Working on the new setup with NAD M50

[JonMarsh]

My pardon for the inaccurate advice.
I thought having a dedicated music server not encumbered with other tasks other than feeding the data directly to the DAC was (in general)better than using a CD transport. ops:

As always, implantation is the critical factor.

As always, it's complicated... like what that girl friend said once, when trying to explain why she was breaking up, and even not sure herself it was the right thing to do?

There are eBooks available who's only topic is how to turn off all the running background processes on a Mac or PC that can degrade latency (and some thing impair music performance). Some players, like Audirvana, have a mode where they do most of what's possible when they start up, then disable these changes when they exit. It does seem to help.

OK, you've done this, you're getting the best output possible from your Mac or PC. Uh, through want output device? Generating it's own clock or sending async data to a remote clock (latter is where USB and Firewire typically come in). Doing up sampling, or running bit perfect?

The reason I'm out in what seems like left field to the normal computer audio crowd, is that I find that the best music servers are more organized and better to use than the software I've tried on Mac's and PC's, yet they also have excellent sonic characteristics for this class of application. Well, good compared to a lot of PC's or Macs. Now, I'm not a lone wolf in this opinion, in fact, I came around to it somewhat reluctantly. Chris Connaker at Computer Audiophile has had this viewpoint for some time.

My european colleague and I have tried out a lot of things (many times on their nickel) over the last three to four years, and to an extent, I'm just catching up in my own system with conclusions reached some years ago. Would I recommend what I'm trying now as some kind of ultimate configuration? Uh - no. Start with an Aurender W20, or if you need to cheap out, an S10. then build on it. But I don't have that kind of loot running around, and the experiment with the M40 is to see if it roughly equals the Sonare SOtM my friend has.

My friend and I have concluded that for a multi-box digital solution, the Brainstorm DCD8 with a rubidium clock is a must have. Not negotiable with the gear we have- maybe with some other super duper high end DAC like a dCS Vivaldi it wouldn't add anything, but it does with everything else we've tried it with. Running a TotalDAC reclocker in the chain also helps, but not as much; certainly it's not nearly as cost effective an add on, considering price versus performance with the DCD8 + even a SRS PRS10, much less what you can pick up on eBay usually.

I further have to consider the tradeoffs and desire to put together a system my GF is comfortable running; she's really gotten in the iPad I gave her a couple of years ago, so an iPad based remote that works sensibly is an easy sell. So far, the NAD software is looking pretty good.

And the good news as of 1:30 this afternoon, is that I'm up to the "M"'s! :T :B

[jim1961]

My pardon for the inaccurate advice.
I thought having a dedicated music server not encumbered with other tasks other than feeding the data directly to the DAC was (in general)better than using a CD transport. ops:

As always, implantation is the critical factor.

Barry Diament, former Atlantic mastering engineer, and I had this discussion once and he recommended the direction you are. So this isn't the first time ive heard it nor are you alone in pointing people in this direction. His specific recommendation was running a high end Mac via firewire/AES into a DAC. Our discussion centered on 24bit implementation exclusively though.

Here is how I think of it.

Whenever you have more than one path or means to get somewhere you have to weigh things. I think what Jon is saying is basically that PC based audio must have everything right to be better. A under capable PC, a capable but over burdened (as in running too many other tasks) PC, less than optimal interface to the DAC, even the wrong interface cable, could be enough to use up or completely undermine the advantages your trying to gain sonically. What this points to is that the benefits are small to begin with. Yet, when everything IS RIGHT, you have gained something.

I take this to 16bit vs 24bit audio as well. If your implementation isn't very good, it may be hard to realize the full difference or any difference at all.

On a bang for your buck scorecard, I am still unconvinced its worth it. But for ultimate performance without consideration for its cost(s), there clearly seems upward potential gain in this direction.

[wkhanna]

My pardon for the inaccurate advice.
I thought having a dedicated music server not encumbered with other tasks other than feeding the data directly to the DAC was (in general)better than using a CD transport. ops:

As always, implantation is the critical factor.

