View Full Version : USB Flashdrive Best way to record
I just been reading HIfi News and Keith Howard is stating the best way to record and playback music is to put this onto a USB stick and then playback from the stick. I presume he is just talking about computer audio, but it is not really clear. I have not tried this yet so wonder what others think
John
Flash memory is silent in operation, so I suppose there might be a tiny advantage there, however unless you only have about 20 albums a USB stick would be a logistical nightmare.
A SSHD (solid state hard drive) would be better IMHO, but large capacity ones are quite expensive.
A NAS server outside of the listening environment, accessible over a network, is a much more practical and affordable solution. :)
I’ve been experimenting with this John as part of my music server build project :eyebrows:
It does have its advantages if you’ve ripped direct to flash drive. I’m not sure there is any improvement over a decent SSD drive though. I think a lot will depend on the type of Dac you use. Through a USB galvanically isolated Dac I personally cant hear any improvement in sound quality between a SSD and USB flash drive, but according to one of my friends there is in his opinion a very slight improvement in his system over SPDIF. I haven’t had the chance to have a listen yet. This is one of the advantages of USB data transfer often overlooked. After all the discussions concerning the various modes are dispensed with there can be little doubt that it’s a lot easier to electrically isolate a Dac from a computer via USB than by SPDIF.
I think, data retrieval from a USB flash drive is still block mode so possibly another factor to consider when comparing to say a SATA drive.
In theory at least on a USB stick you don’t have any further software on the drive and of course it’s as silent as you can get for retrieval.
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 16:40
I just been reading HIfi News and Keith Howard is stating the best way to record and playback music is to put this onto a USB stick and then playback from the stick. I presume he is just talking about computer audio, but it is not really clear. I have not tried this yet so wonder what others think
John
Audiophool nonsense;)
Yer Strat man says; “Audiophool nonsense ”, so that’s sorted then :lolsign:
Mind you, he’ll recommend you an expensive USB cable ;)
Thing is in this case he may well be right. But, it rather depends on what the guy was doing before. You cant trust these old school reviewers, they’re still burning file to vinyl :rolleyes:
:lolsign:
the best way to record and playback music is to put this onto a USB stick and then playback from the stick.
Even if it was the best way, what audiophile can fit their entire music library on a USB flash drive :scratch:
Totally impractical and defeats one of the plus points to file based audio, which is easy and quick access to a large music library. When I can buy a 2TB SSD for a couple of hundred quid then I will consider it, until then it's a good demo trick for the likes of Bryston and their BDP1 IMO.
Reid Malenfant
04-04-2011, 17:35
Hold up a minute, i may not be into this kind of stuff but i remember reading on here that it will be transfered to RAM anyway as it's playing, with a good load of it in RAM before it's even chewed on? :scratch:
If so then the only plus point is the lack of noise due to no HDD :rolleyes:
Hold up a minute, i may not be into this kind of stuff but i remember reading on here that it will be transfered to RAM anyway as it playing, with a good load of it in RAM before it's even chewed on? :scratch:
If so then the only plus point is the lack of noise due to no HDD :rolleyes:
I think it's more related to a review of the Bryston, which I think is in the magazine and that's purely a file audio player, with no HDD. I might be wrong though as I only flicked through it. But yes, you are not wrong in your thinking.
Hmm, so it’s not possible to design a music player that will retireive from a hard drive, process without buffering in RAM and then send on to buffer at the Dac?
Hmm, so it’s not possible to design a music player that will retireive from a hard drive, process without buffering in RAM and then send on to buffer at the Dac?
That's a very good question and maybe Bryston should answer that? Their BDP1 is two and half grand!!! There's a lot of shenanigans going on by the big players in this field.
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 18:13
That Bryston BDP1 rather resembles a bling version of Squeezebox.
If it performs as well as the Squeezebox it'll be a good piece of kit ;)
We don’t know a lot bout this file audio lark do we :scratch:
Just like proper Hi Fi innit :lol:
We don’t know a lot bout this file audio lark do we :scratch:
Just like proper Hi Fi innit :lol:
:lolsign: yep, but some poor bugger is going to spend 2.5K on one for sure! It's just a basic linux computer and you still need a DAC!
yes a bit of bling goes a long way lol!
