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Audiophile PC - focus on cases - truly silent, low profile, rack mountable?

J

john61ct

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I am starting to collect the parts to assemble a new-to-me "open DSP" PC, also to sometimes maybe be used as a source - streamer transport / network player, and likely more often as HTPC to delay video if needed for lipsync issues.

Primary focus is applying DSP - per-speaker compensation EQ, bass management / crossovers (FR + phase), one day maybe room compensation EQ

Want to stick to modular not PC-monolithic, remain able to use analog sources and a preamp switcher, likely a Wiim Ultra as source, maybe WAU as power amp(s) but stretching the budget there.

Kids throwing WiFi casting or even BT from phones or to HPs will be a must (yuck)

My son is a gamer, but not going to let that dictate any major changes in my approach.

I will be using rack mount I/O interfaces with lots of channels, so I figure the case form factor should nicely fit on my "audio rack" even if sitting on a shelf rather than actually ear mounted. Google LacksRack for ideas...

Or maybe going into IKEA Kallax based shelving, so keeping under 13" width would be good. Height, lower the better but I may end up using multiple PCIe cards needing external access out the back. That also dictates mATX mobo rather than mini-ITX, so I guess counts out a 2U height .

Aesthetically, maybe looking like an AV unit would be nice, Siverstone used to sell Aluminum Lascala Series

LC19 being too limited (maybe) at just one PCIe riser, but just 9.2L and a slim height under 3"


I really love the built-in 7-inch touchscreen LCD of the SilverStone Lascala LC18, and full-size ATX, but what a behemoth! Not to mention pricey and unobtanium...

Silverstone LaScala LC18: Server Rack with Hi-Fi Allure

Silverstone's LC18 case proves that server enclosures don't have to be ugly. This 19 inch enclosure includes a built-in touch screen, which makes an external monitor unnecessary. This attractive item makes a good impression even in a living room.
www.tomshardware.com www.tomshardware.com

Anyway, I'm tired for now

but all suggestions welcome, outside the box whatever.

The mobo/CPU factors related to truly silent - does that mean NO fans? Mobile-on-Desktop?

I think deserves a separate thread

but meantime anyone au fait on this aspect fell free to chime in here, please

TIA

calling @Frank_W
 
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I've been happy using a fanless "NUC" pc. Cost like $100, with memory, SSD storage, HDMI, and Windows installed (though I instead installed Ubuntu Linux into it because I wanted updates only when I wanted, not the borg).
Make sure any you get are fanless and onclude power supply.
 
No, I don't want a SFF in width and depth

even mini-ITX has a much bigger footprint than those tiny guys

as I stated I definitely need one full length PCIe compatible expansion slot, dunno how long but low profile height is pretty commonly available.

I also forgot to mention TB3 support, the 5-pin AIC TBT header, so a decent lane count, and now that I'm at two cards, means I should go up to mobos that offer 3 such slots for headroom.
 
Fanless rackmount is contradictory, as fanless cases need most of their side panels covered in heat sinks and exposed to the air.

Mount it in a rack though and the only side panels left exposed will be the diminutive front and rear panel. Passively cooled just will not work there.

The solution then is to use a comparatively low power CPU (<80W TDP), a beefy cooler, and high quality fans (e.g. Noctua).

You can then set up the fans to only spin during high loads, and spin at speeds inaudible from your MLP.

Here are some rack mount PC cases: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/case/#t=15,16,17,18
 
john61ct said:
I am starting to collect the parts to assemble a new-to-me "open DSP" PC, also to sometimes maybe be used as a source - streamer transport / network player, and likely more often as HTPC to delay video if needed for lipsync issues.

Primary focus is applying DSP - per-speaker compensation EQ, bass management / crossovers (FR + phase), one day maybe room compensation EQ

Want to stick to modular not PC-monolithic, remain able to use analog sources and a preamp switcher, likely a Wiim Ultra as source, maybe WAU as power amp(s) but stretching the budget there.

Kids throwing WiFi casting or even BT from phones or to HPs will be a must (yuck)

My son is a gamer, but not going to let that dictate any major changes in my approach.

