• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

$30,000 Music Streaming Server is the Next Audiophile Dream Device

AcE

Joined
Dec 3, 2024
Messages
104 (11.56/day)
What I wanted to know was what the hell "music streaming server" is. What is it supposed to do?
Stream music to various devices, whether over cable or over air, really nothing special. I do this via a fire tv stick and my AV receiver. You can also do it with just a phone and a AV Receiver. As long as you have a streaming member ship for eg Amazon Music or so, you can also skip harboring 10000 mp3s on your device, which is just better IMO. The typical music files don’t even have Dolby Atmos, which I get now over AM.
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
7,563 (1.77/day)
It’s really sad to think about people who are so rich and can afford this, but are at the same time so dumb to fall for this. Sad world. The company itself knows that it’s selling snake oil, that’s beyond obvious.
I present to you :nutkick:
 
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
3,780 (1.32/day)
Processor Ryzen 7800X3D
Motherboard ROG STRIX B650E-F GAMING WIFI
Memory 2x16GB G.Skill Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL36 (F5-6000J3636F16GX2-FX5)
Video Card(s) INNO3D GeForce RTX™ 4070 Ti SUPER TWIN X2
Storage 2TB Samsung 980 PRO, 4TB WD Black SN850X
Display(s) 42" LG C2 OLED, 27" ASUS PG279Q
Case Thermaltake Core P5
Power Supply Fractal Design Ion+ Platinum 760W
Mouse Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro SE
Keyboard Corsair K100 RGB
VR HMD HTC Vive Cosmos
Motherboard is the ASUS WS C621E SAGE, in case anyone's wondering.
Wait, that means these are the 5-year old Cascade Lake Xeon CPUs? probably with MSRP of $1000-1500 each and today worth much less than that.
 
Joined
Sep 4, 2023
Messages
55 (0.12/day)
Location
France
System Name "Буря IV"
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Motherboard Gigabyte B550I Aorus Pro AX
Cooling be quiet! Pure Loop 2 280 AiO
Memory Corsair 2x8GB DDR4 3200 MT/s CL16
Video Card(s) Sapphire Radeon RX6800 Nitro+
Storage Crucial NVMe SSDs
Display(s) Huawei Mateview GT 34"
Case McPrue Apollo S 3.0 (Rev.2) SFF
Audio Device(s) Ikko ITB03 → Softears RSV / Truthear Hexa / Moondrop Aria / Final E500 | DAC-X6 Mk. II → DT770 Pro
Power Supply Corsair SF600
VR HMD Meta Quest 3
that's a lot of snake oil lol
insane
 
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
221 (0.27/day)
1733832317566.jpeg


I read "audiophile" and I thought I'd see a bunch of vacuum tubes instead of solid state caps. :roll:

1733832554931.jpeg
 
Last edited:

AcE

Joined
Dec 3, 2024
Messages
104 (11.56/day)
I read "audiphile" and I thought I'd see a bunch of vacum tubes instead of solid state caps. :roll:
The irony, that would actually improve the sound (and lower their bottom line), so it wasn’t used. ;D just a lot of useless caps to make the device look “serious” enough for people who don’t know better.
 
Joined
Aug 12, 2020
Messages
120 (0.08/day)
System Name Main
Processor i9-10900kf @4.3Ghz
Motherboard MSI Z490 Unify
Cooling 4x Noctua 140mm + 200mm Noctua, 280GTS Xflow x2 + EK : X2 RES 250 Advanced, D5, CPU : Supremacy Evo
Memory 4x8go Gskill 4200 CL16
Video Card(s) Inno 3D 3070 @Alphacool watercooled
Storage Crucial P5 1To + FURY Renegade 2to + 256go ssd (os) HDD (seagate) : 1to + 2to cold storage
Display(s) 27" LG 144hz
Case Thermaltake core X5
Audio Device(s) Home cinema 5.1.2 : vsx-930 + 5 klipsch 100w + 2 jamo bipolar + subwoofer jamo 150w
Power Supply Seasonic 650w gold
Mouse G502 wireless
Keyboard Corsair K68
Software W11 x64
At least for the same price it's better than a tom Evans £25,000 Phono Pre-Amp
:roll:
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2009
Messages
113 (0.02/day)
Location
Stirling/United Kingdom
System Name XPS-9700
Processor Intel Core i9-10885H
Motherboard Dell 03CPGC
Memory 64GB (2x32GB) Hynix DDR4-3200
Video Card(s) NVidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q Design 6GB
Storage Samsung PM981a 2TB SSD
Software Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit
This is just bonkers, I've just got a couple of EON715s and an EON718S and stream music to it from my mobile, and it sounds simply magnificent, I can't understand where is the actual necessity for such a piece of equipment, and how much difference will this make on the end result, which kind of aural sensitivity a person needs to have...
 

VSG

Editor, Reviews & News
Staff member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
3,684 (0.97/day)
Audiophiles are some of the dumbest MFs on the planet. Nothing even comes close. Anyway, get one for @VSG to review, he will probably be dead in a week from constant alcohol abuse trying to come up with a valid way to actually describe the potential use case for this abomination.
Something tells me this company isn't exactly going to send review units out to anyone who has anything remotely objective in reviews.
 
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
3,780 (1.32/day)
Processor Ryzen 7800X3D
Motherboard ROG STRIX B650E-F GAMING WIFI
Memory 2x16GB G.Skill Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL36 (F5-6000J3636F16GX2-FX5)
Video Card(s) INNO3D GeForce RTX™ 4070 Ti SUPER TWIN X2
Storage 2TB Samsung 980 PRO, 4TB WD Black SN850X
Display(s) 42" LG C2 OLED, 27" ASUS PG279Q
Case Thermaltake Core P5
Power Supply Fractal Design Ion+ Platinum 760W
Mouse Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro SE
Keyboard Corsair K100 RGB
VR HMD HTC Vive Cosmos
I also feel the box is only truly awesome when it is connected to a switch like this (at cost a measly 4.5k) with cables like this (at even measlier ~1.5k for 1.5m cable):
 
Joined
Sep 25, 2023
Messages
155 (0.35/day)
Location
Finland
System Name RayneOSX
Processor Ryzen 9 5900x 185w
Motherboard Asus Strix x570-E
Cooling EKWB AIO 360 RGB (9 ekwb vardar RGB fans)
Memory Gskill Trident Z neo CL18 3600mhz 64GB
Video Card(s) MSI RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 10G LHR
Storage Wayy too many to list here
Display(s) Samsung Odyssey G5 1440p 144hz 27 x2 / Samsung Odyssey CRG5 1080p 144hz 24
Case LianLi 011D white w/ Vertical GPU
Audio Device(s) Sound Blaster Z / Swisssonic Audio 2
Power Supply Corsair RM1000x (2021)
Mouse Logitech G502 Hyperion Fury
Keyboard Ducky One 2 mini Cherry MX silent Nordic
VR HMD Quest 2
Software Win10 Pro / Ubuntu 20.04
Benchmark Scores Timespy 17 219 https://www.3dmark.com/spy/49036100 PERKELE!
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
221 (0.27/day)
I can't understand where is the actual necessity for such a piece of equipment, and how much difference will this make on the end result, which kind of aural sensitivity a person needs to have...
Think of it in the same terms as supercars: you don't buy them for their value as a car.

Just look a this USD 4.5 mil Lamborghini Veneno:

1733836856119.jpeg


There are, maybe, a couple dozen roads in the world where you can run it safely at full speed for any lenght of time.
Do you buy it because you need a car to go from point A to point B? Heck no!
Do you buy it because because you think it's cool? Heck yeah!
 

AcE

Joined
Dec 3, 2024
Messages
104 (11.56/day)
Do you buy it because because you think it's cool?
Yes, but a Veneno is actually cool and very usable (if you’re not afraid of damaging it / decreasing its worth), this is just a piece of ugly overpriced garbage that will lose its “worth” in no time.

A expensive tube amp has actually some worth on the other hand and actually looks cool, compared to this.

