“As a long time audiophile, I recently became interested in building a PC to use a source component to my Audio Logic triode tube DAC and Jolida 502A integrated tube amplifier. Audiophile grade software is now available to rip CDs to bit perfect FLAC format. Upon playback, digital audio is output through an asynchronous USB connection to an external interface that re-clocks the signal and transmits it to the DAC over an AES/EBU or coaxial connection. High resolution audio files are also available on various web sites with sample rates of 96Khz or higher, which far exceed the audio quality of CDs.

When it came time to pick a case for a PC that would look at home as part of a high-end audio system, I was disappointed to find that most HTPC cases look cheap and flimsy alongside audio components that have a very high build quality. After an exhaustive search, I was delighted to find the line of Streacom HTPC cases available from Quiet PC.com. I selected the FC5 Alpha fanless case for my build, and outfitted it with the internal power supply, a mini itx motherboard, i3 processor, and solid state drives resulting in a totally silent PC. The quality of the Streacom case is top notch. The black, shot blasted finish is flawless and the thick aluminum panels and massive heat sinks look perfect alongside my other audio components. A single white LED over the power switch is the only indication that the PC is on. The PC boots in seconds and my entire music library is accessible with a touch from an android tablet. The Streacom case was well packaged and arrived in perfect condition. I would highly recommend this case to anyone interested in getting into high end, computer-based audio.”