(06-Mar-2016, 17:04)Antoine Wrote: [ -> ]Coming home from a long run outside on a sunday afternoon and then enjoy good music through your own system: pure bliss!! 
That's so true, although only a short walk here (mustn't be lazy - must get the bike out and enjoy Spring!)
And thanks for all the links above.
The Intona USB Isolator is now on it's way back to Germany for it's factory firmware update. Hope to get it back somewhere next week so I can then start testing it in front of the Mutec.
Hi Antoine,
I am curious if you have ever considered placing the AM 2.0 between the Mutec and the Dev via Spdif and utilizing it's room correction capabilities across the entire range?
Bacon
Hi Bacon,
I've never considered the exact setup your propose but have very deliberately chosen the AM2.0 in it's current setup. It's in the chain for the low frequencies (correcting 0-80Hz) only, so between the Devialet and sub. This way it can't do 'harm' in a less is more way.
Also my room is acoustically treated (there's about 35m2 of Rockfon Sonar D acoustical tiles on the ceiling with extra glass wool absorption between the ceiling and it, a heavy and thick wool carpet and a RPG Modex bass trap) after consulting with a home accoustics expert who measured, modeled and wrote a plan how to treat the room.
Personally I'd always prefer acoustical treatment over DSP for mid and high freqs. But since I would need a lot more absorption material (bass traps) to tame the room nodes for sub bass frequencies below 60Hz and I didn't want that since it's a living room I resorted to DSP for these frequencies only. I'm very happy with this setup and couldn't stress enough how important good acoustics are for great sound reproduction.
Do realize if you'd choose this setup that the AM2.0 has Toslink only and is restricted to 96/24 input and only 48/24 output.
Thanks, sounds like you have done some extensive/impressive treatment to your listening area. I, on the other hand, am faced with some challenges (low WAF) which is prohibitting me from going that route at the moment...
Since you also own a Fathom, I am curios if you are using the ARO/DARO together with the AM, or not at all?
Regarding the low sampling rate via Toslink, I read a recent article on the German Distributors Web Site, which claims the newest version can handle 192/24. Since they will be in Munich for the High End, I plan on visting their booth to verify if the info is accurate.
(30-Aug-2014, 13:18)The Antoine Wrote: [ -> ]Time for an update here!
After reading all the positive experiences I decided to go for it last sunday so I bought the Audiophile Optimizer (AO) software (http://www.highend-audiopc.com) for Windows Server 2012 R2. This software strips the OS to a bare minimum and optimizes it in several ways for dedicated audio playback. I have been able to get it running in 'minimal server mode'. Unfortuntely the AIR software doesn't run in it's most optimized 'Core' mode.
I created an additional partition on my dedicated playback computer to hold the Windows Server 2012 R2 (Standard) installation. I decided to keep the existing Windows 8.1 Pro system partition and create a dual boot system. So I can now easily reboot my system and boot the Windows 8.1 system which I use for more 'video related' HTPC work (watching movies, TV series etc., streaming video etc.)
The installation of the Audiophile Optimizer software is very easy and the scripts it contains work perfectly and can be used by anyone, so also the non IT literates. I haven't found enough time yet to really compare the sound quality improvements but my first impressions after a few days are positive. It seems I can better hear low details from a blacker background and the whole staging/presentation and timbres are better and richer/somewhat fuller. For the people that have never heard of AO, you can read a lot about it on the Computer Audiophile and JPlay forums. (http://www.computeraudiophile.com/forum/ and http://jplay.eu/forum/)
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Since the PC has been my one and only source for quite some time now and it is placed near to the set I have also finally decided to get rid of the SMPS PSU in the PC and upgrade it's power supply to a linear low noise/low ripple one. I'll probably decide next week which one I'll go for as I'm awaiting replies to some questions I've asked.
I'm currently looking at (in order of current preference):
1.
HDPlex Linear PSU http://www.hd-plex.com/HDPLEX-Fanless-Li...evice.html
plus a HDPlex 160W DC ATX PSU: http://www.hd-plex.com/HDPLEX-160W-DC-AT...Input.html
Hong Kong company but has all required CE certifications etc. so should be safe. Price is very nice as well and it comes complete with all necessary cables, accessories etc. Delivers enough power (100W continuous, more in bursts) for me.
The PSU has a separate 12V rail (main rail for the PC is 19V) with which I can directly power my Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core which also allows me to remove and sell the separate BOTWS PSU I currenly use for this device.
2.
Teradak makes all sorts of linear power supplies in different sizes including one that looks very similar to the HDPlex but it's made and shipped directly in/from China. It doesn't seem to have the required safety certifications and I'd hate the idea to maybe be no longer insured when my house burns down because of this. Nonetheless a lot of people use their products and their most recent 'small ATX linear PSU' (http://1drv.ms/1odGQzi) looks very promising. It's not on their website (http://www.teradak.com/) yet. This PSU should be technically superior to the HDPlex as it provides all the required voltages (multi rail) to power a PC directly without a DC-DC power converter like the PicoPSU's and HDPlex DC ATX PSU.
3.
