brother love

View Classified i7 music server- $450 new case, $380 no case i7 music server was sold for $400 last week, but UPS slightly damaged case (not near motherboard) & it was returned to me. Everything checks out & operates perfectly, but I need to replace the case. I'm listing for now as a "buyer chooses case" from (2) listed below (or another choice w/ price adjustment as needed) : https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Computer-Desktop-Radiator-Support/dp/B07MDJ2RW8 https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Computer-Chassis-Interchangeable-CA-1B8-00S1WN-00/dp/B00M2UKGSM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PUG2KBRJ553G&keywords=thermaltake+core+v1&qid=1654638741&sprefix=thermaltake+core%2Caps%2C661&sr=8-1 Before transferring mobo to new case, I plan to remove cpu cooler & apply new Arctic mx-4 thermal paste to cpu. Original case was $20, new case/ new thermal paste $70 incl.tax, so ... $400 music server - $20 old case +$70 new case/ thermal paste = $450 + shipping with new case from zip 37912. Paypal payment & I'll cover goods & services fees. 2nd option is to ship all music server components for $380+ shipping with no case & let buyer roll their own. This would save on shipping costs (in weight & volume). Intel i7-6700k, Gigabyte GA-170N-WIFI mini ITX mobo, Cryorig M9i cooler, NFA9 & NFP12 Noctua fans, Seasonic Focus+ SSR-850FX Gold psu, G.Skill Ballistx Sport DDR4-2400 RAM 4gb x2= 8gb, Intel Optane M2.2280 16gb w/ Ubuntu 20.04 OS & licensed HQPlayer 4 Desktop- latest version 4.19- $235 (3.1gb free), Dual M.2 PCIe card, WD Blue 500gb NVME SSD (332gb free music files included & 133.4gb free). Includes wireless antenna, power cord, wired & wireless keyboards, & mouse. Very good condition, light use (due to my tinnitus) music server that handily upsamples 16 bit x 44.1 kHz to DSD256, poly-sinc- ext2 or 3, ASDM7EC2 w/ HQP4 (see pics). Quiet operation (in addition to quality fans, oversized psu results in fan never coming on: https://seasonic.com/focus-plus-gold). I can sell this unit at asking price locally on craigslist or ebay w/o HQP musical benefits, but wanted to offer audiophiles on tight budget an economical option. Seller brother love Date 06/12/22 Price 450.00 USD Category Music Servers / Streamers  

View Classified Box of goodies: iPower,Cisco switch. cables, tweaks- $100 shipped Box of goodies as listed below. sell $100 shipped to US (includes $25 USPS Priority Mail insured shipping. 12” x 12” x 5.5” box size). Paypal payment (I'll cover 3% goods & services fees). iFi Audio iPower 12 volt- 1.8 amp power supply ($69 new) incl all accessories supplied by Ifi Audio. Extreme tape silicone rubber fusing tape added to thin cord at base for added protection. https://www.amazon.com/iPower-Supply-International-Travel-Adapters/dp/B01LZD8SHJ Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960-8TC-LV02 ($400 new network switch commercial/ business switch that's a a favorite on Audiophile Style) incl.power cord & 6 ft. Cat6 RJ45 cable: https://www.cdw.com/product/cisco-catalyst-2960-8tc-switch-8-ports-managed/3330814 Uptone Audio USPCB A>B adapter ($38 new shipped) https://uptoneaudio.com/products/uspcb-a-b-adapter Uptone Audio USB Regen (needs repair or for parts- USB solder joint loose at board) includes ps & all accessories, 8 in. lg USB cable modded to JSSG 360 (see link in items below) https://uptoneaudio.com/products/usb-regen RAM Electronics 3 ft. lg. RCA cable pair Monoprice 5 pairs Gold Plated Speaker Banana Plugs, Closed Screw Type Monoprice S/PDIF Digital Optical Audio Cable, Toslink to Mini Toslink, 3ft lg TP-Link USB > RJ45 Ethernet Adapter AMR 3.15 amp gold fuse, 4 amp fuse PoE DC cable supplies: (4) Ugreen Cat7 RJ45 cables 3ft lg, (8) PoE cable adapters (4male, 4 female): https://www.ebay.com/itm/282049940669?hash=item41ab7c8cbd:g:7jEAAOSwEWJZ1~L4 https://www.usaudiomart.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1465 https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/42959-iso-regen-performance-improvement-cheap/#comment-819161 (2) John Swensom power supply & grounding adapters, bag male/ female 5.5 x 2.1 mm connectors: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/37034-smps-and-grounding/#comments JSSG 360 cable supplies: 3/8 in. metal braided sleeving, 1/ 2 in. PET expandable braided sleeving-black, extreme tape silicone rubber self-fusing tape: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/page/323/#comment-828164 https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/30376-a-novel-way-to-massively-improve-the-sq-of-computer-audio-streaming/page/334/#commentsx (12) Aluminum cones- 1-1/4 in.dia. X 1-5/8 in. h RCA shorting plugs for unused amp/ receiver Inputs (not Outputs)- (11) pairs made/ (5) pairs unmade (3) RCA 1 male > 2 female adapters Vibration isolation platform supplies: bag 1/ 2 in. ball bearings, bag marbles, (12) cabinet door handles https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/35143-vibration-air-roller-bearings-thanks-to-barry-warren/ Kingston 4gb PC3-12800 DDR3-1600MHz laptop RAM: https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-PC3-12800-DDR3-1600MHz-204-Pin-HP16D3LS1KFG/dp/B00OL21H1Y (3) IEC connectors Seller brother love Date 06/04/22 Price 100.00 USD Category Accessories  

