AfterDark. Project ClayX Giesemann KARMANN HQPlayer x Diretta Server

The new development of Giesemann Karmann HQPlayer x Diretta Server

The Giesemann HQPlayer Server is made to order along with audiophiles's mind. A music lover who requires state of art Music Server designed to deliver the most relax and high quality music for digital streaming music and enhance music playback and DSD upsampling with HQPlayer. 

We have been emerging from years of researching, comparing the audio components and listening the impression from audiophiles which having huge improvement with Giesemann 10M Master Clock for audio optimisations. The Giesemann Server is the culmination of what is possible to pursuit in the field of music servers.   

This is the very first Auidophile product in the market on HQplayer Music Server to support external 10M Master Clock input. 

This version is equipped the high performance with low powered TDP CPU from Intel. We have managed deal with the large vendor to have access for this special CPU to build the new Music Server for Audiophile. 
 

The server will build with Intel CPU 14th generation is a breakthrough with 10nm specifications, the latest technologies can ensure the Music Server running at moderate heat, the build in Nvidia Cuda GPU card is installed to performs most of the complex instruction and DSD 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. 

Pushing the limit of material technologies and craftmanship.

It combines many technological breakthroughs with use of carbon fiber, and selection of chassis material, finding an extreme high quality of OCXO and reaching the measureable limited of high precision measuring equipment. Only the best Audio Grade components is selected from the most respected vendors, and customise design from the audiophile points of view and prospective.  

As you may know, every devices we made is build by hand with high precision equipments. From the best screw driver from PB Swiss Tools, best Soldering devices from Weller, electronic driver from Fein. Every single hand build process, giving equal attention to resonance control, reliability, and user-friendly.  

AfterDark. Giesemann Clock Sync Module (GCSM) 

The standard Intel Raptor Lake platform has a 38.4MHz crystal as a reference clock to the PCH. The PCH then generates three clock freqencies:

• 38.4 MHz reference clock for the CPU internal clock generator
• 100MHz PCIBCLK for PCIe, DMI, and I/O
• 24MHz frequency for TSC, display, and SVID controller

When connecting 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 build in LAN & USB as well as USB and SFP Card will be OCXO optimised by GCSM. 

The server will be build with Intel 14th generation Low TDP CPU  and 32GB DDR5 4800Mhz RAM industrial custom modules for lowest latency and digitial signal transfer.

Selection of Audiophile Motherboard and tweaks with Audio Components

We choose the Motherboard after we listen with it carefully at the system. It is always good to apply some EMI Shielding for the power section for the RAM and this is significant improvement for  sounding. We selected to use the lowest latency of DDR5 RAM. As a result, 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.

The Mundorf Capacitor will be applied on Giesemann Clock Sync Modules for sound tuning and optimisation. This special tweak help us to improvement the clock signal much smoother to all cards and motherboard. 

All ports on USB and LAN modules will be bypass the internal clock with Giesemann Clock Sync Module (GCSM)

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. 

Ever heard of 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.

Generate Lowest Phase Noise and Latency with Giesemann OCXO 10M Reference Master Clock 

The Giesemann Reference is build for bit perfect with lowest jitter design. With bit perfect streaming, system latency becomes a a significant part of the resulting sound quality.

In the hardware level design, we focused on pushing the limited with the use of single external master clock, and provide sync with the clock inputs on the Motherboard. 

In the software level design, we focused on providing the lowest latency possible for every instruction or set of instructions the server has to manage. The operating system has been optimised and run under the latest development with Windows 11 OS, it is to ensure single core CPU isolation process is activated of what is absolutely needed to run music services.  

Selection of SSD for System OS with ultra low latency for music

Lower latency and much lower system noise overall, will improve micro details at the backgrounds, huge space redition and brings an ease to the music playback.

For music storage, audiophile can select the volume from 2TB up to 8TB Samsung SSD for local music playback. 

What is special on Giesemann Karmann HQplayer?

• 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
• Addtional Music Storage can be made to order. The Samsung SSD will be used to storage on 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 Card is build in the music server and the SFP modules can be connect directly to NETone Switch to provide physical isolation from server to switch. 
• All BIOS is heavily tweaks and sound tuning softwsre 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. 
• Full ATX motherboard for more flexible and mutliple card can be installed. 
• Build in power supply 
• 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. 

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 SFP Lan Isolator” for audiophile audio connection.
• Black Constellation Optical SFP Performance Modules, this SFP modules is recommended to with Finisar Industrial Grade 1G 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 optical. The Linear Power Supply is 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.
• 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.

High performance Pressive heatsink with latest Graphene Technologies 

Graphene was properly isolated and characterized in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester. They pulled graphene layers from graphite with a common adhesive tape in a process called either micromechanical cleavage or the Scotch tape technique. The graphene flakes were then transferred onto thin silicon dioxide (silica) layer on a silicon plate ("wafer"). The silica electrically isolated the graphene and weakly interacted with it, providing nearly charge-neutral graphene layers. The silicon beneath the SiO could be used as a "back gate" electrode to vary the charge density in the graphene over a wide range. This work resulted in the two winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene."

Thermal transport in graphene is an active area of research, which has attracted attention because of the potential for thermal management applications. Following predictions for graphene and related carbon nanotubes, early measurements of the thermal conductivity of suspended graphene reported an exceptionally large thermal conductivity up to 5300 W⋅m⁻¹⋅K⁻¹ . That is 14 times compared to thermal conductivity in copper, the server temperature will be much lower with high performance heat transfer from CPU. 

Specification:

Chassis  : 3mm Aluminum polished chassis, carbon fiber build   

CPU  : Intel 14th generations CPU with Low TDP Special Edition 

Ram  : 32GB DDR5 3200Mhz custom industrial module with EMI Shielding Material  (Standard Included) 

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

Tweak softwares for CPU and software single core optimisation:  MajorClean. 

Audio Output  : USB  / Lan ports / SFP ports 

Storage  : Samsung SSD  

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

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

Connections  : External connections consist of 1 HDMI, 1 Display Port , 6 USB ports, 1 LAN ports on board and 2 SFP ports at 1G Connection  

Power Supply: GaN ATX power supply

Remote Access  : Remote setup and maintenance

Color Options  : Silver and Black 

Dimensions  : 430 × 360 × 90mm (W x D x H)

Weight  : Around 10kg