Why are server setups so costly relative to CDP's?

Kijanki,

Exactly. Most people have computers and don't know how to configure them for their music. The Benchmark is a great example of a one-time expense that opens up the world of computer based music for the average audiophile. Instead of discussing which CDP to buy, most music lovers should be talking about which DAC to buy so that their computers can be servers. I recently compared a new Emotiva CDP to my Mac Mini>M2Tech Hiface>Dac and the mini won. I had the PS Audio DAC already so adding the mini cost $600 and the Hiface cost $150. That is a bargain for me. There will be an explosion of great DACs this year. ALthough many of them will be expensive, the following year the prices will come down. I also own the Cambridge DacMagic for use in a second system. It is truly remarkable for the money. The Benchmark can function as a pre-amp, saving money, and has a remote. I think we are in good times as far as music reproduction is concerned. I feel deeply for those who are struggling financially. I feel blessed to be able to even talk about these esoteric subjects. Computer audio is in its infancy and we are at the cusp of some remarkable developments.

Here is my music server configuration and cost breakdown using estimated retail prices:

Gateway Laptop (4 Gb, dual processor) - $600
!.5 and 2 Gb Seagate External USB Drives - $300
Roku Soundbridge - $200
Netgear Router - $160
mhdt Constantine DAC (optional for sound quality upgrade over DAC in Roku) - $700

total estimated list price: $1760
estimated actual cost - $1220

I use the laptop and router for other common home applications as well as needed so there is additional value there beyond just serving up tunes.

The resulting sound quality is quite top notch and I would assess compares very favorably to the best rigs I have heard out there many at much higher cost.

A second Roku + DAC in my second system lets me listen to music off this shared server on two separate systems.

Here is mine:
Mac Mini 2007 (mid year model) $799.00
4Gig mem upgrade $114.00
M2Tech Hiface (BNC) $180.00
Western Digital World Book Edition (horrible naming) 1TB NAS
$229.00
Airport Extreme Router $179.00
ChannlD Pure Music Software $129.00
iTunes (included with Mac purchase)
Total:$1,630.00
As I bought everything as it came out, I paid pretty much retail. But heck, when you can pay $3000.00 for a power cord all day long, I am not complaining.

Not going to include the cost of my dacs, because I owned them already :)

This combination sounds better or as good as any source I have ever owned including a former Wadia 7 and Levison 31.5 as well as many others. I have it connected to a 42" plasma and I also watch Netflix/Hulu and my nearly 250 movies which are on the HDD using PLEX all controlled from my iPhone or iPad.

There is NO reason to buy these so-called Music server which are nothing more (99% of the time) than a repackaged pc runnning XP or Linux. But they want to charge you $20k for them. My system using Pure Music when in memory mode completely buffers the ENTIRE song to memory before ever playing the track.

I am building a second system based on a 2009 Mac Mini with a 400GB SSD drive and 8GB of ram, and it will still be under $2800.00. To quote l.Fishburn from the movie School Daze... Wake UP!!!!! LOL! :)

I meant to say "when power cords are being sold for $3K all day..."

Wsomers

If the budget benchmark is $1K…. ONLY… music servers from scratch can seem pricey, given one needs to acquire a DAC and a PC which will output into a wideband interface.

If you own a $8K CDP.... servers might seem too cheap to bother with and merely toys.

All of this is about perspective. I've heard of CDPs costing over $15K! I've yet to hear of a home music server going for that kind of money!

Normally, merely adding a good DAC to ANY CDP, will be a step up all by itself.

Buying a more expensive CDP say in the $3-$4K range is the next logical step for bona fide or marked gains in digital sound. So… If you sell the current CDP, the costs for slipping into the ‘server world’ becomes more palatable.

The point of actual conversion from digital to analog is vitally important. The points where the info is transmitted are almost as vital and have their own criteria and higher hierarchy .

To date, I’m in for roughly $3K. Including DAC, converter, PC, 2TB of networked Storage, cabling, and software. The performance levels I’m getting are subjectively on par with those CDPs ranging from $4-6K & up….. and the flexibility I have is beyond any CDP capabilities.

But here’s the real thing… the true issue… if you like what you’re getting then keep doing what you’re doing! If you don’t like what you’re getting and/or want to improve on it, change what you can…. When you can.. as much as you can. It’s really simple.

Want increased performance and your entire library at your fingertips? It’s server time! If not, then you’re already there!