[jim1961]

I've done this at a variety of levels in the past, with various computer type systems (Mac and PC), and unless you have a VERY good digital audio output card on your PC or Mac, you may not match the jitter performance of even the better "budget" disk players these days (Cambridge Audio 651 for example), or something relatively cheap like my Tascam pro CD transport. So far I haven't found a USB audio output/input combination that is really satisfactory, somewhat to my surprise- and that even includes trying the Berkely Alpha USB, which I own. As well as the NAD M51 USB. For now, AES/EBU is my preference. And the best sounding front ends I've heard actually have been music server based with AES/EBU outputs, like the Sonore and Aurender. Best transport I've ever heard for "cheap" is my 1U height Tascam, and it sounds better than anything I've come up with in a Mac for playback, though Audirvana with Metric Halo is quite close- perhaps with the Firewire input on the DCD8 the situation will change, with a Rubidium clock hooked up. The latter can be done for under $200 with careful shopping on eBay and some DIY skills.

Note that I haven't heard the Phasure NOS1 DAC which the newer version runs from USB input- he's doing a number of things right, but USB isn't the only input.

Computer based music play back can be very convenient, but in my opinion, it isn't necessarily better quality. There are too many other processes running on PC's and Macs which may degrade performance subtlety. I think that's why I find I'm impressed with dedicated music servers running on small Linux kernels on an ARM processor. Only doing one thing... and doing it pretty well.

I think Mark Twain coined the phrase, that, "No generality is worth a damn, including this one", and I'd say it's something to keep in mind. It all depends...

I suppose this answers my previous inquiry. Thanks.

[jim1961]

Thanks to the last few posts, I now at least conceptually get what your doing Jon

I am looking forward to what the pudding looks like in the end :T I have been aware for some time that digital audio going Laptop -> DAC (with the proper interface) has some advantages over CD player -> DAC. But I had always narrowed that view to 24 bit audio. It hadn't ever occurred to me that 16 bit audio may benefit as well.

So, your doing this for:

1) Organization purposes
2) Better sound

Correct? (We all know your not doing it because you have too much time on your hands :B )

So furthering this, and talking specifically about the sound, is reduced jitter the only benefit or are their others? Or should I take this to another thread (as previously mentioned) ?

[JonMarsh]

Hey Jim....

I totally appreciate your standpoint.
Jon is at the leading edge of implementing computer-based audio.
But there are far simpler ways to get started.
You have a V competent system.
X-ferring your SeeDee's to a hard drive then feeding them to your DAC (by-passing the transport in the CDp which can induce jitter) can result in improved playback quality you will hear.
Ripping & playback software is cheap & in many cases free.
I humbly suggest you start a thread in the Computer Audio forum & talk with Dan.
He can provide really good advice based on what your personal expectations, capabilities & wants are, & lead you step by step in setting up user-friendly platform.

I've done this at a variety of levels in the past, with various computer type systems (Mac and PC), and unless you have a VERY good digital audio output card on your PC or Mac, you may not match the jitter performance of even the better "budget" disk players these days (Cambridge Audio 651 for example), or something relatively cheap like my Tascam pro CD transport. So far I haven't found a USB audio output/input combination that is really satisfactory, somewhat to my surprise- and that even includes trying the Berkely Alpha USB, which I own. As well as the NAD M51 USB. For now, AES/EBU is my preference. And the best sounding front ends I've heard actually have been music server based with AES/EBU outputs, like the Sonore and Aurender. Best transport I've ever heard for "cheap" is my 1U height Tascam, and it sounds better than anything I've come up with in a Mac for playback, though Audirvana with Metric Halo is quite close- perhaps with the Firewire input on the DCD8 the situation will change, with a Rubidium clock hooked up. The latter can be done for under $200 with careful shopping on eBay and some DIY skills.

Note that I haven't heard the Phasure NOS1 DAC which the newer version runs from USB input- he's doing a number of things right, but USB isn't the only input.

Computer based music play back can be very convenient, but in my opinion, it isn't necessarily better quality. There are too many other processes running on PC's and Macs which may degrade performance subtlety. I think that's why I find I'm impressed with dedicated music servers running on small Linux kernels on an ARM processor. Only doing one thing... and doing it pretty well.

I think Mark Twain coined the phrase, that, "No generality is worth a damn, including this one", and I'd say it's something to keep in mind. It all depends...

[JonMarsh]

I suppose a major factor is how many albums/files your dealing with in the first place. In my case, I have about 1000 albums I care about. So keeping everything on hard media (CD's,DVD's, ect...) isnt that incumbering. In Jon's case, he may have 10 or 20 times this much, and in multiple formats and file types. Different situation.

BTW Jon, I am not knocking in any way what you are doing. To say I dont understand it fully doesnt mean anything negative

COMPLETELY understood- a healthy dose of skepticism is never a bad thing. The proof will be in the pudding, and if I can marry the combination of high playback performance and ease of use that will win the GF over.

[wkhanna]

I am not exactly sure what your question is.........

....but what I meant is your system is V(ery) capable of taking advantage of the improved sound quality that taking your source material from a HD can produce.

Additionally, you may find you enjoy the convince of accessing & playing your entire library from a laptop or smart phone.

[jim1961]

Hey Jim....

I totally appreciate your standpoint.
Jon is at the leading edge of implementing computer-based audio.
But there are far simpler ways to get started.
You have a V competent system.
X-ferring your SeeDee's to a hard drive then feeding them to your DAC (by-passing the transport in the CDp which can induce jitter) can result in improved playback quality you will hear.
Ripping & playback software is cheap & in many cases free.
I humbly suggest you start a thread in the Computer Audio forum & talk with Dan.
He can provide really good advice based on what your personal expectations, capabilities & wants are, & lead you step by step in setting up user-friendly platform.

Can you unpack this?

[wkhanna]

Hey Jim....

I totally appreciate your standpoint.
Jon is at the leading edge of implementing computer-based audio.
But there are far simpler ways to get started.
You have a V competent system.
X-ferring your SeeDee's to a hard drive then feeding them to your DAC (by-passing the transport in the CDp which can induce jitter) can result in improved playback quality you will hear.
Ripping & playback software is cheap & in many cases free.
I humbly suggest you start a thread in the Computer Audio forum & talk with Dan.
He can provide really good advice based on what your personal expectations, capabilities & wants are, & lead you step by step in setting up user-friendly platform.

[jim1961]

You're absolutely not alone, Jim. I'm pretty lost too, which is one of the reasons why I primarily use all physical media. I've done a lot of work with digital rips, but all of it has been to rip in iTunes, catalog and manage it there, and then only use in portable settings with my iPod, portable amp, and little office system. ALL of my home audio use has been physical media.

I suppose a major factor is how many albums/files your dealing with in the first place. In my case, I have about 1000 albums I care about. So keeping everything on hard media (CD's,DVD's, ect...) isnt that incumbering. In Jon's case, he may have 10 or 20 times this much, and in multiple formats and file types. Different situation.

BTW Jon, I am not knocking in any way what you are doing. To say I dont understand it fully doesnt mean anything negative

[JonMarsh]

I still have a Tascam Pro CD transport and several SACD players, but the number of disks is just unmanageable for access and storage, at this point. As it is, I'm only working with my most "popular" CD's that I've already previously ripped, and am not working on the High Res stuff until the next step, when I'll be doing some conversion in Triumph to accommodate what the Brainstorm DCD8 works best with and is compatible with the rest of the gear- single wire AES (96 kHz and below unless I get an RME ADI-192).

Well, at least I've worked my way down to the "D"'s, am almost at the end of that letter as regards album titles! And that's well over 125 GB in CD resolution. Perhaps you see the magnitude of the problem, now... :W

Consider also that I have literally hundreds of SACD's...

But I'm feeling good about this, I have the best process possible with Max now, the way I'm using it, in terms of efficiency, and I should never have to touch these files again, regardless of whatever future environment I use them in.

[Hdale85]

Well a lot of this can be applied to CD's lol.

[Chris D]

This is basically the reason I am not sure I want to go beyond merely feeding a CD player into a DAC. I dont have a grasp of what involved. I really dont follow what Jon is doing and why he is doing it. Safe to say a lot of work is ahead to jump beyond where I am.

You're absolutely not alone, Jim. I'm pretty lost too, which is one of the reasons why I primarily use all physical media. I've done a lot of work with digital rips, but all of it has been to rip in iTunes, catalog and manage it there, and then only use in portable settings with my iPod, portable amp, and little office system. ALL of my home audio use has been physical media.

[jim1961]

That is the thing for me about computer audio……unless you are adept & comfortable creating & manipulating all these firmware & software configurations……..well, I will just say if it were not for Dan, I could never get a system configured & performing as well as he has mine working. I really envy the ones who can do this & make it look so easy while doing it.

I am sure as time passes & the technology matures, the equipment will be more user-friendly to those who do not possess the skills required to customize the set-up & get the V good performance these things are capable of.

Totally, off topic…….. I do not think there is anything in the world that makes Chris happier than being able to crack a NAD joke!
Have a banana, Chris!

:dancenana:

This is basically the reason I am not sure I want to go beyond merely feeding a CD player into a DAC. I dont have a grasp of what involved. I really dont follow what Jon is doing and why he is doing it. Safe to say a lot of work is ahead to jump beyond where I am.

[JonMarsh]

Nope! But I did take the advice...


Well, I'm finally really getting the hang of Max. Trouble is, many things don't quite work the way you might think they ought to- for example, File open is not for files on your hard disk, but for opening CD's.

What does work and speeds along reasonably well, is to set in the preferences a single master folder that the output folders will all be built in- arranged by artist and album name. Max takes care of the rest in that regard. You also set the output file format in Preferences.

Then, open the file conversion window, and drag and drop the files you want to convert or update with album art (or both). This will leave all the files in the Conversion window highlighted, which is necessary for the album art image to be imported! Took me a bit to figure that out- I'm slow on the update, and I didn't see it in the help file.

DON'T select the files on your HD and then right click to "Open with Max"- this will get the files in the conversion window, but only one will be highlighted after the import. Not what you want.

Then go to Amazon or where ever to find your album art file, drag and drop it into the album art side pane, then click on the convert control, and all will be well...

[mjb]

Happy birthday! Have fun with your NADs today!

That's not a sentence you can use everyday!

[wkhanna]

Excellent!!!!!.......now turn the ringer off on the phone & do not open any emails!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JonMarsh]

Making progress...

I'm combining the tunes from three different major "extraction" works on CD's, from my Mac Pro, mainly in ALAC format, and from the XLD extraction in the last two years, setting this up on a special set of folders on my LaCie 6TB Thunderbolt drive for fast editing.






I've already mastered the album art addition process (which is NOT totally intuitive and not well described in the help panel for Max, unfortunately, and other than one conference call later this AM, it looks like the decks are cleared for actually having a comp day today! My other major work tasks that were "must do's" for today are behind me (let's here it for getting up even earlier than usual...)

[JonMarsh]

There is just no quit in this guy, is there????? :W

Does this make him a NADering nincompoop?

Actually, that wish was pretty reasonable- but today is (hopefully) the comp day for Labor Day weekend, so I may be spending a lot of time on Max once two work tasks are out of the way!

[Hdale85]

Oh nevermind, I see the M50 is the one on top, then the m51 lol.

[wkhanna]

Happy birthday! Have fun with your NADs today!

There is just no quit in this guy, is there????? :W

[Chris D]

Happy birthday! Have fun with your NADs today!

[Hdale85]

Isn't it the M50?

[JonMarsh]

Happy Birthday Jon!...and thanks for the quick review. I'll have to come back to this when I have time to review.

Thanks everyone.

BTW, MJB, I'm using Fidelia and Audirvana on OSX- the best sound I've heard from a Mac, but not so great as regards usability for someone like my GF. After have some experience with a Sonore system at various times over the last several years (my colleague in Munich), I've become attracted to those appliance like aspect.

Regarding this project, I will write up a complete overview/review at a later time, which I'll also submit to NAD's website. I do plan to try to find a contact email for giving them direct feedback on how to improve their manual.