So what can this be compared to analogy wise? Snake oil. And nothing else. It’s not cool, it’s not worth the money, it’s not worth the energy cost (which is tremendous compared to proper systems that aren’t nonsense).
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
3,562 (2.48/day)
Location
Slovenia
Processor i5-6600K
Motherboard Asus Z170A
Cooling some cheap Cooler Master Hyper 103 or similar
Memory 16GB DDR4-2400
Video Card(s) IGP
Storage Samsung 850 EVO 250GB
Display(s) 2x Oldell 24" 1920x1200
Case Bitfenix Nova white windowless non-mesh
Audio Device(s) E-mu 1212m PCI
Power Supply Seasonic G-360
Mouse Logitech Marble trackball, never had a mouse
Keyboard Key Tronic KT2000, no Win key because 1994
Software Oldwin
Then after a year, a motherboard inductor starts whining, and what do you do? You come to TPU and learn how to fix it for $0.99! (And at the same time you find out that you have switched-mode VRMs in the box, besides the linear PSU).
 
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
221 (0.27/day)
Yes, but a Veneno is actually cool and very usable (if you’re not afraid of damaging it / decreasing its worth), this is just a piece of ugly overpriced garbage that will lose its “worth” in no time.

A expensive tube amp has actually some worth on the other hand and actually looks cool, compared to this.

The idea of "cool" is not limited to looks. Take for instance an AC-130W. I don't think there's anyone in the world looking at and thinking it looks cool, but everyone except some you-puppy-killers-I-hate-you people will look at it and think "Yup, that right there is a pretty effective cool piece of killing hardware!". You'll see a tool finely tuned for it's intended purpose and think it's cool because "cool" is what we call the stuff that's not necessary but we'd use/own if we could.
 

freeagent

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 16, 2018
Messages
8,713 (3.82/day)
Location
Winnipeg, Canada
Processor AMD R7 5800X3D
Motherboard Asus Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
Cooling Thermalright Frozen Edge 360, 3x TL-B12 V2, 2x TL-B12 V1
Memory 2x8 G.Skill Trident Z Royal 3200C14, 2x8GB G.Skill Trident Z Black and White 3200 C14
Video Card(s) Zotac 4070 Ti Trinity OC
Storage WD SN850 1TB, SN850X 2TB, SN770 1TB
Display(s) LG 50UP7100
Case Fractal Torrent Compact
Audio Device(s) JBL Bar 700
Power Supply Seasonic Vertex GX-1000, Monster HDP1800
Mouse Logitech G502 Hero
Keyboard Logitech G213
VR HMD Oculus 3
Software Yes
Benchmark Scores Yes
Bet it sounds pretty good :)
 

AcE

Joined
Dec 3, 2024
Messages
104 (11.56/day)
The idea of "cool" is not limited to looks. Take for instance an AC-130W. I don't think there's anyone in the world looking at and thinking it looks cool, but everyone except some you-puppy-killers-I-hate-you people will look at it and think "Yup, that right there is a pretty effective cool piece of killing hardware!". You'll see a tool finely tuned for it's intended purpose and think it's cool because "cool" is what we call the stuff that's not necessary but we'd use/own if we could.
Yes and still doesn’t change the fact that this is just overpriced piece of garbage designed to trick unknowing people into wasting their money (snake oil). Comparing this to an excellent piece of art and tech like a Veneno, simply doesn’t make any sense, sorry. And cars aren’t just made to be driven fast in a straight line, a widely spread misconception, a sports car is best driven on a mountain pass or country side, to enjoy the roads. The foremost greatest thing about a sports car is the acceleration, steering and breaks and not the Vmax.
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2019
Messages
6,092 (2.87/day)
Location
Poland
Processor Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Motherboard Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite
Cooling Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE
Memory 2x16 GB Crucial Ballistix 3600 CL16 Rev E @ 3800 CL16
Video Card(s) RTX3080 Ti FE
Storage SX8200 Pro 1 TB, Plextor M6Pro 256 GB, WD Blue 2TB
Display(s) LG 34GN850P-B
Case SilverStone Primera PM01 RGB
Audio Device(s) SoundBlaster G6 | Fidelio X2 | Sennheiser 6XX
Power Supply SeaSonic Focus Plus Gold 750W
Mouse Endgame Gear XM1R
Keyboard Wooting Two HE
Think of it in the same terms as supercars: you don't buy them for their value as a car.

