Malaysia customers, please read this
The online store is designed for international customers. For customers in Malaysia, please contact us directly so that we can waive 5% PayPal charges if you pay by direct bank in for purchase of new items.
International shipping
We allow customers to select UPS, DHL Express, or FedEx for international shipments. Shipment cost calculator and address verification are integrated in our online store, hence the international shipment costs will be shown after a valid address has been entered. DHL Express may show up as the cheapest shipping option for most countries.
How long after order placed will the goods be shipped?
Since our business model is build-to-order, there will be some lead time depending on the backlog. We will communicate through email on the expected ship date.
When order is placed online, payment is authorized. Payment is charged when ready to ship. We receive payment after the tracking number has been entered.
Exchange Rate
All products are priced in Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). When you make credit card payment, we recommend you compare and select the better rate between credit card doing the exchange rate versus payment gateway (i.e. Stripe) doing the exchange rate. The exchange rate is based on the date the payment is charged (the day of shipping), not the date the order was placed.
Import Duties
Buyer needs to pay import duties and other taxes such as VAT in your country. Tax clearance will be done by the courier company you selected during checkout. The courier company will notify the duties amount due before delivery.
A few countries have reasonably high De Minimis threshold such that if the product value plus shipping and insurance is below the threshold, you don’t need to pay taxes. For example, AUD1,000 is the De Minimis value for Australia. Please note however that these values change from time to time, especially for USA beginning Feb 2025.
USB cables are duty free in some countries as listed below but GST/VAT applies:
- For USA, USB cable is duty free (HS Code 8544.42.2000, “Insulated wire, cable…: Other electric conductors, for a voltage not exceeding 1,000V: Fitted with connectors: Other: Of a kind used for telecommunications”).
- For Canada, there is 5% GST. USB cable is duty free (HS Code 8544.42.0010, “Insulated, Fitted with connectors, USB type cable, for a voltage not exceeding 5 V”.
- For Australia, USB cable is duty free (HS Code 8544.42.11, “- Other electric conductors, — Fitted with connectors: — For a voltage not exceeding 80 V: —-Goods, as follows: (b) of a kind used for telecommunications”). For values above AUD1,000, there is 10% GST.
- For UK, USB cable is duty free (HS code 8544 42 1000) but has 20% VAT.
- For Europe, the VAT ranges from 17% to 27% depending on country.
Music Server availability
Music servers are now for worldwide shipping. Since the music server is heavy, please expect high shipping cost.
The music server does not have any screen. How to control music playback?
AA Music Server (AAMS) is a headless computer-based music server running Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC as the operating system. Since it is an open system, any music playback software can be used as preferred by the customer. By default, we load AAMS with Logitech / Lyrion Music Server (LMS) which is a free. Other software like JPLAY FEMTO, JRiver, and Audirvana can also be installed if the customer prefers it.
For best sound, Windows 10 does not need to be logged in. Without Windows login, there are less processes running in the background. About 30 seconds after boot, playback control can be done through phone or tablet app of the installed playback software.
Any needs to connect keyboard, mouse, and monitor/tv through HDMI?
No. AAMS has been configured to boot at customer’s house while being headless. A LAN connection with internet is required. The LAN should be connected to Wi-Fi router. Both server and phone or tablet should be connected to the same home network.
For troubleshooting, RD Client phone / tablet app (Android / IOS) should be installed. For first time RD Client use, need to search and connect remotely to the music server. RD Client can be used to install USB DAC driver or troubleshoot connection issues, Windows 10 security updates and other patches/upgrades which need to be triggered manually (no automatic updates).
What about music streaming services?
The design philosophy of AAMS is to put your collection of digital music files into the music SSD for local playback. This is the way to get the best sound quality – local playback and true to the source. The digital music files can be ripped from your own CD / SACD collection or purchased and downloaded online (WAV, AAF, FLAC, DSF).
However, music streaming is still required, especially for music discovery and for those without large local library. There are a few options for music streaming.
LMS has support for TIDAL, Qobuz and Spotify which can be controlled via LMS web-based control app using Material Skin plugin.
Can Roon be used with AA Music Server?
Roon Bridge can be installed by the end user if AAMS is to be made as an Roon Endpoint. It can coexists with LMS but only either one should be used at a time.
Windows 11 was already launched. Why use Windows 10?
Windows 11 does not have the LTSC (long-term servicing channel) version yet. AA Music Server uses Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC version 21H2.
From Wikipedia:
Enterprise LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) is a long-term support variant of Windows 10 Enterprise released every 2 to 3 years. Each release is supported with security updates for either 5 or 10 years after its release, and intentionally receive no feature updates. Some features, including the Microsoft Store and bundled apps, are not included in this edition. This edition was first released as Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB (Long-Term Servicing Branch). There are currently 4 releases of LTSC: one in 2015 (version 1507), one in 2016 (version 1607), one in 2018 (labeled as 2019, version 1809), and one in 2021 (version 21H2).
Is the Windows 10 legit?
Yes, we signed an agreement with Microsoft through their Enterprise reseller. We purchased Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC version 21H2 licenses and need to wait a few weeks for Microsoft to ship envelopes with license sticker through their reseller. Microsoft license sticker will be at the back of FC10 case for units sold to customers.
However, there are restrictions how Windows IoT can be used. This music server is a PC, hence many other software can be installed. The agreement we signed with Microsoft stated the IoT device is single purpose, hence for music streaming and playback only. Using Windows Media Player for ripping CDs is okay since is it related to the said purpose.
Why use a low-powered Pentium SoC, not Xeon processor?
The CPU usage of Pentium Silver SoC at fixed 2.0GHz (with Turbo Boost and SpeedStep Technology disabled) is only about 2-4 % when Windows is logged in and music being played back. In normal use case, Windows is not logged in, hence less processes are running.
Music servers with Xeon processor requires high-current power supply, beyond the ability of most LPSU. DIY enthusiasts use Taiko DC ATX (£1,250) to power XEON motherboard. A separate unregulated DC power supply needs to be purchased from Sean Jacobs (USD3k) or DIY-built. Music servers with Xeon processor is suitable for those who like to do real-time up-sampling by CPU using software like HQPlayer.
Our preference is NOS (no oversampling). Installing additional upsampling software into AA Music Server will void its warranty.
What if I build my own Music Server?
Of course you can do this (it will be an interesting journey) if you
- are computer literate
- have experience building desktop PCs and know what components need to be purchased
- are well-versed with operating system and playback software options
- understand power supply selection and its effects to sound quality for computer-based audio playback
- have unlimited funds
However, if this is the first time you try to do such thing, then you may end up spending more than what’s necessary without getting the expected results.
Please note that in most DIY Music Servers using off-the-shelf components, there will be multiple cases (computer, power supply, USB card high-quality power supply).
Another challenge for DIY music server builders is how do you know whether the music server is giving the correct sound. For example, do you have a DAC or CD/SACD player which can render from USB drive or network? You need to compare rendering by music server versus internal rendering / playback by DAC or CD/SACD player. Is the component quality good enough to be called reference-grade?