts: 4253
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:47 am
Location: meath

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by nige2000 »

the biggest problem with the pico was the return noise from the cpu, and the noisy 5v rail supplying the ssd and usb card, which was improved by putting a battery on the +5 and +12v (cpu) rail like a cap and fed from linear psu

you hardly wanna send me the atx supply for testing?

or is this competing with direct to 24pin supply at all?

the mobo looks good

i assume the second clock is for the msata slot, it will need a dedicated supply

some of the matx boards are better cause there better spaced out , but im a fan of the itx myself
sd card player, modded soekris dac, class a lifepo4 amp or gb class a/b amp, diy open baffle speakers based on project audio mundorf trio 10's
tony
Posts: 3144
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:36 pm

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by tony »

Some interesting stuff there Mark. Nigel check out the PFM thread at http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/show ... 16&page=10 The usual clowns fighting the invisible man war but there is mention of a multirail power supply called superflower. Interests me as an alternative to the batteries but maybe I should have checked the price before posting the link. Welcome aboard again Mark I know you did have a short visit a year or two ago but disappeared very quickly just at the start of the PC audio road trip.
GroupBuySD DAC/First Watt AlephJ/NigeAmp/Audio PC's/Lampi L4.5 Dac/ Groupbuy AD1862 DHT Dac /Quad ESL63's.Tannoy Legacy Cheviots.
nige2000
Posts: 4253
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:47 am
Location: meath

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by nige2000 »

the foofighters should stick to music

ive very little energy for debate with those that will not try nor experiment, it is they that miss out in the end
but their enthusiasm really is remarkable, pity they couldnt use it more constructively
sd card player, modded soekris dac, class a lifepo4 amp or gb class a/b amp, diy open baffle speakers based on project audio mundorf trio 10's
tony
Posts: 3144
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:36 pm

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by tony »

nige2000 wrote:the foofighters should stick to music

ive very little energy for debate with those that will not try nor experiment, it is they that miss out in the end
but their enthusiasm really is remarkable, pity they couldnt use it more constructively
I wised up just ignore them as you could waste weeks. Easy to get caught when a bit of an enthusiastic novice. Some of the lads on that thread I reckon haven't encountered that tribe before. I got stuck in last year but copped on sure it is just sport/ their hobby. There is nothing personal in it. Jasus you would want to be very bored with life to get constant enjoyment from that. They could go on forever regurgitating the same line. I sometimes wondered have they an autoscript running out the replies as they are so repetitive/similar.
GroupBuySD DAC/First Watt AlephJ/NigeAmp/Audio PC's/Lampi L4.5 Dac/ Groupbuy AD1862 DHT Dac /Quad ESL63's.Tannoy Legacy Cheviots.
Clive
Posts: 205
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 11:12 pm

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by Clive »

I just hsd a bit of a quiet day so I ended up posting a few times. Mostly nowadays I don't bother. Just a bit of fun bantering with the likes of Max....
tony
Posts: 3144
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:36 pm

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by tony »

Clive wrote:I just hsd a bit of a quiet day so I ended up posting a few times. Mostly nowadays I don't bother. Just a bit of fun bantering with the likes of Max....
Was wondering was it you. Sure we all slip off the wagon every now and then. I think we all realize at this stage it is just a laugh for us and them. You couldn't take it serious it is priceless stuff. Mark probably sells bucket loads from all the publicity.
GroupBuySD DAC/First Watt AlephJ/NigeAmp/Audio PC's/Lampi L4.5 Dac/ Groupbuy AD1862 DHT Dac /Quad ESL63's.Tannoy Legacy Cheviots.
Alan Brown
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:41 am

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by Alan Brown »

tony wrote:Some interesting stuff there Mark. Nigel check out the PFM thread at http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/show ... 16&page=10 The usual clowns fighting the invisible man war but there is mention of a multirail power supply called superflower. Interests me as an alternative to the batteries but maybe I should have checked the price before posting the link. Welcome aboard again Mark I know you did have a short visit a year or two ago but disappeared very quickly just at the start of the PC audio road trip.
Hi Tony

I mentioned the SuperFlower, it's the same thing - the Leadex. I just prefer calling it the superFlower. Su. Per. Flow. Er. You don't get a name that cool & not use it!

I want to get as far as I can on a limited budget, so I'll be trying it out.
item_audio
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by item_audio »

Alan Brown wrote:I mentioned the SuperFlower, it's the same thing - the Leadex. I just prefer calling it the superFlower. Su. Per. Flow. Er. You don't get a name that cool & not use it! I want to get as far as I can on a limited budget, so I'll be trying it out.
Rose by any other name . . .
Funnily enough, the Leadex Superflower GOLD range is slightly quieter than the more efficient (and expensive) Platinum models.

If anyone wants to buy the PSU, or the whole kit, I can probably get you a better price on supplying them together than paying separate postage from half a dozen different suppliers.

We hardly do this side of things as a profit-making venture, but we are able to turn a tenner or so if you buy the lot from us - and it will be cheaper for you too. It's a group buy thing. Helping us helps you, etc. No pressure - just saying!
Alan Brown
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:41 am

Re: Item Phase IV Computer Audio Recipes

Post by Alan Brown »

I believe I have to look at a different mobo & processor, as I explained before, but I'm definitely interested in the Leadex. I'd like to support you by buying at least something, so put me down for the PS please (plus what we spoke about by PM yesterday).
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