Rob wrote:

Processor: VIA C3 1GHz
- Nice CPU, good performance (great for Ogg Vorbis), low heat output.
However, I've asked before (as it's quite important for a hi-fi
component) is this fanless? Sure, you're using fanless power supplies,
but there's no indication anywhere that you're using a fanless VIA C3.


It has no fans I seem to remember reading


That's interesting; I read that the power supplies were fanless but I
couldn't find where it gave any details about the CPU. Have you got a
link/reference to hand?


I may have got that bit wrong:

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/assets...lebrochure.pdf

seems to *imply* no fans through brave declaration of no psu fan. I'd
sorta assumed ...



D'oh! The penny should've dropped earlier...

The VIA C3 processor (as used in the 640H) isn't fanless - check out:

http://www.viaembedded.com/product/

....and use the links on the left. The fanless VIA chip (which must be the
one I used before) is the Eden. That's a bit of a shame, as the Eden's
fanless up to speeds of 1GHz (the same speed - on paper - as the C3 in the
640H). I guess there must be some reason for it having the C3 chip - though
I can't think of one.

Guess I'm back to making my own music server... (

Dave Giles wrote:
Rob wrote:


Processor: VIA C3 1GHz
- Nice CPU, good performance (great for Ogg Vorbis), low heat output.
However, I've asked before (as it's quite important for a hi-fi
component) is this fanless? Sure, you're using fanless power supplies,
but there's no indication anywhere that you're using a fanless VIA C3.


It has no fans I seem to remember reading


That's interesting; I read that the power supplies were fanless but I
couldn't find where it gave any details about the CPU. Have you got a
link/reference to hand?


I may have got that bit wrong:

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/assets...lebrochure.pdf

seems to *imply* no fans through brave declaration of no psu fan. I'd
sorta assumed ...



D'oh! The penny should've dropped earlier...

The VIA C3 processor (as used in the 640H) isn't fanless - check out:

http://www.viaembedded.com/product/

...and use the links on the left. The fanless VIA chip (which must be the
one I used before) is the Eden. That's a bit of a shame, as the Eden's
fanless up to speeds of 1GHz (the same speed - on paper - as the C3 in the
640H). I guess there must be some reason for it having the C3 chip - though
I can't think of one.

Guess I'm back to making my own music server... (



That's a nuisance. It still might be worth waiting until it's released -
it may be low noise. My Mac Mini's noisiest thing is the hard disk -
there is a fan on all the time, just very low speed. If the 640H was
similar, that wouldn't be a problem for me.

Incidentally, one slightly misleading photo of the insides of a
Cambridge machine (not the 640H) can be found he

http://www.audioholics.com/ces/CEStr...usicserver.php

OUt of interest (I'm still looking for an elegant way to record LPs and
play back music stored on a computer) what spec would you choose for a
music server?

Rob

In article , Rob wrote:
OUt of interest (I'm still looking for an elegant way to record LPs and
play back music stored on a computer) what spec would you choose for a
music server?

Something with vastly greater storage capacity than any of the current
offerings. This capacity would have to be indefinitely extendable by means
of external pluggable standard disk drives, otherwise it will be out of
date before it even gets to market, which is pretty much what is happening
to the 640H.

The coding method needs looking at too. It seems ludicrous that in the
world of hi-fi audio, where some people fret about the alleged nuances of
loudspeaker cables, anyone could sell a digital recording device that uses
any kind of lossy compression, effectively throwing most of the digits
away.

Think of the 640H, as a large, fixed, mains powered iPod with less than
three times the capacity of the real thing, and you'll probably have some
idea why they're apparently hesitating to put it on the market. It's the
same reason why I would hesitate to buy one unless it offered something
better, like superior quality, portability, or vastly greater storage
capacity. If you can already buy something that can store your entire
record collection in a thing the size of a matchbox and put it in your
pocket, what's the incentive for buying something that can't?

Rod.