[bakufu]

jim built one of these for me last year.  the streamplayer hosts roon, and my music is stored on an internal solid state drive.  apart from my main system, i have a few two-channel-audio-only end-points, all of which use a wireless connection.

others have commented on the matchless sonics and impeccable build quality, so i want to discuss a feature of the streamplayer which goes unmentioned in other reviews - namely, the procedure for managing the streamplayer.

jim has wisely opted to use the native linux command line for all player management functions.  this is in contrast to the shockingly badly designed web-based guis which are required by other servers i've used. i won't name names, but if you've struggled with these servers and their user interfaces you know what i mean.  it appears that jim trusts that anyone serious enough to use his servers can master the elementary linux steps required to perform routine operations.

here's what i do to update the internal drive 'music' with new music:

1) connect to the server a drive or memory stick containing the album or albums to transfer.

2) from a machine on the same network as the server, log in:

ssh root@splayer.local
root@splayer.local's password: XXXXXXXX

3) then use the 'blkid' command to get the id of the external drive:

root@splayer ~ $ blkid
:
/dev/sdc2: ....

4) then mount the drive:

root@splayer ~ $ mount /dev/sdc2 /mnt

5) then copy the album XYZ from the external drive to the internal drive:

root@splayer ~ $ cp -r /mnt/XYZ /music

6) then unmount the drive and remove it from the server:

root@splayer ~ $ umount /mnt

after a year of use i believe the streamplayer is one of the great value-propositions in audio.

thanks jim!

[Nick B]

I took a look over at the Salk website. As usual, everything is described in detail and the product quality looks superb. I am curious regarding the Linux commands… are these basic commands shown anywhere on the Salk website or does one need to know/learn Linux, and if so, what source(s) would one use to make the commands applicable to this streamer?
Thanks,
Nick

[Saturn94]

Hmmmm, perhaps my setup is a bit different, but I don’t have to go through all that to add music.

I rip/download music to my desktop PC (Windows 10), then just drag/drop the music files to the appropriate folder on the Salkstream.  Roon picks up the new music right away.  That’s it! 

The only Linux commands I use are when backing up the music files from the internal drive on the Salkstream to an external USB drive connected to the Salkstream.  Jim Salk provided the commands, which I saved in a text document and just copy/paste the commands when I log into the Salkstream using TeraTerm.

My knowledge of Linux is extremely limited.  The owners manual provides some basic commands one might need, but knowledge of Linux isn’t really required to use the Salkstream.

[bakufu]

> I rip/download music to my desktop PC (Windows 10), then just drag/drop the music files to the appropriate folder on the Salkstream.

yep, that works too.  i just prefer to perform this (and other routine tasks) manually.  copying files over the network always makes me nervous (drop-outs, corruption, &c.).  but drag/drop and the linux command-line are both preferable to web-based graphic interfaces. 

for me it was a tremendous relief to have direct access to the server.

[Saturn94]

> I rip/download music to my desktop PC (Windows 10), then just drag/drop the music files to the appropriate folder on the Salkstream.

yep, that works too.  i just prefer to perform this (and other routine tasks) manually.  copying files over the network always makes me nervous (drop-outs, corruption, &c.).  but drag/drop and the linux command-line are both preferable to web-based graphic interfaces. 

for me it was a tremendous relief to have direct access to the server.

Understandable.

Fortunately, I’ve not had any issues with drag/drop since I bought the Salkstream in 2016. 

[PSB Guy]

I've always ripped CDs straight to my Salkstreamer with dbpoweramp. Just choose the Salkstreamer as the destination for the ripped files. Any HD downloads are just copied over the home network to it. Everthing is backed up to two portable hard drives. What ever works, I guess.

Cornelis

[DEP14]

I dig my streamplayer also, and upgraded the drive to an SSD.

But I appreciate the funkiness of your system.  I personally love the look of the older OHM speakers (are your’s F’s? Or with the newer internals).

Add in the J.B. Designed pre-amp and ampzilla monoblocks, I tip my cap. 

Very nice OHM’s.  Veneer looks pristine in those pictures!

Would love to hear more about the system.

[Saturn94]

I've always ripped CDs straight to my Salkstreamer with dbpoweramp. Just choose the Salkstreamer as the destination for the ripped files. Any HD downloads are just copied over the home network to it. Everthing is backed up to two portable hard drives. What ever works, I guess.

Cornelis

I thought of doing the same, but I like having the extra backup on my PC (I also back up to two portable USB drives).

