audi0nick128 said:

Thanks for sharing your first hand experience, to clear things up.

Cheers

Click to expand...

Thanks guys...What made you choose the microrendu over the Auralic Aries?

My friend thinks that Aries might be the better buy, despite appreciating both products...He's still evaluating...Newbie like me to this area...He uses alot of apple airplay.

His rationale:
"Currently deciding between the Sonore microRendu versus the Auralic Aries.
I am leaning towards the Auralic Aries and wanted to run my logic by you (he asked Darko in comments section of his microrendu review
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/01/classy-sonores-microrendu-takes-digital-audio-higher/

"Initially the Auralic Aries looks more expensive so by the time you factor in the cost of the optional power supply (Sonore Signature Series Power Supply – $1,399 / $1,589) I am at a much larger investment.
Secondly, if money were not object I would like to get the Aurender n1000H, but based on the reviews that I have read the Aries can hold its own against the pricier Aurdender."

Thanks for your courtesy gents.

vo_obgyn said:

Any feedback on the Roon 1.3 DSP Engine? I have the Roon DSP engine enabled with my microRendu at DSD 128 and it is sounding great with my Chord Hugo and Mr. Speakers Ether C Headphones. Sure enough, the DSD light on my Hugo is lit up even when playing a FLAC 44.1kHz file.

Click to expand...

Why covert PCM to DSD, if the Hugo is so good with PCM, and not so good with DSD as it decimates it?!...

afwannabe said:

Why covert PCM to DSD, if the Hugo is so good with PCM, and not so good with DSD as it decimates it?!...

Click to expand...

 
Thanks for the feedback AFWannabe. I was not aware that the Hugo's DSD signal was decimated. I have always liked the Hugo, even it's DSD performance. I haven't compared the sound of Roon with it's DSP engine on versus off yet. I'll do that soon. Also, I'll take a listen with the Chord Mojo soon and listen with the Roon DSP engine on and then off. 

.

mikeyfresh said:

Also regarding the above pasted post, what about the various professional reviews on CA, AudioStream, DAR, etc... that also place the mR as in the league of various big ticket units from the likes of Aurender?
 
In other words, it's not only the Aries that has been mentioned as holding it's own/performing in that loftier "rarified air" price point. The mR is also in that league and by most direct comparisons I've read is actually superior sonically though I've not made any direct comparison myself, and I have seen a couple of opinions in favor of the Aries which I would never argue because I don't have an Aries for direct comparison like they do.

Click to expand...

There's a good thread over on CA where a guy has both the mR and Aries and has been comparing and optimizing playback chains for them for months. It's like 11-12 pages long now and contains all kinds of anecdotal feedback about different PSUs, filters, ethernet vs. wifi, and more. And none of which are his guesses about things, but his actual comparisons.
 
Updated with link: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/auralic-aries-and-sonore-microrendu-listening-impressions-29351/
 
Then around page 9-10 there's a spin-off thread where another follower started his own comparisons + the SoTM SMS-200 Network renderer. Also a good thread. 
 
Updated with link: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/auralic-aries-mini-vs-sonore-microrendu-vs-soul-music-sms-200-listening-impressions-31499/
 
Then, the above post I have to commend MikeyFresh for. It was well written, thought out, and not judgmental. A great and clear comparison of why he picked something and how he's not a hater of the Aries just because he made a choice and picked the mR. Long live sensible people on the internet.

so the one gent who thought homemade solutions could be as affective and more affordable as an off the shelf solution from sonore or aries etc.
(esp spdif vs usb or aes), on this issue i wanted to get uptone's op (i'm no techie)...just so we can have more info upon
which to make informed purchasing decisions (esp given this such a new and growing area).
..and to those who make their own more affordable approaches, or buy more $$ off the shelf,
all i can say is that I respect both approaches: different strokes for different folks.
it'll be interesting to see what happens as this new area shakes out and matures.
 
original quote from the gent offering a homemade solution:
 

''The Microrendu only has USB output and will always sound worse than a clean SPDIF or AES source into a sane DAC. 
 
To be honest, "bang for buck" isn't what springs to mind with that box, either. quite the opposite. Bang for buck is sticking a decent digital hat and a copy of Volumio (or similar) on a raspberry pi, and maybe throwing either a linear power supply or at a pinch, an iPower into the mix, then using decent but sensibly-priced cables to and from your DAC.

It's not particularly hard, even if you're not used to Linux- can be done in half an hour or less, without really needing to know much. It would leave stuff like the Microrendu in the dust for sheer SQ, too.''

Click to expand...

 




from uptone, their thoughts:
 
''I will say only this:  The music has to come out of your computer somehow--USB or Ethernet, unless you want
to do something awful like putting a PCIe sound card in the computer and having the clocks in the computer (yuck!).
 All the DAC really wants is an I2S signal.  
People using S/PDIF or AES into their DACs (and manufacturers who recommend that) are admitting that they do not
know haw to design a decent USB>I2S board (or Ethernet>I2S).  And they are also forcing people to almost abandon
their DACs nice clocks as the master (S/PDIF and AES have clock embedded in the signal and has to be reclocked asynchronously by the DAC).
 
