Fred, Dave

As how I look on computer audio: 

- 'Music Server' would be some (older) PC, used as music storage (used instead of NAS server)
- 'Audio PC' would be dedicated PC with powerful CPU & say 16GB of RAM and good (clean) Power Supply. With OS disk in it an nothing else. With Peters solution, it could be 'diskless' machine as well.

Since you have Core2Quad CPU in (as it looks to me) your 'Music Playback' PC, I would use that machine for the role of 'Music Server' and attach all HDD's containing music in there. Would add Gigabit
LAN card as well. You already have some Win OS running, I don't see which one it is, W7 or W8. Doesn't matter, what you need is OS with support for 'Remote Desktop Protocol' so 'Pro' or 'Ultimate" edition.

Your NAS server can be used as backup machine, you would like all your music files be backed up. And your photos & video files stored in there, easily accessible etc.

Now you are on the market for powerful PC with some i7 or similar processor, 16GB of memory, good PSU, PCIe-USB card (Silverstone one) and perhaps one more Gbit LAN card.
You can purchase HDD from Peter with several OS's pre-installed or choose to purchase smaller HDD for OS of your choice - most probably will be W10, 'stripped'. And nothing else.
Half empty but silent and powerfull 'AudioPC'. Never connected to internet. No monitor, keyboard, mouse, graphics card. Remotely controlled from your 'Music PC'.
Next step is 'Tablet PC' connected to 'Audio PC' through 'Music PC', used as nice touch screen remote controller. Larger one preferred, say 9-10".

Hope my 'view' helps a bit.
George

Hi Johan,

Perhaps you could bake another 'pie': BananaPi has SATA connector - enabling you to connect 2.5" HDD with onboard 5V power supply or even
3.5" HDD with external 12V+5V power supply. What I read on BPy forum, 4TB "WD Red" HDD was connected without any problem. See no reason
not to work with W10 IoT as well.

Brgds,
George

Hi Steve,

- Ripping
As above, dBpoweramp or EAC (Exact Audio Copy). EAC is free software. Both of them need proper settings for best CD ripping.

- Foobar Track Numbering
With some album loaded, Mouse right click > Convert > ... > Destination
Following Name format is what I use:  %tracknumber% %title% resulting in filename output (example): "12 Surrender The Rain.flac"

- Output format
No difference WAV or FLAC, with FLAC format saving some disk space. FLAC ads some additional processing.

- Renaming existing files
The best helper I could find is another free utility: ReNamer with which you'll be able to correct names /add numbers to desired format.
Just a little practice needed for perfect results. Whole existing collection could be done in one go - just add all directories and add proper 'Naming Rule'.

Brgds,
George

Hi hbrew,

I'm no expert but what I learn from Peter, it is the exact impedance matching (90 Ohm) that makes USB cable better. Clairixa is made from such a cable.

Hi Coen,

Real 'poor man's' choice would be Soekris R2R DAC

US : http://soekris.com/products/audio-products/dam1021.html
EU : http://soekris.eu/shop/dac_modules_dam1021_en/

(With something better than suggested 'Amanero' USB/I2S receiver)

Rgds,
George

Above figures are more than perfect. It is +4.7mV and -7.0mV only. Very, very low level of DC at output.
Normal DC, or allowed, expected or 'worry-less' values are in range of up to -20.0mV or +20.0mV.

George

I had another idea and the results:
- Copied album to some memory stick and load it to XXHE directly on AudioPC (using free connector on PCIe USB card)
 (AudioPC is headless, controlling it through RDC). Gues what? File plays without any complaints from XXHE!
- Now copied album from MDD to HDD on AudioPC
Guess what? Again, the same complaint from XXHE - Disk Full

So, it is rights related but how, shoot me
Rights for one music HDD:

Replaced "ñ" to "n" and file plays normally...

Same error. No space available 

Edit: above 'MusicPC' should read 'AudioPC'

And I'll make a quick test: I'll copy whole album (seen above) to the partition on 'MusicPC' an try playing the song #4, named "Sueño Latino", a 'problematic' one, directly from AudioPC.

Yes, I will 'fix' this 'not allowed writing' on HDD's containing music

Sorry, had to go out for a while (will have to again, soon)

As said, I left it as it is - no write permission from other PC, in this case no write from "AudioPC" to "WorkPC" where music files reside. This has
to do with my need to re-build XXHE Library since I moved some albums/folders from one to other HDD so XXHE metadata are not correct anymore.
I need to delete all meta info and let XXHE build new main Library file/directory, whatever is needed.

This second error message we did mention in e-mails and it was "the most unexpected error" as you said
And it points to A: disk, RAM HDD of course.

In sharing options I did granted full access (@ 'workPC') and in reality there's no write allowed through local network. So I continued like that.

What I can add is tt XXHE on "AudioPC" (or any other app actually) has no write permission to music HDD's (on other PC) so I get errors in XXHE when adding a song to a Library.

No Peter, standard NTFS, 2x2TB WD Red.
Eventually I change date format to dd-mm-yy on "AudoPC". Tried Notherlands locale on it
PC holding the music library is very similar, just changed numbering to EU style (dot for thousand, comma for decimals)