Headless Music/Multimedia Server Options

[ledesc]

I'm happy with Daphile on my Lenovo X250 (8Go, SSD, dual boot Daphile/Windows), waiting for dialog, Auralic Aries mini or ???
You can give it a try on your Dell, with a USB disk. http://www.daphile.com

[teddlesdee]

Hi Guys,

Well my Dell XPS 12 I am using for now is causing all sorts of problems with W10 now and wont work at all after I made the rash decision of dumping Air and going USB. Incompatible drivers that don't have a W10 update means no audio USB support! Bummer!
No help from Dell cos I guess it is over 3 years old... more like 4 ish.

So, its all BROKEN!

I have always intended to obtain a dedicated headless system using appropriate components to try to achieve the best I can for the dosh. One thing I wanted to do is go USB, so I have now acquired a USB REGEN (delivered soon) and one of those jitterbugs from Pete Tyson, ready..BUT

..in reference to what headless server to get, my goodness... so many permutations!

First I want to go Windows Server 2012 Essentials in core mode, so a Motherboard & CPU should support that.
CPU? probably Xeon I suspect but open to ideas.
Then the power supply?
Then the low power memory?
Then the SSD?
The there is the case (fanless) to house it in... but what format? Mini-pc or NUC?

...and on and on!

So got in touch with the Cirrus7 guys... Nice looking unique bit of kit .. https://www.cirrus7.com/
BUT they warned me that the NUC board from intel has a noisy coil! Yes they have managed to quieten down with resin, but starts again with some full loads..
So the only option from them seems to be the quieter version but bigger boarded cirrus7 nimbus - Desktop CPU that uses an ASUS Mboard.

Then I noticed that Paul Pang does a Mboard but again Mini-pc size I think, and he has waved his magic wand over the clocking of this item...

So, if I went that route I could go with the Cirrus7 Minipc bare-bones chassis I suppose, but I also like the Heatsync mini-client 2500 from the Canadian chassis manufacturer A-Tech.

I don't have a problem building a system myself, but it is the selection of components that is causing me a real headache! I don't want to make a mistake and wish I had gone for different components... but no experience in this open up lots of traps.

If you asked me to recommend a data server for business or to build a stonking games PC, I would have absolutely no problem of finding and building the best kit within your budget, but this audio stuff is a whole different ball game...

But then I found these guys in the UK - http://www.hifidelit.com/ ..and they use the above chassis (amongst others) to build client bespoke systems...

Anyone here know, or have used them?

I'm all at sea...