Music Servers

And if your question is: Does adding a dedicated server improve upon a single player or server/player? 

Read the 4th post in this thread: (I see this fellow had some Naim gear fyi) 

https://antipodes.support/t/differences-k50-and-k21/3805

After analyzing what made up a streamer many years ago I came to the conclusion that a laptop and a server could equal or better many streamers at much less cost.

Ripped CD files stored on a server, retrieved using a laptop and played through a quality DAC provide a very versatile and easily upgradable playback system.

My recipe: Rip CDs with Exact Audio Copy (EAC) on a desktop and store the files on a NAS. Connect NAS with Cat6 or better to laptop and play using Foobar2000 through a DAC.

EAC provides CD quality rips and the windows laptop, the "drive belt" to the DAC, can also play web radio stations from around the world. Chord Mojo DAC sends data to Anthem MRX receiver connected to Focal speakers. Total cost is minimal and sound quality is excellent.

Bonus: good playable CDs are very cheap to buy and relatively easy to find at yard sales and flea markets and upgrading any component in the chain is easy and relatively painless.

Drawback: system is akin to driving a manual vs. automatic transmission car. It requires bit of effort on the part of the user but, like driving a manual, provides very real satisfaction.

NB: I do sometimes purchase online music from Qobuz or others but the thrill of searching/finding rare CDs in bins and boxes is rather exciting IMO.

My "transport" is an Eversolo T8, with  an SSD.

I stream from Presto and Qobuz but have about classical 1,000 works stored on the T8.  They are a mix of purchases from Presto and Rips of CDs.  

My internet is somewhat slow and can be glitchy, and disappears with strong winds, ice or snowstorms, hence an alternative to streaming.

Also, when in NYC I go to Academy Records and pore through their media.

The T8 could also access a NAS, but the stuff I had on a NAS is now copied onto the 4GB ssd.

If your DAC has a first class clock, and a similarly good implementation of asynchronous USB, all sources will be essentially of the same quality as the data is buffered in the DAC and timing is solely the responsibility of the DAC's clock.

Other source to DAC connections may not have this isolation, in particular IIS depends critically on the source clock, which is transmitted to the DAC, and the IIS cable.

Any thoughts on how the quality of the server impacts the streaming sound?

@fire_water

that's interesting because I was told by a dealer at a reputable high-end store that in most cases music files bought and stored sounds better than streaming it.

I was told the same thing by a high-end store's owner.

As to your original question, I have something somewhat similar, which is a laptop with locally stored music files, feeding a Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB Series 2 re--clocker (transport) via an Audioquest Diamond USB cable, feeding my DAC via a Shunyata Research Sigma-X AES/EBU cable, and it sounds great (but there are additional steps I am considering, for further improvement (more on that, below).

I started off with a Windows 10 laptop feeding my DAC locally stored music files, via a mass produced USB cable.  That was terrible.  My local high-end dealer loaned me an Audioquest Diamond USB cable, and it was seemingly magical.  Apparently, that Audiquest cable significantly reduced the noise, that my laptop was generating, from reaching my DAC.

A few months ago, I added the Berkeley re-clocker / transport, and that significantly reduced the jitter that I never noticed, and it also filters out noise.

The owner of the store from where I purchased the Berkely box told me that for best results, do the following:

1) Play locally stored music files.

2) Use Audirvāna as your music app.

3) Use an Apple Mac for the hardware.

I am already doing #1.

For #2, I have been using JRiver's Media Center, and I love it.  But I never tried any other competitor's offerings.

For #3, I have to find an answer to using a short USB cable, from the Mac to my Berkeley box.  I do not have that problem with my Windows laptop, because I use that laptop as a Remote Desktop server.  So it sits right next to my Berkeley box.  I have a client laptop that sits with me, that controls the other laptop.

I have no idea if Macs have that option.  I need to look into that.

Anyway, I highly recommend using that Berkeley Audio Design USB re-clocker.  According to reviews, all streamers benefit from it, including price-no-object streamers.  It accepts only a USB input, and outputs a choice of AES/EBU or TOS.  Berkeley recommends using the AES/EBU choice.

I own the Series 2 model.  They also have a Reference model, which is twice the price.  But a quality AES/EBU cable might cost more than the Berkeley box.

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/berkeley-audio-design-alpha-usb-series-2-noise-isolation-device/

-- Robert Harley:

I know a longtime industry veteran who travels the world setting up and fine-tuning state-of-the-art systems. He carries with him his laptop loaded with music—and an Alpha USB. Whatever DAC is on hand in the system is greatly improved with the addition of the Alpha USB. He wouldn’t think of doing a setup without it.