AfterDark. Project ClayX Giesemann KARMANN Server x HANDHARTILO SERIES

The Giesemann KARMANN Server x HANDHARTILO SERIES - Emperor Double Crown Limited Edition    

This version is designed with high performance at low power TDP CPU from Intel. We have managed to sources the latest 13th generation, the best Intel CPU for Audiophiles, but in limited supplies. This version of CPU can ensure the Music Server running at modernate heat, running fanless to performs most of the complex instruction and upsampling calculation for HQplayer.   

To ensure we have the best sounding for the hardwares, we performs a lot of trial and errors and research effort since 2021. AfterDark. are ambition to build something very unique in the market for Music Server. Therefore, we start to look into the motherboards and card and tried to design a tailor made chassis for music server for audiophile. 

We are innovator to build tailor made products which is years ahead to most of the commercial brand product. So, we invest time for our R&D teams to invent a Giesemann Clock Sync Module (GCSM) to generate the best clocking signal to the motherboard for the heart of Intel PCH chipset, which is critical to generates all the reference clock for CPU, PCIe, DMI, I/O and TSC. The GCSM is designed to achieved the highest quality of clocking performance for all the components to the motherboard and PCIe cards.  

With the Giesemann External Reference Master Clock 10M input. The Giesemann Clock Sync Modules (GCSM) will generate the Reference Clock Signal at 38.4Mhz for the Intel PCH Chipset (PLL), the above graph shows how important this 38.4Mhz is. This single frequency will provide the reference point for all the process at the CPU, PCIe, DMI, I/O, All cores, and RAM frequencies will take into account. 

In additional, the onboard LAN USB card and SFP Card will be OCXO optimised by GCSM.  

We designed to use the external power supply for powering the Music Server. This make the EMI and electronic noise much lower, while maintains the lowest heat inside the chassis and this make the huge differences on sounding.  

The KARMANN Server - Emperor Double Crown version will be build with Intel 13th generation Low TDP CPU with 14 core and 32GB RAM industrial custom modules for lowest latency and digitial signal transfer.

Selection of Audiophile Motherboard and tweaks with Audio Components

We choose the Industrial Motherboard after we listen with it carefully at the system. It is always good to apply some Audio Grade Capacitor for the power section for the RAM and this is significant improvement for  sounding. We selected to use the Non-Polar version of Audio Capacitor from Frolyt made by Germany. The sound is much smoother and provide darker background. 

The BIOS will be tweaked with CPU under clocking and Memory under clocking, we always keep the electronic to be run in under clock and maintains moderate heat for CPU and Memory. This keep the music server in optimial sound quality and impoves harmonic sonics and were able to tweaks in BIOS levels on motherboard.

High performance Pressive heatsink with latest Graphene Technologies 

Thermal transport in graphene is 14 times compared to thermal conductivity in copper, the server temperature will be much lower with high performance heat transfer from CPU.  

High performance Pressive heatsink  

The heat from CPU and motherboard will be transfer via the top of the Carbon Fiber Top plate. 

What is special on KARMANN - Emperor Double Crown?

• Windows 11 OS is pre-installed in the seperate 1.0TB M.2 industrial grade SSD to reduce time latency and fastest performance in indexing for Roon Server application
• Standard Included: Music Storage 8TB SSD made by Samsung for storage the master grade music files, the SSD can provide more smoother sounding and no noise when comparing HDD. 
• AfterDark. Giesemann Clock Sync (GCS) 10M Master Clock modules is pre-installed to provide the best clock signal to the motherboard, and PCIe card, to ensure all music is transfer in lowest time latency. 
• SFP modules can be connect directly to latest EtherREGEN gen2 to provide physical isolation from server to switch. 
• Flexible design to run software router in VMs with 1 Lan ports and 2 SFP ports configuration. 
• Fanless designed on all modules with no noise 
• All BIOS is heavily tweaks and sound tuning software including the Fidelizer Pro is full licensed and tuned by AfterDark which improve music playback in more organic ways. 
• With the helps of heavily downsized OS with much less process, the music server can boots up in just 4 seconds. 
• Power Supply from external LPS with 19V 7A 
• Plug and Play for music lover. 

