|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
73.229.29.71
In Reply to: RE: Cost/price of a "generic" Audiostream Syrah-like server posted by cfraser on June 21, 2016 at 15:25:07
Do I need Win10 *Pro*?
I'm thinking more generic and not so specific to duplicating the Syrah Server.
You can use whatever Windows you like, whatever flavor of Linux you like, and even Mac OS on a Mac if you like. There are some folks reporting stellar results with Windows Server 2012r2, others claiming Windows 8.1 to their liking, and others preferring Linux.
It's up to you and your personal preference with a DIY setup. No vendor 'lock-in' as with a a dedicated 'ready made' or 'audio appliance'.
Follow Ups:
Thanks Abe. I think this thread got part way Syrah clone and part way general-purpose server. Completely different aspects for the PC part. I got confused because the two aspects were intertwined in the threads, least the way I read them. Thanks for bearing with me.
Edits: 06/22/16
Yes, the microRendu seems like a good value. However, you still need a computer of some sort (or NAS) to store and 'serve' your music files if you wish to play your own music rather than stream from a service like Tidal, etc.
I see you caught the original version of my post... :)I decided to remove all that microRendu etc. stuff since I truly want to separate the "local" interface from the file source. I see no reason why combining them (like Syrah) should be *superior* to the way I prefer. IMO keep the majority of the computer "crap" far away from the audio gear and have a minimal (computer) interface at the DAC point.*
That way the hardware format of the file server barely matters, you would probably have a hard time buying anything new these days that couldn't do that job. I'd rather put real $$$ into something where computing cost/power actually gets used and is noticeable, like a gaming PC, rather than a dumb remote file server.
OTOH I did say I was looking for a "project". If all the Pi stuff (microRendu thread...) had been in stock at the dealer I selected (to minimize shipping), I would already be on that. There must be lots of popular Pi stuff going on in forums I don't know about, or people just changing to the latest version (newish I understand).
*Edit: I did have a (loaned) Bryston BDP-1 here for a while, and it is kind of like a Syrah in function, and it *was* better than any of my stuff. I put this down mostly to the DAC interface, definitely better than my own stuff.
Edits: 06/22/16 06/22/16
That way the hardware format of the file server barely matters .Exactly, but others will still insist on linear power supplies, solid-state disks, audiophile approved ethernet cables, Marigo tuning dots on various chips, isolation feet, built inside a Faraday cage, all buried under 10 feet of concrete and rebar for best possible performance. ;-)
Edits: 06/22/16
I will acknowledge that serving music files from a "clean"/minimal-install/etc. PC *seems* better, here. But only to a point, again here. Don't need to go to a whole lot of trouble before I reach the point of no difference.*IOW for others with better systems it may be worth going farther with cleaning up the file server as far as software goes. I don't see how the hardware will matter that much as long as it's "adequate". Poor SW choices can really degrade HW performance though. And assuming your server is not directly connected to your DAC, otherwise HW matters.
That Faraday cage sounds pretty enticing. Also a dedicated line from the power plant.
*Edit: in my case, just rebooting the (non-dedicated) PC before starting the music server SW gave me almost all the improvement I was going to get. I do not start any processes intentionally after Win startup besides anti-virus stuff.
Rebooting in a "safe" mode with minimal regular stuff running didn't make any diff that I could tell, it was slightly more awkward to get everything running for the server SW, and I deemed it not worth it though it is theoretically preferable.
Edits: 06/23/16
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: