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Master Class: Optimize Home Sound System
I am especially pleased to present a detailed blog from one of our valued customers: Alain Lüthi. 🙌🙏🤩
I sincerely thank Alain for his work and hope the article also inspires other customers and readers of our blog! And without further ado, I hand over directly to Alain:
1) What is my article about?
This is a detailed analysis of my HiFi audio system. The article describes the synergy of a system optimized for "mastering"-type transparency. I describe every step in detail, from the electrical infrastructure through the software to the integration of the Swiss PSI Audio monitors.
The idea is to highlight the complexity and critical points (both technical and financial) of such a configuration.
2) What was the goal of this optimization?
My goal was to realize a childhood dream: to eliminate all "bottlenecks" (temporal or electrical) to achieve complete homogeneity.
I aimed for a professional standard with surgical precision and absolute transparency without any coloration.
In summary, I aim for a listening experience as close as possible to the original recording – realistic, natural, and without fatigue – for pure enjoyment.
Finally, using a PC offers flexibility (software, video, games, music) and processing options (HTTP server, filtering, etc.) that a conventional audio streamer cannot provide.
However, it remains complex to supply the DAC from a PC with extremely high quality; but when done correctly, this approach achieves everything an audiophile streamer can do or even surpasses it.
High-fidelity analysis: audio system & configuration
This report describes in detail the synergies of a HiFi audio chain optimized for transparent mastering, which includes the electrical infrastructure, deterministic software architecture, native digital I²S transport, high-precision DAC conversion, and electroacoustic integration via active Swiss monitors, aiming to eliminate temporal or electrical bottlenecks.
1. Electrical infrastructure & digital source
Optimization begins with energy management and the separation of data streams within the server.
A. Electrical connection and distribution
• Separation of cables: Using an iFi PowerStation for the digital area and an Oehlbach XXL 909 for the analog area creates a barrier against mutual interference. The digital area (PC, DAC) does not feed its switching noise back into the power supply of the active speakers.
• Power supply Asus ROG Loki 1200W Titanium: This component is the heart of the server. Its Titanium certification ensures an AC/DC conversion of surgical purity. It operates in fanless mode up to a load of 40% and eliminates all mechanical vibrations and EMI contamination associated with the fan motor, thus providing the "electrical silence" essential for high resolution.
E.g. Software architecture (Ubuntu 25.10 & CCD separation)
• Hardware determinism: Unlike a standard operating system, here the complete separation of the CCDs (Core Complex Die) of the AMD processor physically isolates the audio area. The operating system and background tasks run on one group of cores, while the audio stream (Strawberry / Pipewire) is pinned to core 23.
• Data flow: This architecture eliminates intercommunication latencies (Infinity
Fabric) and makes the use of a low-latency core unnecessary. The PC no longer behaves like a multitasking computer but like a deterministic streaming server.
2. Digital transmission: From PC to DAC (I²S path)
Here the temporal precision of the system is decided. The data stream does not pass through an error correction protocol (USB/SPDIF) that could alter the phase.
E.g. Bridge Pink Faun I²S (PCIe output)
The signal leaves the PC via a special PCIe interface. The great advantage is the direct connection to the system bus, which prevents packet loss and random re-clocking
of the USB is avoided. The highly precise clocks of Pink Faun clock the signal at the source.
The data stream is maintained in native 32-bit. The technical validation is absolute: Any attempt to force the DAC to 16 or 24 bits results in a mono signal, proving that the I²S bus is saturated with bit-accurate data, without requiring software manipulation.
E.g. Interface Ian Canada Solo Pro & Supercapacitors
The Ian Canada Solo Pro module is placed between the main power supply and the card
Pink Faun I²S switched. It fulfills an important function: It replaces a switching power supply that
may cause interference noise, through a sophisticated linear solution that
is supported by supercapacitors.
The filtering by supercapacitors offers an output impedance of almost zero, which is far below that of conventional linear or switching power supplies. This property enables an immediate response to transient current draws
the highly precise clocks of Pink Faun, which are extremely sensitive to the stability of the power supply.
By suppressing phase noise and providing an immediate energy reserve for dynamic peaks, this module stabilizes the stereo image in a spectacular way and lets even the smallest details emerge from an absolutely silent background.
It is an indispensable link for experienced audiophiles, as it ensures electrical purity even before the start of the digital-to-analog conversion.
C. Ferrum Conversion (Wandla + Hypsos)
The choice of the DAC Ferrum Wandla GoldenSound Edition and its hybrid power supply Hypsos follows the logic of an extremely transparent and coherent chain.
The synergy between Hypsos and Wandla enables the DAC to achieve improved dynamics and an almost nonexistent background noise. Known for their transparency and
Musicality known Ferrum products feature specially developed digital filters created in collaboration with Signalyst (HQPlayer).
Unlike the sometimes "clinical" sound signature of ESS Sabre chips, the custom implementation of the Wandla combined with these HQ filters offers a natural, airy sound without harshness, preventing any listening fatigue.