This is the Bryston from the Keith Howard review......
The BDP-1 is based around a micro PC board with OS loaded via a 4GB compact flash. Digital output is via the (white) PC card mounted on a PCI edge-connector
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w63/greatgig/bryston1.jpg
so what we got, a mini PC board, some memory, an OS, a PCI digital out, a fancy case and a power supply! (£2,350)
The BDA-1 DAC that goes with it is another 2350, total system cost £4,700 :stalks:
I reckon John (Welder) could knock that up for a couple a hundred easy, then you just need a DAC to go with it.
Ffs! Not a lot going on in there is there :stalks:
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 19:25
Ffs! Not a lot going on in there is there :stalks:
It's got a nice case :)
aquapiranha
04-04-2011, 19:37
Audiophool nonsense;)
+1. This kind of idiocy tars us all with the same brush. It is DATA, 0's and 1's... :lol:
Reid Malenfant
04-04-2011, 19:39
It's got a nice case :)
:lolsign: It damn well wants to have if that's all is in the thing :eyebrows:
FFS, what a bloody rip off :eek:
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 19:44
:lolsign: It damn well wants to have if that's all is in the thing :eyebrows:
FFS, what a bloody rip off :eek:
Well it is a nice case :)
I do not disagree with your comments about the cost either........;)
I do not disagree with your comments about the cost either........;)
So what do you guys reckon? (and these are average consumer retail prices, not for a manufacturer)
PC Board/CPU - £50.00
Linux OS - Free
PSU - £50.00
4GB RAM - £40.00
PCI Card - £15.00
R & D - Hard to say, but anyone who can build a PC could do this?
Total £155.00 (+ R & D costs)
Fancy Case - £2,195.......
I'll have one without a case :eyebrows:
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 20:08
So what do you guys reckon? (and these are average consumer retail prices, not for a manufacturer)
PC Board/CPU - £50.00
Linux OS - Free
PSU - £50.00
4GB RAM - £40.00
PCI Card - £15.00
R & D - Hard to say, but anyone who can build a PC could do this?
Total £155.00 (+ R & D costs)
Fancy Case - £2,195.......
I'll have one without a case :eyebrows:
I thinks that £2,195 is a very fair price for a bling case......NOT !!!!:lolsign:
Reid Malenfant
04-04-2011, 20:09
Tim, there is one thing we haven't factored into the equation here...
Bryston usually have a 20 year guarantee on all their equipment ;) Now while i know that it doesn't anywhere near make up the difference (:D) it doesn't make it quite so awful...
Still damn ridiculous mind :eyebrows:
In 20 years it'll be soooo out of date as to be an antique :D
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 20:13
Tim, there is one thing we haven't factored into the equation here...
Bryston usually have a 20 year guarantee on all their equipment ;) Now while i know that it doesn't anywhere near make up the difference (:D) it doesn't make it quite so awful...
Still damn ridiculous mind :eyebrows:
In 20 years it'll be soooo out of date as to be an antique :D
This kiddie only has a 5 year guarantee, so the support factor doesn't wear so well :(
serendipitydawg
04-04-2011, 20:13
Endless opportunities for experimentation exist without paying Bryston prices.
Several computer-orientated manufacturers (eg Western Digital, Asus, Seagate & others) already supply so called media players which will play FLAC and other lossless audio formats from USB memory, that also have SP/DIF output.
The suggestion that audio ripped to FLAC directly on to a USB memory drive, would sound any different to audio ripped to FLAC directly on to a hard drive and then copied on to a USB memory drive, makes my scepticism kick in big time.
But, hey ho , now I'll have to try it.
Tim, there is one thing we haven't factored into the equation here...
Mark you are right of course and I do have a tendency to be rather flippant at times :(
It's very good to be honest, but no better than the 'enthusiasts' on here could produce. However, even with a 20 year warranty that's some price tag for a bunch of PC parts, cos that's all it is!
The suggestion that audio ripped to FLAC directly on to a USB memory drive, would sound any different to audio ripped to FLAC directly on to a hard drive and then copied on to a USB memory drive, makes my scepticism kick in big time.
But, hey ho , now I'll have to try it.
