hardware recommendations for pc audio/musicsever setup w/sb3

hum4god · « **on:** 19 Nov 2005, 07:27 pm »

hi
i am trying to take my first steps in computer audio and wanted to ask you if you can help me putting together an audio pc???
i would like to use it with a modded sb3.
i am not experienced and have only a general idea about what i would need.
what would be a good enclosure ,what fan ,power supply .all as silent as possible????
what drive would you recommend?i have heard lite on drives are good.
i would also need a cd burner of good quality.what else do i need ?
a motherboard what are the requirements for that in an audio setup?
memory/buffer ????i have no idea .
hd i have heard that the barracuda is silent any other silent hds good quality?
what would i need if i want to play dvds from my computer,do i have to connect with 3 rca ic to the tv (long cable)and another audio stereo ic to my amp??is tthere any other option ?especially having the computer about 8 -10 feet away from the tv setup.

where would i buy this best?how much would it cost?
i would like to spend 700$ ,less would be better and more is possible if it makes sense.
or should i just get a toshiba laptop and an external hd and forget about building a dedicated audio pc.
thanks
malcolm

EchiDna · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 Nov 2005, 12:48 pm »

Welcome to the Square Circle

that's a hella-lot-o-questions!

to keep it simple, a dedicated audio pc and a squeezebox are not mutually necessary. with a SB3, the PC needs very little by modern standards for audio playback - you could build this out of secondhand parts, or even one of those ex-corporate 3 year old laptops available on Ebay - you would have plenty of change left out of your $700 this way.

this PC can be located anywhere on your network... another room, another floor, basically anywhere you like as long as your (typically wired, but wireless will do) network is available. and get yourself the SB3 or equivalent and stick that in the lounge - it can then draw files off the old pc across the network and play them through your Hifi.

however, a dedicated audio PC is another story and this relates well to the sticky thread you can find here where there is heaps of links.

GL on your journey and keep us all in the loop!

buckeyefanandy · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Nov 2005, 01:35 pm »

Does a XBox fit the bill in terms of audio playback it has music recording ability. Can it be matched to a SB. It also fits on a network and can be modded.

davehg · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Nov 2005, 06:33 pm »

I started out the same way, had no idea where to start, so I ignored it for a year. I recently got interested and decided to document my own search for a good music server to use with my high end system.

http://musicserver.blogspot.com

SCUBADON · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 Nov 2005, 09:19 pm »

Davehg, great link. Anyone considering a music server should read it!!!

I went the usb offramp with a PC, Foobar 2000 in 24/96 route.

I tried a couple desktop PC's. The fans were to noisy. I ended with an older, (2 year old) Tosheba notebook, usb hub, and Segate quiet 300GB usb external hard drives. The screen is viewed using a Hitachi 42" Plasma TV.

The wireless Gyro "air mouse" makes it easy to control the computer from my listening position.

If you use a PC, I think a good notebook, 1.5GH or better is the best choice.

davehg · « **Reply #5 on:** 25 Nov 2005, 10:42 pm »

Thanks for the kudo's. More than 400 visitors have checked out the site in two weeks, so I think the popularity of computer based music systems is really taking off now.

I think if you want maximum choice, a notebook PC is a good option. But I have seen a number of small form factor PC's with fanless or liquid cooled systems that are very quiet.

I was surprised how quiet and easy using a Mac Mini was. I am a diehard PC user since the early 80's (yes, when the x8086 machines ruled the earth), and never really liked the Mac "closed" OS and hardware system. But playing with a Mac Mini at the Apple store a few months ago really changed my ideas. Since I am using it only for a music server, it is pretty awesome. Very quiet, totally configured out of the box, and I only had to install two applications (Slimserver and some back up software).

SCUBADON · « **Reply #6 on:** 26 Nov 2005, 12:52 am »

I like the idea od the Mac Mini. The reasons I chose the PC route are:

1) Foobar 2000 in 24/96 sounds way better than i tunes. This is important when you are using a $10,000.00 pair of speakers, a $9,500.00 Amp, a $900.00 usb offramp, and a $950.00 DAC.

2) Most important, I had an extra, 3 year old laptop, I was not using for anything else. FREE is better than $750.00

3) Once I got the hang of it, I prefer setting the display of Foobar and changing it when and how I want to instead of having Apple do it for me.

Either way, computer audio will be the replacement for CD's.

EchiDna · « **Reply #7 on:** 26 Nov 2005, 01:38 am »

scubadon - I can pick the difference between itunes and foobar using my laptop's speakers

it doesn't take 20k+ of gear to make a notable difference IMHO....

for me it is the ease of use - yes it is a pain ripping cd's, however once they are in the network it's dead easy... PDA touch screen remote and you never even have to see the computer holding the files at all.

Nick B · « **Reply #8 on:** 26 Nov 2005, 04:39 am »

davehg Thanks for the blog and others for their comments so far. It was very helpful, although this topic is still a bit overwhelming for a simple pc guy like me. The various options seem to add up to too much money, too many boxes and cables, or lack of aesthetics and function. The SB3 option seems ok, but can you really program this like a pc? IOW, could I easily request a listing of all my jazz or Christmas CD's..by artist, title, etc? I wonder how well I can key in the requests and how much (and how easily) the information can be displayed on a small screen 10-15' away. I also wonder how good the sonics of the SB3 would be compared to an APL Marantz from Alex Peychev for $1,100 that I am considering. Assuming the SB 3 has very good sonics, I guess I could add 1 or 2 hard drives to my pc in another room, configure my Linksys router to also handle the SB3 and have that modded by Bolder or RWA, preferably an analog and digital mod.

davehg · « **Reply #9 on:** 26 Nov 2005, 05:02 am »

I was very very dubious of the SB3 claims, I mean c'mon, the thing is only $250! I have about $22k worth of gear too (over $3k in AC cables alone), so sonics are critically important.

Since the SB3 is platform agnostic (it will run fine on Windows, Mac, or Linux), the issue is really convenience and ease of setup. I haven't heard Foobar playing files, so I'll have to take everyone's word that it sounds better.

Using the SB3, I don't think you actually use iTunes. SlimServer plays the files directly, methinks it just uses iTunes to grab the track and playlist info. I use iTunes to burn WAV files and Apple Lossless, then use SlimServer as the playback software. I usually search through my collection and put together about 10-15 tracks, then cue them up in Slimserver to play.

I'll have a chance to A/B the SB3 against the modded SB3 by Bolder cable. Right now, the unmodded SB3 sounds pretty awesome, especially through the Tri-Vista. I have read that the measured jitter of the SB3 is something like 65 picoseconds unmodified, and about 55 picoseconds modified. Absolutely amazing, considering the best measured performance was the Benchmark at about 135 picoseconds, and most transports probably have measured jitter at 200-300 picoseconds.

I am excited to hear how the modded SB3 sounds. I am replacing a really nice and very rare Pioneer Elite Pd-S95 transport, which was $3k about 12 years ago, and hoping the modded SB3 is even better.