Everest Audio Labs Ascent Music Server With USB One Interface
EVEREST ASCENT FEATURES PROPRIETARY USB ONE CARD AND LINEAR POWER SUPPLY
Everest Audio Labs has announced the latest version of its Everest Ascent music server, featuring the company’s proprietary Everest USB One PCIe card and a fully linear ATX power supply.
Designed for digital audio systems, Everest Audio Labs Ascent Music Server supports playback from personal music libraries and streaming services, connecting to an external DAC.The standard configuration includes the Everest USB One card, developed specifically by Everest Audio Labs and integrated into the server as part of its overall digital source design.
EVEREST AUDIO LABS ASCENT
Everest Audio Labs has been created by Adam Mokrzycki, the organiser of Audio Video Show Warsaw. Adam says he has been building music servers as a hobby for 15 years, first for himself, then for close friends, then working with other brands including Lampizator.
Already planning for the future of the brand, Adam tells us that the Everest Ascent is the first model in a planned family of servers. For High End Vienna, they are preparing The Everest, a much larger and more ambitious design. It will feature Everest Audio Labs’ own Ethernet card and an even more advanced USB card, called USB Apex.
EVEREST ASCENT AND USB ONE DIGITAL INTERFACE
The USB One card is a proprietary PCIe USB host controller designed for music servers and computers used in high-end audio systems. Everest Audio Labs has developed the card alongside Ascent’s power supply and software, allowing the company to control the design and integration of the digital interface.
USB One uses a low phase noise SC-cut crystal oscillator and ultra-low-noise LT3042 voltage regulators. The clock circuitry is housed in a CNC-machined metal enclosure with vibration-damping compound. The card operates from a standard 5V DC supply and is also available separately for compatible music servers and computers.
Within Ascent, USB One has its own linear power supply, supported by two 450F supercapacitors. This dedicated arrangement is designed to provide the card with a separate power source from the server’s main computer circuitry.
EVEREST ASCENT LINEAR POWER SUPPLY
The Ascent’s power architecture provides all standard ATX voltage rails through linear regulation, including +12V, +5V, +3.3V, +5VSB and -12V. Seven independent linear regulators serve different sections of the server.
The main power supply uses a shielded 250VA transformer and 320,000µF of filtering capacitance. The USB output section has a separate 60VA transformer and 29,000µF of filtering capacitance, with the two supercapacitors providing additional energy storage for the USB One card.
EVEREST ASCENT HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
At its core, Ascent uses a quad-core Intel N100 platform with 16GB of RAM and a 500GB system SSD. Additional music library storage of up to 8TB can be specified.
The server uses passive cooling, with an aluminium enclosure and side heatsinks removing heat without fans. Designed and hand-built in Poland, the chassis measures 430 x 353 x 109mm and weighs 13kg. Its front and rear panels are CNC-machined from 12mm aluminium.
Ascent runs a customised version of AudioLinux, developed for Everest Audio Labs with an emphasis on low latency and reduced background activity. Dealers can configure the server with Roon, Roon Bridge, MPD or HQPlayer NAA, allowing it to operate as a music server or network endpoint.
EVEREST LAN ONE CONNECTION OPTION
For systems using Ethernet rather than USB connections, Ascent can be specified with the company’s Everest LAN One card. This provides an alternative to the standard USB One interface, depending on the connected DAC or network player.
The server also supports future card replacements and software upgrades, allowing its configuration to be adapted over time.
EVEREST ASCENT AT AUDIO VIDEO SHOW WARSAW 2026
The latest Ascent music server made its debut demonstrations at Audio Video Show Warsaw 2026. It was featured in three systems across the show, including a PGE Narodowy stadium demonstration with VTL electronics and Lirogon loudspeakers, alongside presentations at the Radisson Blu Sobieski Hotel in rooms 306 and 327.
EVEREST ASCENT PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The Everest Ascent music server, supplied with the USB One card, is priced at €8,000 including VAT. The Everest USB One card is also available separately for €800 including VAT. Both products are available now, with a standard lead time of three weeks. They are sold directly worldwide and through dealers, and come with a 24-month manufacturer’s warranty.
HiFi PiG says: We wish Adam and his team every sucess with the new project!
