Stuffing a full sized PC in a cupboard, I agree would not be good. A NUC will not run the EC modulators at DSD256.
This is why the M1 Mac mini is a great choice. Small, quiet, but powerful enough to run EC modulators at DSD256
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Yes, new M1x mini will be even more powerful. However, it will be more expensive too. It will NOT replace the current M1 mini, but instead come in at the higher end of the product line to replace the current Intel Mac mini. Estimates for the M1x mini would be close to $1200-1500 depending on configuration. The current M1 can be had for under $700 in a config that handles the DSD256 upsampling.
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Or get another powerful gaming PC and locate it in another room and use a NAAā¦ This way it doesnāt matter how loud fans it has.
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It just limits possible filter choices, because filters need to run on the low power cores. M1 is just a small mobile CPU, so it has itās limitations, just like the U-series (ultramobile) Intel CPUs in NUCs.
All up and running, well ish. My server cupboard is now a disgrace. Wires and stuff everywhere. My loft is a tip, I still canāt find the stand for my monitor.
However, Ubuntu is running, Roon server installed and HQ Player installed. HQP can see my NAA (on a rpi4 with NAA installed) although I have not yet got anything to play. I managed to import my HQP backup, which looks fine. Obviously I need to use a different config. So, any suggestions for a NUC friendly DSD256 (if possible) config?
And, is there a machine to aspire to in terms of Roon and HQ Player, is it just a good desktop, but squiraled away in another room?
Ok, so its running now. Using Poly-sinc-ext 2, ASDM7, DSD 256 and convolution via the pipeline (I have some HAF filters x4). Its working so far, but working quite hard. The cores are running in the 70-90% zone, and being fanless its heating the case quite a bit. I will probably want to back off a bit. Any obvious place to start to reduce the load a bit. Although I would want to keep the 256 and convolution.
poly-sinc-short-lp-2s?
And ASDM5 ?
I donāt think your M1 can do the popular poly-sinc-gauss-xla at DSD256-7EC
It might start ok but after a while wonāt work
I wouldnāt buy an M1 right now for HQP DSD upsampling. Better to wait for M1x to be in the wild
Being hidden away put a fan blowing onto the chassisā¦heat is a killer for electronics - known fact so if you have a fan try itā¦cant hurt in the cupboard but make sure there is some ventilation too. I made covers for all my fanless gear so that it can run a slow fan to suck air through the cooling fins on the chassis. can always turn them off if you want absolute quiet if they are in your listening room but I find AC noise is louder than most of my equipment cooling anyway.
Pretty much. This is my music server build from 4 years ago:
These days I wouldnāt bother with the ITX form factor, just use a normal case. I run Ubuntu Desktop with HQP Desktop and Roon Server. Since that build I added a 5GB HDD for more music storage. These days Iād make that an SSD.
There is no monitor or keyboard on this machine. After installing the OS I communicate with it via terminal and Jump Desktop from my desktop PC and iPad.
Thanks for the replies.
Something isnt right overnight. I woke up and checked I could still access Roon first thing this morning, and I could not. I checked whether Ubuntu was running, it was. Ok, Roon server then. I had a few things to do, and came back to it after an hour, and Ubuntu had locked up - frozen screen. Great. I donāt think heat, as nothing running, other than the OS and Roon server. I have restarted, and I am playing music and monitoring to see if anything is obvious.
This might be the aspiration, I will have a read thanks. I am doing the same but with the NUC and fanless.
I do have a few fans hidden around, I will dig a few out. Thanks. I need to work out how to use them, and/or where to place them. I have a few case fans with USB.
I will try, as soon as things are working. I ended up last night on Poly-sinc-MP, SDM7, DSD 256 and convolution. Seemed to be around 60 - 80% load with that config.
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sadly I cant really make much use of HQP with my Luminās as the main endpoints and the rest are RPi with RopieeeXL for Spotify and airplay and RAAT support (SWMBO for the former streams) but I could probably try it at my desktop setup via a small lowish powered intel D510MO that does ROCK duty mostly and use NAA if I get lucky. have a Topping D90SE and some OPPO Dacs that could connect to that plus my OKTO DAC8 Stereo
DSD 128 is actually not that bad in my experience, your machine will be less stressed. Something to at least try. Iām using an older Intel Laptop i5, 8gb ram which is working fine on the latest bootable x86 4.25.2 image. Of course, Iām not running anything else on it.
Thanks, yes I should try it.
The latest settings are poly-sinc-mp-2ās, ASDM7, DSD 256. I have multi-core DSP and adapative output greyed. The NUC is showing around 60-65% average usage, with temps around 50c. But, there is a but, it keeps crashing. Roon server drops, then Ubuntu crashes. Not sure why, as I donāt think these settings are pushing too hard.
If you are able to, get rid of ubuntu, etc. Use the USB bootable image. Set your Nuc freeā¦ put roon server on another box.
Sorry, what USB image do you mean?
HQPlayerEmbedded OS, USB bootable. Burn image to USB stick, insert into nuc, boot up.
Ahh, thanks. The main reason I have not done this is I donāt have a licence for embedded just Dektop. I might give it a go at some point if I canāt stop the crashes.
I have a new laptop, intel i7, 12 gb ram. Windows 10, HQPlayer desktop. The older i5, 8gb ram just running the HQPlayerEmbedded image works better, fit for purpose you might say.