Everest Audio Labs has announced the official launch of the latest version of its Everest Ascent music server. Designed for demanding digital audio systems, Ascent supports playback from personal music libraries and streaming services. The standard configuration includes the Everest USB One, a proprietary PCIe USB card developed by Everest Audio Labs as an integral part of the server.
The Ascent with USB One is priced at EUR 8,000 including VAT and is available now. The Everest USB One is also available separately for EUR 800 including VAT. Both products have a standard lead time of three weeks and are sold directly worldwide and through dealers. They carry a 24-month manufacturer’s warranty.
A Proprietary USB Interface at the Heart of the Server
Everest Audio Labs belongs to a small group of music server manufacturers offering their own PCIe cards. In Ascent, the proprietary interface forms part of a complete digital source design. The company is responsible for the Everest USB One card, its integration into the server, and the dedicated power delivery provided by a separate section of the unit.
This approach allows the server and audio interface to be developed within a single engineering concept. In Ascent, Everest USB One receives its own linear power supply supported by a supercapacitor bank, while the operating system is optimised for ultra-low latency. The result is a preconfigured digital source designed to work with an external digital-to-analogue converter (DAC).
As Adam Mokrzycki, owner of Everest Audio Labs, explains: “We wanted Ascent to make long listening sessions a pleasure, with a very smooth, natural sound, free from digital artefacts. That goal guided its design. Developing our own USB One card gives us the opportunity to refine an important part of the connection between server and DAC. We can develop it alongside Ascent’s power supply and software, then evaluate the result in a complete listening system.”
A Fully Linear ATX Power Architecture
One of Ascent’s defining features is its power supply architecture, which provides every standard ATX voltage rail through linear regulation. These include the +12 V, +5 V, +3.3 V, +5 VSB and -12 V rails. Separate sections serve the storage and output card, bringing the total to seven independent linear regulators.
The main power supply uses a shielded 250 VA transformer and 320,000 µF of filtering capacitance. Generating the ATX rails through linear regulation is intended to reduce sources of switching noise within this section of the unit. Dedicated regulation for storage also allows its power requirements to be addressed independently of the audio interface.
The design aims to provide stable operating conditions for the motherboard and the circuitry responsible for delivering the signal to the DAC. Each power supply section is matched to its role within the server, with particular attention to electrical noise and behaviour under changing loads.
Dedicated Output Power Supported by Supercapacitors
The output stage in the standard USB configuration has its own 60 VA transformer and dedicated linear power supply, with 29,000 µF of filtering capacitance. A bank of two 450 F supercapacitors provides an additional energy reservoir for the USB One card.
The supercapacitors form part of the audio interface’s power supply. Their role is to maintain a low source impedance and supply energy as the card’s instantaneous current requirements change. This separate supply section allows the operating conditions of the USB output to be refined independently of the computer’s main power supply.
Everest USB One
USB One is a proprietary USB host controller card designed for a PCIe slot. Developed for music servers and computers used as sources in high-end audio systems, it serves as the standard interface for connecting Ascent to an external DAC. Available separately, it also brings Everest’s USB interface design to other compatible platforms.
The card uses a low-phase-noise SC-cut crystal oscillator and ultra-low-noise LT3042 voltage regulators. The oscillator supplies the USB controller’s reference clock, with its power supply and operating environment treated as key elements of the interface design.
The clock circuitry is enclosed in its own CNC-machined metal housing and treated with a vibration-damping compound. These measures provide shielding and reduce mechanical influences on the oscillator. Everest USB One is designed to use the standard 5 V supply voltage found in computers, making it straightforward to integrate into compatible computer systems.
Offering USB One separately is an important part of the company’s product range. Owners of compatible music servers can use the same proprietary USB interface found in Ascent without replacing their entire digital source. Within the complete Everest server, the card also benefits from its dedicated power supply and preconfigured operating environment.
Silent Operation and Considered Mechanical Design
Ascent is built around an Intel N100 platform with 16 GB of RAM and a 500 GB system SSD. Additional storage of up to 8 TB can be specified for a music library. Both the RAM and system SSD have been selected with ultra-low latency in mind.
Its aluminium enclosure and side heatsinks provide passive cooling without fans, allowing the server to operate in the listening room without noise from an active cooling system.
Designed and hand-built in Poland, the unit features front and rear panels CNC-machined from 12 mm aluminium. The enclosure measures 430 x 353 x 109 mm and the server weighs 13 kg. The substantial panels and side heatsinks provide mechanical support as well as heat dissipation.
Configured for Music Playback
Ascent runs a custom version of AudioLinux tailored specifically for Everest Audio Labs. The software environment is prepared for low latency and reduced unnecessary background activity. It is developed alongside the hardware as part of the company’s complete digital source concept.
The server arrives preconfigured. Through its configuration menu, the dealer can select an installation of Roon, Roon Bridge, MPD or HQPlayer NAA, depending on the intended role of the unit within the customer’s system. This allows Ascent to serve as the centre of a music playback system or as a network endpoint in an HQPlayer or Roon setup.
Everest LAN One as an Alternative to USB
For systems in which the server connects to a DAC or network player over Ethernet, Ascent can be configured with the proprietary Everest LAN One card. This provides an alternative to the USB One configuration, offering a different connection between the digital source and the audio system.
The choice of interface allows Ascent to be matched to the receiving component. The server also supports subsequent card replacement and software upgrades, providing scope to adapt the source as the audio system changes and the platform develops.
Pricing and Availability
Everest Ascent with the Everest USB One card is priced at EUR 8,000 including VAT. The USB One card is also available separately at EUR 800 including VAT.
Both products are available now, with a standard lead time of three weeks. Products are sold directly worldwide and through dealers, and carry a 24-month manufacturer’s warranty. Details of the LAN One configuration and other options are available from Everest Audio Labs and its dealers.
About Everest Audio Labs
Everest Audio Labs is a Polish manufacturer of music servers and PCIe cards for high-end audio systems. The company develops proprietary power supply and digital interface designs, together with software configurations dedicated to music playback.
Owner Adam Mokrzycki has worked in the audio industry for more than 30 years. He began his career in 1994 as a reviewer for Audio Video magazine and later wrote for AUDIO. He has been building music servers for 15 years, including projects for other well-known manufacturers. Everest Audio Labs draws on this experience in developing its own digital sources and expansion cards.