View Classified Cisco/ Netgear network switches & iPower PS 12v/ 1.8 amp $70 shipped Box (3) items as listed below. Sell $70 shipped to US ($16 USPS Priority Mail insured shipping to US. 11” x 8.5” x 5” box size). Paypal payment & family & friends (add 3% for goods & services fees if preferred method. Cisco Catylyst WS-C2960-8TC-LV02 (managed) network switch (a favorite here on AS) incl.power cord & 3 ft. Cat6 RJ45 cable Netgear FS-105 (unmanaged) network switch incl.power cord & 6 ft. Cat6 RJ45 cable iFi Audio iPower 12 volt- 1.8 amp power supply ($69 new) incl all accessories supplied by Ifi Audio. Extreme tape silicone rubber fusing tape added to thin cord at base for added protection. Seller brother love Date 06/04/22 Price 70.00 USD Category Computers / Networking Gear  

View Classified i7 music server- $400 Music Server: Intel i7-6700k, Gigabyte GA-170N-WIFI mini ITX mobo, Cryorig M9i cooler, NFA9 & NFP12 Noctua fans, Seasonic Focus+ SSR-850FX Gold psu, G.Skill Ballistx Sport DDR4-2400 RAM 4gb x2= 8gb, Intel Optane M2.2280 16gb w/ Ubuntu 20.04 OS & licensed HQPlayer 4 Desktop- latest version 4.19 (3.1gb free), Dual M.2 PCIe card, WD Blue 500gb NVME SSD (332gb free music files & 133.4gb free), Vivo micro ATX case (16.6" h x 7.8" w x 15.9" d) lined w/ 3/16" thk. black foam sheets & drilled holes at plexiglass for Intel Optane heat relief. Includes power cord, wired & wireless keyboards, & mouse). Very good condition, light use (due to my tinnitus) music server that handily upsamples 16 bit x 44.1 kHz to DSD256, poly-sinc- ext2 or 3, ASDM7EC2 w/ HQP4 (see pics). Quiet operation (in addition to quality fans & case lining, oversized psu results in fan never coming on: https://seasonic.com/focus-plus-gold). I can sell this unit at asking price locally on craigslist or ebay w/o HQP musical benefits, but wanted to offer AS members on tight budget an economical option. Sale price: $400 + shipping in US (20# 22" x 21" x 8" box shipped from 37912 zip). Paypal payment & I'll cover goods & services fees. Seller brother love Date 06/01/22 Price 400.00 USD Category Music Servers / Streamers  