I will be using rack mount I/O interfaces with lots of channels, so I figure the case form factor should nicely fit on my "audio rack" even if sitting on a shelf rather than actually ear mounted. Google LacksRack for ideas...

Or maybe going into IKEA Kallax based shelving, so keeping under 13" width would be good. Height, lower the better but I may end up using multiple PCIe cards needing external access out the back. That also dictates mATX mobo rather than mini-ITX, so I guess counts out a 2U height .

Aesthetically, maybe looking like an AV unit would be nice, Siverstone used to sell Aluminum Lascala Series

LC19 being too limited (maybe) at just one PCIe riser, but just 9.2L and a slim height under 3"


I really love the built-in 7-inch touchscreen LCD of the SilverStone Lascala LC18, and full-size ATX, but what a behemoth! Not to mention pricey and unobtanium...

Silverstone LaScala LC18: Server Rack with Hi-Fi Allure

Silverstone's LC18 case proves that server enclosures don't have to be ugly. This 19 inch enclosure includes a built-in touch screen, which makes an external monitor unnecessary. This attractive item makes a good impression even in a living room.
www.tomshardware.com www.tomshardware.com

Anyway, I'm tired for now

but all suggestions welcome, outside the box whatever.

The mobo/CPU factors related to truly silent - does that mean NO fans? Mobile-on-Desktop?

I think deserves a separate thread

but meantime anyone au fait on this aspect fell free to chime in here, please

TIA

calling @Frank_W
Click to expand...

About the silent + IKEA topic:

I have 7 fans (Noctua and Arctic Freezer): 2 are cooling my audio rig, 5 are cooling my PC.
All of these are built into IKEA Besta elements.
All the fans are actively controlled by the PC using my Asrock motherboard's fan utility:

1774168656485.png


Even when having multiple fans you can achieve practically zero dB noise at the main listening position with careful fan tuning.

20251112_124016.jpg



My PC is in a fully open case in the IKEA Besta furniture


20260322_093050.jpg

20260322_093057.jpg




I am just sharing all these to point out that you don't necessarily need a fanless silent PC to have zero noise + you can hide all your electronics nicely in your living room furniture (no need for a fancy PC case)
 
Thanks but I do want to go as silent as possible, mobile use case the gear will get packed in a road cases, I want to use racks.

Kallax when used will be open cubes no doors.
 
I def want "as fanless as possible"

I will of course be using low TPD, why I mentioned MoD tech.

>You can then set up the fans to only spin during high loads, and spin at speeds inaudible from your MLP.

Exactly what I want to do but fully off unless sensors see fans are actually needed.

Will also use spacing and Y-order to optimise.

Thanks for the link

staticV3 said:
Fanless rackmount is contradictory, as fanless cases need most of their side panels covered in heat sinks and exposed to the air.

Mount it in a rack though and the only side panels left exposed will be the diminutive front and rear panel. Passively cooled just will not work there.

The solution then is to use a comparatively low power CPU (<80W TDP), a beefy cooler, and high quality fans (e.g. Noctua).
Click to expand...
 
john61ct said:
I am starting to collect the parts to assemble a new-to-me "open DSP" PC, also to sometimes maybe be used as a source - streamer transport / network player, and likely more often as HTPC to delay video if needed for lipsync issues.

Primary focus is applying DSP - per-speaker compensation EQ, bass management / crossovers (FR + phase), one day maybe room compensation EQ

Want to stick to modular not PC-monolithic, remain able to use analog sources and a preamp switcher, likely a Wiim Ultra as source, maybe WAU as power amp(s) but stretching the budget there.

Kids throwing WiFi casting or even BT from phones or to HPs will be a must (yuck)

My son is a gamer, but not going to let that dictate any major changes in my approach.

I will be using rack mount I/O interfaces with lots of channels, so I figure the case form factor should nicely fit on my "audio rack" even if sitting on a shelf rather than actually ear mounted. Google LacksRack for ideas...

Or maybe going into IKEA Kallax based shelving, so keeping under 13" width would be good. Height, lower the better but I may end up using multiple PCIe cards needing external access out the back. That also dictates mATX mobo rather than mini-ITX, so I guess counts out a 2U height .

