[Housteau]

http://www.pacificvalve.us/PVMedia.html

I have been doing some research on these different units and to me they seem to be on the right track here.  However, I am certainly no expert and do not even have a server set-up right now.  But, my understandings of computer based server problems, limitations and issues are all addressed with this cost effective system.

[woodsyi]

I am not exactly sure where SSD comes into this server.  PV's headless announcer makes a big deal of not having any HD and using SSD to lower jitter.  The Netgear manual says 500 GB HD in the unit.  Does PV take out the HD and install SSD in it?

[ashok]

The Netgear device looks a lot like a networked media tank (NMT). The user manual appears to be well written, and very detailed, and I guess the software is more polished than what comes with a NMT.

One would need a TV or computer monitor for visual feedback. It is not clear if a music client on a laptop or pc can be used to control this device for music playback.

[Housteau]

I am not exactly sure where SSD comes into this server.  PV's headless announcer makes a big deal of not having any HD and using SSD to lower jitter.  The Netgear manual says 500 GB HD in the unit.  Does PV take out the HD and install SSD in it?

Yes, that is my understanding.  The Netgear system is just a base that PV modifies in several ways to be high end music specific.

[woodsyi]

So it really becomes a Network Music Tank.    You will need to store your music at a different place and download what the SSD can hold on a play list.  Then you play off the SSD.  Can you continue to cue in files and delete the ones already played in the background?  Otherwise, you will be bound by the size of SSD on continuous play.  It's not a big deal for Redbook files but hirez files get pretty big. 

[ashok]

Can you continue to cue in files and delete the ones already played in the background?

That is a great question. Based on my experience with NMTs (Popcornhour, ioBox, etc.), the default media playback method does NOT allow you to do that. Once a song or an entire folder has been selected for playback, the NMT will not let you browse your library, nor will it allow you to add/remove songs from the list. You have to either stop what is playing now, or wait for playback to finish.

It is possible to tweak the NMT to make it behave like a more conventional music playback device, but the functionality is not available out of the box.

If the Netgear has this kind of functionality from the get go, then it might be worth considering.

[Dan Driscoll]

This looks pretty interesting. Assuming you use FLAC or another lossless compression format, the 128GB SSD version would be able to store a pretty large collection of redbook and even 2 channel 24/96 or 24/192 hi rez files.

From the description on PV's website, it doesn't look like the CYberServer has multi-channel capability. That, and the high cost of large SSDs, look like the only drawbacks, at least on paper.

[JEaton]

This looks pretty interesting. Assuming you use FLAC or another lossless compression format, the 128GB SSD version would be able to store a pretty large collection of redbook and even 2 channel 24/96 or 24/192 hi rez files.

My collection averages 310 MB per FLAC encoded album, so that would only be about 400 redbook CDs.

[Dan Driscoll]

OK, so 128GB won't handle really big collections, but 400 CDs would still make a pretty decent playlist.

[JLM]

Under the FAQs they mention that "in the future CyberServer will support NETGEAR's READYNAS" (that will allow for multiple solid state drives).

I wonder how stable solid state drives are (various power abberations, over time, with use, etc.).

What would be sweet for a computer dummy like me who wants to keep things simple would be an Olive that uses multiple solid state drives versus their single hard drive.  Then you don't need a PC or monitor at all, and it works directly with iPod/iPhone devices.

Those solid state drives must be expensive, because this thing compares to a gutless wonder of a PC.

I'd like to see a comparison with other servers or even CDPs.

[firedog]

It seems like a good unit, but I think the claims on their site: that standard HD's can't give audiophile sound, and neither can USB - are, in a word - bullshit.

You can build a quiet fanless computer for much less with standard HD's and have as much storage as you need. Then use either a high end USB "sound card" (for instance from empirical audio) or a logitech streaming device, and you'll get high end sound with storage (even 24/96 reproduction in some cases).

[PLMONROE]

It seems like a good unit, but I think the claims on their site: that standard HD's can't give audiophile sound, and neither can USB - are, in a word - bullshit.

I am not familiar with their line but they certainly seem to do a good job of bashing other products available. Then they indicate the cutting edge solution is to take their modded Netgear EVA9150 ($399) and add to it one of their DACs. They seem to have several --2 in the $750 to $1,100 range, 4 in the $750 to $500 range, 5 in the $500 to $250 range, and one under $250. So from this I take it that Nirvana can be reached for something between $650 and $1,350? Perhaps I am just being cynical but with respect to their remarks about the quality of competitive products versus theirs, this seems a bit far fetched. To paraphrase Shakespere "Me'thinks they doth protest too much"

Paul     

[JoshK]

I think the more interesting observation is how cool it is to see how quickly technology is converging.  One is pretty much nearing the point where computer audio won't require a conventional computer.   

[Vic Trola]

It seems like a good unit, but I think the claims on their site: that standard HD's can't give audiophile sound, and neither can USB - are, in a word - bullshit.

I am not familiar with their line but they certainly seem to do a good job of bashing other products available. Then they indicate the cutting edge solution is to take their modded Netgear EVA9150 ($399) and add to it one of their DACs. They seem to have several --2 in the $750 to $1,100 range, 4 in the $750 to $500 range, 5 in the $500 to $250 range, and one under $250. So from this I take it that Nirvana can be reached for something between $650 and $1,350? Perhaps I am just being cynical but with respect to their remarks about the quality of competitive products versus theirs, this seems a bit far fetched. To paraphrase Shakespere "Me'thinks they doth protest too much"

Paul     

Its not that USB sounds bad, but the quality does improve if for example, you use a USB DAC that uses the I2S bus to a higher quality codec, or use a USB DAC that has its own ASIO drivers (Wavelength, Ayre, Musiland Monitor).  You can improve the sound further if you configure a PC like CyberServer - make sure its Linux based for high streaming capability, use a Lynx streaming I/O card to AES/EBU SPDIF, use an SSD, turn off the fan etc...

The lack of dynamics and tonal quality in standard USB is becoming cache as even the Absolute Sound picked up on it.  In the future, my guess is, that all USB DACs will 1) come with its own ASIO drivers and 2) use the I2S

Just my opinion as this is what I observed.