nyc_paramedic

Between what barrows and John were saying, I was thinking one could also run a small server using the Alix APU: PC Engines apu system boards There's a SATA port with power connector *and* m-SATA port on these series boards. Load up your favorite Linux/NetBSD/FreeBSD on the m-SATA SSD; connect 4 or 6TB HDD; power the unit using your favorite power supply. I have mirror RAID on my Linux desktop where I also rip and tag my music. Using the APU board as the server would add another level redundancy for my music files and allow me to keep my desktop off. *Plus*, with the APU only consuming 6W-12W of power, just leave it on so that it can serve music to the rest of the house. nanoRendu multi-zone? ARM+wifi+DAC+Maxim 9744 class D amp??? Nick

John, Is this true for USB DACs like the Ayre QB-9 that is opto-isolated from USB and runs Rankin's Streamlength Asychronous code and does not rely on the computers clocks? Nick

And these are posted by Sonore, as per the GPL contract, for each of their commercial product offerings? Or are these "Linux kernel changes for native DSD" done by other developers on some other github account? Nick

h And that's great. But I don't see anywhere on your website were you offering the source code to the products that you are offering commercially using GPL code. Can you please elaborate? Nick

I read the entire thread a few days ago and did not see any reference to GPL source code being posted on the Sonore website. And I just did a search using the search thread function and it came up only with this: And I just went back to the Sonore website and could not find any links to download GPL source code used in their devices. If I really did miss something, and you could point it out, I would be truly grateful. Nick

That is OK. Are you GPL compliant with modifications to GPL code (Linux kernel, MPD, any GNU tools) and posting source code as per the GPL that you are using with this or any other of your products as far changes to code? I didn't see anything on your website. Nick

Not if I can buy the hardware and have the option of using my own software, if I wish, further down the line. I'm interested in the hardware as it currently is being described. But I tend to eschew proprietary software or vendor lock-in. I don't use Roon, Tidal etc., and prefer a simple MPD to NAS setup. Do I get console access to the device if I want to? Are there any special drivers that would make the device useless should I choose to use your software? Sincerely, Nick

John, Is there anything preventing one from purchasing the unit and running their own Linux kernel and software? Are there specific drivers that would prevent this? I've been running PC Engines Alix boards and Linux+MPD since 2007 with very good results. I like having the option of not being locked in to a vendor for software support if possible. Sincerely, Nick

Is there no option for using MPD with NAS? If not for the typical user, will there be anyway to log into a console and edit text files? Any benefits in using this device with Asynchronous DACs that use Wavelength Audio's code?

Ron, Hopkins is correct. The original Bryston BDP is based on a PC Engines Alix single board computer. Link: PC Engines home I believe they used the 1D model with PCI as they needed to use the Juli@ card. I had been using the Alix boards as a firewall since early 2000. IIRC, at around the same time that PC Engines released their first boards with USB 2.0 ports I noticed USB to S/PDIF converters being released for the audiophile market. Being a long time Linux user, I realized that MPD, Linux and Alix board and some type of USB S/PDIF or USB DAC was a very unique combination. You run a very minimal OS the runs entirely in RAM and boots off the compact flash. You'll need another small PC or your desktop running NFS and a disc with your music files. My original setup as the Alix in my dedicated listening room with the bedroom computer running NFS and a couple of big discs. All wired Ethernet except for the Thinkpad or Nokia N800 running an MPD client. Now I use MPDroid on my Android phone or ncmpc on my Thinkpad. There are several companies using the Alix board and/or MPD in their commercial offerings. I still have my original Alix board running: PC Engines alix3d2 product file It is about as minimalist you can get for a COTS SBC without paying a $10,000 (minimum) engineering fee to have a board designed for you. This combo has been extremely popular worldwide. The Voyage MPD Linux distribution, Voyage MPD | Voyage Linux, is pre-setup for use with these boards. They package the latest ALSA and MPD versions. I also have the PC Engines APU, PC Engines apu system boards , as I wanted to experiment with the APU connected to an SSD in a one box player. And I also have one of these: https://www.embeddedarm.com/products/board-detail.php?product=TS-7700 It's all setup with MPD, I just haven't had the time to take a listen. The board is tiny at approx 2.5" square. I think a custom SBC like this with all switching regulators removed could be a great DIY solution. Could be done via a Kickstarter campaign. I think trying the Alix for $100 USD should be your first experiment if you like the sound of the Bryston. But I would insist on you purchasing the best Asynchronous USB DAC you can afford. I will state that the effort spent on setting up Alix (or any other really good Linux system) will be wasted if you're using USB to S/PDIF converters and DAC. I currently use an Ayre QB-9 DSD. They do pop up on the used market for a very good price; the older 24/96 models are upgradeable. Good luck. Nick

Thanks for the kind words. It's really a job like any other, whether you're a baker or an analog audio engineer. It's a thinking man's game and a labour of love. I gave Ayre a call of couple of weeks ago but never got a call back. The second call I spoke to some non-technical person and it was unclear if I was on the list to get the upgrade. The only solid info I got was that I would have to ship directly to Ayre as my local dealer who I'd purchased from is no longer carrying Ayre products. That, and she said the tech fellow in charge of the upgrade program is spread thin. I really would like to get the upgrade soon but feel silly pestering the folks on the phone. Maybe Ill call next week. Thanks for the QB-9. Between the DAC, the Placette and my custom Alix Linux music server, I spend a lot less time on forums and more time in the sweet spot.

Charles, Have you ever heard of the Placette Audio RVC? It's a passive that uses the Vishay S-102 resistor for every single volume setting. With these resistors, the input impedance is a constant 9k at every volume setting. I use the RVC with your QB-9 and it has been the most transparent device I have ever listened to. No loss of dynamics, rock solid imaging and no forwardness as you increase the volume. Since your QB-9 is a single input device and the RVC only accepts one input, the pair is a minimalist's dream.

<i>why can't you use the 1d board with the SOtM tX-USB pci card? We get a lot of requests for pic-e, but I can't see needing a mini pic-e or mini pci...<i><br /> <br /> maybe i'm in the minority, then. i have a preference for the smaller, headless boards.

Not in my case, I use an Alix... mark, i use an alix, too. have been since 2007 and was probably the first to run the alix+mpd+voyage debian recipe. but even with voyage running on the small boards there are things happening: memory i/o, network i/o, etc., etc. your mpd client is in constant communication with the mpd server. look at the network jack led when mpd server is running and a client is connected. phofman can articulate the fine details of computer io far better than i can. he does computers professionally; i don't. i really would not worry about what other people say about flac vs wav. there are too many people who are *not* engineers who spend more time on forums posting/trolling/baiting than listening to music. that's a shame.

<i>The focus right now for SOtM is to develop a PCI-E version of the tX-USB card. Update: tX-USBexp ES prototype is work and undergoing tests...samples to follow...</i><br /> <br /> any chance sotm would make a mini-pci or mini-pcie version of this card? would be great for those of us who use headless boards, e.g. alix.