Aesthetically, maybe looking like an AV unit would be nice, Siverstone used to sell Aluminum Lascala Series

LC19 being too limited (maybe) at just one PCIe riser, but just 9.2L and a slim height under 3"


I really love the built-in 7-inch touchscreen LCD of the SilverStone Lascala LC18, and full-size ATX, but what a behemoth! Not to mention pricey and unobtanium...

Silverstone LaScala LC18: Server Rack with Hi-Fi Allure

Silverstone's LC18 case proves that server enclosures don't have to be ugly. This 19 inch enclosure includes a built-in touch screen, which makes an external monitor unnecessary. This attractive item makes a good impression even in a living room.
www.tomshardware.com www.tomshardware.com

Anyway, I'm tired for now

but all suggestions welcome, outside the box whatever.

The mobo/CPU factors related to truly silent - does that mean NO fans? Mobile-on-Desktop?

I think deserves a separate thread

but meantime anyone au fait on this aspect fell free to chime in here, please

TIA

calling @Frank_W
Click to expand...
Tuff time to build a PC, prices are frickin ridiculous right now due to economic policies. I looked for an external drive or a ssd and case a couple a weeks ago and was shocked by inventory and pricing .
 
Yes but waiting won't necessarily bring prices down, AI might just eat our whole world :-(
 
I built a couple of gorgeous, not-cheap mini media PCs, but wound up hating 'em. Were I to have another go at building a media PC, I might want:
  • No internal optical drive, unless there's a cutout on the front panel for it. Because it turns out that there's no standardized location for the eject buttons.
  • No front panel display or media buttons (typically need additional software which is rarely updated and prone to breakage)
  • At least one USB port on the front panel, preferably one which delivers enough power to run a USB optical drive
  • Fans vs fanless: Not the big deal I had supposed, provided that typical fan noise is in the 20 something dB range.
  • Fully internal power supply, because when I used PicoPSU + external SMPS, I found the latter generated audible high frequency noise when PC was powered down, like a barely audible beep-beep-beep.
  • Those media-centric remote controls which can operate as a virtual mouse? They work, but I'd have rather had some sort of media-centric front-end rather than launching apps from Windows desktop.
The result would probably look a lot more utilitarian than high-end, but I admit that I'd be tempted by some of the Streacom offerings!

If I really wanted a small display, I might look at the HDMI-connected types used by content creators
 
Yes those look sweet and go up to pretty high TPD. But pricey!

I think I'll build it out with a cheap temporary case

either huge rack-mount to re-purpose for the hime lab / NAS / music server in the garage

or an open-air "test bench" rig even cheaper.

Then I can see once finished, what minimum height I actually need after I get TB3 and Firewire working,

dunno yet what else? Apparently transcoding does not require a dGPU, I might get away with iGPU / APU or if not use an eGPU rig.

I'd LOVE to get down to 2U not just save space but visually integrate with the Echo AudioFire12 units
 
The Streacom prices seem less painful if you consider them as both a case and a silent cooler for relatively high TDP. In a more conventional 2U rack case you're limited in what coolers you can run, let alone quiet ones. Having said that, if you can get away with a low power CPU with passive cooling then that needn't be a problem. There's also the question of what card slots you need - how many, and full-height or low profile. 2U is enough for low profile cards without a riser, while for full height you'll need a riser.
 
Yes the card sitch is unknown until I've finished, hence the open air temporary case idea, I may need to go 3U or even higher.

Amazon.com: Stackable Open Air Computer Case Rack – Modular PC Frame Chassis for ATX/MATX/ITX Motherboards, Ideal for Studio, Mining Rig, DIY Builds : Electronics

Buy Stackable Open Air Computer Case Rack – Modular PC Frame Chassis for ATX/MATX/ITX Motherboards, Ideal for Studio, Mining Rig, DIY Builds: Computer Cases - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com

The horizontal riser idea works if two cards are supported, but haven't seen three. TBH at that point better to just go higher, low profile case looks nice is all, I care not for aesthetics **that** much

...

Great point on money saved, the water cooler stuff gets expensive

My garage is other side of wall behind the rack, I got suggestions to put coolers piping through the wall

:-0 !!

