Quote:
Originally Posted by jdandy
Michael.......I understand your points. The generic look of the Silenzio case comes from the fact that it is a Streacom FC5 fanless PC chassis designed for multiple uses. It is a slim all aluminum case with a 10mm face plate. endpcnoise.com/parts/case-streacom-fc5
I imagine that Emile could have the face plate custom silk screened or CNC milled with the Silenzio logo and some nomenclature for Power and USB slots, but that would certainly increase the price of the product. My guess is the Silenzio network music servers are handbuilt one at a time upon order. I doubt Emile is sitting on a warehouse full of Silenzio's ready to ship, so his scale of production costs control his investment in raw parts, and that would include any added cost for things like silk screening the front panel. I agree with you that such a distinction would make the Silenzio appear more professional, plus have the advantage of identification and name recognition should there ever come a time you wished to sell it.
Like you, I like one box solutions for audio components. That is what drew me to the Olive 04HD music server. Both of my 04HD's continue to operate trouble free and sound very good. My biggest grip with the Olive 04HD is the antiquated user interface and lack of cover art on the index pages. Beyond that, the 04HD is convenient with its 2TB internal hard drive, internal transport for ripping, WiFi connectivity for iPad remote control with the Olive app, and playback of high-res files up to 24/192 without issue. A plus for those without an external DAC, the 04HD has an internal DAC plus a single coaxial digital input to the DAC for use with another digital component if needed The concept is good but the user interface is marginal.
I imagine the Silenzio could be configured with an internal 2TB or larger hard drive if ordered that way. I am not certain if the Silenzio has WiFi connectivity for wireless remote control with a dedicated app. As I understand it, the Silenzio uses JRiver Media Center on the computer along with JRiver Remote, although I think an Ethernet connection to the Silenzio is necessary for that to work. Emile can confirm these comments.
Having an external NAS has some advantages, one being multiple hard drives operating in a RAID configuration that allows mirroring of the primary drive so that you always have redundancy should one drive fail. Having a NAS allows access to your files from multiple network connected devices. There is also the fact that no hard drive in the Silenzio case helps keep operating temperature lower and eliminates noise.
There are a number of things to consider when making a music server decision, particularly when you are already using another music server like the Olive 04HD. If I were making my first music server purchase, the Silenzio would be at the top of the list, but since I am cruising along just fine with the music servers I have the decision to make a change becomes more difficult. Your post leads me to believe you are having similar thoughts.
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Thanks, Dan, for articulating what I was thinking. You are very correct on many aspects of your above post. Silkscreening or etching the chassis would be costly and provide no sonic benefit. Yes, I have thought about it; and I came to the conclusion that it just isn't justified at present time.
You are also correct that Silenzio is bespoke - there is no warehouse or roughshod factory in China that pumps these out for me to sit on inventory. Each one is assembled by me and fully tested prior to shipment (including the NAS to ensure that the hard drives are fully sector checked).
Silenzio has had WiFi since Gen2, and Gen3 comes with an IR Remote for use when you have a display. Otherwise, there are a myriad of ways to accomplish administrative tasks headless and playback headless (VNC and JRemote, respectively, for example). WiFi and Ethernet sound identical; being on the hardwire gives you speed. Lots. More. Speed. Also stability if your WiFi isn't entirely... robust.
As to your internal vs. external storage debate - having network based storage far outweighs internal storage from a usage standpoint to a servicing standpoint - not to mention cost. Yes, if you really want an internal 2TB or 4TB SSD - I'll do it - but it comes with substantial costs versus a NAS. And you lose redundancy, hot-swap, end-user servicing, easy sharing over a network and scalability. There are rare instances where it is absolutely necessary (and one AA'er has such a Silenzio which is currently traveling long distances to its new owner), such as having no network, WiFi, or internet connectivity.
Hope this helps.
-E