It's a national holiday today but still cold here in NL so a nice day to do some 'nerding'! 
Very happy with the microRendu and some follow up thoughts on it I already wrote in the Sonore topic so no need to repeat all that:
http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?t...9#pid40949
http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?t...3#pid41083
In a post above I wrote that I've "dismantled" my music server PC and that I would probably replace it with something smaller. I had already removed the JCAT USB card, JCAT battery PSU and PPA Audio Red SATA cable from it so it's just a case+PSU with a mainboard/CPU/memory and SSD now.
Initially I thought about replacing it with a small, simple, fanless and energy efficient machine which I can attach to the back of my TV but considering the inevitable write offs when selling second hand I thought why go through the hassle. The current machine is a fanless and fairly energy efficient one (25W idle), it's just not small but since my TV is a 50" one I thought there should be plenty of space for it to also hide this machine. Well easy peasy, it's there now. See picture! I simply screwed two bolts into the wallmounting threads of the TV put the PC on those and a wire to prevent it from ever falling off. Doesn't need to be earthquake proof or look pretty, the back of a TV never does. 
I do like to get rid of the big HDPlex 100W linear PSU since I'll need the space it occupies for the Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4 PSU that's on its way, but since there's a HDPlex DC-DC ATX PSU (like a PicoPSU) inside the machine which accepts a 16-24V input voltage I tried a spare HP 19.5V 65W slim travel laptop adapter and this works great even while stress testing the machine (using Furmark and Prime95 running at the same time) for maximum power usage and stability it just delivers without getting hot/maxing out. Great, so I will be putting the big linear PSU on sale as well!
--
Considering the good results people are getting with AIR3 I'd like to test this a well as when a Windows version is released. To be honest I don't expect AIR3 to really sound as good as my current setup using Mutec/microRendu/linear PSU and fiber optic networking but of course I want to hear it and judge for myself. If AIR3 indeed delivers and thus matches the SQ levels I enjoy now I'd be really happy to get rid of the then no longer needed additional boxes. There's no emotional or other attachment to them, the only thing that counts is the end result! So I've thought about the wheres and hows for testing AIR 3.0 as well.
I'm currently using the DIY NAS PC running Windows 10 as a Roon Server as well. It's in a different room ('office' upstairs). I've used this same machine for quite some time with AIR as well until I decided to build the new optimized HTPC/music server back in 2014. Using AIR over ethernet I never found tweaking the computers had an effect on SQ. With USB this did matter -a lot-. With ethernet the only positive effect I ever recognized back then was using a better ethernet cable (I started using an Audioquest Diamond RJ/E back then). Considering this I'll simply install AIR again on this NAS PC when it becomes available. Of course I could also still test AIR3 using my current music server, it's still fully functioning, just removed the USB parts.
I'd still like to keep using fiber optic networking with AIR for that full galvanic isolation from the network but unfortunately the ethernet interface of the Devialet is 10/100 only and my current fiber to ether converters support gigabit only (TP-Link MC220L). So perhaps I'll just start with a copper ethernet connection and my EMO Systems LAN isolator and if this shows promise the investment of 36 euro's for two 10/100 TP Link MC100CM fiber to ethernet converters (http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/detai...100CM.html) plus a few euro's for a fiber optic cable won't kill me!
Currently also upgrading my NAS PC from Windows 10 Pro to Windows Server 2012 R2. Since I already own the Audiophile Optimizer (AO 1.40) license I'll probably installl that as well on this machine, won't hurt!
All right, back to that W2012R2 installation now..
Edit: after installing WS2012R2 I discovered that I had to install way too much completely unnecessary Windows components to support Roon Server in Core or even GUI mode so I reinstalled Windows 10 Pro again.
Very happy with the microRendu and some follow up thoughts on it I already wrote in the Sonore topic so no need to repeat all that:
http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?t...9#pid40949
http://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?t...3#pid41083
In a post above I wrote that I've "dismantled" my music server PC and that I would probably replace it with something smaller. I had already removed the JCAT USB card, JCAT battery PSU and PPA Audio Red SATA cable from it so it's just a case+PSU with a mainboard/CPU/memory and SSD now.
Initially I thought about replacing it with a small, simple, fanless and energy efficient machine which I can attach to the back of my TV but considering the inevitable write offs when selling second hand I thought why go through the hassle. The current machine is a fanless and fairly energy efficient one (25W idle), it's just not small but since my TV is a 50" one I thought there should be plenty of space for it to also hide this machine. Well easy peasy, it's there now. See picture!
I simply screwed two bolts into the wallmounting threads of the TV put the PC on those and a wire to prevent it from ever falling off. Doesn't need to be earthquake proof or look pretty, the back of a TV never does. I do like to get rid of the big HDPlex 100W linear PSU since I'll need the space it occupies for the Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4 PSU that's on its way, but since there's a HDPlex DC-DC ATX PSU (like a PicoPSU) inside the machine which accepts a 16-24V input voltage I tried a spare HP 19.5V 65W slim travel laptop adapter and this works great even while stress testing the machine (using Furmark and Prime95 running at the same time) for maximum power usage and stability it just delivers without getting hot/maxing out. Great, so I will be putting the big linear PSU on sale as well!
--
Considering the good results people are getting with AIR3 I'd like to test this a well as when a Windows version is released. To be honest I don't expect AIR3 to really sound as good as my current setup using Mutec/microRendu/linear PSU and fiber optic networking but of course I want to hear it and judge for myself. If AIR3 indeed delivers and thus matches the SQ levels I enjoy now I'd be really happy to get rid of the then no longer needed additional boxes. There's no emotional or other attachment to them, the only thing that counts is the end result! So I've thought about the wheres and hows for testing AIR 3.0 as well.
I'm currently using the DIY NAS PC running Windows 10 as a Roon Server as well. It's in a different room ('office' upstairs). I've used this same machine for quite some time with AIR as well until I decided to build the new optimized HTPC/music server back in 2014. Using AIR over ethernet I never found tweaking the computers had an effect on SQ. With USB this did matter -a lot-. With ethernet the only positive effect I ever recognized back then was using a better ethernet cable (I started using an Audioquest Diamond RJ/E back then). Considering this I'll simply install AIR again on this NAS PC when it becomes available. Of course I could also still test AIR3 using my current music server, it's still fully functioning, just removed the USB parts.
I'd still like to keep using fiber optic networking with AIR for that full galvanic isolation from the network but unfortunately the ethernet interface of the Devialet is 10/100 only and my current fiber to ether converters support gigabit only (TP-Link MC220L). So perhaps I'll just start with a copper ethernet connection and my EMO Systems LAN isolator and if this shows promise the investment of 36 euro's for two 10/100 TP Link MC100CM fiber to ethernet converters (http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/detai...100CM.html) plus a few euro's for a fiber optic cable won't kill me!
Currently also upgrading my NAS PC from Windows 10 Pro to Windows Server 2012 R2. Since I already own the Audiophile Optimizer (AO 1.40) license I'll probably installl that as well on this machine, won't hurt!
All right, back to that W2012R2 installation now..
Edit: after installing WS2012R2 I discovered that I had to install way too much completely unnecessary Windows components to support Roon Server in Core or even GUI mode so I reinstalled Windows 10 Pro again.
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands
