Wow Peter, cannot thank you enough for even considering this. Do you ever rest? Your work is amazing.

Anyway, I would be looking for the very simplest linear supply: one output for the mb of the old XXHighEnd PC as well as  proper outputs for the processor on the mb. I simply lack the know how to work with too many options/or choices and I would not be in a proper position to do testing.

No big deal if you are not interested. I agree it's important that folks get to see a bit of the work no one knows about!

Hi Peter, am currently saving my nickles and dimes for a Mach II XXHighEnd PC. In the meantime, any way your pc linear power supply could be fitted with my current mb- the one from the old XXHighend PC? If so what might you charge for that? 

No, the laptop is the server (4tb external hd with music files connected to laptop) which is connected to the audio pc (running XXHighend-no mouse keyboard, fans but running RAM-OS)through the LAN, which I believe is what you did too?

So running the laptop on battery power improves the sound coming from the audio pc. I guess there must be some small amount of noise that gets into the audio pc via the LAN connection. Running the laptop on battery power helps reduce that noise.

Glad you got it all working Gerard. It was a difficult job for me as well, way above my computer capacity. One thing I recently found was that unplugging the laptop from the mains and just running off it's battery gives a more organic sound. Not a huge difference but, for me, a significant difference. I just ordered a new battery for the laptop yesterday.

Hi David, it's been my experience that if you loose your RDC Connection (log off) while music is playing you cannot reconnect once the music stops and you have to do a hard reboot. I use a laptop as my control pc and was able to solve my problem of occasional loss of RDC connection by going into my firewall software and adding my audio pc as a trusted device.

Mani, just wondering, are you running HQ Player from RAM-OS or from a BASE volume?

My CD drive has been having issues and I'm looking for a new one. In my search I came across this and am wondering if anyone here has tried the Paul Pang method? Anyone have any other recommendations for a DVD/CD drive?

http://ppastudio.blogspot.com/2016/05/cd-ripping.html

Just read through this too quickly, so I apologize if this isn't helpful. If you are losing the NAS or RDC connection during playback have you designated the audiopc and or the NAS as a device that is allowed to pass through your antivirus firewall on the music server pc? I had problems losing my RDC connection during unattended playback until, in my antivirus software on the music server laptop, I designated the audio pc as a trusted device.

I'd say around 20-25 seconds

Peter after disabling cover art reboot the audio pc and you will then have the volume changing very quickly in unattended. Just switching back and forth regarding cover art, without a reboot, causes volume to be slower with and without cover art, but if you disable cover art, reboot and then play unattended, volume changes take 10 seconds or less.

No mistakes. Activating cover art (Unticking "Don't Do Anything With Cover Art") causes volume changes to take a bit longer. However, after A-B'ing yesterday, I was mistaken about SQ. Activating cover art just kills the sound here.  So I am back to "Don't Do Anything With Cover Art." However, love the sound of 2.07!

Further note on speed of volume change: ticking "don't do anything with cover art" causes volume to change much faster in unattended; unticking "do nothing with cover art" and using mirror back, volume change takes longer but cover art doesn't seem to change SQ. Hope I'm not imagining this.

Yeah, wonderful Christmas surprise. Sound is fantastic and I love how much quicker volume changes happen. Thanks most mysterious sound quality  lab. 

Thanks Peter.