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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / Re: How to build a silent PC for XXHighEnd
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on: August 01, 2013, 01:13:18 pm
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I would like to point out an issue. What is the reason to prefer a fanless pc?. There are two main reasons in my opinion: a- 0dB noise b-to eliminate the negative influence on the SQ produced by the fans. So far I've been using a pc with fans but the level that the evolution of XXHighEnd has reached requires also an evolution in the hardware to be at its height. An important step in this direction is to remove all the hardware that is not essential and the optimization of this hardware to achieve an SQ with all the possibilities that this day offers XXHigEnd. Especially if we think in the tandem XXHighEnd/NOS1. About a silent pc I can think of three different paths: 1 - Adapt a normal pc to a silent pcThese would be in my opinion the steps to follow: a-Remove all the hard drives inside the PC case and place them in aluminum boxes or in another way that allows passive ventilation. Connect to PC via USB 3.0 and eSata. The use of a linear power supply for these hdd seems also to enhance the SQ. b-Use an SSD for the OS and XXHE. Although the noise produced by an external hdd placed in a box is negligible, so also this option is feasible. c-Use ramdisck for XXHE and Playback Drive. Placed in memory decreases the influence of if XXHE is originally located on a HDD or an SSD. With respect to the Playback Drive to place it in memory avoid another hdd. Once loaded the data (music) in the Playback Drive that is in memory (ramdisk) the hdd can be disconnect. d-Use a fanless power supply. Again the use of a linear power could also enhance the SQ. e-Use a small passive VGA since it is not required a high performance in this regard. f-Use of a water cooling system with a tower and place it outside the listening room eg the Zalman Reserator 1 V2 (not sure if it is still in production) http://zalman.com/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=183g-Downsize the PC performance (CPU and RAM frequency), which in turn seems to favor the SQ, so the need for cooling is less demanding and can use other passive CPU coolers, such as eg Zalman FX 100 which allows TDP (Thermal Design Power) of up to 95W without fan ( http://www.cpu-world.com/Glossary/T/Thermal_Design_Power_(TDP).html): Zalman FX 100 http://www.zalman.com/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=7822 - Use a silent pc made entirely from the startThere are several types of computers created from the start as silent pc, obviously need some adaptations to use them for XXHighEnd: Quiet PC Fanless Media PC Sidewinder: http://www.quietpc.com/sys-sidewinderGoodwin Fanless Music Server: http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/std/sku=fanless_music_serverCAPS: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/section/c-p-s-489/Intense fit PC: http://www.fit-pc.com/web/fit-pc/intensepc/3 - XXHighEnd PcThis is undoubtedly the best option for those who do not want to build its own pc. I wait eagerly for the new forum board about Peter´s silent pc and see if some of his findings could be applicable to the ones who prefer to build its own silent pc. Best regards, Juan
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588
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Playback Tweaks and Source related subjects / How to build a silent PC for XXHighEnd
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on: July 31, 2013, 11:42:33 pm
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I see that there is a tendency to eliminate as far as possible the fans to make a silent pc. I'm not sure if anyone has put a post about how to configure a PC to make it completely silent, I mean, how to build it up and with what case, motherboard, power supply etc. I´m not talking now about the subsequent modifications in the bios and software, I´m talking about the hardware needed to build it. This is the reason why I start this new topic. Anyone looking to build a silent pc for XXHighEnd can post his questions and doubts here and the ones that know how to do it please put some pictures, if possible, to explain better how to do it. I'm going also to try to build a silent pc but at this moment I´m not sure how I can remove all the fans. I´m thinking on water cooling but I see that it also uses fans. At this point I have all the hard drives outside the PC box, the graphics card I use now is a little one, passive, that don´t need much cooling, so if I use a fanless power supply then I´d only need to cool the CPU and motherboard. This could be a good starting point: how to refrigerate the CPU without fans.
I hope your help, especially from those ones who have more sophisticated PCs and that already have made them as silent as possible or even better a totally silent PC.
Best regards, Juan
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595
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Chatter and forum related stuff / Re: A Visit to Nicks and a Surprise Finding
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on: July 28, 2013, 11:37:10 pm
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Juan hi,
The main reason was that it was way was in Paul's PC and I was keen to use exactly the same. I put a mains power tester on the PC (3037 CPU) and found that it only uses about 120 watts whilst playing music at normal CPU clock speed so that checked out ok.
