# DIY battery powered music server and DAC



## HAL

Well my Audio Mad Scientist creation is a battery powered music server and DAC. The DAC is driven by the M2Tech Evo via I2S Bus. The music server is a Netbook with an external USB 2 drive for the music library. In the picture is a battery powered single ended Class A headphone amp running my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones. Took it to RMAF 2010 to demo for friends. I think they liked it! 

Taking the music server and DAC setup to my friends place Saturday for a listening session against his Oppo BD-83SE Blu-Ray setup. This should be interesting.

View attachment 2118


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## InfernoSTi

Looks outstanding!!! :applause::applause::applause:

Any additional info/photos would be welcome!!!

John


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## HughACA

Let us know it goes after your session. 


HAL said:


> Well my Audio Mad Scientist creation is a battery powered music server and DAC. The DAC is driven by the M2Tech Evo via I2S Bus. The music server is a Netbook with an external USB 2 drive for the music library. In the picture is a battery powered single ended Class A headphone amp running my Sennheiser HD-650 headphones. Took it to RMAF 2010 to demo for friends. I think they liked it!
> 
> Taking the music server and DAC setup to my friends place Saturday for a listening session against his Oppo BD-83SE Blu-Ray setup. This should be interesting.
> 
> View attachment 2118


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## HAL

I am probably bringing the setup to LSAF next year in Dallas. 

The DAC is a Wolfson Evaluation board. Same DAC chip used in the NAD 565BEE CD player and PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC. Sounds really good to me and a bargain in this form. The battery supplies use the A123 LiFePO4 cells. 

The fun box is the M2Tech Evo. It is a USB 2 to just about any digital interface converter. I really like the Evo's I2S Bus interface that is compatible with the old Audio Alchemy style bus (no deemphasis bit however, but the DAC board has the function which can be set if needed via software). 

The Netbook runs Windows 7 and sounds really good with the Evo using the M2Tech driver.


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## HAL

Hugh said:


> Let us know it goes after your session.


Hugh,
Will do. The I2S Bus problem was easily solved that I was having at RMAF. It was a jumper in the wrong position!


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## HughACA

Ah.

I'd never thought of that.

By the way, I just found out that YOU & I got more than one thing in common. 

Remember P3?


HAL said:


> Hugh,
> Will do. The I2S Bus problem was easily solved that I was having at RMAF. It was a jumper in the wrong position!


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## HAL

Hugh,
I know them quite well!


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## HughACA

Then you should know about P7 too. 

I was in it. 


HAL said:


> Hugh,
> I know them quite well!


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## HAL

Hugh,
I remember that one as well. 

Oh well, I think about music and audio gear instead!


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## InfernoSTi

All this code talk! You two speak in wind whispers....I just hope you aren't talking about folding bicycles!!!


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## InfernoSTi

HAL said:


> I am probably bringing the setup to LSAF next year in Dallas.
> 
> The DAC is a Wolfson Evaluation board. Same DAC chip used in the NAD 565BEE CD player and PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC. Sounds really good to me and a bargain in this form. The battery supplies use the A123 LiFePO4 cells.
> 
> The fun box is the M2Tech Evo. It is a USB 2 to just about any digital interface converter. I really like the Evo's I2S Bus interface that is compatible with the old Audio Alchemy style bus (no deemphasis bit however, but the DAC board has the function which can be set if needed via software).
> 
> The Netbook runs Windows 7 and sounds really good with the Evo using the M2Tech driver.


This is a little over my head but I will google away for a while and try to learn a bit....sounds really cool. I love to see the DIY spirit alive and well!!!

John


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## HAL

John,

Well if you are really interested, here is the LSAF website with the info.

http://www.lonestaraudiofest.com/

I have been told it is a lot of fun, so time to find out! A weekend with DIY audio folks sounds good to me.


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## sandbagger

HAL said:


> Took it to RMAF 2010 to demo for friends. I think they liked it!
> 
> Taking the music server and DAC setup to my friends place Saturday for a listening session against his Oppo BD-83SE Blu-Ray setup. This should be interesting.
> 
> View attachment 2118


As one of the few that got to hear that rig "thumbsup::clapper::saywhat:

Others could have listened to it had they checked their phones :assshake:

Rich I have a feeling that sat is going to FUN for you.....

Now if I could just sell some equipment around here ( onix sp3,H34,subs anything)


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## HAL

Kevin,
Thanks! 

Yours in on hold for when you are ready. :huge:


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## HAL

Had fun on Saturday being music DJ at my friend Bob's place with the local audio group gathering. Played everything from Heavy Metal to Jazz to Classical to match the attendees wants in musical selections. :rock:

Everybody seemed to enjoy the listening session as they just called out selections and if I had them they were played. 

