The HOST from CLONES

[mikicasellas]

Hello to all,

 

If using this device, can one avoid using either Ultra Rendu or SOtM sMS200 streamers and obtain the same results?:

 

It looks interesting:

 

The HOST

Music Server

The HOST is the first digital music server of CLONES audio. 

Equipped with a high performance USB digital audio output, 

Ethernet port, solid-state drive for music storage, 

full linear power supply with the super low noise regulator modules. 

Providing the solid foundation to the high performance playback. 

The great solution for playing 

and storing high resolution digital music collections.

 

Custom Linux OS with the ROON Server for the best performance. 

Also providing the DAPHILE as the difference choice for the user.

 

The HOST also is the platform for audiophiles

to make his own PC based Computer Audio System.

 

 

"For those who don’t have the knowledge to handle their own build, or just lack the time to spend monkeying with it, the Clones Audio HOST makes an excellent alternative. It’s totally silent. It looks great in an audio rack. It’s very simple to get up and running. And it performs quite well with Roon assuming your music library isn’t absurdly large. The sound quality is superb too...

 

-John Grandberg (Part-Time Audiophile)

 

 

 

Features

• SHAAR USB gateway for the clean and high performance USB audio class 3.0 output.

• Full linear power supply. 

• Double POWER STATION regulator supply the SSD/SHAAR and the Main processor board separately

• 256GB/ 500GB/ 1TB/ 2TB internal storage option

• Machined aluminum case, same structure as the ASHER DAC

• Gigabit Ethernet LAN Port for network connectivity

 

[jventer]

You can avoid those items, but we will have to see some reviews on the end result. 

[tedwoods]

I'd love to see one of these with an i7 (so that I can perform upsampling) and a dedicated nic instead of a usb card... so that I don't avoid my sotm end point...

 

[ismewor]

13 hours ago, tedwoods said:

I'd love to see one of these with an i7 (so that I can perform upsampling) and a dedicated nic instead of a usb card... so that I don't avoid my sotm end point...

 

I'm sure it can handle native DSD. but the spec doesn't mention any up-sampling.

[tedwoods]

11 hours ago, ismewor said:

I'm sure it can handle native DSD. but the spec doesn't mention any up-sampling.

I remember checking the mobo/processor used when this first came out and  I'm pretty sure it can't handle upsampling, as is. 

I like the clean construction, linear power supply, etc of the unit.

I just wish for some versatility... upsampling capability, dedicated nic instead of usb for the people who use endpoints and so on...

I realize it's hard for manufacturers to be able to provide everything for everyone in such a fast changing market, but I'm only making the suggestion because I like what I see...

Lower power servers can be quite good, but not for everyone...

[ismewor]

10 hours ago, tedwoods said:

I remember checking the mobo/processor used when this first came out and  I'm pretty sure it can't handle upsampling, as is. 

I like the clean construction, linear power supply, etc of the unit.

I just wish for some versatility... upsampling capability, dedicated nic instead of usb for the people who use endpoints and so on...

I realize it's hard for manufacturers to be able to provide everything for everyone in such a fast changing market, but I'm only making the suggestion because I like what I see...

Lower power servers can be quite good, but not for everyone...

I'm sure that all can bring on the table. however, the entry ticket price would be much higher.

[ElviaCaprice]

It's all about the mobo.  Is it custom made for audio?  And if so, what differentiates it?

[George Hincapie]

21 minutes ago, ElviaCaprice said:

It's all about the mobo.  Is it custom made for audio?  And if so, what differentiates it?

 

A custom audio mobo wouldn't have a PS2 or DVI connectors. It isn't a custom board.

[ElviaCaprice]

11 minutes ago, George Hincapie said:

 

A custom audio mobo wouldn't have a PS2 or DVI connectors. It isn't a custom board.

As a solo server direct, you will need at least a PS2 and DVI (or VGA).  How does it handle power on the mobo, that is the key and quality of the clocks.

  If nothing special, then it's just an overpriced server that you can build yourself, much cheaper.  We need motherboards designed for high quality media playback.  Have yet to see one.

[ismewor]

Custom mobo is not that easy, may be someone like audio research or mcintosh have that deep of a pocket to do such.

[ismewor]

It is a ASRock itx. 

[ElviaCaprice]

10 minutes ago, ismewor said:

It is a ASRock itx. 

See it in the photo.  You can buy this embedded board for around $100 or less.  It's fanless, so any case will do. 

Not impressed.  I wouldn't waste the money on this server.  Get a Jetway NUC or PICO-ITX used for $100 and feed it a quality DC 12V power supply.  Smaller the mobo the better for impedance.  Probably the best option for bit perfect playback until someone designs a mobo for media playback.

  I changed out my clocks and added a sotm ex clk board, get it back tomorrow, should be interesting to see what this brings to the table for SQ.

[ismewor]

7 minutes ago, ElviaCaprice said:

  I changed out my clocks and added a sotm ex clk board

That is a much better approach. 

The sotm board has 4 clock output, how many does the jetway need? 