The reviews on line of the 400 460 and 520 versions show the larger versions making just a small amount more ripple noise but not sure that this was a problem so I went for the 400w version in the end.
Brian is switching out a corsair ax750 for a seasonic I think so his experience may help understand if my corsair was just a poor unit or if the seasonic is generally a good upgrade.
Cheers,
Nick.
Thanks Nick. So far my Corsair AX 750 is working fine, I do not hear any strange noise nor have I ever been able to hear if the fan is operating or not. The sound is fantastic but who knows...I haven´t tested other ps. I have a bequiet! in my work pc and maybe I´ll give it a try to see if Peter is right . I would like to hear from Brian when testing the Seasonic, for now let him enjoy his vacation. Best regards, Juan
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596
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Chatter and forum related stuff / Re: A Visit to Nicks and a Surprise Finding
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on: July 27, 2013, 12:28:13 pm
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So bought and fitted a new ATx power supply that is the same as Pauls. To say there is a transformation in SQ is an understatment. I will post more later when I have time on what has happened and the general effects on SQ and my noise problems.
For now the NEW ATx supply is a Seasonic SS-400FL2. I read a load of ATx reviews on line as research and indead the Seasonic SS-400FL2 does have very good specs on paper (no tests give traces of wideband noise but ill take a look with my scope).
Hi Nick, I wonder why you have chosen the SS-400FL2 in front of other models like the 460 or 520. Is it because of the better measurements of the 400 model or just because 400w is enough? Best regards, Juan
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598
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Your thoughts about the Sound Quality / Re: Q5 observations (Windows 8)
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on: July 24, 2013, 04:41:23 pm
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Ah Juan, great thanks for that explanation, and that subjective to the heat we suffer from here as well. But funny ... Virtually I use the same approach as yours. The only difference is that I have this "official" through XXHighEnd; What's left in my case is one SPINNING disk only, which sounds better than no disk at all (don't ask me why because I don't know yet). I will explain more about the setup later, when the new XXHighEnd version is due. Best regards, Peter The Velociraptor with another OS/XXHE is still inside the case but disconnected, now I´m experimenting with the eSata SSD, the advantage could be that the SSD don´t take the power fom the computer power supply, so less work for the ps. But as I say, the Velociraptor is still there waiting for another test in some more time. And another different test will be also with the Velociraptor outside the case in place of the SSD. Best regards, Juan
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599
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Ultimate Audio Playback / Your thoughts about the Sound Quality / Re: Q5 observations (Windows 8)
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on: July 24, 2013, 04:26:04 pm
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Hi Juan, I´ve changed some connections Assuming there is real merit in this, what were your changes ? Thanks, Peter Hi Peter, I expected the question, with this hot weather we have here I just want to lie down and drink iced tea ... hahaha Okay, I use a power conditioner but I used to have just plugged in the external hard drives and not the Music PC. This conditioner has two large transformers (among other things) these two transformers are independent from each other so I can connect two devices in an isolated way (almost). Now I connected the computer to one of the outlets of the power conditioner and the hard drives to another (in fact there are one pair of outlets per transformer). I use only two external drives at the same time (no internal disks), one SSD with OS/XXHE eSata connected, and one hard drive with music connected with USB 3.0. On the other hand I use ramdisk configured in a special way (thanks to the genius of Alain) with two virtual disks A and B, one with XXHE/XXData and another as Playback Drive. Now, once the Playback Drive is charged with the music just a few seconds after I hit play, I disconnect the hard drive with Music, and also physically turn off the screen, disconnect the keyboard and mouse and only keep connected the eSata SSD. This way the Music PC has only connected the SSD eSata and the NOS1, remember that XXHE/XXData are also in the ramdisk which probably contributes to a better sound. Now the sound is clean and very musical and the differences, although perceptible, between Q5=5 and Q5=3 are less notorious. By the way, I'm building, well not me but a technician friend of mine, a linear power supply for external drives, it sure will help to improve the sound, with the configuration I explained I´d only need one of those power supplies for the SSD. I´ll let you know when I get it ready and see if the sound is even better than now. Best regards, Juan
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