13-May-2017, 12:59
Mucho silence here, in this case a good sign! thought I'd sum up the previous 12 or so pages and thus "my 2017 in HiFi thus far" and tell what's cooking. 
December 12 2016: SOtM sMS-200 replaced the microRendu
January 7-15: first experimentation with direct connection to the SMS-200 from my previous music server using a 20 meter long OM3 fiber cable in between two TP-Link FMC's (MC220L using Cisco GLC-SX-MM SFP's). This of course after getting inspired by the best thread on CA of 2017: https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forum...icrorendu/
This showed great potential so I explored it further!
January 29 - February 27:
- earthed the AC outlets in my home office/study
- Received two Supra CAT 8 cables. Used one to connect the music server to the FMC used in the path to the SMS-200 and the other between 2nd ethernet interface on the music server to my EMO Systems EN-HD70 LAN isolator and from there a short 25cm CAT7 cable to my upstairs switch
- powered the upstairs switch with a SBooster BOTWS 12V LPSU I still had
- Started using a Windows 2012 R2 server installation again with the Audiophile Optimizer (AO) software
- looked at fiber NIC's for the music server but didn't proceed
- applied multiple small tweaks in optimizing the network/AC power in my office room
- Got an ifi iPower 12V and DC iPurifier for my 'upstream' network stuff (not in the system downstairs). The iPower connected to my Fritzbox DSL router and the DC iPurifier in between the LPSU and the FMC connected to my music server.
- Started experimenting with cheap SATA cables getting good reviews (Akasa Silver 45cm and 100cm, Coboc 18" and Asus black&white)
March 1 - March 15: 'direct connection' 2nd iteratation!
- after having previously started researching (in parallel to the above) a new music server to be directly connected to my SMS-200 using just the AQ Diamond ethernet cable and powered by my Hynes SR7 PSU. I bought the following:
Case: Streacom FC8 Alpha Optical Fanless Chassis - Silver
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110TN-E
RAM: Crucial DDR4 2133Mhz CL15 - 8GB (kit 2 x 4GB)
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700T (2.8GHz-3.6GHz, quad core, hyper threading, 35W, 8MB L3 cache)
Arctic Silver AS5 (thermal compound)
Used a 1TB Samsung 850 EVO SSD and entry level server grade PCI-E Intel I210 ethernet adapter I already owned to make the system complete.
- "dismantled" the 1st iteration of the 'direct connection' as detailed above built January 29 - February 27
- migrated the Windows Server 2012 R2/AO/Roon Server installation to the new server, BIOS tuning etc.
- reused the DC iPurifier, now in between the cheap EBay 9V LPSU and the FMC connecting the music server to the network
- reused the EMO Systems EN-HD70 LAN isolator, now in between the on board NIC and the FMC connecting the music server to the network
- made a DIY DC cable for the music server using 16AWG Jantzen Silver teflon cable and Oyaide DC 2.5x5.5mm plug and Neutrik NC4MXX BAG 4p male XLR plug
- settled on the Coboc 18" SATA cable
Posted many details and some system topology diagrams earlier.
No changes since March 15! Just enjoying music and my system immensely but as always closely monitoring several developments. So what's cooking here and now?
- JCAT NET Card Femto (audiophile PCI-E ethernet NIC, probably released at or soon after Munich High-End) to replace the Intel I210 PCIE NIC. https://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=4142
- upgrade to Windows Server 2016 in Core mode with Roon Server made possible by the just released beta 5 of AO 2.20
- upgrade SMS-200 to SMS-200 Ultra (also probably released at or soon after Munich High-End) or get the new TX-USB Ultra with two additional clock outputs and feed those to the modified SMS-200
- power SSD inside music server using a new separate LPSU or using a Paul Hynes DC DIY regulator (or other high performance voltage regulator)
- power JCAT NET Card Femto NIC inside music server using a separate LPSU or using a Paul Hynes DC DIY regulator (or other high performance voltage regulator)
- (??) upgrade DC cables to star quad topology for lowest inductance, higher noise immunity (??)
Of course the above could change when new insights or developments arise. This computer audio thing is a constantly moving target!
I'm also following the release of the new Uptone ISO Regen and its competitor IFI iGalvanic 3.0 (https://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=4106). These are both competitors of the SoTM TX-USB Ultra.
Mutec may have some surprises coming, though I don't think I'd upgrade to their new external master clock because of it's high price.
