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silent PC

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MattD:
Anyone use a silent PC as their audio source in a home system? I'm thinking this might be a better choice than getting a CDP, DVD-A or SACD player. I can rip all my CDs to FLAC and also store shows on there.

I'm thinking the new VIA EPIA motherboard in a Mini-ITX case with Seagate Barracuda V drives. This is the quietest setup I can think of. I'd put a 24/96 sound card in the PCI slot and perhaps set up a router with wireless capability so I can control the thing from a palm interface or something. I'd use the digital out on the sound card to feed a DAC, etc.

Has anyone built a silent PC that they use as their source? How are you controlling it, if not with a keyboard and mouse?

Thanks,
-Matt

Nick in Edinboro:
What defines a "silent PC"?  Just curious, not being a dick in anyway it's just a term I never heard before...  Does this involve just buying what you think are quiet components or does it have to do with shielding/RF noise, etc. as well?

I know atleast one person posted on Oade prolly close to a year ago about the PC he built so he could play 96k stuff on his home system..

mirth:
A silent PC tends to have no fans and extremely quiet hard drives. If done right, you don't even know its there, soundwise.

dmonterisi:

--- Quote from: MattD on July 11, 2003, 02:37:55 AM ---Anyone use a silent PC as their audio source in a home system? I'm thinking this might be a better choice than getting a CDP, DVD-A or SACD player. I can rip all my CDs to FLAC and also store shows on there.


--- End quote ---

i don't know if you'll be able to use a pc to play sacd.  i think you can play dvd-a with some soundblaster variant.  what i did was connect my pc from the next room to my receiver with a 25 foot coax.  the receiver has a decent 24/96 DAC in it (alot of receivers that do dolby digital/dts deconding have them i think).  then i use winamp's directstream output (or something like that, but you have to increase the buffer if you get static) via athe digi-out on the prodif plus soundcard.  the only problem with this is i have to walk into the other room to hit stop, play, etc.  but now (thanks largely to wes) i have over 200 gigs of music on my various HD's...some of which will be burned to dvd-a, but all the 16/44 shns and flacs will stay on there and play through winamp.  however, none of this answers your silent question, sorry i'm no help with that one.  good luck

-damon

MattD:
We have the same soundcard :)  I know I won't be able to play SACDs, but in non-scientific tests (just listening to one format and the other), I can't tell the difference. I have a Denon receiver of the type you mention and I do almost the same thing you do now, but I can't set up in another room just yet.

I'm saving up a few grand for a good audio system and want a source that's equally good. Keeping it in the same room would be a priority because of logistics, which is why I want to go silent. I also like the idea of having it as a system component that is used exclusively for music, than as a PC that just happens to be hooked up to my system (what I have now).

To further answer the earlier question about what a silent PC is, it's defined as having a noise level below the ambient noise in a room - usually around 25-30 dB or something like that.

Thanks for the input.
-Matt

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