Also, it is an art to create a really great S/PDIF output and S/PDIF input.  So which chain from a  computer makes more sense:
 
USB> S/PDIF out> S/PDIF in> I2S  or
USB>I2S
 
So an external USB>S/PDIF converter is just an excuse to cover for a lousy but more direct USB>I2S interface.
 
Certainly an Ethernet>S/PDIF renderer can be designed, but I promise that the crap clocks on a Raspberry Pi S/PDIF “hat”
are not going to create a worthwhile output.  Not to mention that the microRendu’s computer design itself is much more advanced that an RPi.
 
That’s my 2 cents.  I have listened to a LOT of converters and been part of a lot of product development cycles.
 State of the art reproduction does not come cheap.  I am sure you will find your way and what works for you and your needs and budget.''

.

thanks...about to pull the plug on one.
i have an 8 yr old laptop that has all my ripped cds, flac and tidal hifi
...hopefully itll be sufficient,...now to source out an ifi or lps caps 1 source

.

mikeyfresh said:

 
Which DAC will you use?

Click to expand...

unsure...have dragonfly red, chord mojo and iFi micro idsd (selling that combo/mercury cable/ipurifier2)
 
actually looking for a solid tt dac: sim moon 280...or upcoming hugo2....even something like gungnir multibit.
 
***seems I'll need a tweaked configuration
 
since the router/modem is upstairs (i'm using wls laptop connection downstairs)
i'll have to buy some powerline adaptor to first create some RG trunk with an ethernet connection.
 
friend says: 
All you need an ethernet connection to the microRendu.  That's all



 
Why?  Because you need to connect it to Internet



 
Since your route is upstairs, you simply buy a powerline adapter to achieve that
 



http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/d-link-d-link-powerline-mini-starter-kit-dhp-309av-refurbished-dhp-309av-re/10405128.aspx?path=f5167475ee5d3db1886e86f9b066239aen02
 
 
The adaper in your suite will allow you to hard wire the microRendu via ethernet / CAT cable

canali said:

unsure...have dragonfly red, chord mojo and iFi micro idsd (selling that combo/mercury cable/ipurifier2)

Click to expand...

Why sell the Mercury cable? Use it between the microRendu and the DAC.

.

mikeyfresh said:

 
Those DACs are fine, and if you do get a table top DAC I love that Moon 280D, a fabulous sounding piece of gear.
 
Another option for getting Ethernet access in the room you need it is a WiFi media bridge. This can take various slightly different forms, in my case I use an Apple Airport Express for that purpose. Others use similar devices from Netgear, TP-Link, etc... they all do essentially the same thing, talk to the router via WiFi while providing an Ethernet port for the physical connection to the microRendu.

Click to expand...

thanks guys, as always...new area for me so it takes a bit to wrap my head around it.
 
solutions to my area
 
1/my friend also noted this (from the Darko review...was in the comments section)
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/01/classy-sonores-microrendu-takes-digital-audio-higher/





 


there’s a sweet option for Android users called BubbleUPnP – run the Bubble server on the microRendu,
and the BubbleUPnP App on your Android phone or tablet, and then you can directly stream Tidal from
the microRendu (using your phone/tablet as a control app)…no computer even needed!





 
OR
 from Jesus/Sonore:  
 



2/ It would be best to run Ethernet to the unit. You can use a wifi bridge (signal strength matters)
or a power line converter, but we do not provide setup support for them. 
You could run JRiver for local content and Linn Kazoo on computer or mobile device for Tidal.  







 
might just get my local telco provider to install an ethernet jack into my suite...
 
but joseph/sonore says: 
 
You need your own router with at least 4 Ethernet jacks not counting the service provider input jack.
(have no idea why I need 4 when there is just myself)
 

canali said:

  . . .
 
You need your own router with at least 4 Ethernet jacks not counting the service provider input jack.
(have no idea why I need 4 when there is just myself)
 

Click to expand...

 
typical wired configuration with microrendu would be: (1) nas, (2) dedicated media server pc, (3) microrendu, plus (4) your computer.  of course, you can combine the nas and media server, then you'd be down to three.  run your computer wireless and you're down to two.  then there are printers, etc.
 
i think jesus' point was that if you trying to have as much wired as possible (i find wired reliability and performance so much better), then you can eat up ethernet ports quickly.

I haven't quite followed canali's exact situation and requirements, but my use of the mR requires zero ethernet ports on the router. In fact I don't even have an ethernet port on my laptop, but a £10 Anker USB3.0->Gigabit dongle seems to work fine.
 
My W10 laptop contains Roon Core and all my (redbook) music FLAC files. The laptop connects to the internet via wifi, and to the RoonReady mR with a single ethernet cable. That's it.
This is possible by using the romaz direct bridge method, whereby my ethernet is bridged inside the laptop to the wifi. I've heard that ethernet to wifi bridging is not possible with IOS, but with Windows it's fine.
 
With this setup, playing just my local music files on my laptop, it doesn't matter how good the wifi signal is because the ONLY thing it's doing is allocating an IP address for the mR at the start of the session. Plus once or twice a year it's needed to get any software updates to the mR. If only Sonore could add  a static IP address as an option to the mR, then I wouldn't need a router at all for day to day local music listening.
 
If one day, I start to stream from the internet, then I may have to worry more about the wifi signal strength.
I don't use NAS, so that's one set of connections I don't need to worry about.