View Classified Gustard X20u DAC FS: Gustard X20u DAC w/ Dual ESS Technology Sabre Reference 32 bit ES9018 DAC chips, XMOS USB 384 kHz, DSD256, IIS: DSD512 (requires DDC, ex. SingXer SU-1). Includes remote control w/ extra batteries, stock power cord, allen wrench for top removal, original box, electronic owners manual, drivers, spare fuse, extra copper strips (for fuse bypass, see tweaks below)). New $870+ $60 tweaks =$930. Sale price: $300 plus shipping to US (16 lb.-19 in x 14 in x 7 in box shipped from 37912). Paypal payment (I'll cover goods & services fee). Tinnitus has severely restricted my music listening, so low hours on this excellent sounding DAC (approx.1,000 hr. over 5 yr.). Good following on Head-Fi & AudioCircle: https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=66oan6cf7012e2qtr5n2ip0asu&topic=140663.0 https://www.head-fi.org/threads/gustard-x20-dac.780385/ Tweaks as outlined in http://tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Gustard_X20_Mods.html added significant sound improvements over stock version. Specific tweaks per attached photos consist of EAR SD40AL (.040" thick w/ 5 mil aluminum) damping material (MichaelPercy.com) applied to capacitors & metal divider panels, twisted all wires, 3M 5030 emi/rfi absorbing material above transformers, replaced both transformer bolts & nuts w/ nylon versions w/ cardboard applied underneath. Fuse bypassed w/ copper foil wrap (note: stock spare fuse in holder can be used if preferred). Seller brother love Date 05/31/22 Price 300.00 USD Category Digital to Analog Converters  

View Classified HQP NAA- Intel NUC7CJYH, Akasa fanless case- $125 HQP NAA- NUC7CJYH, Akasa fanless case: Plug & play set-up... connect USB cable to DAC, ethernet cable to network for wired connection only (wi-fi not attached). Initiate HQPlayer from server & select NAA. Excellent condition. Akasa case 3 mo.old, NUC 2.5 yrs. old but very light use (4 hr. per week max). $325 invested. Sell for $125. Paypal fees & shipping insured Priority Mail to lower 48 states included in asking price. HQPlayer Network Audio Adapter- USB thumb drive w/ HQP naa-420-x64.ramfs.7z image (if inserted: automatically boots to NAA login upon start-up)- https://www.signalyst.eu/bins/naa/images/ Intel NUC7CJYH/ J4005 w/ 8gb RAM (G.Skills Ripjaws DDR4 2400) & 120gb Crucial BX500 SSD w/ Ubuntu 20.04 OS installed (if NAA thumb drive removed, boots to owner-preferred OS)- https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/126135/intel-nuc-kit-nuc7cjyh.html https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/128992/intel-celeron-j4005-processor-4m-cache-up-to-2-70-ghz/specifications.html JC Newton fanless Akasa case- runs cool 29 deg. C initial > 42 deg. C max after 2 hrs. run time w/Ubuntu OS, psensor, activity monitor processing (see pics). Anything under Intel CPU max temp of 60C considered safe operation. NAA operation w/ thumb drive & no OS will be far less demanding. https://www.akasa.co.uk/update.php?tpl=product/product.detail.tpl&no=181&type=Fanless Chassis&type_sub=Fanless NUC&model=A-NUC42-M1B NUC stock power supply & case included. Note: Silver linear power supply w/ red cable shown in pics is "sold" & not included. Seller brother love Date 04/23/22 Price 125.00 USD Category Computers / Networking Gear  

View Classified HQP NAA- Intel NUC7CJYH, Akasa fanless case, LPS- $200 HQP NAA- NUC7CJYH, Akasa fanless case, Zerozone Linear Power Supply: Plug & play set-up... connect USB cable to DAC, ethernet cable to network for wired connection only (wi-fi not attached). Initiate HQPlayer from server & select NAA. Excellent condition. LPS is 3 mo. old, Akasa case 3 mo.old, NUC 2.5 yrs. old but very light use (4 hr. per week max). $425 invested. Sell for $275 $200. Paypal fees & shipping insured Priority Mail to lower 48 states included in asking price. HQPlayer Network Audio Adapter- USB thumb drive w/ HQP naa-420-x64.ramfs.7z image (if inserted: automatically boots to NAA login upon start-up)- https://www.signalyst.eu/bins/naa/images/ Intel NUC7CJYH/ J4005 w/ 8gb RAM (G.Skills Ripjaws DDR4 2400) & 120gb Crucial BX500 SSD w/ Ubuntu 20.04 OS (if NAA thumb drive removed, boots to OS)- https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/126135/intel-nuc-kit-nuc7cjyh.html https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/128992/intel-celeron-j4005-processor-4m-cache-up-to-2-70-ghz/specifications.html JC Newton fanless Akasa case- runs cool 29 deg. C initial > 42 deg. C max after 2 hrs. run time w/Ubuntu OS, psensor, activity monitor processing (see pics). Anything under Intel CPU max temp of 60C considered safe operation. NAA operation w/ thumb drive & no OS will be far less demanding. https://www.akasa.co.uk/update.php?tpl=product/product.detail.tpl&no=181&type=Fanless Chassis&type_sub=Fanless NUC&model=A-NUC42-M1B Zerozone 18v/ 2.5a Linear Power Supply (incl. well regarded LT1083 adjustable voltage regulators). No power cord supplied- https://www.ebay.com/itm/122115343477?hash=item1c6ea44475:g:JLsAAOSwGtRXy6iD Original NUC7CJYH case & power cord included. Seller brother love Date 03/24/22 Price 200.00 USD Category Computers / Networking Gear  

