How would you build your music PC today?

Anything to do with computer audio, hardware, software etc.
tony
Posts: 3144
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:36 pm

Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by tony »

nige2000 wrote:ive no clock modded mobos working atm all are dead
its a real miss

Eek! I have mine wrapped in cotton wool and alarmed and locked.

What is causing the failures? Is it poor workmanship compared to my master technician installation??
Wonder is it the ram mod?

Touch wood mine has been very stable.
GroupBuySD DAC/First Watt AlephJ/NigeAmp/Audio PC's/Lampi L4.5 Dac/ Groupbuy AD1862 DHT Dac /Quad ESL63's.Tannoy Legacy Cheviots.
nige2000
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Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:47 am
Location: meath

Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by nige2000 »

tony wrote:
nige2000 wrote:ive no clock modded mobos working atm all are dead
its a real miss

Eek! I have mine wrapped in cotton wool and alarmed and locked.

What is causing the failures? Is it poor workmanship compared to my master technician installation??
well i did leave it switched on for 3 months unattended the possibilities are great
Wonder is it the ram mod?
i was going to say no but i was uing the mobos onboard reg to charge the super cap i might have blew the reg
but then again it probably would have happened long ago
Touch wood mine has been very stable.
ah yes Image
sd card player, modded soekris dac, class a lifepo4 amp or gb class a/b amp, diy open baffle speakers based on project audio mundorf trio 10's
tony
Posts: 3144
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:36 pm

Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by tony »

Don't look at me like that! Not my fault I somehow ended up with that one. If only you hadn't blown my Intel board!!
Anyway no doubt you would have blown that one by this stage with some more mods.

BTW Mine is left on all the time. Remember when I had it plugged out the lifepo4's were draining.
GroupBuySD DAC/First Watt AlephJ/NigeAmp/Audio PC's/Lampi L4.5 Dac/ Groupbuy AD1862 DHT Dac /Quad ESL63's.Tannoy Legacy Cheviots.
sima66
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Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:35 pm
Location: Canada

Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by sima66 »

So Nigel, you are back at the starting point, just with a lighter pockets!

Thanks Tony for the link, that mobo sure looks affordable. I'm still open to any suggestions.
What RAM would be a better option?

As for the PPA OCXO mobo and with this low Canadian dollar it will came to over $800CAD. That's a huge price for one mobo and there is always that possibility for something to go wrong!
One thing I don't understand is the $300 difference between the TCCO mobo and the OCXO!
I always thought that replacing the clock and not damaging the mobo is the biggest risk!

How would this one be, let say compared to P-32?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/MSI-B85M-E45-LGA ... 1458919748
I5 4440+TXCOmobo+JCAT Femto-Intona-JKRegen+HynesPS+TeraDak ATX-820W=JCATusb=DiverterHR=Wadia 931/922(GNSC mod)=PassLabsXA100.5=2xValhalla=Stacked&moded ESL57+JAS SuperTweet+2MJ Acoustics Ref.I
4SteinHarmonizers;RR777;Tellus;StillpointsUltraSS
tony
Posts: 3144
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Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by tony »

That Mobo would be fine Adam and you could use it without any clocks to get your system working.
Maybe then get the PPang one. Pearse has one I don't think he got the ocxo clock. Isn't the TCO one a bit more affordable?
Can't comment on how different and even if one could notice it on the mobo clocks. To have any decent chance of detecting it subjectively we would need side by side builds that are the same. AFAIK at this point all our builds are different in a variety of ways.

I have put extra lock on the golden child board and said a few hail mary's to protect it!
GroupBuySD DAC/First Watt AlephJ/NigeAmp/Audio PC's/Lampi L4.5 Dac/ Groupbuy AD1862 DHT Dac /Quad ESL63's.Tannoy Legacy Cheviots.
Sligolad
Posts: 1089
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:52 pm

Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by Sligolad »

It would be worth buying a Mobo off Paul Pang Adam with the TCXO which is not a bad price for the improvement you get.
I have both the TCXO and OCXO and I use the OCXO as it is better but not by a lot. The good thing is if you but from Paul Pang with the TCXO is that it is easy to add another better clock later as the Mobo has all the de-soldering of the standard clock and soldering of the receiver pin completed so it is as easy as just plugging in a new clock to change.
I have done this de-soldering of the standard clock and soldering of the receiver pin myself several times now and there is a knack to it but I would not recommend it anyone starting out and not confident with soldering.

