Synergistic Research Voodoo Music Server / Transport
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The Voodoo Streamer Server began with the intention of overcoming the last significant barrier separating digital audio from the best turntables and reel-to-reel tape decks. Namely, a sense of compression where digital streaming sounds flatter and with high-frequency limitations when directly compared to the best LPs and tapes. To paraphrase Harry Pearson, “If you want to enjoy digital, don’t listen to analog.” And while we love digital, we couldn’t help but remember Harry’s words every time we performed back-to-back comparisons between our digital rig, especially when streaming on Quboz and Tidal, and our state-of-the-art turntable and tape deck. So, for years, we focused on engineering better digital and AC cables to bring our digital experience closer to what we hear when listening to analog. This quest stretched over two decades, where we engineered some of the world’s highest-performance digital cables, but still, something was missing. So, we turned our attention to the last remaining links in the digital chain, namely, Ethernet Switches and Network Routers. And again, we take a massive leap forward. And again, something is missing. So, we set our sights on the last remaining component in the chain, the server/streamer.
Before the Voodoo project even began, we had amassed an arsenal of technologies that could be used to build the ultimate music streamering server. Namely, EM Cell technology developed and refined over the past fifteen years for our PowerCell line conditioners and Active Ground Block ground conditioners. LPS power supplies also utilizing EM Cell technologies in our Ethernet Switch and Network Router, and ULF bias technology to eliminate high-frequency distortion as first developed for our Galileo PowerCell line conditioner. Serendipitously, we had just perfected these technologies as an ecosystem for digital applications through our UEF Ethernet Router and Ethernet Switch. So we developed the world’s most musically robust server architecture, where we listened to dozens of motherboards, CPU processors, and RAM options in double-blind testing, picking only the most resolved and musical options. We then paired our new computer with our latest LPS technology, refined over the past decade, to power your new Voodoo Streamer/Server. Finally, we adapted the ULF Bias technology from our state-of-the-art Galileo Ground Block and PowerCell line conditioners, which proved to be the ultimate game changer. By overcoming high-frequency noise all too common in digital circuits, we eliminated both digital compression and annoying high-frequency artifacts assumed to be intrinsic to the digital format. Now, instead of digital sounding somewhat veiled and with high-frequency hash, it is analog that sounds spacially compressed with high frequencies that lack extension and transparency.
Circuit, CPU, Memory and Storage: Core Harmony for Peak Performance.
When crafting your new Voodoo Streamer/Server, we utilize the same low mechanical resonance chassis architecture as found in other SR Active Components like our Galileo Active Ground Block and UEF Ethernet Switch. We effectively eliminate vibrational feedback between the chassis and the internal circuits by using thick billets of CNC-machined aircraft aluminum and carbon fiber. To ensure cool and quiet operation without noisy fans, the entire chassis acts as a massive heat sink to dissipate the considerable heat generated by its powerful computer. Even the top screens are machined from bronze with a carbon fiber inlay to boost aesthetic beauty as it improves internal cooling, so your Voodoo server is as quiet and sexy as your system’s now nonexistent noise floor.
Roon Core and Bridge: Navigating the future of digital audio.
The Voodoo Music Streaming Server employs Roon software, known for its user-friendly interface and customizable features, enhancing the overall music listening experience. Roon combines various music sources and provides enriched content like artist bios and lyrics, contributing to its exceptional sound quality. This server, with its integration of Roon, stands out for both its ease of use and the high-quality audio experience it offers.
For the highest possible digital audio quality, use one Voodoo unit as the core and another as the bridge, allowing each unit to focus on their respective functions separately. This setup enhances the overall performance by dedicating each server to a specific task within the digital audio playback process.
EM Cell Technology: Resonance Refined, Purity Defined.
The Patented EM Cell technology, exclusive to Synergistic Research, stands as an integral feature of the Voodoo Music Streaming Server. Developed over 15 years, this patented technology has been refined through its application in a variety of our products, from power and ground conditioners to digital devices such as the UEF Ethernet Switch and UEF Network Router. In each implementation, this technology has evolved and advanced, demonstrating our commitment to andvancing audio performance.
Within your Voodoo Server, EM Cell’s condition its DC power supply and computer circuitry. This targeted action significantly reduces noise, allowing for a pristine sound that brings you closer to the heart of the music. Its proven efficacy in our other products has informed its integration into the Voodoo Server, ensuring a listening experience that’s both authentic and immersive.
FEQ Low Frequency Generator: Tuning the Pulse of Your Audio Experience.
How to Calibrate Your Voodoo Streamer Server for Best Sound Quality
The Voodoo Streamer Server comes equipped with a tunable ULF circuit that allows you to fine-tune its sonic balance to better match your system, personal preferences, as well as the type of music you enjoy listening to. This is achieved by selecting between Blue, Red, and Green frequencies, with the option to turn off the ULF generator entirely.
Selecting your Frequency Options
Blue (Default): This option offers a laid-back midrange with a linear transition of notes from low frequencies to midrange to highs, creating a large and enveloping sound stage.
Green: The midrange is slightly more forward compared to the Blue option, with a bit more bass emphasis.
