A bit more on the LS-NAS. First, I did promise photos so here they are:
The first photo is the inside from the top with the front panel off to show the fan mounting. The second is with the right side removed (with the front toward you). As you can see this gives access to the drive bays and the SATA ports as well as (somewhat) to the RAM. It does make it convenient to swap SATA cables, drives, etc.
The third is the front panel which, as you can see, looks just as good and sensible upside down (as I use it and it is in the photo) as it would right side up.
I said earlier I would talk a bit about the case once I got things sorted out. I'll start out saying there are some caveats, which I will cover, involved in using this case. But I will also say that, if this case were sold by a known manufacturer with the normal level of quality control, packaging, instructions, etc. and were available from the normal outlets like NewEgg and Tiger Direct, I would unhesitatingly recommend it as likely the best choice for the LS-NAS. There are several reasons for this. First, it is all pretty solid aluminum with the top and bottom 3mm thick, the sides 4mm thick and the front 8mm thick. Second, it handles all that we need to put in there including the standard ATX power supply mounted to the back panel, MiniATX MB, a 140mm fan and up to 7 drives (4-3.5" and 3-2.5"). Third, it is very quiet even with the fan on the front panel. Fourth, it comes with big 3M stick-on feet (although I used Linn feet) so you can decide which side you want to be the top. (I have found Klaus recommendation to have the MB horizontal but upside down to be most musical.)
So it really does have some ideal qualities. In addition you have the option of mounting SSDs either in the drive bays with 3.5" adapters and the rubber isolated plastic rails or directly to the aluminum on the right side panel (2) and the top cross brace (1). I haven't tested the mounting options yet but hope to do so in the future.
Now to the caveats. One, I had to order this direct from Hong Kong through one of only two companies that sells it to the US and only one was actually able to supply it. Two, the packaging was abysmal and not enough to protect it properly - one piece of cardboard tightly wrapped around the case and taped up with no padding. In my case the front and top panels were damaged. Three, the quality control is poor. My first front panel had a few unevenly drilled ventilation holes and one of the mounting holes for the fan was not properly made (too big and no threads). My first top plate had a long, deep scratch on it that appeared to have been there before it was packed. Also the holes on the back panel for mounting the PS unit were not all in the right place - I had to drill two of them into an oblong shape to fit the PS. Four, although it came with more plastic rails and screws than you could possibly use, it came with no instructions - not even how the power switch and light should be connected (I found a photo online that allowed me to figure it out).
So this isn't just a quick and easy, buy it and you're good to go, case. I was able to have the seller send me replacement front and top panels but I did have to pay additional shipping of $28US. The front had all the holes properly aligned and the right mounting holes for the fan. It did have a few scratches but they were all on the inside so I am happy with it. The top was better but still had a scratch in it although it looked like it might have happened at a customs inspection. As the scratch was much smaller and shallower than the original, and also as the top panel is the bottom panel the way I am using it, I decided it wasn't worth getting another replacement. But, again, with a little work I was able to make a really fine LS-NASA with it and each panel can be removed from the framework separately so you can access whatever part of the unit you need to.
If after reading all this you are interested in getting one of these you can PM me and I will give you the info on where to get it. I won't post it here as I don't want to give it a general endorsement. I should mention that it cost me about $165US including shipping plus the $28 for the shipping on the replacements so at $193US total it certainly isn't the least expensive option. But I am pleased with its solidity and flexibility now that I have everything straightened out.
I did a few more listening tests yesterday, some of which were for the CAT6 cables which I covered under the LAN cable thread. The only other thing I tested was unplugging things that I had hooked up to the server to rip a few more CDs. It was interesting how every little thing had a musical effect and that things improved as I unplugged things. It was also interesting the amount of difference. While unplugging the USB mouse and the HDMI monitor made fairly small improvements, unplugging the keyboard plugged into the regular keyboard port made a substantial improvement and unplugging the eSATA to the CD drive improved things as well.
Still haven't been able to get Minim Server running despite re-downloading both it and 64bit Java and despite the fact it seems to think it is working. If I can't figure it out soon I may give up as it didn't sound as musical as Songbox at Salty Dog's house anyway. More to come when I have more cables and can do more tests.