[jsalk]

I find I also prefer the dbPoweramp solution.  I have mine set up so that when I rip a CD, it is stored directly on the music directory of my StreamPlayer.  Plus, I feel confident I am getting the best rip possible due to dbPoweramp's unique verification system. I then do incremental backups using the Linux command rsync which means that only changes need to be backed up once you do an original backup.

- Jim

[Saturn94]

I find I also prefer the dbPoweramp solution.  I have mine set up so that when I rip a CD, it is stored directly on the music directory of my StreamPlayer.  Plus, I feel confident I am getting the best rip possible due to dbPoweramp's unique verification system. I then do incremental backups using the Linux command rsync which means that only changes need to be backed up once you do an original backup.

- Jim

Yep, dbPoweramp has been great. 

[bakufu]

> dbpoweramp

very interesting.  i'd actually not heard of this before, and i like the fact that you're able to rip cd's directly to the player.  very nice!

i hardly deal with cd's these days.  nearly all the music i add to my library is downloaded, usually better-than-cd quality (which is one of the draws - the other is that downloads tend to be less expensive than cd's), usually from qobuz.

i use backblaze to back up my music library (~3.7 tb) to the cloud.

[bakufu]

> the funkiness of your system

yeah, it is pretty funky, i'll give you that.

they ohm's are the f5015 - supertweeter, walsh driver, powered subwoofer.  the room is quite large (25 x 15) opening onto a wide hallway.  the only place for the speakers is up against that very live wall of glass, so the ohms work well in that position - no sidewall or rear-wall reflection.  i've been meaning to break out the audio-tools software and try to get some measurements, to confirm what my ears are telling me. 

the photos are indeed very kind to the veneer, but from what i've seen jim's handiwork is several cuts above.  for that matter, louis chocho, who built the speakers in my office system (see below) does jaw-droppingly beautiful work.

the system consists of: 

psaudio stellar powerplant 3 x 2
salk streamplayer III
oppo 95
geerfab d.bob breakout box
schiit yggdrasil dac
borderpatrol SE dac
benchmark 3B dac
ampzilla 2000 second edition
ambrosia 2000 second edition

interconnect is mogami gold and benchmark, power cables are from benchmark, and the speaker cables are wireworld eclipse.

[bakufu]

> rsync

jim tipped me to this when i purchased my streamplayer.  very convenient!

[DEP14]

> the funkiness of your system

yeah, it is pretty funky, i'll give you that.

they ohm's are the f5015 - supertweeter, walsh driver, powered subwoofer.  the room is quite large (25 x 15) opening onto a wide hallway.  the only place for the speakers is up against that very live wall of glass, so the ohms work well in that position - no sidewall or rear-wall reflection.  i've been meaning to break out the audio-tools software and try to get some measurements, to confirm what my ears are telling me. 

the photos are indeed very kind to the veneer, but from what i've seen jim's handiwork is several cuts above.  for that matter, louis chocho, who built the speakers in my office system (see below) does jaw-droppingly beautiful work.

the system consists of: 

psaudio stellar powerplant 3 x 2
salk streamplayer III
oppo 95
geerfab d.bob breakout box
schiit yggdrasil dac
borderpatrol SE dac
benchmark 3B dac
ampzilla 2000 second edition
ambrosia 2000 second edition

interconnect is mogami gold and benchmark, power cables are from benchmark, and the speaker cables are wireworld eclipse.

Well, tough for anyone to compete with Jim’s finishes!

But those 5015’s are a cool speaker.  Are the sub amps built-in, or outboard?  How is the coherence.  One of the things I do like about the recent OHM’s is the top to bottom coherence.  With the sub, I assume it’s crossed at 80?  I had some 5’s upgraded to 5000’s for a while and it was a fun speaker.  Not the ultimate in resolution or build quality (man the guts inside an OHM are a bit ugly), but as far as the sound I liked a lot of what they did.

Those ampzilla’s are cool.

Nice system!

Anyways, very cool system. 

[bakufu]

> top-to-bottom coherence

yes!  i was hoping for that when i purchased the speakers.  it took some experimentation to dial in the right settings for the subs and top-end, but i think i found the sweet spot for the space they live in.  coming from the planar/dipole world i really appreciate the dynamics (the high-res recording of tchaikovsky #6 with currentzis and musica aeterna is my new demonstration album - amazing!!).  the most difficult thing is getting the speakers set up to image well.  i think the weak point of omnidirectional designs isn't the size of the sound-stage (it's immense) but the somewhat uncertain placement of instruments within that space.   

the subwoofer amps are inboard.  i talked with john at ohm about outboard amps but ultimately decided to go with the stock design.  you're absolutely right about the ugly internals, but i think the build quality is adequate.