[rb2013]

  Today, I inserted an optical connection between my PC and D16.
 
An Uptone JS-2 powers the two optical devices.
 
Sure enough, the highs are not quite as bright, the bass is slightly more prominent, and the sound in general is a little smoother.
 
A huge difference? No.
 
But for the price of these items, you'll be hard pressed to find a better value for the improvement realized.
 
Thanks to those who suggested this idea. I didn't think it would make a difference, but it does.
 
Just one more reminder as to how counter-intuitive this hobby can be.
 
Joel

Nice to have a JS-2 to power them

 
The stock FMC optical I inserted between the Intel NIC and the RN3 made little difference.  That was with the stock SMPS.  Using two TeraDak X1 LPS's - it did make a very slight difference.  But for me not worth the extra $200.  I had a much bigger - like 10X bigger improvement by going from the Audio Sens Statement digital cable to the Audience AU24SE and Synergistic Element Copper (with Galileo MPC) digital cable. 
 
Besides moving from USB to AOIP - I was hoping to get away from gizmo's in the chain and extraneous boxes.  Fat chance...already the Rednet 3 + Mutec + Antelope, etc...
 
But now have a neat AOIP two box solution between PC and Amp.  The BURL and an ext LPS.  Would love to hear the modded BURL with a JS-2 or SR3.

 

[peteAllen]

Anyone know anything about this alternative?
http://www.dbaudio.com/en/systems/details/ds10-audio-network-bridge.html

 

[jabbr]

Anyone know anything about this alternative?
http://www.dbaudio.com/en/systems/details/ds10-audio-network-bridge.html

Only does 48 & 96 kHz digital output

 

[peteAllen]

Ah yes. No good unless you resample everything to 96khz. I'm going to try out the D16 then.

 

[kazsud]

  Anyone know anything about this alternative?
http://www.dbaudio.com/en/systems/details/ds10-audio-network-bridge.html

Can't find anything about price anywhere.
 
I don't need 24bit 

 

[jabbr]

  Can't find anything about price anywhere.
 
I don't need 24bit 

but you might want 44.1, which it hasn't 

 

[estreeter]

Well this thread has shown that the previous gen Room/RATT may well be passe. Same for the DNLA/UpNP.

Reading where some have compared the Rednet to the MicroRendu - to quote the poster - 'No Comparison'

Passe ? Given that we're talking communications protocols which have been 'obsolete' for at least 20 years (TCP/IP was never intended to be 'secure' or even particularly robust), I dont get too hung up on whether something is outdated or not.
 
On a lighter note, it would appear that the Rednet3 has a major advantage over its competition:
 
https://us.focusrite.com/rednet-how
 
I'm guessing that if Schiit ever release a product in this space, their marketing will look more like the cover of a Cannibal Corpse album (in the interests of good taste, I wont go there - Google is your friend).

 

[estreeter]

  Can't find anything about price anywhere.
 
I don't need 24bit 

 
When was the last time you had to sit down and talk financing with your hi-fi dealer ?
 
http://www.dbaudio.com/en/systems/finance-series.html?tx_sschdbsystems_pi1[category]=46&cHash=1af34e404e6b905dbe140e7d4983a618
 
I'm guessing that if I have to ask for the price, I cant afford it. Granted, many of us are no strangers to networking, but if you've spent any time in a server room this is the last thing you'll want to deal with when you get home at night:
 

 
I'm told it's not politically correct to talk WAF in audio, but what the hell - exhibit B 
 

 
At least Cat5 is cheap.

 

[joelha]

True. On the D16 176K is available and was before the update. The thing that is confusing is that when you choose "sample rate follow" in Dante Controller then for every change in sample rate except 176.4 the change will show up in the dropdown box as the numerical value. In my system the only way I know that the rate has changed to 176K is that my Yggy clicks and the LED's change. Otherwise when 176K is being used the dropdown box is empty/blank. When playing 192K the box displays "192K". I think that this is a bit funky and confusing. It is not the end of the world however as I now know that the right rate is still being played.

When "sample rate follow" is turned off and you want to choose 176.4 it similarly does not show in Dante Controller. You need to go into the REDnet Control dialogue in order to choose it if you want everything to play at 176.4. Paradoxically for other rates you can choose them back in the Dante Controller window. Pretty screwy setup. The good news as always is that in all of these scenarios the sound quality is superb. 

I am experimenting with 176 vs 192 for Redbook also. For me I believe that I prefer 176 although it is not so much that it is better as different.

I still have the issue that if I have "sample rate follow" enabled and use RDP to remote my server it causes the Dante Controller window to close and I can no longer change rates. In fact for SRF to work at all I find that I need to keep the Dante Controller window open. Oddly once I get everything working again and exit RDP the SRF stays open and keeps working. I have not tried other methods of remote control. I have an open ticket to Audinate for this...