 

[George Hincapie]

20 hours ago, ElviaCaprice said:

As a solo server direct, you will need at least a PS2 and DVI (or VGA).  How does it handle power on the mobo, that is the key and quality of the clocks.

  If nothing special, then it's just an overpriced server that you can build yourself, much cheaper.  We need motherboards designed for high quality media playback.  Have yet to see one.

 

Surely it can be administered via HTTP? No sockets are needed other than power and data in/data out.

[Digital Assassin]

No experience with this server, but I own a few CLONES amps and I can vouch for the very high quality of build,

and sound.  The designer is very meticulous and detail oriented. I have also heard his DACs, and they were excellent.

[plissken]

You can get the 3150 version of the ARock ITX for $65. I've 20 or so of these in builds with 4 or 8GB RAM and SSD drives. 

 

Really quick for audio. 

[mikicasellas]

I am still in the process of deciding if i go the UltraRendu/SOtM SMS200 Ultra + ISO REGEN +LPS-1 route

 

Or Something like this HOST, which is already up to task with the limitations of perhaps using HQPLAYER.

 

What is interesting is the implementation of the the "PSU dubbed “Power Station”, and the HOST essentially has two of them on board – one powering the motherboard and the other dedicated to running the SSD and proprietary USB output card. The two super low noise regulator modules share a fairly massive toroidal transformer – about the largest that would possibly fit in this enclosure – and the whole affair is isolated from the rest of the system by a thick internal wall"

 

Also the "dedicated high-quality PCIe to USB “audio gateway” with a laundry list of welcome features: ultra low phase noise master clock module with a precision 1ppm TCXO, ultra low noise regulators covering all digital chips plus clock and USB power, over current protection, and noise filtration on the power input. This card plus the linear regulated power supply form a solid basis on which the HOST platform rests."

 

And the CPU has an extremely low TDP of just 6.5W

 

All the above is what made me think is a good choice, but i agree that  a more powerful CPU and future proof components would be a better choice.

 

Maybe adding a FEMTO NET Card from JCAT could also help

 

I would love to make my own with BIG CORE i7 CPU & Mother Board and so, but also and primarily putting the ingredients such as:

 

- The dedicated high-quality PCIe to USB

- The two super low noise regulator modules sharing a massive toroidal transformer (one powering the motherboard and the other dedicated to running the SSD and proprietary USB output card)

- A Femto NET Card (JCat)

 

Any ideas?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mikicasellas]

On 17/8/2017 at 4:52 PM, ElviaCaprice said:

See it in the photo.  You can buy this embedded board for around $100 or less.  It's fanless, so any case will do. 

Not impressed.  I wouldn't waste the money on this server.  Get a Jetway NUC or PICO-ITX used for $100 and feed it a quality DC 12V power supply.  Smaller the mobo the better for impedance.  Probably the best option for bit perfect playback until someone designs a mobo for media playback.

  I changed out my clocks and added a sotm ex clk board, get it back tomorrow, should be interesting to see what this brings to the table for SQ.

 

Excellent!

 

Please let us know what are your impressions

 

Best

[plissken]

I just picked up the MSI CUBI N based on the Celeron 3450 Quad Core SOC. It's $129 after rebate, fanless and you just add RAM and either M.2 or SATA III. 

 

This whole 'LPS' and all that is basically B.S. and it's provable:

 

Get a 0dBFS silent .wav file and play it back into an ADC using ARTA to capture and measure it with. If you don't see any activity in ARTA that means nothing is making it through. 

[chauphuong]

A little off the topic, talking about "full LPS", is it advisable to build a separate LPS with 3 outputs to feed a fanless motherboard, bypassing the on board DC-DC converter (which seems to be SPMS)?

[zackthedog]

For $1500 that's not a bad deal, with custom LPS and USB output board.  Personally I would want more flexibilty than ROON or Daphile.  I just built a C.A.P.S. Carbon server for about $700 including the SOtM USB board.  I'm going to add an HDPlex LPS shortly for $400.  I installed base Ubuntu with MPD and UPNP, running it from Audirvana.

 

In case anyone is interested, this is a really nice case for a whopping $32:

 

http://www.arktechinc.net/server-case/itx-cs-ci05.html

 

The motherboard, SSD and SOtM USB all fit perfectly with appropriate cables.

[barrows]

Sonore used to make custom servers, my last server was quite a bit more advanced than what we see here.  I had gone to complete battery power (LiFePO4) with separate filtered/regulated leg for the SOtM USB output card (to isolate MoBo noise noise form the USB as well as possible).  The reason for battery supply was because even with a quality linear supply, the unit still kicked a lot of noise back onto the AC line where it could get into other components.  Battery was the only way to solve that issue.

But still, Sonore moved away from making servers when we started doing Ethernet distributed audio, as Ethernet allowed us to get the noisy, commercial computer gear away, far away, from the audio system and led to much improved performance.  The reason is that the Ethernet streamer, when properly designed and implemented, is about 10x less noisy than any server, especially any server with a commercial MoBo.  Commercial MoBos are built to the absolute lowest possible price point as competition for price is fierce in the computer world.  Things like ultra low noise linear regulators are not used on these products.