Mine too but I give it a go too:cool:
Reid Malenfant
04-04-2011, 20:18
This kiddie only has a 5 year guarantee, so the support factor doesn't wear so well :(
Ouch :scratch:
Mark you are right of course and I do have a tendency to be rather flippant at times :(
It's very good to be honest, but no better than the 'enthusiasts' on here could produce. However, even with a 20 year warranty that's some price tag for a bunch of PC parts, cos that's all it is!
Flip away tim, looks like 5 year guarantee with this expensive box of tricks :eek:
:eyebrows:
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 20:21
Still, it's got a nice case !!!
Have I mentioned that before ?
High End Audio for those who like to listen with their eyes :)
Still, it's got a nice case !!!
:lolsign:
I’m not disagreeing with the probability this is a bit of audiophoolery. What never ceases to fascinate me is the certainty with which people dismiss such “observations” because it’s ones and zeros but will spend hours debating the merits of totally subjective “observations” concerning analogue kit which can be just as much bollocks.
It seems to me that despite these it’s only ones and zero assertions we don’t actually know that much about what goes on from hard drive to amp. What would seem to be fairly straightforward questions concerning Dac operation aren’t understood by many; not even by the guys who make the damn things.
For example, despite the fact that USB cables carry data and get buffered at the Dac people say they can hear a difference between cables, even a difference between chips.
Or, a music player just processes data but they do sound different despite the fact that the same bits that go in one end come out the other.
All the possible effects of thermal noise, sampling processes, filters and even the quality of the board components seem to get overlooked when it comes to digital, particularly when it comes to computer digital.
So what about how a processor handles the data. I have yet to read an explanation of why a fully loaded 1TB drive glitches on playback with an underpowered computer when the actual CPU load is less than 15% and the RAM load less than 20%, side bus polling rates perhaps, but its still bits.
Apparently as long as the bits reach the Dac all the problems are then on the analogue side. Well, why does my HRT Pro sound better with a separate power supply and an ADUM chip in the cable. It still plays the bits, just doesn’t sound as good and I’m not prone to a great deal of night and day, order of magnitude, cor when it comes to audio.
Suppose those glitches get very small, barely audible.
RAM based players do sound different to a great many people, why is that? After all, no one is saying the bits change.
I think we’ve got a bit to do here before we get to dismissive of what does and what doesn’t matter in file based audio.
I’ve been trying to build a server for the last few weeks and I’ve had a few surprises concerning what does and what doesn’t matter to “the just ones and zeros”.
I could just be losing my marbles………..not likely given I didn’t have many to start with so any loss would mean a total malfunction :eek:
The more I learn about this stuff the less I know :scratch:
This is all a joke right????
I think this could be considered theft! If I'd paid that much and then looked inside, I'd be looking to kill.............
Totally agree John, especially;
It seems to me that despite these it’s only ones and zero assertions we don’t actually know that much about what goes on from hard drive to amp. What would seem to be fairly straightforward questions concerning Dac operation aren’t understood by many; not even by the guys who make the damn things.
And this is so damn right :scratch:
The more I learn about this stuff the less I know
It's not just about ones and zeros for sure.
aquapiranha
04-04-2011, 20:53
I see where you are all coming from with the 'it isn't just ones and zeros' stuff, and that may be true when you are talking about DACs etc, but from a storage point of view, it IS just ones and zeros and that is what the OP was asking about. If anyone here has found another way of storing digital music on a USB stick that isn't then I suggest you get yourselves onto Dragon's Den pronto!!
Well, no, he was saying that the music sounds better when burnt to and retrieved from a flash drive…….i think….so there’s a lot more than just storage going on :scratch:
aquapiranha
04-04-2011, 21:03
Yes, he was saying he THOUGHT the music sounded different. The reviewers in these comics (I stopped buying them long ago) have to justify their salary somehow. There is NO difference between data held on the different devices. There MAY be a difference in the way that data is processed afterwards though. I remember not long ago some clown saying he could tell the difference between USB cables! I would like to see him do that unsighted. Who was that muppet who used to work for a mag, the one who used to spout about nordost even though he wasn't reviewing it? turns out his wife was working for them for years and then he left the mag to go there himself! don't believe all you read, especially not in a magazine who's only purpose is to perpetuate the industry on which it depends.