View Classified Phasure Audio Lush^2 USB cable, 40cm- $80 Phasure Audio Lush^2 USB cable, 40cm (15.75"), excellent condition, 1/2" expandable black braided sleeve installed over original cream colored sleeve (easily removed, I can do so prior to shpg if one prefers cream color). $275 New: (210+ 35 shpg x 1.11 euro-to-USD exchange rate). $135 $80 USD including insured USPS priority Mail shipping and PayPal fees. US lower 48 sale only. https://stordiau.com/collections/cables-and-more-snakes-oil/products/lush-2-usb-audio-cable Lush^2 AS forum thread detailing all the various configuration experiences for this versatile USB cable (currently configured to original Phasure Audio shipped settings) : Seller brother love Date 03/20/22 Price 80.00 USD Category Cables  

I've got some older versions of HQP Ubuntu 20.04 if you guys need it. Just drop me a PM w/ version(s) that you want to experiment with.

FWIW, I got a new 16gb Optane from this company Jan 2021 on Amazon w/ free shpg (but no longer available there): https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-MEMPEK1W016GA-16GB-M-2-80mm-PCIe-3-0-20nm-3D-Xpoint-Optane-Memory-NEW-/383645931277

@Mike Rubin, I currently boot 11gb minimal Ubuntu 20.04 OS w/ HQPlayer Desktop from a 16gb Intel Optane M.2 2280 PCIe SSD.

In a word "noise". Powerful music server PC's are notorious for electrical grunge & nasties. Dac & USB are ultra sensitive to such things. Anything you do to isolate sensitive audio equipment from power hungry devices, switching power supplies, EMI/ RFI emitters, etc. can improve sound. I & many prefer NOT to employ power conditioners to DAC's/ Server/ NAA. All efforts are to achieve maximum isolation for a cleaner, blacker background when listening to your favorite music. This obssession hobby is full of tweakers/ experimentors. This website is filthy w/ them! (and I have learned more from this site than all others combined). We love to A-B stuff. If interested, try these things for yourself & see if you hear a difference. The quality of an audio system & audio listeners ability to discern things plays into this.

@Miska, Kiitos! 4.15.4 release has brought back my older i7-6700k performance to where it was before 4.15 releases only w/ all the extra goodies! Hyperthreading restored, Psensor active as well as Activity Monitor all while playing ext3/ 7ECv2 DSD256 w/ zero dropouts. I can even stream Qobuz 192k/ 24 bit files to ext2/ 7ECv2 DSD256! I continue to be marvelled by your wizardry. 😎

@Quokka_61, your 1st option won't work & the 2nd option will... The server (M1 in your case) is sending HQP upsampled music via ethernet to your mini pc NAA (Network Audio Adapter). The mini pc w/ an HQ image from here: https://www.signalyst.eu/bins/naa/? receives the HQP upsampled music via ethernet & sends via USB to your DAC. Try the M1 close to the NAA first, then move farther away second to see if you hear a difference sonically w/ the M1 power supply on different electrical circuit than DAC & reduced EMI/ RFI. Some hear distinct improvements, others not as much (when I had a i5 Mac Mini/ NAA, it was minimal; but is more noticeable w/ a i7 big box pc server/ NAA).

Many thanks for the suggestion! I'm maxing-out my older i7-6700k Ubuntu 20.04 hqp 4.15.3 music server when upsampling to DSD256 ext2/ 7ECv2 (95-100% x 2 + 25% x 2 +3% x 4) . I'm getting intermittent drop-outs of 0- 2 per song (no problems w/ 7EC, but 7ECv2 sounds sooo good!). Disabling hyper-threading & going from 8 to 4 seems to really help so far... 4 songs w/ no drop-outs (so long as activity monitor, psensor or other apps are closed). Cheers mate!