Amir's Music Server Build Thread

[DonH56]

My wifi is unreliable in the media room and that is why I want to install a local server and USB drive. But I never seem to get around to it...

 

[watchnerd]

My wifi is unreliable in the media room and that is why I want to install a local server and USB drive. But I never seem to get around to it...

Have you tried a mesh network?

My wifi got much better since transitioning to the new mesh tech.

 

[DonH56]

No, too cheap to upgrade everything (just bought a new router and range extender last year, plus a couple sets of powerline adapters; the latter worked for my son, also in the basement, but not for the media room with dedicated power lines). You also take a performance hit with a mesh network, not that it would be noticeable to me, and when I last looked the better devices were pricey. My situation I have discussed on ASR elsewhere and is just a bad combination of things arising from choices made many years ago.

Technically my SONOS system is a mesh network, using their built-in scheme, and a CONNECT to my router/switch.

 

[watchnerd]

No, too cheap to upgrade everything (just bought a new router and range extender last year, plus a couple sets of powerline adapters; the latter worked for my son, also in the basement, but not for the media room with dedicated power lines). You also take a performance hit with a mesh network, not that it would be noticeable to me, and when I last looked the better devices were pricey. My situation I have discussed on ASR elsewhere and is just a bad combination of things arising from choices made many years ago.

Technically my SONOS system is a mesh network, using their built-in scheme, and a CONNECT to my router/switch.

If your house is wired for coax tv cable, I've also had good results with MOCA adapters in the past.

 

[DonH56]

That looks interesting, had not thought about those, thanks!

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

My wifi is unreliable in the media room and that is why I want to install a local server and USB drive. But I never seem to get around to it...

WiFi might work for some, but not reliably for others. I have not been tempted to try it, since I I have an easy solution that works quite well, with perfect reliability and stability for me.

My plain tower PC, NAS, both with stock fans, and my networking gear is all in an adjoining utility room, so no noise or clutter in the media room. USB to DAC for audio, HDMI to TV for video and power extension cords, all about 5 meters, are fed through a small hole in the wall between them. The power cord was necessary to eliminate obvious ground loop issues, which it did by plugging the PC/NAS/Network UPS into one of the same AC circuits as my media room components.

The PC is controlled by a simple Logitech wireless keyboard with touchpad. Its USB receiver chip is plugged into the PC. The HDMI signal to my TV provides a display of the PC desktop. A long USB extension cable is used for my USB calibration mike when necessary. An iPad via WiFi enables JRemote control of JRiver playback from the PC with the TV off. Playback can also be controlled via the keyboard and TV display, as can all other routine PC tasks. The PC and its optical drives are just a few steps away in the next room.

My DAC is galvanically isolated and not USB powered, so I lose no sleep over possible noise conveyed to it via a 5 meter USB cable. There is no discernible video picture quality issue with the HDMI cable.

I realize that not everyone has this simple adjacent room possibility, so some must install a quiet PC or small networked computer client in their rooms. But, I often wonder whether some computer audiophiles actually want their PC to be part of the audio shrine up front and center, and that they are willing to go to the added expense of a silent PC to get it.

 

[watchnerd]

But, I often wonder whether some computer audiophiles actually want their PC to be part of the audio shrine up front and center, and that they are willing to go to the added expense of a silent PC to get it.

I think there is something to this line of thought...a new icon to put in the gear rack.

My goal is the opposite, to eliminate the gear rack entirely. I've pretty much done that in the latest incarnation. Software defined audio helps a lot:

 

[duo8]

Is it just me or the build in OP seems overkill?
Do EQ and resampling need that much processing power?

 

[amirm]

Do EQ and resampling need that much processing power?

As I have noted, DSD to PCM resampling in Roon completely maxes out my i5 machine. It almost runs reliably but once in a while it can glitch and fall behind.

Otherwise yes, the system idles at next to no CPU load even with Dirac Live EQ.

 

[KR8NUX]

Putting an i5 and a GT 1030 (add-on card) seems to be a sub-optimal way to go from a cost perspective. I would rather put a 65W TDP AMD APU like the newer Raven Ridge Ryzen 5 2400GE ( 35 W TDP, lesser than the standard 2400G), a 512 GB/1 TB NVME M.2 SSD, 8-16 GB stick, silent fans like the Noctua NF-A14(if a case fan is needed), Passive CPU cooling block like the Alpine AM4 (even an active block like the Scythe Shuriken is like only 11 dB), Silent PSU like the BeQuiet Pure Power 11 or Silverstone ST30SF ('semi' fanless according to Silverstone) .

I tried one on PC Part Picker - https://pcpartpicker.com/list/xx2Fhy
Comes to $680, can be used as HTPC, Media Server, and also as a console replacement (The Ryzen APU is really good). Additionally, it will not go above 22-25 dB based on the parts I have put in (check quietpc for more part selections)

I think this is the sweet spot for a multifunctional system that can be used not only for 4K media, but also for Roon and if you install a console emulator like RetroArch, a sweet gaming system for your living room. Additionally, seeing the raw power of the Ryzen it can also play more intensive games at decent settings.
And for the noise, I can say its low enough that you would hear your Air conditioner's noise before you can hear the fans in this.
Unless you are in a well insulated soundproofed anechoic chamber going to the extreme of passive cooling does not make sense to me.