KARMANN Server will be the very first Music Server in the market which is build in SFP Fiber NIC Adaptor with OCXO clock build inside for motherboard. 

SFP ports is OCXO Optimised with 10M Reference Master Clock Input and 12V DC port at the right 

Intel I350 Dual Port 1G SFP Ethernet Card SE edition for Giesemann KARMANN MINI Server

Highlights: 

• Fanless design, No Noise, Carbon Fiber Panel (Top, Front and Back) 
• Build in AFTERDARK. CONSTELLATION GIESEMANN S1 DUAL SFP ETHERNET SERVER ADAPTER
• Build in Giesemann OCXO clock - Grade Prince (Optional) for Giesemann S1 DUAL SFP NIC
• Windows OS is heavily optimised with Fidelizer Pro 8.10 and MinorityClean preinstalled on M.2 512GB SSD 
• Samsung 8TB SSD as storage for standard configuration
• Samsung 15.6' OLED Panel - AfterDark. Portable Screen for display music album (Optional) 
• AfterDark. Diretta Host / Roon Server preinstalled in Windows 11 Professional
• AfterDark. LPS Power Supply 19V 7A

The Karmann Server will be power by external 19V LPS 7A.

Modules Specification:

• Black Modernize Carbon Fiber Anti-Resonance Plate is made of 6mm front / 3mm back thickness of Carbon Fiber Audiophile MAT for EMI shielding and Anti-Resonance for mission critical application for Audiophile Music Server. The will prevent external noise from getting to the Lan Port, and the high performance density of Carbon Fiber Shield to further prevent the ingress of noise (RFI, etc.) and increase stabilization during Roon streaming application.
• Black Modernize Connection Interface Upgrade provide maximum flexibility and enhance Noise Isolated performance with propriety “LAN input for Audio” and “Optical Lan Isolator” for audiophile audio connection.
• Black Constellation (CFS) Optical Fiber Audio Lan Isolator Performance Modules, this Lan Isolator interface is upgraded with 1G SFP Finisar Industrial Grade Optical Module and Commercial Grade Commscope Single Mode  Optical Fiber Cable to provide the best data transfer with much “less error rate” to provide the best audio performance for Lan Isolation application. The separate Linear Power Supplywas used to provide the best audio performance with less signal to noise background. The micro details and soundstage on Hi-Res Audio will improves significantly.
• Project ClayX Duelund Cable will be used for internal DC power wire.
• Black Modernize Linear Power Supply is recommended to eliminate the EMI interference and provide more stable audiophile grade power supply for audiophile music server.
• Extra anti EMI-absorber material was placed on the RAM Slot, to eliminate the signal noise and better separation to avoid EMI interference for mission critical Audiophile Music Server application.

• The “Carbonized Screw” was used to fix the position on Black Modernize Carbon Fiber Anti-Resonance Plate for Audiophile Music Server.
• All hand made by AfterDark.

S13J-X Ultimate CD Ripping Device can be installed as optional adds on. 

Specification:

Chassis  : Fanless design, 3mm Aluminum polished chassis,  completely passive cooled for silent operation improving resonance control and heat dissipation  

CPU  : Intel 13th generations 14 cores CPU / Low TDP Special Edition 

Ram  : 32GB custom industrial module with EMI Shielding Material (Standard Included)

System  : Custom Audio Optimized Windows-based 11 OS, Fully tweaked BIOS, Ultralow Jitter and very low latency

Audio Output  : USB

Storage  : Industrial M.2 SSD 1TB (Read: 7450MB/s Write: 6900MB/s) with Windows 11 OS, Standard Included Music SSD storage 8TB Samsung SSD 

Audio Formats supported  : WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, MP3, DSD, MQA supported audio formats

Software Compatibility  : Roon, HQplayer, Audirvana, JRiver, JPlay

Connections  : External connections consist of 1 HDMI, 1 Display Port, 2 USB ports, 1 LAN ports on board. 2 SFP 1G Connection  

Power Input : 19V DC 2.5mm Jack

Power Supply for Giesemann Clock Sync Module: 12V DC 2A required. 

Remote Access  : Remote setup and maintenance

Color Options  : Silver and Black 

Dimensions  : 430 × 308 × 90mm (W x D x H)

Weight  : Around 10kg