Original post updated May 18, 2018.
Hi all,
The original post from April 1 is now superseded with this text (the old text you'll find more below in this post).
The Phasure Mach III Audio PC is an outrageous beast with a gorgeous sound, unimaginable. It wildly surpasses its predecessor, the Mach II.
It is now based on robust server technique but still comes in the ever so nice form factor of 44x36x10cm / 17x14x4" (WxDxH), and still sporting a Linear Power Supply inside. The sound is truly incredible and is about speed, speed and more speed. More down in the topic you may read about the earlier descriptions of the sound which I tend to describe as "more important than a DAC".
High Resolution link Phasure Mach III Audio PC 17High Resolution link Phasure Mach III Audio PC 16High Resolution link Phasure Mach III Audio PC 10These are the prices of the Phasure Mach III Audio PC in euros and excl. shipping (VAT will be added for VAT liable countries) :
Number of Cores | Original Price | Current Price | As of date | Linear PSU | SQ relative to Mach II |
|
8/16 | 2700 | 2725 | August 20, 2018 | Yes | ? |
10/20 | 2980 | 3005 | August 20, 2018 | Yes | ++ |
12/24 | 3300 | 3325 | August 20, 2018 | Yes | ++++ *) |
14/28 | 3900 | 3950 | August 20, 2018 | Yes | ++++ |
16/32 | 4350 | 4425 | August 20, 2018 | Yes | ++++ |
20/40 | 5000 | 5250 | August 20, 2018 | Yes | ? |
22/44 | 6300 | 6370 | August 20, 2018 | Yes | ? |
The price of the 10/20 is held commercially low to give people with not too deep pockets a fair chance.
The 8/16 is not advised until someone orders it so the SQ can be judged.
The 22/44 would be experimental and may require a faster running cooling fan (then lightly audible at 10cm distance).
*) The 12/24 received a ++++ rating; see here.
Remarks on the "Current Price" column :
Prices on Intel processors go in US Dollars. The US Dollar has risen against the euro with 5% in only the past two weeks. This means that I just had to adjust the table for some processors with 120-200 euros, upwards. But it is worse : The prices depend on the stock at the supplier(s) and they tend to adjust their current price when they run out and have to purchase (against the current currency rate). Example for the 14/28 as of May 18 (2018) : I can see that this is stock from a few weeks back and still against the old price. This means that when we'd buy the last one today (there is one on stock indeed), tomorrow the price will rise with 70 euros (while the currency rate itself did not change much).
The price of memory increased like crazy the past two years (the 32GB for the Stealth II originally was 100 euros, now 260). If this price keeps on increasing, it has extra impact on the 48GB of the Stealth III. In addition to that, memory too is payed in US Dollars.
Whether the purchase prices go up or down, they will be actively maintained on a regular basis within some "hysteresis" bandwidth (50 euros or so).
The additional features are equal for each version :
-
DVD Drive (the 3.5" external bay
requires the removable HDD/SSD part, but a device which combines with a DVD enclosure ceased to exist);
- Removable 2.5" bay;
- 48GB of internal memory (installed with 6 parallel channel support);
- RAM-OS SSD (240GB) suited for 25GB RAM Disk (OS boots from RAM - SSD can be removed);
- OSes provided : 1x Windows 8, 3x Windows 10, upgradable by download (it is assumed you own a license for Windows 10);
- Activated XXHighEnd for power control;
- Actively managed super stable power consumption ... (with help of totally silent fan, no PWM);
- Very efficient Linear PSU explicitly made for speed (of delivery), very cold running (42-48C / 108-118F on the heat sinks, depending on CPU)
- Thermal protection for CPU, PSU and main ATX regulation.
- Non-obtrusive VGA on-(mother)board.
- 4 free/usable PCIe slots, 2 free memory DIMM slots, 2 M.2 SSD connectors, 4 free Ethernet ports, 6x USB3 (2 front) and more superfluous matter like 11 free SATAIII ports, a serial port and multi channel HD audio;
- No USB2.
Here is the original text of this first post :
Hi all,
On this Easter day I announce the most crazy Audio PC ever : The passively cooled Phasure Mach III with 20 up to 44 hyperthreaded processor cores.
Yes, you read that well.
The PC aims at HQPlayer users who want the very very best and inifitely apply HQPlayer's filters (in multichannel as well). All resides in the same enclosure as the Mach II so it fits beautifully in any audio rack (but it can be stowed away in a basement just the same).
The PC will be very different from anything else because it will comprise of official Server elements, starting with a Server Motherboard. It is to be noticed that such an environment is made for super stability and e.g. self-checks for due (memory) failure. A key element of it could be that it can be fully remote controlled, meaning that this includes changing BIOS settings by means of a remote (like a tablet). You'll never need to connect a monitor again.
In this stage I am not sure yet whether the RAM-OS Disk provided with it (OS boots from that and next the boot device can be removed) will also contain an official Server version of the OS (like WS2016) as this depends on the license costs and it will make the PC unnecessary expensive. Do notice however, that when it is not XXHighEnd which arranges for the playback environment, it seems logical that people will like this. Anyway, I am not conclusive about this yet.
The PC is not for the faint hearted in the sense of the price which will be 3450 euros for the 20 core version via 4550 euros for a 32 core version and 5850 euros for the 44 core version. We regard the 44 core the maximum, although theoretically and with more testing it can be more cores against then really crazy prices (like adding 1500 euros for a next version and another 1500 for a next). So we skip those.
This now most explicit Audio PC comes with 48GB of internal memory and the topology serves 6 memory lanes (was 4).
Compared to the Mach II the most attention went to the power supply which will exhibit 10mV of ripple (on 15V which will regulate to 12V) at full power and merely : unsurpassed speed of the power supply. This is where the difference will be made audibly and how you will see that a next significant step could be made.
A first 32 core version is running over here with some things yet to solve, but while more than a month ago I thought to have announced it by long by now, I didn't like to let pass Easter without a nice Easter Egg. I'd have to tell you that most of the time in this stage is spent on throughput time for waiting for parts and answers from BIOS specialists etc. with again the notice that a Server (board) environment is a totally different beast from what we are all used to.
All in other words : I have no idea really when this "super machine" will be ready for purchase, but it could be in two weeks (seriously) or in two months (hopefully not but if things go as slow as right now ...).
Current Mach II owners and XXHighEnd users (or Phasure NOS1a/G3 owners for that matter) do not need to worry that they need to invest money in a new Audio PC again. OK, it will sound better again, but maybe it is not worth the investment
again. It is merely about the future path which is coming to an end with the "26xxv4" (like 2640v4) infrastructure and how we improve on the way when we need to re-invent things anyway. More experience again, more knowlegde obtained and more and better ideas pop up
all for the better. And more $ but that's how it goes.
Happy Easter everybody !
Peter