IMO there have always been two schools of thought for best SQ from computers. Fast and high power hardware(like SGM, Pink Faun, JCAT and XXHighend) versus lower powered ‘lean and mean’ hardware (like an Innuos). Common in both is trying to provide the best clean power. This past spring things started to shift a bit with some on Audiophilestyle back to fast hardware as people found out (e.g. Romaz and Austinpop) that the hardware they initally purposed as fast servers actually sounded really well as endpoints or single system setup where they previously had a NUC7i7DN’xx’ as an endpoint. Bob experimented with this as well and found the same with the added benefit of simplyfying ones system.
More people are experimenting in this style now, e.g. Nenon. So deploying machines using either server or gaming motherboards and fast AMD Ryzen or Intel i7/i9 or Xenon CPU’s with 8 or more cores, ECC memory and the best PSU’s they can afford or get their hands on. I myself am thinking about making the same move/experiment (To a gaming motherboard with a beefy VRM and a CPU like the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X) but high power CPU’s need a lot of current so there’s a risk my SR7 can’t provide enough current.
This past sprimg some people also starting switching over to Euphony from AudioLinux saying it sounds better, less thin and edgy. I’d like to try Euphony one day as well. Personally I think I’ll wait for the etherReGEN to arrive here first.
So as always, things/insights are changing fast. What’s hot today may not be tomorrow.
More people are experimenting in this style now, e.g. Nenon. So deploying machines using either server or gaming motherboards and fast AMD Ryzen or Intel i7/i9 or Xenon CPU’s with 8 or more cores, ECC memory and the best PSU’s they can afford or get their hands on. I myself am thinking about making the same move/experiment (To a gaming motherboard with a beefy VRM and a CPU like the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X) but high power CPU’s need a lot of current so there’s a risk my SR7 can’t provide enough current.
This past sprimg some people also starting switching over to Euphony from AudioLinux saying it sounds better, less thin and edgy. I’d like to try Euphony one day as well. Personally I think I’ll wait for the etherReGEN to arrive here first.
So as always, things/insights are changing fast. What’s hot today may not be tomorrow.
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
