Best music server for the money

Please check out the Baetis Revolution; it is far superior to any options thus far listed and has more features and flexibility than the Antipodes for less money. I believe it was reviewed in the February Absolute Sound and received rave reviews. If you buy it, you will learn quickly that the rush to DSD DACs is premature and high resolution files including DSD files sound better through the Baetis BNC connection and played back in PCM than DSD and high resolution sound sent over a USB and played back in DSD format. This is the secret in audio that so few computer audio reviewers, let alone consumers have figured out. Baetis is educating the masses; please do your homework and call them to discuss my claims, they will explain it better than I ever could.

Septmous, in the sub $3k there is nothing even close to the Baetis Revelation II. The design of taking the sound right off the motherboard; the flexibility of 8 USB connectors; six of which are 3.0; a BNC out right from the mother board; wifi capable if you want it. Nothing comes close to design, quality and flexibility. If attending the Newport Show, please visit room 608 at the Hilton; the Baetis will be used as his digital server and Jonny Wilson can answer most questions about it. Steve N is a dealer for the Antipode, but it is rudimentary and obsolete in its design, but he pushes it anyway because he's a dealer. I have 11T of music attached to my Baetis now with room for one more 4T HD external drive. This player also plays back Blue Ray discs beautifully. Don't buy any of the other recommendations until you do your home work and research and listen to a Baetis. An updated Reference version is in the works and will be released sometime this fall.

Most computers are not built for sound and surely not high audio quality sound. The Baetis is the first to built with sound in mind first. The Baetis team listened to the sound of different mother boards and decided which to use first. There is not sound card in the Baetis like a computer. The sound comes directly off the mother board to a BNC out connection. The Baetis has a fan inside, but again, they chose carefully which to use and you can't hear it unless you are a foot away. They measured the sound decibels from the unit to be sure it would not be distracting from the listening seat like some computers are. On the back you have toslink, USB and BNC outs from the unit. Computers don't have these unless you install them custom. The Baetis does have a solid state internal drive but has 6 USB connections on the back and 2 on the front with six being 3.0. There is also WiFi capability if you want or an ethernet if you want a hard internet connection. I put my Baetis against my friend's computer audio systems anytime and think I will have the better sounding unit since its goal is good sound first and a good computer second.