The additional GoldenSound Add-on module refines this result by minimizing pre-echo artifacts and giving the timbres a touch of warmth and natural texture, ideally complementing the pursuit of surgical neutrality while remaining analog and pleasant to the ear.
3. Electroacoustic integration and environment
The chain does not end at the cables but extends to the room structure and the decoupling of the transducers.
A. Monitoring PSI Audio A23-M (Air installation)
The PSI Audio A23-M speakers are active, fully analog three-way monitors, individually handcrafted and calibrated in Switzerland, guaranteeing sound reproduction of exceptional precision. Their technical design is based on advanced proprietary technologies:
• AOI (Adaptive Output Impedance):
This patented system continuously controls the movement of the speakers and cancels out their natural resonance to ensure a sound without any coloration.
• CPR (Compensated Phase Response):
This technology uses analog all-pass filters to adjust the acoustic phase
to perfectly match all speakers (8" woofer, 4.7" midrange, 3.9" tweeter) and thus ensures a stable stereo image, precise positioning of sound sources, and incredible depth of the soundstage (p. 2).
• Class G/H and AB amplification:
The integrated triple amplification offers a total power of over 400 W (310 + 120 + 55 W peak) and enables fast transient reproduction and a high dynamic range of up to 122 dB SPL max, which is essential for precise monitoring. Its frequency response is flat from 34 Hz to 23 kHz (-6 dB).
Through the "airy" installation on isoacoustic stands, complemented by 20 mm synthetic fiber on an MDF base, this triple decoupling prevents any transmission of vibrational energy to the furniture (desk).
The result is an absolutely stable soundstage, where even the smallest details stand out from a
absolutely silent environment to emerge, without any coloration from "box sound" or surface resonances.
B. Balanced acoustic treatment (multilayered)
The environment is designed as an extension of the room, with a heterogeneous density distribution to avoid the "dull" and lifeless sound of overprocessed studios:
• Rear treatment (140 mm distance):
The combination of 80 mm mineral wool (100 kg/m³) behind 60 mm synthetic fiber
(40 kg/m³), arranged in a "W" shape, creates a complex wave trap. This density variation and the rear air space allow for linear absorption of the lower midrange and lower spectrum.
• Treatment of ceiling and walls:
The perforated drywall ceiling with 120 mm crossed mineral wool handles the
vertical standing waves. The 10 mm thick wall covering made of synthetic fiber absorbs the primary high-frequency reflections without damping the overall acoustics.
• Frontal diffusion:
Placed at ear level, it feeds diffuse energy back into the room, thus creating a
A sense of space and airiness, essential for an intimate listening experience.
C. Synergy and overall balance.
The strength of the system lies in the fact that there are no "weak links."
The balance between raw electrical power (Loki 1200 W), precise digital transmission (I²S 32-bit / Pink Faun), and heterogeneous acoustic control creates a tool for playback with surgical precision.
It's no longer about audiophile listening, but about transparency in mastering, where every change in parameters (operating system, filter, or placement) becomes immediately audible.
4. Final conclusion
The system achieves a rare level of technical excellence.
The homogeneity between the physical separation of currents (CCD, native 32-bit I²S), the purity of the supercapacitor power supply, and the multilayer acoustic treatment (140 mm heterogeneous rear, cross ceiling) creates a highly precise listening environment.
The synergy between the PSI Audio A23-M monitors, their patented analog technology (AOI/CPR), and the highly optimized digital source makes this system the benchmark for private mastering and offers a sound experience of exceptional transparency and naturalness, found otherwise only in professional studios.
The heart of this balance is the DAC Ferrum Wandla, whose unique flexibility allows emotions not to be sacrificed for precision.
Thanks to the integration of Signalyst filters (HQPlayer), it offers an unmatched range of adjustments in its category: it can be absolutely neutral or take on a more organic signature (Impact, Tube, or Gauss filter modes), depending on the project's requirements or the listener's preferences.
Ultimately, this system does not just reproduce music without artifacts, but through its open architecture allows creating a sound image that is both precise and deeply human, adapting with impressive naturalness to every work.
4. Technical appendix: System preparation guide
A. BIOS & GRUB
• BIOS:
Global C-state Disabled,
DF C-States Disabled,
Curve Optimizer -35,
Thermal limit 85°C.
• GRUB:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash skew_tick=1
isolcpus=12-23 nohz_full=12-23 rcu_nocbs=12-23 mce=off
threadirqs".
B. Optimization script optimize_audio.sh
This script locks the sound to core 23 (validated by the 32-bit mono/stereo handshake of the DAC).
C. Procedure for installing the script
bash
sudo mv /home/alain/optimize_audio.sh /usr/local/bin/
sudo chown root:root /usr/local/bin/optimize_audio.sh
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/optimize_audio.sh
(sudo crontab -l ; echo "@reboot /usr/local/bin/optimize_audio.sh") | sudo crontab -e
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