Now, the interesting and telling thing is, that my M51 shipped a year and a half ago, WITH a remote labeled M50, and it's the exact same remote as included with my M50. This whole series has been planned for some time, but the M50 only became available in the USA the early part of 2012; what this tells me is that the development took a lot longer than expected, and I bet most of the issues have been software...

[sdl2112]

Happy Birthday Jon!...and thanks for the quick review. I'll have to come back to this when I have time to review.

[mjb]

OS X is really not too shabby for an audiophile.

And happy birthday Jon....

[JonMarsh]

Thanks! Actually, I was supposed to have a comp day last Friday, now I'm going to try to take it tomorrow- hopefully that will work out! But today is filled with work activities- including now giving formal feedback on my boss to the US CEO. Nothing delicate or worrisome about that, no, just some straightforward shoot from the hip stuff, yeah? :W

I'm feeling even more cynical that usual on topics like that, due to some feedback from HQ on some capabilities one of the tech app teams is just now adding... but still not quite up to some stuff I've been doing locally already for a US customer. Of course, they'll probably sprain a wrist from patting themselves on the back that at least they can do some new things now...

OK, enough of that!

Either party today, or tomorrow! (actually, we are going out to dinner and a play this evening... so my mood will improve rapidly after 5!)

[wkhanna]

Well, the problem as I see it with a topic as complex as computer audio (this IS computer audio, it's just a non-programmable ARM based computer running Linux or something similar), is that at the current state of development, you really need to know the why's and wherefore's of what to do, not just "Do this".

I say that coming from Computer audio experience dating back to 2005 with a dedicated home built PC, and migrating through various Mac incarnations and players. Oddly, iTunes insulates you from needing to know all that much - but unfortunately, in this day and age's expectation for playback quality, it's not the last word in that area and not suited for a "high end" system.

Yes, I was referring to OTI (other than iTunes).

Among the many things Max does (besides format re-coding, say converting from ALAC to AIFF or whatever) is meta data editing, including adding album art embedded into files.........

Well, Max to the rescue, I think, in this case.........

http://sbooth.org/Max/


And now, I've learned what I MUST do in all future ripping operations!

Neat app!
I have to agree that managing metadata - especially cover art - is one of the biggest PITA's with CA.

Somehow, even though it's my Birthday.........

Whoa!!!!!!!!!
Hold Everything!!!!!!!
Did you Say ‘Birthday’!

Well dag-nabbitt!!!!!!!

That should automatically be a day off for speaker design, speaker building, guitar & keyboard practice & any other diversion you could desire. Tell the boss I said it is OK for you to stay home today!

Happy B-Day, Maestro!



:dancenana: :dancenana: arty: :dancenana: :dancenana:

[JonMarsh]

My little RAID box is RAID 0, and at all times fully backed up. The NAD M50 is RAID 5, redundant, can suffer one drive failure without problems, and rebuild on that.

[PewterTA]

Raid 0... what about failure?!?

[wkhanna]

Ah... nothing like a big banana and a nice warm pair of NADs.

:thud:

Your killing me, Chris........

[JonMarsh]

Been using some deductive reasoning, as the owners manual ain't that great...

Well, the problem as I see it with a topic as complex as computer audio (this IS computer audio, it's just a non-programmable ARM based computer running Linux or something similar), is that at the current state of development, you really need to know the why's and wherefore's of what to do, not just "Do this".

I say that coming from Computer audio experience dating back to 2005 with a dedicated home built PC, and migrating through various Mac incarnations and players. Oddly, iTunes insulates you from needing to know all that much - but unfortunately, in this day and age's expectation for playback quality, it's not the last word in that area and not suited for a "high end" system.

Any way, a few light bulbs have been popping since early yesterday evening, and I think I can further clarify what the NAD M50 does and doesn't do. I wish some of that had been in the owners manual, as well as a broader overview- that would be a real service to their users, and I fully intend to give NAD some lengthy user feedback. In retrospect, some of these behaviors seem quite logical, but not necessarily expected if you've been using PC or Mac based players.

OK!