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 21:04
This is all a joke right????
I think this could be considered theft! If I'd paid that much and then looked inside, I'd be looking to kill.............
It could be countered that you're paying for intellectual rights.
In telecoms Siemens have spent tens of millions developing chips to replace entire boards of discrete components.
These chips now sit in acres of space on the circuit boards that once were literally stuffed with parts.
Once there was a lot of stuff on the board to justify the price.
Now there's a chip, yet the price is the same.
Where's the perception of value ?
Anyway, it (the BDP-1) has a nice case, what more do you want ?
Reid Malenfant
04-04-2011, 21:10
Am i right in thinking that these USB memories only like FAT32? I seem to remember attempting to format one as NTFS & getting nowhere very fast indeed :scratch:
So what is the difference in storage between FAT32 & NTFS? Are all bits truly the same...
Just thinking out loud, sorry ;)
Given that 'galvanic' interference (my new word of the day...bad electrical stuff I think) can have an adverse effect on the quality of a DAC, I presume it can have similar effects on an ADC...it's a recorder too isn't it. So I suppose the implication is that a USB flash drive is less disruptive than a standard HD.
Anyway it's already been stated earlier...this product is absolute pants :doh:
It could be countered that you're paying for intellectual rights.
In telecoms Siemens have spent tens of millions developing chips to replace entire boards of discrete components.
These chips now sit in acres of space on the circuit boards that once were literally stuffed with parts.
Once there was a lot of stuff on the board to justify the price.
Now there's a chip, yet the price is the same.
Where's the perception of value ?
Anyway, it (the BDP-1) has a nice case, what more do you want ?
Indeed but whats actually being invented here??
A PC with a unix OS and CF memory. I appreciate that there is some effort involved but I think the price tag is way off the mark. I'd stick my neck out and suggest a SB and a modded PSU is more likely as good if not better????
Am i right in thinking that these USB memories only like FAT32? I seem to remember attempting to format one as NTFS & getting nowhere very fast indeed :scratch:
So what is the difference in storage between FAT32 & NTFS? Are all bits truly the same...
Just thinking out loud, sorry ;)
FAT32 and NTFS are just different mechanisms of storing the same data, NTFS is better, but FAT32 is more generic, apples can use it. EXT4 on linux is much better IMHO
All the bits in the file are the same, it's the indexing and block/page sizes etc. that will differ...but you will never see any difference in the content. ;)
Despite all the whys are wherefores and getting away from 'what's inside the box', what this does demonstrate is that Bryston are confident enough of the quality of file based audio by producing a product commanding a price tag of £4,700 and delivering it to consumers. Hi-fi News have also given it 81% and Highly Commend it. When you compare that against their £2750 BCD-1 CDP, this can only mean they are pretty serious about file based audio being a viable medium for the future.
Like it or loathe it, its what's coming and could possibly be why CD's are loosing popularity and vinyl is undergoing a resurgence. A minority will always strive for excellence, whilst the majority go with the flow.
I'm still not totally sure which side of the fence I sit on either :scratch:
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 21:19
Indeed but whats actually being invented here??
A PC with a unix OS and CF memory. I appreciate that there is some effort involved but I think the price tag is way off the mark. I'd stick my neck out and suggest a SB and a modded PSU is more likely as good if not better????
I completely agree with you, but there are some that won't look beyond the case.
It is a very, very nice case. :)
Despite all the whys are wherefores and getting away from 'what's inside the box', what this does demonstrate is that Bryston are confident enough of the quality of file based audio, by producing a product commanding a price tag of £4,700 and delivering it to consumers. Hi-fi News have also given it 81% and Highly Commend it. When you compare that against their £2750 BCD-1 CDP, this can only mean they are pretty serious about file based audio being a viable medium for the future.
Like it or loathe it, its what's coming and could possibly be why CD's are loosing popularity and vinyl is undergoing a resurgence. A minority will always strive for excellence, whilst the majority go with the flow.
I'm still not totally sure which side of the fence I sit on either :scratch:
It's an attempt to grab the market that can't or won't use a computer for ripping...it's a posh lads 'Brennen'
As for playback as stated earlier there are plenty of better options :)
Mind you that case does look nice :lol:
Reid Malenfant
04-04-2011, 21:26
It's an attempt to grab the market that can't or won't use a computer for ripping...it's a posh lads 'Brennen'
As for playback as stated earlier there are plenty of better options :)
Hey Will, there was a full page advertisement for that Brennan in the "Live" magazine in the Mail On Sunday :eyebrows:
Still there even after that thread of Howards & still advertising ;)
Hey Will, there was a full page advertisement for that Brennan in the "Live" magazine in the Mail On Sunday :eyebrows:
Still there even after that thread of Howards & still advertising ;)
I checked out why they'd had their wrists slapped, and it was for inciting people to copy music...not for claiming you could store 5K cd's on it's tiny HD, not because it's crap, but for the above reason...the ASA obviously has arse & elbow differentiation issues ;)
It's an attempt to grab the market that can't or won't use a computer for ripping...it's a posh lads 'Brennen'
Agreed, although there is no hard drive in this one like a Brennen, so at some point you are going to have to do something to get your music files on a USB device? What I was alluding to (perhaps too subtly) is that file based audio can be very, very good. And surely even a total idiot isn't going to spend nearly 5 grand on something that sounds shite?
Ok, so its a nice case!!! lmao!!
Right, I've nothing against this technology. I am sat here listening to Roxy Music on spotify on my seriously modded SB3 into a DAC thats had some more surgery this evening. I guess I'm kind of coming round to the idea that the CD can be replaced with PC type tech. There is no doubt that this is very very good and its nowhere near the state of tune of my CDP.
Bit of a bold statement but I bet my set up sounds better than what we are talking about here........my case is shite tho.....:lolsign:
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 21:38
Despite all the whys are wherefores and getting away from 'what's inside the box', what this does demonstrate is that Bryston are confident enough of the quality of file based audio by producing a product commanding a price tag of £4,700 and delivering it to consumers. Hi-fi News have also given it 81% and Highly Commend it. When you compare that against their £2750 BCD-1 CDP, this can only mean they are pretty serious about file based audio being a viable medium for the future.
Like it or loathe it, its what's coming and could possibly be why CD's are loosing popularity and vinyl is undergoing a resurgence. A minority will always strive for excellence, whilst the majority go with the flow.
I'm still not totally sure which side of the fence I sit on either :scratch:
Does that mean that they think it's a very nice case and what's inside it makes nice sounds ?
I find it hard to take any magazine's recommendations seriously these days.
The purpose of HiFi mags is to sell magazines, and as much advertising as possible.
There ain't much copy in "buy a Squeezebox, instal Squeezebox Server on a computer, rip your CDs and lose them to a box in the loft" is there ?
And that's why all of the rags perpetuate the bullshit that they do.
When they have a major league player such as Bryston announcing a "breakthrough" product such as this they can bearly contain themselves as they masturbate furiously over it.
Breakthrough my arse !!!:lolsign:
Does that mean that they think it's a very nice case and what's inside it makes nice sounds ?
I find it hard to take any magazine's recommendations seriously these days.
The purpose of HiFi mags is to sell magazines, and as much advertising as possible.
There ain't much copy in "buy a Squeezebox, instal Squeezebox Server on a computer, rip your CDs and lose them to a box in the loft" is there ?
And that's why all of the rags perpetuate the bullshit that they do.
When they have a major league player such as Bryston announcing a "breakthrough" product such as this they can bearly contain themselves as they masturbate furiously over it.
Breakthrough my arse !!!:lolsign:
:lolsign: ......... good job we know better eh? I must admit I was surprised they were so pleased with it, it's good but FFS, 5K - surely that was enough to mark it way down on price alone. Some people have got far too much money :scratch:
Breakthrough my arse !!!:lolsign:
Temping as that may sound, I'm not that way inclined!!!:lolsign:
Stratmangler
04-04-2011, 21:45
Some people have got far too much money :scratch:
Isn't it the truth ?
Agreed, although there is no hard drive in this one like a Brennen, so at some point you are going to have to do something to get your music files on a USB device? What I was alluding to (perhaps too subtly) is that file based audio can be very, very good. And surely even a total idiot isn't going to spend nearly 5 grand on something that sounds shite?