 

[Bluespower]

@amirm did you try libsamplerate (secret rabbit code) resampling on linux? Software like amarok have it and you can choose quality and frequency. Long time ago it was my favorite sounding. Also i found that mpeg123 was good sounding for mp3 and could directly oversample and have parameters to lower level before decoding it to wave and avoid clipping. Olso on linux i think there are open sources fir eq. I think all is much more customisable on linux.
By the way on windows i found a free player that loaded the decoded waves on memory before playing it via asio.
Here is the link if you want to play.
http://andy-audioplayer.blogspot.com/?m=1
Don't know if it works on new windows but i found the sound much better than foobar for mp3 decoding (you can set codecs to decode at-3db and can set wich codec to use)
Also on linux rt kernels was better for processing audio if i remember.

 

[Veri]

@amirm did you try libsamplerate (secret rabbit code) resampling on linux? Software like amarok have it and you can choose quality and frequency. Long time ago it was my favorite sounding. Also i found that mpeg123 was good sounding for mp3 and could directly oversample and have parameters to lower level before decoding it to wave and avoid clipping. Olso on linux i think there are open sources fir eq. I think all is much more customisable on linux.
By the way on windows i found a free player that loaded the decoded waves on memory before playing it via asio.
Here is the link if you want to play.
http://andy-audioplayer.blogspot.com/?m=1
Don't know if it works on new windows but i found the sound much better than foobar for mp3 decoding (you can set codecs to decode at-3db and can set wich codec to use)
Also on linux rt kernels was better for processing audio if i remember.

How did you test it to "sound much better"..?

On hydrogen forums that single statement gets you banned simple as that

 

[Krunok]

That looks interesting, had not thought about those, thanks!

I also had great results with ethernet over powerline adapters made by TP-Link. I was able to reliably stream HD video content over them so they should work with no effort with audio.

 

[Bluespower]

How did you test it to "sound much better"..?

On hydrogen forums that single statement gets you banned simple as that

To my hears so i m curious if someone has tested it
more rigorously. I was frustrated that on windows no soft used libsamplerate. (Except an old foobar version that had an old libsamplerate plugin).
I guess with modern dacs there is no need to oversample by software anymore except maybe to make some fir eq at higher frequency?

 

[Veri]

I guess with modern dacs there is no need to oversample by software anymore except maybe to make some fir eq at higher frequency?

Yes, I don't think so. With exclusive control via WASAPI or ASIO, sending the original 44Khz/48Khz(or higher) to a device with proper fir will handle it with relative perfection.

Unfortunately though, using windows directsound at a hard set sample rate such as 44khz will resample all other audio (e.g. movies) which generally results in fidelity loss. Windows resampler isn't really that good. On other OS it's not as much of a problem...

 

[Bluespower]

Yes, I don't think so. With exclusive control via WASAPI or ASIO, sending the original 44Khz/48Khz(or higher) to a device with proper fir will handle it with relative perfection.

Unfortunately though, using windows directsound at a hard set sample rate such as 44khz will resample all other audio (e.g. movies) which generally results in fidelity loss. Windows resampler isn't really that good. On other OS it's not as much of a problem...

I remember on linux i had to bypass also the mixer (pulse audio) and configure alsa so that it can render at all frequencies. I think now all that is configured on the hifi linux distribs. But Ubuntu also resample everything by default. On my axon 7 mini i stay with the official rom because with hw codec mx player it doesn't resample and keep 44.1khz. on lineage os it's resampled by 48khz and doesn't sound good.
If you want to know the output frequency in android then install a command like termux.
Then while playing music open termux
su
dumpsys media.audio_flinger

Works for usb ad headphones out but have to be root
Guess it works on linux

 

[soundwave76]

I also had great results with ethernet over powerline adapters made by TP-Link. I was able to reliably stream HD video content over them so they should work with no effort with audio.

Same here - I use these 2 gigabit TP-Link's and never had a problem with them.

https://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-5509_TL-PA9020P-KIT.html

 

[DonH56]

MY network issues are documented elsewhere. Short answer: the power line adapters worked great for my son in the room next to the media room, but not in the media room (separate circuit, separate service). I resolved the issue with a range extender and local access point.

 

[Shadrach]

I built my first music server in 1992. It was a lot of fun. I've built a few since then.
Yours looks very smart.
There are so many silent PC's on the market now, many not more than £150 that can do everything I need, although I do like to replace the USB plugs and sockets with XLRs and sometimes provide a better power supply, that building seems rather pointless now.
I have a 21" monitor I can actually read and a handheld track ball for navigation of the music players.
I use Linux OS and my favorite player atm is Deadbeef.
My albums are in Flac or WAV format on various hard drives and since SSD drives have come down in price I replace as the standard drives wear out.
I don't use a NAS. I don't stream music. I'm not remotely interested in DSD, it's useful for studios for archiving and cheaper dac building, but that's about it.I can't differentiate between CBR 320 and redbook for some albums never mind or resolutions beyond 24/88 or 24/96 (really who decided 24/96 was a good idea )

 

[Hypnotoad]

Is it just me or the build in OP seems overkill?

Nearly everything in HiFi Audio is overkill, it keeps the industry going, that search for the elusive perfect system. It can be a pastime, hobby, or obsession, but it's better than hanging around street corners.