New PC for audio room

[Carlman]

I'm thinking of building a small PC using the Ubuntu operating system.
Right now I'm at step 1: Case, Power Supply, and Motherboard selection
Important factors:
Silent (not quiet but actually silent)
Good USB output
Bit perfect digital output
Reasonable cost, cheap if I can, but cannot compromise quality so, whatever it costs, it costs

I started by looking at the Power Supply.  I found this: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article989-page1.html

It looks like all I'd need is a linear power supply to convert AC to DC.. I could really use some help finding a silent one with clean power output.. any help is appreciated here.

I'm thinking this would be used in a very small case.  I'd prefer micro-ATX, not sure if the PS above will work or not.

Suggestions for a small case and motherboard are also appreciated.  The mobo should have integrated audio/video and a spdif... the only other device in the box will be a single solid state hard drive to hold the operating system... I could probably run the whole system off a flash drive or SD card..

It's main purpose will be to run Foobar... 99% of the time.. the other 1% will be to download updates to the operating system.

Thoughts and suggestions appreciated.

[shep]

http://www.liliputing.com/2009/12/giada-slim-n10-super-slim-nettop-unboxed-dissected-video.html
Don't know if this is the right thing but it's very small and quiet.

[Carlman]

Thanks Shep, that'd be a nice final product.. I'm guessing the little fans and noisy power supply might be the spoiler on that one.. plus it probably doesn't have bit perfect coax output... Interesting to see, though.. I hope that trend continues.
-C

edit.. found this.. now that I know what I'm looking for is called a 'nettop'.. Thanks for that tidbit, Shep!
http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=54582
I'll need to build my own case.

[richidoo]

http://www.hfx.at/  Some cool fanless miniAT puters

Might get some ideas from these high end professional music making computers, very quiet.
http://www.sweetwater.com/c859--PC_Desktops

The newest fan power supplies are probably quiet enough, imo, quieter than the disks inside.

I don't know if dual core Atom is fast enough, but it would be cool to run a mini, maybe even on battery/reg power supply. Without windows might work oK.

[shep]

Actually if you look on Lillaputing, there are lots of nettops with decent specs. You can run a dual core fanless if you use some serious alternative cooling solutions. An Atom 280 should be fine and the new ION vidio chip should be excellent. However the sound cards are all very basic so you probably will have to build and configure your own. There are some nice little cases and motherboards for this sort of thing. 

[ebag4]

Carl,
There is an older thread on AC where someone built a small fanless Linux based PC for streaming music via USB, here it is:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=62364.0

I have been considering this although my knowledge of Linux is quite limited.  I have recently been testing an Egreat M34a NMT (small, fanless, completely silent, cheap ).  It is running MPD out of the Toslink SPDIF into my Havana DAC.  It sounds good but I believe it can be improved upon.  If I had a good working knowledge of Linux I could try the USB out to see how that sounds, unfortunately I am not there yet.

Best,
Ed

[Carlman]

Thanks again...

That HFX stuff looks awesome.. and I can buy the case alone!  Haven't found pricing yet.. but I'm guessing it's a lot... of course!

The issue I'm seeing with the nettops is you get USB and maybe an optical out.. but not a coax out.  And the surround parts aren't really made for quiet (electronically or physically)...  So, I'm leaning toward building a small PC.  The DC/DC power supply I mentioned earlier is fanless.  I can get it with the AC/DC converter for under 100.  I don't think I can get a better scenario cheaper.  That supply works with micro ATX and regular ATX so, that helps with my choices for mobo's. 

I haven't decided if I 'need' a ss hard drive.  It's 12'+ from the listening position.  As long as it's reasonably quiet, I won't hear it.  But I'm sensitive to fan noise.  The only one I'll have is on the CPU.. so I will be looking for a quiet solution for that too...

I've got a bit of a learning curve in front of me, Ed.. but I must do the USB and Coax.. it's an A/B I look forward to hearing.  Actually it'll be an A/B/C with my current PC.

[richidoo]

The microATX puters are fanless, with wall wart PS. Flash drive is big enough for linux. Then serve the data somewhere else in the house. The question is whether the cpu is fast enough to run foobar, decode flac, and run a couple DSP plugins too. The reviews say it can play hidef movies and run windows at decent speed, so might work OK.  That thread from AC uses a microATX with linux. I think he was happy with the speed. You have a good memory ebag!

[hometheaterdoc]

the mobo doesn't have to have coax SPDIF if you are willing to plop in a PCI card.....  I haven't heard an onboard SPDIF coax that was any good.... certainly not audiophile quality....  some of them are fine for surround sound applications... but that's about it....  the USB should win in most situations if you are using an onboard coax in the comparison....

I didn't realize you were looking for a coax solution in additon to the USB output.  that complicates things a touch as most of these netbook and microATX units don't have a PCI spot on the board or don't have room in their included cases for a full height PCI card... that's why I ended up building my own PC with a quiet Antec case...

Shane

[Carlman]

One of the HFX cases allows a PCI card (mini server maybe?).. If that's the case, I may just do that.. It's the most expensive option but the quietest and basically cuts to the chase of what I'm looking for.  I have a sound card that I trust for bit perfect coax output.

You're right about the spdif outs on a mobo, Shane.. I can't depend on that to work.. which sucks.  The 'Micro Media' would be fine if it were bitperfect output.. but I can't find anyone that will admit that.

Add to this I'll be running Ubuntu and it might get tricky/impossible to configure mobo features properly.  I don't know yet.

-C

[richidoo]

Newer small mobos will usually have "PCI Express," your older card might need "Conventional PCI." Some micros have this still, but like Shane said, you still need the height.

Here's a review of the hFX Media, it looks like it can take full height card, but it ain't cheap. 
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/mCubed-hFX-Silent-Fanless-Music-Server-Review

sold at endpcnoise.com
http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/std/sku=mcubed_music_server.html

[jmc207]

Forget 'micro', for a 'nano' size PC that will run Ubuntu, take a look at the Fit-PC 2. May not be what your wanting but kinda cool nonetheless.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/fit-pc-2-nettop-stays-slim-gets-an-atom-upgrade/

[Carlman]

Well, the HFX is officially out at over $2,k.  I mean, what I have now isn't terrible and it was free.  I was thinking 500ish give or take would be enough to build a nice shoebox of bit perfection.
I'll look at the other links.. thanks.

[tmazz]

If the Atom based netbooks fit your needs in terms of size and quietness but have crumby sound cards why not run one through an external USB DAC like the HRT?

[richidoo]

That FIT PC is tiny!

I'm pretty sure that USB2 can't go beyond 48kHz sample rate. In general the sound of USB is inferior to SPDIF or network. But it's convenient, easy to install and found on the least expensive DACs.