No arguments about file based music from me Tim ;)
Given their 'mark up' they only need a few 'total idiots' and they're in profit, and there're plenty of them around IMHO :)
Canetoad
12-04-2011, 10:11
I consider one of the reasons that they can ask such high prices is because file based audio can sound very good indeed. They are waking up to how cheap it is to get that quality of sound from the medium. A recipe for making money.
I would be rather interested in comparing the sound of the Bryson box with my current lash up which I might add hasn’t cost more than a couple of hundred yet; box will bump that up somewhat :eyebrows:
I reckon my lash up sounds pretty decent; noticeably better than my original laptop configuration :)
I would be rather interested in comparing the sound of the Bryson box with my current lash up which I might add hasn’t cost more than a couple of hundred yet; box will bump that up somewhat :eyebrows:
I reckon my lash up sounds pretty decent; noticeably better than my original laptop configuration :)
I would wager it sounds just as good John, if not better and as I predicted (minus box) you would do it for a couple of hundred ;)
Even if it was the best way, what audiophile can fit their entire music library on a USB flash drive :scratch:
No issue with this at all, we have around 120Tb of music on various drives.
On flash drives, I have around 40, these are custom made units @ 50Gb each, so around the 3000 album mark I guess. They fit very neatly inside one of the good ladies shoe boxes.
Solid state drive and flash drives pretty much (for high quality playback) the way to go currently. Until the next best thing emerges... organic storage anyone :stalks:
No issue with this at all, we have around 120Tb of music on various drives.
On flash drives, I have around 40, these are custom made units @ 50Gb each, so around the 3000 album mark I guess. They fit very neatly inside one of the good ladies shoe boxes.
Solid state drive and flash drives pretty much (for high quality playback) the way to go currently. Until the next best thing emerges... organic storage anyone :stalks:
And what makes a SSHD, or flash drive, sound any better than a standard HD in terms of playback ?
Does a SATA drive loose bits on the way, perhaps an IDE gets a bit sloppy, ;)
So you have 3k albums on 40 different hard drives at 50Gb each, am I correct ?
do you have a good reason for this ?
I’ve got a SSD for the OS in the server, but my music is still on ordinary hard drives. I dare say when the prices of SSD come down for large storage capacities I’ll change over :doh:
120TB of music is an awful lot of tunes :eek: I’m on my second 1TB drive and I thought that was a lot of tunes………..wait, it is a lot of tunes :scratch:
Anyway, I’ve been a bit gobsmacked about what has and hasn’t made a difference to the sound when messing about with this server so I’m not going to say a lot.
I’ve got a SSD for the OS in the server, but my music is still on ordinary hard drives. I dare say when the prices of SSD come down for large storage capacities I’ll change over :doh:
120TB of music is an awful lot of tunes :eek: I’m on my second 1TB drive and I thought that was a lot of tunes………..wait, it is a lot of tunes :scratch:
Anyway, I’ve been a bit gobsmacked about what has and hasn’t made a difference to the sound when messing about with this server so I’m not going to say a lot.
Can you tell the difference between a JPEG from a punched card, a tape deck, a SATA drive, or a SSHD...no it''s the same file, bit for bit
Why should a FLAC file be any different? the difference comes in the playback, not the file system retrieval method.
Perhaps I need to calm down ;)
Hang on, very roughly 3000 albums per 1TB drive in Flac
So, x 120 =36000 albums roughly at say £10 each £360000 worth of music.
Hmm, might be able to buy a half decent stereo with that :lolsign:
@ Will
Yep, but………………….
The question is does the noise of the drive join in with the tunes :scratch::doh:
Hang on, very roughly 3000 albums per 1TB drive in Flac
So, x 120 =36000 albums roughly at say £10 each £360000 worth of music.
Hmm, might be able to buy a half decent stereo with that :lolsign:
@ Will
Yep, but………………….
The question is does the noise of the drive join in with the tunes :scratch::doh:
John that's the only conceivable reason, but if you're using a NAS 3 rooms away you'd need ears like a bat to hear the workings of an HD.
At the HD stage it's purely file access, and computers have been perfectly accurate in this for some considerable time.