Now, where are we? OK, here's the deal. Near as I can figure out, with the latest firmware, the NAD will not even read a standard FAT32 USB drive on the rear panel USB A connector. Works fine on the front panel connector, though.

Exactly how you put the files on your USB drive is never explained or suggested in the manual. I have a file/folder structure that is not dissimilar to what the iTunes Library looks like, but it's been created and managed manually, for the most part using XLD for ripping.

Album Art. Or lack thereof. Surmise: When you use the NAD M50 to rip to flac, it goes out on the internet, getting the file info, AND the album art, and embeds the art in the Flac files. (this is the "proper" way to do this, though iTunes doesn't embed art in files, for example). If you bring in AIFF or FLAC files that don't have album art, well, then, by golly, it doesn't seem that the M50 will display any album art on the iPad App. I did specifically bring in album art for some of my rips, dragging and dropping, but not for most- this is reflected in what is shown on the M50 iPad app, and no amount of hitting the "Refresh Album Art" tab in the configuration menu changes that.

So, where does that leave me? Well, we all know AIFF supports embedded album art, as does FLAC. I've just checked on line, and ALAC does support embedded album art, though I don't think by default that if you rip with iTunes that any is embedded- it's maintained in the iTunes data base, instead. I might be wrong on that; we'll be testing that theory soon.

About 40% of my CD based material is ripped using AIFF; the rest is ALAC (Apple Lossless; think of it as Apple's version of FLAC). I did a lot of ALAC ripping in the late 2000's on my Mac Pro, until I found out many players don't support it. Lucky for me, the NAD M50 does. ALAC has low overhead requirements for decoding, and is moderately space efficient, as is FLAC, compared with AIFF, which isn't compressed.

What to do? Well, Max to the rescue, I think, in this case.

http://sbooth.org/Max/



Isn't it hilarious seeing OSX screenshots in the old Aqua interface? I don't boot up my quad core Powermac very often, which is the only system I have left still running an old version of OSX like this. BTW, you don't need anywhere this number of windows to edit metadata!

Among the many things Max does (besides format re-coding, say converting from ALAC to AIFF or whatever) is meta data editing, including adding album art embedded into files. It works directly with MusicBrainz to get information, and of course there's drag and drop from Amazon images in a pinch. So, it looks like I can use my existing files with some additional updating work on the Mac. I already have a couple of 2TB music lib disks, so setting one up for this, and making it a "mirror/reference" of sorts for the little RAID drive I built shouldn't be a problem, IT JUST TAKES MORE TIME DOING ESSENTIALLY MINDLESS THINGS WHEN I'D RATHER BE SPENDING MY TIME ON HIGH VALUE WORK LIKE SPEAKER DESIGN AND SPEAKER BUILDING!!!! :evil:

Well.

Now that I've got that out of my system, I suppose I should just get back to work, and decrypt the file from HQ regarding one of my big local customers in the automotive sphere...

Somehow, even though it's my Birthday, I don't think my honey is going to pop for an NAD M52 music vault array, so I'm going to have to ponder the pro's and cons of that myself, and whether having really easy ripping for her is worth $2K.... for keeping the peace and everyone happy, it just may be.

And now, I've learned what I MUST do in all future ripping operations!

[Chris D]

Ah... nothing like a big banana and a nice warm pair of NADs.

[wkhanna]

That is the thing for me about computer audio……unless you are adept & comfortable creating & manipulating all these firmware & software configurations……..well, I will just say if it were not for Dan, I could never get a system configured & performing as well as he has mine working. I really envy the ones who can do this & make it look so easy while doing it.

I am sure as time passes & the technology matures, the equipment will be more user-friendly to those who do not possess the skills required to customize the set-up & get the V good performance these things are capable of.

Totally, off topic…….. I do not think there is anything in the world that makes Chris happier than being able to crack a NAD joke!
Have a banana, Chris!

:dancenana:

[Chris D]

You have some big NAD's, man.

[JonMarsh]

M50 testing under way...

Well, FedEx brought nice things today, and some setup and testing is underway.