And of course there's the new streamer/OS board of our French friends at Devialet...boooooring!!
December 12 2016: SOtM sMS-200 replaced the microRendu
January 7-15: first experimentation with direct connection to the SMS-200 from my previous music server using a 20 meter long OM3 fiber cable in between two TP-Link FMC's (MC220L using Cisco GLC-SX-MM SFP's). This of course after getting inspired by the best thread on CA of 2017: https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forum...icrorendu/
This showed great potential so I explored it further!
January 29 - February 27:
- earthed the AC outlets in my home office/study
- Received two Supra CAT 8 cables. Used one to connect the music server to the FMC used in the path to the SMS-200 and the other between 2nd ethernet interface on the music server to my EMO Systems EN-HD70 LAN isolator and from there a short 25cm CAT7 cable to my upstairs switch
- powered the upstairs switch with a SBooster BOTWS 12V LPSU I still had
- Started using a Windows 2012 R2 server installation again with the Audiophile Optimizer (AO) software
- looked at fiber NIC's for the music server but didn't proceed
- applied multiple small tweaks in optimizing the network/AC power in my office room
- Got an ifi iPower 12V and DC iPurifier for my 'upstream' network stuff (not in the system downstairs). The iPower connected to my Fritzbox DSL router and the DC iPurifier in between the LPSU and the FMC connected to my music server.
- Started experimenting with cheap SATA cables getting good reviews (Akasa Silver 45cm and 100cm, Coboc 18" and Asus black&white)
March 1 - March 15: 'direct connection' 2nd iteratation!
- after having previously started researching (in parallel to the above) a new music server to be directly connected to my SMS-200 using just the AQ Diamond ethernet cable and powered by my Hynes SR7 PSU. I bought the following:
Case: Streacom FC8 Alpha Optical Fanless Chassis - Silver
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110TN-E
RAM: Crucial DDR4 2133Mhz CL15 - 8GB (kit 2 x 4GB)
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700T (2.8GHz-3.6GHz, quad core, hyper threading, 35W, 8MB L3 cache)
Arctic Silver AS5 (thermal compound)
Used a 1TB Samsung 850 EVO SSD and entry level server grade PCI-E Intel I210 ethernet adapter I already owned to make the system complete.
- "dismantled" the 1st iteration of the 'direct connection' as detailed above built January 29 - February 27
- migrated the Windows Server 2012 R2/AO/Roon Server installation to the new server, BIOS tuning etc.
- reused the DC iPurifier, now in between the cheap EBay 9V LPSU and the FMC connecting the music server to the network
- reused the EMO Systems EN-HD70 LAN isolator, now in between the on board NIC and the FMC connecting the music server to the network
- made a DIY DC cable for the music server using 16AWG Jantzen Silver teflon cable and Oyaide DC 2.5x5.5mm plug and Neutrik NC4MXX BAG 4p male XLR plug
- settled on the Coboc 18" SATA cable
Posted many details and some system topology diagrams earlier.
No changes since March 15! Just enjoying music and my system immensely but as always closely monitoring several developments. So what's cooking here and now?
- JCAT NET Card Femto (audiophile PCI-E ethernet NIC, probably released at or soon after Munich High-End) to replace the Intel I210 PCIE NIC. https://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=4142
- upgrade to Windows Server 2016 in Core mode with Roon Server made possible by the just released beta 5 of AO 2.20
- upgrade SMS-200 to SMS-200 Ultra (also probably released at or soon after Munich High-End) or get the new TX-USB Ultra with two additional clock outputs and feed those to the modified SMS-200
- power SSD inside music server using a new separate LPSU or using a Paul Hynes DC DIY regulator (or other high performance voltage regulator)
- power JCAT NET Card Femto NIC inside music server using a separate LPSU or using a Paul Hynes DC DIY regulator (or other high performance voltage regulator)
- (??) upgrade DC cables to star quad topology for lowest inductance, higher noise immunity (??)
Of course the above could change when new insights or developments arise. This computer audio thing is a constantly moving target!
I'm also following the release of the new Uptone ISO Regen and its competitor IFI iGalvanic 3.0 (https://devialetchat.com/showthread.php?tid=4106). These are both competitors of the SoTM TX-USB Ultra.
Mutec may have some surprises coming, though I don't think I'd upgrade to their new external master clock because of it's high price.
And of course there's the new streamer/OS board of our French friends at Devialet...boooooring!!
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