For this listening session the Evo was running the DAC via I2S Bus and it really sounded really good. We compared it to his Oppo BD-83SE, but the signal level out of the SE was higher, so not a good comparison since we could not easily level match the two. I would say they are both on similar levels of quailty, but I prefer the Wolfson filters to the ESS Sabre DAC. 

The fun part was the entire system was DC coupled! It would go really low!


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## HAL

Ok, time for the next audio experiment.

Have read a few threads that Win7 x64 and WASAPI should work very well with Foobar2000.

I found an Acer Aspire One D255 netbook on sale at Target for $180. It has a Atom N450 x64 processor, so can run Win7 Home x64. Have a 2GB memory card on order to get to the minimum needed for x64. Already have the Win7x64 to install once the machine is updated. This should run for 4 hours on battery power.


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## HAL

Happy New Year and time for some more music server fun!

The ACER Netbook was a bear to upgrade to 2GB, but it is done and working well with Win7 x64! It is being hot rodded at this point for music playback. While that is happening, found a refurbished ASUS Netbook that was much easier to upgrade for Win7 x64. Sounds excellent so far with the battery DAC!

Also bought a 128GB SSD to hold part of the music collection. Now I see why the MAC guy's like them. With 2GB of memory, and the SSD, no boot drive operation when playing music!  

A 2TB WD drive arrived today to hold the entire CD collection after ripping it with EAC to WAV files. Who needs compression with these drives!

Running the setup with a Dodd Audio Tube Battery Buffer kit that I built with the Sovtek 6H30Pi tube. That made a big difference in the overall sound quality for the better even with the great starting point! Needed to add a bigger heatsink for the filament regulator as the 6H30Pi takes about 3x the current of a E88CC/6922!


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## InfernoSTi

Excellent! Photos needed of the server...AND interior photos of the tube buffer, please? I gotta see!!! Why the 6H30Pi tube? 

John



HAL said:


> Happy New Year and time for some more music server fun!
> 
> The ACER Netbook was a bear to upgrade to 2GB, but it is done and working well with Win7 x64! It is being hot rodded at this point for music playback. While that is happening, found a refurbished ASUS Netbook that was much easier to upgrade for Win7 x64. Sounds excellent so far with the battery DAC!
> 
> Also bought a 128GB SSD to hold part of the music collection. Now I see why the MAC guy's like them. With 2GB of memory, and the SSD, no boot drive operation when playing music!
> 
> A 2TB WD drive arrived today to hold the entire CD collection after ripping it with EAC to WAV files. Who needs compression with these drives!
> 
> Running the setup with a Dodd Audio Tube Battery Buffer kit that I built with the Sovtek 6H30Pi tube. That made a big difference in the overall sound quality for the better even with the great starting point! Needed to add a bigger heatsink for the filament regulator as the 6H30Pi takes about 3x the current of a E88CC/6922!


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## HAL

John,
Here is the thread on AC with all the info on the Dodd Audio Tube Buffer DIY kit:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=79766.700

A picture of a DIY unit is about 1/2 way down. He even moded his Dodd front panel.

The music server is just a ASUS 1015 Netbook: This is a picture of a similar model that looks the same:


The Sovtek 6H30Pi tube is very similar to the one used in BAT and CJ preamps. Very nice sounding tube.


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## InfernoSTi

Thank you for the link...nice front panel...beautiful, not just nice!!! What panel did you use?

I just built myself a prototype 6N1P tube buffer that will be expanded to include an active gain/crossover section and am considering different tubes that fit the general profile. I'm working on the crossovers now (disclaimer: I'm not the brains behind the project...just working with someone who is smart on this stuff and enjoys helping on creative projects). I will be looking at the 6H3P for sure....

You are really doing amazing things and I thank you for sharing!

John



HAL said:


> John,
> Here is the thread on AC with all the info on the Dodd Audio Tube Buffer DIY kit:
> http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=79766.700
> 
> A picture of a DIY unit is about 1/2 way down. He even moded his Dodd front panel.
> 
> The music server is just a ASUS 1015 Netbook: This is a picture of a similar model that looks the same:
> 
> 
> The Sovtek 6H30Pi tube is very similar to the one used in BAT and CJ preamps. Very nice sounding tube.


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## HAL

John,
The Sovtek 6H30Pi is compatible with the 6N1P series of tubes, just higher tube filament current. The run about $25 + s/h on Ebay. They work very well in the tube buffer!

A L7806 voltage regulator for DC filament voltage works well with a big heatsink.

Good luck with the buffer/gain/XO project. Sounds like fun!


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## InfernoSTi

That is great information...thank you for sharing the details, especially the recommended heater power supply. This thread is going into my bookmarks for that project!

John


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