Ready For Digital Source...Computer?

david_ten - Figure out, with help of the members here, if a computer is going to work as a music server for me. Very conflicting opinions so far.

And thanks for the scoop on the Keces P8, the price kind of says it all.

I did it. 

You can buy a music server, but you won't hear the difference if you do it right.

1. Get a cheap scope for $200 and see and measure the noise. It will pay for itself and you'll learn something. 

2. You have to replace your SMPS with a very quiet one. 

3. Filter every output with PP bypass capacitors.  Especially the power to the hard drives, better to use a SSD.

4. Get a quality outboard D/A converter and power it by a super-regulator.  D/C the DC of the USB in the cable going to it.

5. Shield the whole computer with low carbon sheet steel.  In fact, shield all low level devices. 

Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done.

@high-amp - Ah, I did not know you already had an LPS.  I looked up the 100W HDPLEX.  It will handle a 5A continuous load on the 19V output, so it should be fine for the Roon Nucleus.  The Keces P8 might be better since it has a larger power supply for a max load of 8A.  However, either of these power supplies will be a lot better than the stock "wal-wart" switching power adapter.

itsjustme - Having read and re-read your many susequent posts I find you are at another level, far above my undersatnding of computers. When I was using my MacBook Air via USB to DAC I thought it sounded great.

And it can, in fact sound pretty darn good. But a quieter USB signal will eb better since any ground noise there affects both jitter and the ground of the the DAC (depending in degree of isolation of course). Note i clearly thought my MBP/bitperfect was better as a source (same DAC) than a CDplayer.

I also thoroughly enjoyed using my Roon Nucleus (as a music server) to DAC via USB as well.

Roon Nucleus honestly ought to be very very good - caveat - assuming it has its own LPS. I am not sure. Its basically an Intel NUC with convection cooling, some isolation and a fancy box. I built my own starting with a NUC. Its was a PITA but i experimented and learned a lot.

It is others that suggest computers are "Noisy" so I was looking for others opinions on the mater.

Well, on an absolute scale, they are. but they can be fixed or isolated. And some dont seem to undersand that fancy servers ARE computers.

I just thought if I could remove one more box out of the audio loop (Roon Nucleus/Music Server) by hooking up my computer when I wanted to stream music. Along with that, avoid paying two mothly subscription, one for Roon and another for a music service.

Ah, yes. the Roon Tax. I think way back in the beginning i said i have a love/hate relationshipw ith Roon. Its nto cheap, tech support and document are awful, it integrates with only a few services, it does have bugs that they deny or ignore.... but to badly paraphrase Winston Churchill, its better than all the other options.

Feel free to PM me.  If you enjoy learing about this stuff, read my (terribly inconsistent and behind) blog.

auxinput - Wow! Thanks so much for checking that out for me. That was so kind of you and very helpful indeed. With the price of the Keces P8, I think I’ll be sticking with the HDPlex for some time to come.

kellyp - Thank you, and please see my response to itsjustme below.

itsjustme - Thank you for your detailed reply. There is nothing more that I would LOVE to do is to be more hands-on with this and learn from members like you and many others that have posted here. I find computers and the likes very interesting indeed.

Presently I am up to my ears in alligators with regards to a major home remodeling project. My intention is to get some kind form of an audio system in the home early next year, with some form of a music server, but there will still be another year’s work to do after that (no, I’m not that slow, I have a day job as well). So, no time at present to tinker with the likes of computers. Hopefully, once done, I will have a small workshop to do things, just like that!

In the meantime, I would enjoy reading your blog.