I should chill out ;)
I used one of these to quieten my 2TB drive, which was in fairness very quiet to begin with. Now with an SSD for the O/S and this for my 'tunes' I have zero noise coming from my server :)
http://www.quietpc.com/files/images/products/quietdrive.jpg
Scythe Quiet Drive 3.5 Internal HDD Silencer (http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/harddrivesolutions/quietdrive)
Yeah Will, go skin up :lolsign:
I was rather thinking more of noise from the drive getting into the audio chain rather than hearing mechanical hum because the drive is within hearing distance.
You know, a bit like power supplies, still get the volts, just noisy ones :eyebrows:
Tbh, I don’t have a clue and try as I might I cant hear the difference between tunes from a flash drive and my SSD but then my Dac and ADUM chip is supposed to stop all that :scratch:
But on the other hand I can definitely hear a difference between my server and my improved config laptop and I’m deaf and don’t have a HI FI, just a normal stereo system ;)
"I used one of these to quieten my 2TB drive, which was in fairness very quiet to begin with. Now with an SSD for the O/S and this for my 'tunes' I have zero noise coming from my server "
My hammer sorted the noise coming from my hard drive :eek::lolsign:
Yeah Will, go skin up :lolsign:
I was rather thinking more of noise from the drive getting into the audio chain rather than hearing mechanical hum because the drive is within hearing distance.
You know, a bit like power supplies, still get the volts, just noisy ones :eyebrows:
Tbh, I don’t have a clue and try as I might I cant hear the difference between tunes from a flash drive and my SSD but then my Dac and ADUM chip is supposed to stop all that :scratch:
But on the other hand I can definitely hear a difference between my server and my improved config laptop and I’m deaf and don’t have a HI FI, just a normal stereo system ;)
Before I nip off for a smoke, and shall have a big one...if you then transmit your data via a network connection then the galvanic interference of an HD is rendered a bit irrelevant IMHO
Right smoke time...;)
Well, I started off with the server bit coz the laptop was pinking like a Cosworth running on two star :doh:
Then the server started to sound different from the laptop with the same player and I started sweating :eyebrows:
Then I got the laptop running without pinking and now I’m looking to a bit of race tuning for the server……………
Funny thing is all the things I can measure except latency are pretty much the same as the pinking jobby but it goes like f**k now :)
It’s all weird man and I’m coming over to help you sort that smoke out :scratch:
Perhaps I need to calm down ;)
Good advice Will ;)
Well, I started off with the server bit coz the laptop was pinking like a Cosworth running on two star :doh:
Then the server started to sound different from the laptop with the same player and I started sweating :eyebrows:
Then I got the laptop running without pinking and now I’m looking to a bit of race tuning for the server……………
Funny thing is all the things I can measure except latency are pretty much the same as the pinking jobby but it goes like f**k now :)
It’s all weird man and I’m coming over to help you sort that smoke out :scratch:
A new day and hopefully I've got a more objective head on ;)
I suppose there are many different possible configurations for computer audio, some of which may be more susceptible to HD and other computer 'noise'.
My squeezebox setup receives it's data via an asynchronous wi-fi file transfer, so there's no posiible interference from the server or it's HD, however there might be a little from it's own wi-fi receiver, and it is a computer too with it's own CPU and memory after all...but it sounds better sourcing FLAC into my DAC, than my CD transport does, so there can't be too much wrong with the config.
My PC/Desktop system is again receiving it's data via a wi-fi connection from my NAS, and again it's an asynchronous file transfer, into FFSoX, winamp, direct sound, M-Audio 2496 SPDIF, then a Belkin pure Coax into a Beresford TC-7510, I don't have a Toslink option so unfortunately I can't compare, unless I get an adapter.
It does obviously have it's own HD's, so activity on them should affect the sound quality, but no matter what activity I try there's no effect, or deterioration that I can hear. Perhaps my config has enough isolation, or my ears aren't good enough ;)
The only problems I've had are down to configuration (mostly buffers, priorities etc), and other programs hogging too much CPU (watch out for AVG!), and this is where the drop outs and crackles can occur. ;)
Perhaps a laptop with a local HD and a USB DAC might be more susceptible to HD noise :)
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