I suppose if it turns out I need high TDP, after trying 5U with huge fans running slow?
 
HDPLEX is well known for good fanless PSUs

TIL they make cases!


HDPLEX H5 Fanless Chassis

www.tomshardware.com

HDPLEX H5 Fanless Computer Case Review

HDPLEX is widely known within the HTPC and audiophile communities for making premium, fanless computer cases. Can the second generation H5 build on the success of its predecessor?
www.tomshardware.com www.tomshardware.com
 
RIP Chuck Norris. He doesn't put the Convolver in a rack; the case IS the rack!

My $39 test bench case arrived

"Stackable Open Air Computer Case Rack" linked above.

Very nice presentation when unboxing, super well organised, extra screws, seems decent quality even the aluminum feet and spacer rods.

assembly instructions

Stackable Computer Case – DaLaiTech – Creative Designs Featuring Open Frame PC Cases, Wireless Desktop Switches, Desk Stands, Figures, and Monitor Risers

www.ediy.cc www.ediy.cc

...

Likely a cheap temporary case, but I might just enclose - Baltic ply, ABS or acrylic sheeting with ventilation cutouts, to sit on a rack shelf, or if pretty enough on top of a LackRack table.

Or once I get TB3 and Firewire working, everything tested as production ready, measure the TDP / heat output under the high end of expected loads.

I'll see if it'll fit heat- and height-wise in one of those sweet fancy fanless rackmount cases to blend with my AF12s, ideally 3U - I'd LOVE to get down to 2U not just save space but visually integrate with the Echo AudioFire12 units, but that's likely unrealistic.

Meanwhile I'll be looking for a full-size ATX mobo that

takes low-TDP CPUs

has 2x M.2 NVMe in case I go for external Firewire adapter, SAS/SATA HBA or eGPU

3-4 PCIe slots, lots of lanes

supports x4x4x4x4 bifurcation

TB3/DisplayPort Alt Mode, and

supports ECC RAM
 
staticV3 said:
Fanless rackmount is contradictory, as fanless cases need most of their side panels covered in heat sinks and exposed to the air.

Mount it in a rack though and the only side panels left exposed will be the diminutive front and rear panel. Passively cooled just will not work there.

The solution then is to use a comparatively low power CPU (<80W TDP), a beefy cooler, and high quality fans (e.g. Noctua).

You can then set up the fans to only spin during high loads, and spin at speeds inaudible from your MLP.

Here are some rack mount PC cases: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/case/#t=15,16,17,18
Click to expand...
If you have an open frame 4 post rack and use well ventilated shelves you can achieve a nice bottom to top air flow that works just fine with fanless cases. For example : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074NW3N1L?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_5&th=1 It will get complicated if you do not leave reasonable spacing between the shelves/cases or try and use 2KW from to back cooled 1U servers in the same rack. But a mix of audio gear and home level network equipment should be fine. I have a couple of intel nucs with akasa fanless cases (40 watt cpu's plus nvme), two NAS boxes, 5 sonos amps, two fanless pi5, a fanless 4 port opensense router and a couple of ethernet switches (including one 8 port POE+) and nothing comes close to overheating. The only fans are those in the NAS and they never seem to run (they are SSD based NAS though).

The "hottest" device in the rack is the fanless router (it is running intrusion detection as well). I did tip it on its side and changed the bottom plate to be ventilated (sitting on a ventilated shelf) so it had better cooling across the top mounted heatsink case.
 
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I've never used ECC RAM outside of server applications, unaware of any practical benefit here?
GPU: Dunno that it would help with transcoding. For gaming, consider Steam OS and hardware rather than Windows.
Firewire: I guess, if you've got a legacy audio interface and the software works on a modern OS?
 
JeffS7444 said:
I've never used ECC RAM outside of server applications, unaware of any practical benefit here?
Click to expand...
Depends on the use case, and how much risk of data corruption you're willing to put up with. This post tries to put some numbers to it in relation to ZFS where ECC is often strongly recommended. Similar arguments can be made for other filesystems like btrfs, and for RAID.
 
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