Just look a this USD 4.5 mil Lamborghini Veneno:

View attachment 375069

There are, maybe, a couple dozen roads in the world where you can run it safely at full speed for any lenght of time.
Do you buy it because you need a car to go from point A to point B? Heck no!
Do you buy it because because you think it's cool? Heck yeah!
Not even in the same ballpark.
 
Joined
May 22, 2024
Messages
412 (2.01/day)
System Name Kuro
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D@65W
Motherboard MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi
Cooling Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO
Memory Corsair DDR5 6000C30 2x48GB (Hynix M)@6000 30-36-36-76 1.36V
Video Card(s) PNY XLR8 RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16G@200W
Storage Crucial T500 2TB + WD Blue 8TB
Case Lian Li LANCOOL 216
Power Supply MSI MPG A850G
Software Ubuntu 24.04 LTS + Windows 10 Home Build 19045
Benchmark Scores 17761 C23 Multi@65W
...To put things into context, that is quite enough money for a pro-grade lens, say, a brand-new 400mm f/2.8 many aspiring wildlife photographers would drool over. Plus the rest of the camera, a full travel set of other lens, all the rest of the gear and the setup, with enough leftover to cover some trips and workshops to get you started, too.

Photography is not supposed to be a cheap hobby, either. At least those can take great pictures of actually nice things.
 
Joined
Feb 22, 2022
Messages
606 (0.59/day)
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Motherboard Asus Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
Cooling Custom Watercooling
Memory G.Skill Trident Z Royal 2x16GB
Video Card(s) MSi RTX 3080ti Suprim X
Storage 2TB Corsair MP600 PRO Hydro X
Display(s) Samsung G7 27" x2
Audio Device(s) Sound Blaster ZxR
Power Supply Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 1500W
Mouse Logitech G903
Keyboard Steelseries Apex Pro
Joined
Jul 30, 2024
Messages
287 (2.13/day)
Location
Mitten State, USA
System Name Sim Racing PC/Dell XPS 15 7590
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800x/Intel Core i7-9750h
Motherboard ASUS TUF B450-Plus II/Dell Laptop MB
Cooling Arctic Freezer A35 CO/laptop cooling
Memory 2*8 GB G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3200/2*8 GB Crucial DDR4-2666 SO-DIMM
Video Card(s) XFX SWFT309 RX 6700 XT/Laptop GTX 1650
Storage 1 TB Crucial 3400 PCIe Gen 4 SSD/Ediloca EN605 512 GB PCIe Gen 3 SSD
Display(s) 77" LG OLED TV (4K@120Hz)/15" Dell integrated panel (1080p@60Hz) and 30" Dell U3011 (1600p@60 Hz)
Case Cougar MX330-G Air / XPS 15 7590 chassis
Audio Device(s) Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro via Yamaha HT receiver/Integrated speakers or Creative Pebble Plus
Power Supply EVGA 600 BA / Dell 130W laptop brick
Mouse Logitech K400+ / Cherry MW 4500
Keyboard Logitech K400+ / Drop ENTR or E-YOOSO Z-686 or integrated keyboard
VR HMD Meta Quest 2
Software Windows 11 Home/Windows 11 Pro (meaning to try Linux)
Oh, you definitely need a dual-socket workstation PC that costs about as much as a brand-new car to play music at the highest quality!

oh wait

What's that Windows XP PC doing over there with a Sound Blaster X-Fi, CD drive, and a pair of <insert very good headphones/speakers here>?
 
Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Messages
388 (0.07/day)
Processor i7 8700K
Motherboard MSI Z370 Gaming Plus
Cooling Noctua NH-D15S + NF-A12x25 PWM + 4xNF-A14 PWM
Memory 16 GB Adata XPG Dazzle DDR4 3000 MHz CL16
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 1070 Ti Gaming 8G
Storage Samsung 970 EVO Plus, Samsung 850 Evo
Display(s) Samsung C24FG73 144Hz 1080p
Case Fractal Design Meshify C
Audio Device(s) Steelseries Arctis 3
Power Supply Superflower Leadex II Gold 650W
Mouse Steelseries Rival 600
Keyboard Steelseries Apex 7
Software Windows 11 Pro
Seems ideal for indulging in the many musical pleasures derived from Britney Spears and Taylor Swift.
 
Top