Power Consumption for Audio PC

[rikhav]

Hi nikhil
better on the fly pcm to dsd conversion with hq player would be due to the fact that it has multi core support, so its able to utilize your cpu more effectively

Where as someone mentioned jriver does not have multi core support

So, if on the fly conversion is really needed hq player should be the choice

 

[Nikhil]

Yes most likely - the thinking is that you keep your original music collection in native format such as RBCD and convert to DSD on the fly during playback.

Another point wrt to HQPlayer is that it runs seamlessly on Win 64 bit OS only.
Despite several attempts I have never been able to install on 32 bit OS.
It is a native linux software so this may have something to do with it.

 

[sam9s]

I downloaded a free sample. For regular PCM tracks 16/44 upto 24/192 I did not hear any significant difference compared to Jriver - I used a few filters and dither settings. The interface is also very bad and unless there is huge change in SQ for me this in itself is a deal breaker. However I did not try with DSD upsampling.
Cheers,
Sid

same here I did not notice any difference from an original PCM file and the up converted PCM->DSD file (via Jriver) how ever I did not post anything since my system is not exactly an "audiophile system" a modest Polk tsi300 and E10 USB DAC is what I used. I thought maybe higher system will be able to produce the difference.

 

[Nikhil]

After looking around a little bit I think I might just use a conventional SMPS for the audio pc and use my linear PSU for the specialized components like the USB Regen that benefit from the clean power.

While the current thinking is to use a low power machine for audio - I really don't find myself missing much with a regular SMPS in the machine.

 

[sam9s]

^^ Is there a reason you are not inclined to use a Raspberry Pi 2, for your purpose. The only drawback using Rpi2 is that you cannot have PCM->DSD conversion on the fly, if you already have a DSD file in DSF and DFF format, an AudioOS like Volumio or RuneAudio (since both rely on MPD) will play it as long as your DAC supports it. In volumio there is a setting to enable DOP. All you need is a compatible DAC and you got yourself an ultra low powered system to play your DSDs.

 

[sidvee]

While the current thinking is to use a low power machine for audio - I really don't find myself missing much with a regular SMPS in the machine.

Indeed I did not find any meaningful difference between using the Linear PSU based PC to my SMPS based PC.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[Nikhil]

^^ Is there a reason you are not inclined to use a Raspberry Pi 2, for your purpose.

Raspberry and linux to me are bit of a wilderness. Not for me.

The machine I am using right now has been built primarily for rendering DSD and hi res audio. As far as I know linux does not offer a driver that handles the highest sample rates - at least until someone builds an ASIO driver. Regardless it's not an area I spend a lot of time on.

 

[sam9s]

Its all in the head bro .... You can also have a Rpi primarily built for high res audio ..... AudioOS like Volumio and Rune dos that exactly, specifically carter to provide bit perfect audio. Linux does have drivers that handles height sample rates, how to you think these AudioOS can play DSD formats. Coming to ASIO, which people are so very fascinated about, linux already has a low latency kernel, so it does not need ASIO (which is what all the driver does). But anyway each to its own as one says .....

Anyway if you are hellbent in using Windows with a low powered PC, give a shot to Intel NUC (with windows 8.1 or 10)

 

[Nikhil]

Sam I think you're underestimating my capabilities. I use Windows by choice because it is the state of the art for audio. Not because I don't know about linux and low power computing. I am well past the stage of getting my kicks of getting sound out of a computer. Even an Android device running AMP sounds good.

My build is a very focused one based on an approach being discussed on CA using a very specific software for high res audio - JRiver just doesn't operate or have the feature set required for it. I still use JRiver. I know what it does for conversion and it just isn't as good. Raspberry and Intel NUCs are dead ends by design (for what I want to do).

 

[sam9s]

No bro I do not judge people so easily,let alone underestimate, you yourself said "Raspberry and linux to me are bit of a wilderness". Also windows is state of the art for Audio is a pre conceived notion and can be argued for hours (we will not go in to that). My only point was, before even trying you already have decided that Rpi and linux are not good for what they offer in comparison to windows

Like when I was trying to suggest anything related to PCM->DSD conversion I did not post or comment unless I tried out myself, which is what I did ... I never had converted a PCM file to DSD, so could not comment as to how much processor hungry the conversion is UNTILL I myself installed Jriver and had a couple of PCM converted to DSD, I was ready to comment.

You without even trying and comparing have made a preconceived notion that windows is the state of the art in Audio when actually there is nothing you cannot do in Linux that you can do with windows ....as simple as that ...... and that CA (computer audiophile) analogy you give, I can find you quite a few articles on CA itself where people have built an Audio focused machine on linux.

Coming to NUC why on earth is it a dead end,(and that too by design..lol, when in fact they are considered to be pretty decent with the size and power footprints they offer to be able to run any windows based application) ......the mobo you are using "Gigabit B85M-G" (BTW I could not find Gigabit B85M-G,so I am assuming you meant "GA-B85M-D3H", there is an ASUS Board with GA-B85M) anyway uses plain simple Realtek Audio chip, same as NUC, and assuming you will be using USB DAC with ASIO drivers on windows, that is something you can do with NUC as well...

 

[Rajiv]

Hi,

Thought this might be interesting.

Computer Audio Asylum

Regards
Rajiv

 

[sidvee]

Computer Audio Asylum

Rajiv

Thanks for the link Rajiv. Very interesting. As I stated in my posts, I had similar results as well.
Cheers,
Sid
BTW are TeraDak and HDplex the same company. The TerDak PSU looks excatly similar to the HDplex except for the logo.

 

[reignofchaos]

Thanks for the link Rajiv. Very interesting. As I stated in my posts, I had similar results as well.
Cheers,
Sid
BTW are TeraDak and HDplex the same company. The TerDak PSU looks excatly similar to the HDplex except for the logo.

I asked the exact same question to Larry when buying mine. He said the case manufacturer is the same. Internals are very very different.