A lot of potential, but moral of the story is that even if you read owner's manuals carefully, the full details may not be revealed?

As near as I can determine, you CAN use either the front panel USB A input or the rear panel USB A input for a drive with data you put on via a computer, the built in ripper only wants to function if there is an M52 digital vault from NAD connected to the rear USB A input- it doesn't seem to recognize a standard drive for that purpose. Also, interestingly, NAD states that the M52 digital vault cannot be read on a Mac or PC. (well, it's probably using a Linux file system, so that's likely only partly true, but you get the gist. In the end, I'd say things could be spelled out more clearly.

Also, with my weird blend of music, it has trouble finding album art in a lot of cases.

OTOH, the playback appears to be just fine, sounds very good on this quick test setup with my big Shure cans, and the NAD app on the iPad works pretty well. Also did one firmware upgrade without issues. Currently running it wired on Ethernet, haven't setup the WiFi, as I won't be using that here anyway.

Promising. I just had a big folder of stuff ripped using XLD, and copied that to the baby mini as a test case. Need to add to it, and ponder if I want the local ripping too- that was the idea to make it easy, but $2k is a steep price for the M51- for that I just may rip off line. Also, it finds outside music on the local network, too. Will have to play with that, though I figure it's likely better off with the local drives.

[JonMarsh]

The mini RAID boxes arrived today, along with the two HGST 7200 RPM drives. It only took a few minutes to assemble the drives in the carriers, slap it all together, configure for RAID 0, and format in FAT32 with my MacBook. Also, the thermal interface material for the rubidium clock heatsink from Bergquist arrived. Fed Ex confirms the NAD M50 should arrive by Wednesday, though it's already hit Oakland today. Could be here tomorrow!

[PewterTA]

Image not available

[JonMarsh]

I think the name is perfect! After all, we shouldn't be taking ourselves too seriously with all this stuff- keep the Doc Emmet Brown outlook! Tongue planted at least somewhat firmly in cheek...

Great Scott! Popeye Power from Australia!?!! What will you do next, future boy? Fusion powered music servers? Is spinach the key to cold fusion?!?

[wkhanna]

But I can see the spinach in it!

[Hdale85]

Those look nice! Although he could of been a bit more classy with the name? lol

[JonMarsh]

Hmmm, wonder what size freight container that would require? I think it would be beyond the realm of carryon. :W

In other related "news" I found a couple of neat 12V linear power supplies designed for audio applications on eBay, from a vendor in Australia, which I've ordered to power the mini Raid boxes with low EMI power sources. Not batteries, but not a switcher, either.

Images not available

[PewterTA]

I can't wait to see what you think about the M50 as well. All this talk is making me want the M51.... Ugh decisions decisions.... Though I still want to hear a lot of other Schiit as well to find what works best in my system. ha ha.

Jon, feel free to come to Pittsburgh with all your stuff whenever you want..... WKHanna and I would LOVE to hang out and hear everything!!!! :B

[JonMarsh]

Very cool :T I was about to ask if anyone has reviewed the M50. I went this week to see one myself at the local hifi shop. I asked what they could do and they offered 20% off the M50 and M52 for their demo units...not the M51 as they are in higher demand. I very much look forward to your review! Here's one review.

Yes, I got notice it shipped today, and I'm really looking forward to it. I have a late model 21" iMac that was bought to work in this system, but thinking about how to make it more plug and play for GF, I turned to researching the M50, which I'd heard about early this year, before it was available in the USA. Thanks for posting the link, I've seen that review too, and it was part of what pushed me into moving forward after doing the rest of my research. Yeah, if money were no object, an Aurender would be the real deal, and one could make arguments for the Sonore SOtM, like my friend has. But this has a better mix of usability features, and with being re-clocked by the Brainstorm, I think the sonic results should be very good. We'll see... I should have it by mid week and be able to start loading music and checking it out here, before taking it over to GF's where the big system resides.

More work on the crossovers for that, including a mild re-design (actually reducing the value of some components) that should improve the low midrange blend. Still a work in progress, but I think it's much closer to done now, pending completing construction after the arrival of the backordered crossover parts!