I have had several MSI boards and they are fine and I now use the the Gigabyte boards as they tend to hold Bios setting after I mess up when tweaking but other than that no real difference.

Speaking of clocks I am going to attempt to change out clocks on an Amanero USB card with Neutron Star clocks over the winter so that will be a real challenge, will let you know how I get on!!!

Cheers,
Pearse.
___________________________________________
SD Card DAC, Gryphon Essence Mono's & Pre Amp, Wilson Alexia 2 Speakers,VPI Scout 2 & Supatrac arm, Studer A812 R2R.
nige2000
Posts: 4253
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:47 am
Location: meath

Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by nige2000 »

Sligolad wrote:It would be worth buying a Mobo off Paul Pang Adam with the TCXO which is not a bad price for the improvement you get.
I have both the TCXO and OCXO and I use the OCXO as it is better but not by a lot. The good thing is if you but from Paul Pang with the TCXO is that it is easy to add another better clock later as the Mobo has all the de-soldering of the standard clock and soldering of the receiver pin completed so it is as easy as just plugging in a new clock to change.
I have done this de-soldering of the standard clock and soldering of the receiver pin myself several times now and there is a knack to it but I would not recommend it anyone starting out and not confident with soldering.

I have had several MSI boards and they are fine and I now use the the Gigabyte boards as they tend to hold Bios setting after I mess up when tweaking but other than that no real difference.

Speaking of clocks I am going to attempt to change out clocks on an Amanero USB card with Neutron Star clocks over the winter so that will be a real challenge, will let you know how I get on!!!

Cheers,
Pearse.
what about jks implementation of the amanero usb board
did that not work out?

ive tried the choice ndk clocks on the amanero and the stock ones are relatively good, down to where i cant be sure there was a difference
however the power supply to the clocks really matters as does reclocking
sd card player, modded soekris dac, class a lifepo4 amp or gb class a/b amp, diy open baffle speakers based on project audio mundorf trio 10's
sima66
Posts: 872
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:35 pm
Location: Canada

Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by sima66 »

Sligolad wrote:It would be worth buying a Mobo off Paul Pang Adam with the TCXO which is not a bad price for the improvement you get.
I have both the TCXO and OCXO and I use the OCXO as it is better but not by a lot. The good thing is if you but from Paul Pang with the TCXO is that it is easy to add another better clock later as the Mobo has all the de-soldering of the standard clock and soldering of the receiver pin completed so it is as easy as just plugging in a new clock to change.
I have done this de-soldering of the standard clock and soldering of the receiver pin myself several times now and there is a knack to it but I would not recommend it anyone starting out and not confident with soldering.

Cheers,
Pearse.
Probably the best bang for the buck will be the MSI H97M-E35 with the TXCO for $239USD.
But, like you mention again, the biggest problem is to unsolder/solder the pins. Why then the same mobo cost $300USD more with the OXCO ($539USD)?!
Is it the OXCO that more expensive?!

Tony, worship your PREEECIOOSSSSS and keep it away from the bad spell!
I5 4440+TXCOmobo+JCAT Femto-Intona-JKRegen+HynesPS+TeraDak ATX-820W=JCATusb=DiverterHR=Wadia 931/922(GNSC mod)=PassLabsXA100.5=2xValhalla=Stacked&moded ESL57+JAS SuperTweet+2MJ Acoustics Ref.I
4SteinHarmonizers;RR777;Tellus;StillpointsUltraSS
Sligolad
Posts: 1089
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:52 pm

Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by Sligolad »

sima66 wrote:Why then the same mobo cost $300USD more with the OXCO ($539USD)?!
Is it the OXCO that more expensive?!
It is down to the OXCO....it is a much bigger beast with an "Oven" inside so it runs hot!!!!
___________________________________________
SD Card DAC, Gryphon Essence Mono's & Pre Amp, Wilson Alexia 2 Speakers,VPI Scout 2 & Supatrac arm, Studer A812 R2R.
sebna
Posts: 224
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 9:59 pm

Re: How would you build your music PC today?

Post by sebna »

I use this ram -> http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/blt2k8g3d1608et3lx0 because it operates at lower voltage and still achieves great timings. Both of those mean that memory modules are of high quality. Does this memory sounds any better then any other? I have no idea :)

They are also low profile which might come handy in some pc cases.
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no storage of any kind, SATA disabled in BIOS, RAMos, W2012 R2, AO 1.26, MQN
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