Teddy Pardo 12/4 http://www.teddypardo.com/powersupplies/...y12-4.html
From Israel, it has the required certifications. This one might be 'underpowered' though, it's their most powerful PSU bit it can deliver only 4.5A @ 12V (54W). This would be enough for music playback only at which my PC uses around 25W (measured at wall outlet) but when I torture test the machine this rises to a maximum of 100W.
4. Keces DC-16 http://www.keces.com.tw/5_english/index_5_english.htm
Taiwanese, doesn't seem to have the required certifications as well. Seems to run hot and earlier 50Hz models had transformer hum.
Hi Antoine,
Sorry to drag you back to 2014 when you posted this. I need a PSU for my NAS and I was looking at the Teradak site. There is a PSU on there which , according to them is suitable for NAS drives. In the photographs of the unit is written on the back
www.hifiss.com. When I look here, the page is similar, but in Chinese. The NAS supply is shown here with a price of ¥1200, which works out at £128.16. How does that stack up with what you paid, if you don't mind me asking?
(08-Apr-2016, 19:04)baconbrain Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks, sounds like you have done some extensive/impressive treatment to your listening area. I, on the other hand, am faced with some challenges (low WAF) which is prohibitting me from going that route at the moment...
Since you also own a Fathom, I am curios if you are using the ARO/DARO together with the AM, or not at all?
Regarding the low sampling rate via Toslink, I read a recent article on the German Distributors Web Site, which claims the newest version can handle 192/24. Since they will be in Munich for the High End, I plan on visting their booth to verify if the info is accurate.
Hi Baconbrain,
Sorry I seem to have forgotten to reply to your message and question. I completely understand regarding the room treatment challenges. A lot is possible even quite invisible but it's not an easy subject and the more WAF friendly the more expensive as well.
My Fathom F112 sub is the original version so not the v2 released some time back. It only has the one band EQ ARO which i don't use (it's always on 'defeat') since it's so limited. The new DARO in the v2 Fathoms has 18 band digital EQ so that's quite a bit more advanced, who knows one might not even need a 3rd party DSP like the Anti-Modes with it.
The new DSpeaker X-4, as I believe it's going to be called, looks like a serious one. But it's a full 2.2 preamp/processor and DAC and I've seen prices of €3000-3500 so for us with our Devialets it might be a bit 'overkill', it is at least for me.
I think they'd like to compete more with the products of DEQX, Trinnov, Lyngdorf etc.
Quote:Hi Antoine,
Sorry to drag you back to 2014 when you posted this. I need a PSU for my NAS and I was looking at the Teradak site. There is a PSU on there which , according to them is suitable for NAS drives. In the photographs of the unit is written on the back www.hifiss.com. When I look here, the page is similar, but in Chinese. The NAS supply is shown here with a price of ¥1200, which works out at £128.16. How does that stack up with what you paid, if you don't mind me asking?
Hi Axel,
No problem!
However I didn't buy a Teradak but went for the HDPlex 100W LPSU as that one had both 12V and 19V. The ones that are made today have even more different voltage outputs, unfortunately HDPlex changed the model shortly after I bought it but the new model did get more expensive.
I decided to go for the HdPlex quite quickly since it ticked off more of the boxes I needed ticked off so I have no personal experience with Teradak. I looked at your NAS and it seems to have a 12V input and a 60W adapter included. Those are easy specs to get from a linear PSU. The price you mention seems to be for the 200W 12V PSU which seems to be a very good price for such a beefy linear PSU but I can't judge it's quality.
Since Roon finally released it's Roon Bridge functionality for Windows in it's 1.2 release last Friday I've finally started using Roon.
I've installed the Core on my PC based NAS (which is in a different room) and the Roon Bridge on my PC based music server. Installation is so incredibly easy, I believe I had it all running in 15 minutes, no issues and immediate results, very cool!
I've used the 60 day complimentary coupon that came included with my AQ Jitterbug, so I can try it out free for 60 days. It's a beautiful program, so far it sounds great as well so I think it will stay. I might replace the music server for a MicroRendu (if it sounds just as good or better) or install the Core on my music server and use the microRendu as an endpoint.
For now I'm using my own local library only, I might trial Tidal with it as well later. Since Spotify Premium is part of my Internet subscription I generally use that for (new) music exploration today. Of course Tidal is CD quality and Spotify isn't but it feels a bit like wasting the Spotify subscription since it can't be used with Roon.
Setup now is:
Control: iPad Pro (the big one)
Roon Core installed on i3 based, Windows 10 Pro NAS with SSD and 2x3TB HD, Intel I210-T1 NIC -> gigabit ethernet cable -> Netgear Prosafe Plus GS-108E -> TP link gigabit fiber media converter -> OM3 fiber cable -> TP link gigabit fiber media converter -> Roon Bridge on Music Server (specs on page 1) -> Curious USB cable -> Mutec MC-3+ USB -> DH Labs D-110 AES/EBU cable -> Devialet D250.
Still using JPlay 6.2 with Roon on Server 2012 R2 with AO and Fidelizer Pro. All works like a charm!!
Nice!
There are still a few rough edges in Roon but I find it better than anything I've used before. Prettier for sure - I'm not sure why all the other audio designers / coders were stuck in the 80's!
I've seen Jplay mentioned by a few Roon users. Have never used it and so don't understand it - what are the advantages of combining with Roon?