Red: This option is recommended when listening to music that is mixed with a lot of phase information in a holographic or psychedelic sound stage. Think Pink Floyd, Kruder & Dorfmeister, hip-hop, or any electronic genre with a large and three dimensional sound stage. Or any recording mixed and mastered for soundstaging will take on surreal holographic dimensions with the Red option selected. It can also be used with some classical and large-scale recordings, but experimentation is advised.
Choosing the Right Option
The subjective changes in sound are the result of altering the ambient RF environment, which affects the circuit, rather than contouring the frequencies or the data stream itself. Therefore, it’s essential to choose the ULF option that makes the music sound best to you.
For the vast majority of listening, you’ll likely prefer the Blue or Green frequency options, depending on various factors in your system that are too random to isolate to a single recommendation. It’s recommended to compare and pick the base— Blue or Green option that sounds most natural and pleasing to your ears in your specific setup.
Remember, the key is to experiment and find the setting that provides the most enjoyment
Ground Plane Technology: Channeling Clarity, Grounding the Noise.
The Patented EM Cell technology, exclusive to Synergistic Research, stands as an integral feature of the Voodoo Music Streaming Server. Developed over 15 years, this patented technology has been refined through its application in a variety of our products, from power and ground conditioners to digital devices such as the SR Ethernet Switch UEF and Network Router UEF. In each implementation, it has been evolved and advanced, demonstrating our commitment to progressive audio enhancement.
Within the Voodoo Server, EM Cell’s condition the DC power supply and computer circuitry. This targeted action significantly reduces noise, allowing for a pristine sound that brings listeners closer to the heart of the music. Its proven efficacy in our other products has informed its integration into the Voodoo Server, ensuring a listening experience that’s both authentic and immersive.
SR Master Fuse installed: Beauty is in the eye of the fuse holder.
Features
- Integrated Roon OS: Built from the ground up to operate natively as a dedicated Roon Core or a standalone network bridge.
- Patented EM Cell Conditioning: Utilizes internal electromagnetic cells to condition the computer hardware and DC power lines, drastically lowering digital jitter.
- Tunable ULF Generator: Features a multi-setting ultra-low frequency circuit with Blue, Green, and Red adjustments to fine-tune the system's soundstage and midrange focus.
- Fanless Liquid-Cooled CPU: Cools the internal computer architecture silently using a proprietary liquid system and heavy copper heat sinks, eliminating mechanical noise.
- Aircraft-Grade Solid Chassis: CNC-machined from heavy blocks of aircraft aluminum, carbon fiber, and bronze to control structural resonances.
- Internal Ground Plane: Employs an advanced grounding matrix that drains high-frequency noise away from the sensitive digital audio circuits.
- Pre-installed Master Fuse: Equipped from the factory with Synergistic Research's top-tier Master Fuse for improved micro-dynamics and transparency.
- Atmosphere SX Euphoria Cable: Shipped alongside a reference-grade power cord featuring its own active shielding and tuning modules.
- Dual-Unit Link Capability: Supports a master/bridge network configuration where one Voodoo acts strictly as the server and a second unit handles audio rendering.
- Made in USA
Specifications
- Hardware Platform: Built using an MSI MPG B650i Edge Wi-Fi motherboard modified with audiophile-grade capacitors, paired with an AMD Ryzen 7000/8000/9000 series desktop processor.
- Power Supply Structure: Features a custom-designed, low-noise linear power supply (LPS) equipped with four independently shielded toroidal transformers and 12 high-capacity electrolytic capacitors.
- Digital Connectivity: Includes 1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet input port and 2 x USB Type-A ports (one dedicated as a low-noise digital audio out to your DAC, and one for external SSD storage expansions).
- Analog Ground Integration: Outfitted with a dedicated Ground Plane connection terminal designed to link directly into an external Synergistic Research Active Ground Block.
- Internal Storage Options: Ships standard with a high-speed M.2 SSD configured at 500GB, 2TB, or 8TB depending on the tier ordered.
- Physical Controls: Features a front-panel toggle selector for the multi-preset ULF bias frequency generator (Blue, Green, Red, and Off) alongside a hardware manual reset button on the back panel.
- Dimensions: Measures 46 cm wide × 29.2 cm deep × 8.5 cm high (18.1" W × 11.5" D × 3.35" H).
- Weight: Weighs exactly 12.25 kg (27 lbs).
- Bundled Accessories: Ships out-of-the-box with an audiophile SR Master Fuse pre-installed, a 5-foot Atmosphere SX Euphoria power cable, and a set of three MiG 4.0 isolation footers
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About
Synergistic Research is an American high-end audio manufacturer founded in 1992 by Ted Denney in California, recognized for its handcrafted power conditioners, active cables, acoustic treatments, and UEF tuning accessories. The brand rejects the idea of passive connectivity, employing a holistic "total system approach" that relies on active electromagnetic biasing, 1,000,000-volt Quantum Tunneling material treatments, and advanced graphene integration to optimize the electrical and acoustic environment. Their premium product ecosystem—ranging from the single-outlet PowerCell ONE and multi-outlet PowerCell SX line to their widely utilized Purple and Master UEF fuses—is engineered to aggressively lower the system noise floor and maximize dynamic range without introducing traditional current-limiting restrictions.