Trying to understand music servers

[Randy Myers]

I am new to the world of HD audio. When I was last into high end audio it was analog (CDs were just emerging). It was clear how subtleties affected the music, cabling, enclosures, etc. I am not new to the digital world however, in fact I am a software engineer and have been for quite some time. How it relates to HD audio is new to me however.

I am trying to understand how all of this new world is interrelated. I am not trying to be facetious or disingenuous, but instead really trying to understand this new world (to me anyway).

Which brings me to high end music servers. I am trying to understand how this all interrelates and how it all affects and relates to the end product, the music I hear.

For example, I see music servers that are in essences control units. They stream the music from a network storage device through either wireless or a preferred CAT5 cable and sends it digitally through a USB cable to my DAC which converts the 1s and 0s to analog music which is intern amplified and played through my headphones or speakers. I am told that these devices will sound better than the same 1s and 0s being pumped directly out of a computer through a USB cable into the DAC. Therefore the signal traveling from a spinning hard drive, through network routers, switches, and either through the airwaves or through a CAT5 cable into another device and then sent out through a USB cable before reaching the DAC will sound better than the signal coming off a SSD straight into the USB and into my DAC.

I am confused and not understanding. I want to understand because I want the best sound I can get for the limited funds I have to put into my audio system. Please help me understand why the separate music server / control unit will make my music better than using a computer connected directly into the DAC.

Again, I am only trying to understand. I am sure that I am missing something. I really am interested in learning this HD digital world because my goal I am sure is the same as every member here at AA, I want to enjoy my music to its fullest.

Thank you for your assistance.

[2fastdriving]

I'm also a software developer and got into computer audio a few years ago. I had to learn from scratch, too. I personally don't subscribe to the notion that a purpose built streamer is any better. After all, it's just a computer too. With a hard drive. I wouldn't get too worried about the differences here. Do you want to simply use a pc? Then do that. You can "upgrade" any time, if you find something better out there.

[Antonmb]

Agree with Marc, there is no rule that a streamer is better than a computer direct to DAC. There are advantages and disadvantages of both, but you can get great sound out of either when properly implemented.

[2fastdriving]

What I will say is, you want to use USB (with a computer, that's pretty much a given, but other sources have optical or coax) , and make sure it's asynchronous. That way, you are using the clock in the DAC. Some older dacs had USB but were synchronous.

[Randy Myers]

Is there anyone who has the opinion that the music servers are any improvement? Currently I am using a Surface Pro 3, but could also use an even better Laptop computer. Actually a completely amazing laptop if there were any advantages.

Is there any justification for a music server, something like the SilenZio? For $2700 I would expect a huge improvement but from all I can see it appears to be a solid computer in a very nice container, still requiring a computer (or mouse, keyboard, monitor) to use as the controller and it streams from your NAS. Is there anything about something like this that would be an improvement?

Honestly for that price I could get one incredible computer.

[2fastdriving]

Originally Posted by Randy Myers

Is there anyone who has the opinion that the music servers are any improvement? Currently I am using a Surface Pro 3, but could also use an even better Laptop computer. Actually a completely amazing laptop if there were any advantages.

Is there any justification for a music server, something like the SilenZio? For $2700 I would expect a huge improvement but from all I can see it appears to be a solid computer in a very nice container, still requiring a computer (or mouse, keyboard, monitor) to use as the controller and it streams from your NAS. Is there anything about something like this that would be an improvement?

Honestly for that price I could get one incredible computer.

Well, E will have to chime in about the silenzio. There are definitely convenience factors with some of these purpose built units, and possibly some sonic improvements, but I've never heard any. The reason it may be possible is because their power supplies are certainly better/quieter than stock laptop bricks and desktop power supplies.

[Randy Myers]

Ok, I could see power supply, although laptops in that price level would have no issues in this regards. I know there is also some concern with the Surface fan creating a bit of noise, although rarely does the fan kick in. I think that JRiver just does not put enough demand on the unit to cause it to work hard enough to need to cool itself. Basically it is dead quite.

I would think a local SSD, especially something like a Samsung Pro-850 3D in M.2 format has got to do a better job of getting the digital stream to the DAC than say going through a spinning drive on a NAS through routers, switches, network wiring around the house (highly recommend placing the NAS in another room for any noise considerations).

My logical mind is trying to justify something like the SilenZio or an Olive... am I missing something?

BTW- if you get a top notch power supply, like a Silver or Gold standard in a computer than certainly the power supply is a non-factor.

[beowulf]

Originally Posted by Randy Myers

Ok, I could see power supply, although laptops in that price level would have no issues in this regards. I know there is also some concern with the Surface fan creating a bit of noise, although rarely does the fan kick in. I think that JRiver just does not put enough demand on the unit to cause it to work hard enough to need to cool itself. Basically it is dead quite.

I would think a local SSD, especially something like a Samsung Pro-850 3D in M.2 format has got to do a better job of getting the digital stream to the DAC than say going through a spinning drive on a NAS through routers, switches, network wiring around the house (highly recommend placing the NAS in another room for any noise considerations).

My logical mind is trying to justify something like the SilenZio or an Olive... am I missing something?

BTW- if you get a top notch power supply, like a Silver or Gold standard in a computer than certainly the power supply is a non-factor.

I honestly do not think that a local SSD drive is better sounding than a NAS. It seems to me you are using resources from the PC when reading a local drive so your PC is working harder in comparison to working with the NAS (which is spinning its own HDDs and using its own resources) to lighten the load on the PC.

Most people would prefer a Linear Power Supply compared to a Switching Power Supply that comes with a lot of smaller PCs and Laptops.

I prefer a PC over a server such as Olive as I like the library features of JRiver and enjoy the tagging, DSP and maintaining my library, album artwork and the long list of tinkering features that it provides. I would only recommend a dedicated music server to someone if they absolutely had no familiarity with a PC or desire to create libraries and play with digital signal processing, etc.

A SilenZio by E would be an end game PC/Server combo for myself, but until I have the resources to buy one ~ I'm getting really good results with just my inexpensive Asus VivoPC running JRiver in combination with a WD MyCloud NAS into my McIntosh D100 DAC. I use my 65" HDTV as my PC monitor and enjoy the album artwork blown up and all of the features it provides for listening to music and watching movies.

[Randy Myers]

Great input! Thank you....and from everything I can figure out I agree that a SilenZio would be a great end game for many people. I am beginning to believe that a solid PC streaming will probably be a good resolution for me. If a PC is dedicated to streaming than I don't think it has any additional load than a NAS and being directly connected versus going through the network equipment has got to be an advantage.

[cleeds]

Originally Posted by Randy Myers

... a local SSD ... has got to do a better job of getting the digital stream to the DAC than say going through a spinning drive on a NAS through routers, switches, network wiring around the house ...

What makes you think that? Does a computer network somehow corrupt the data?