Thanks for the detailed explanation but I confess, I can't figure out how to play 176.4 with or without SRF on in Rednet Controller.

Audinate Controller is set for 176.4, but still no sound.

Until Focusrite provides another update, what am I missing?

Thanks.

Joel

 

[jabbr]

Thanks for the detailed explanation but I confess, I can't figure out how to play 176.4 with or without SRF on in Rednet Controller.

Audinate Controller is set for 176.4, but still no sound.

Until Focusrite provides another update, what am I missing?

Thanks.

Joel

For manual control, you set both devices, VSC and D16, to 176.4. Otherwise they won't communicate with each other which you can see in the Dante Controler routing matrix.

 

[joelha]

For manual control, you set both devices, VSC and D16, to 176.4. Otherwise they won't communicate with each other which you can see in the Dante Controler routing matrix.

Thanks for the quick reply, jabbr.

I apologize in advance for confessing more of my ignorance here, but what is VSC?

I didn't have a second Rednet device if that's what VSC refers to.

And outside of the Rednet and Dante Controllers, how would I set the D16 to 176.4?

Sorry if I'm missing something obvious.

Thanks again.

Joel

 

[jabbr]

Thanks for the quick reply, jabbr.

I apologize in advance for confessing more of my ignorance here, but what is VSC?

I didn't have a second Rednet device if that's what VSC refers to.

And outside of the Rednet and Dante Controllers, how would I set the D16 to 176.4?

Sorry if I'm missing something obvious.

Thanks again.

Joel

VSC = Virtual Sound Card
VSC is also a Dante device.
When doing things manually you have to set both to the same sample rate otherwise they cannot communicate.

Manual settings for devices can only be done using Rednet Control or Dante Controller.
For sample rate settings I think Dante Controller is easiest.
But you must know this when you already have a D16 otherwise you cannot get it to work at all

 

[mourip]

Thanks for the quick reply, jabbr.

I apologize in advance for confessing more of my ignorance here, but what is VSC?

I didn't have a second Rednet device if that's what VSC refers to.

And outside of the Rednet and Dante Controllers, how would I set the D16 to 176.4?

Sorry if I'm missing something obvious.

Thanks again.

Joel

VSC = Virtual Sound Card
VSC is also a Dante device.
When doing things manually you have to set both to the same sample rate otherwise they cannot communicate.

Manual settings for devices can only be done using Rednet Control or Dante Control.
For sample rate settings I think Dante Control is easiest.
But you must know this when you already have a D16 otherwise you cannot get it to work at all

 
My understanding is that when setting your Rednet RN3 or D16 to a single rate you must do it in two places: First in Rednet Control/Dante Control which basically work together and second in your music software or re-sampling software on your PC.
 
I set my software rate in JMRC under "Options" to up-sample everything to 192K and then I also set REDnet Control to output everything to192K. These must match.
 
As far as I know there is no place to set sample rate in the DVS (Dante's Virtual Soundcard -VSC) software control panel. DVS just passes through what your player sends to it.
 
If you have a D16 and use "Sample Rate Following" it works the similarly but in your playback software you can play each file at the native rate or choose to up-sample and then in Rednet Control/Dante Control you click on "Sample Rate Follow" for Rednet to play the files at the rate that your player sends them in.

 

[peteAllen]

Is there a Rednet 4 coming?
 
Well, I ordered a D16, and the supplier said he'd found me one despite there only being 2 left in stock in the whole of the UK. Focusrite are a UK company. So, this raised alarm bells in my head. Are they going to replace the D16? I called them and they (somewhat reluctantly) told me there was "no mark 2 replacement for the D16 coming in the immediate future". However, on their own site they have removed all the rednet 3 products and only list the rednet 4 Pre. In my opinion, it means that they plan to retire the entire rednet 3 range including the D16 and it may be superseded by something else (but perhaps not a mark 2).
 
Despite this, I'm going to try out the D16, and see if it improves on my microrendu + js2 > chord sarum usb > regen > chord sarum usb > Ifi usb3 + js2 > chord sarum usb > puc2 > MIT aes.

 

[rb2013]

  Is there a Rednet 4 coming?
 
Well, I ordered a D16, and the supplier said he'd found me one despite there only being 2 left in stock in the whole of the UK. Focusrite are a UK company. So, this raised alarm bells in my head. Are they going to replace the D16? I called them and they (somewhat reluctantly) told me there was "no mark 2 replacement for the D16 coming in the immediate future". However, on their own site they have removed all the rednet 3 products and only list the rednet 4 Pre. In my opinion, it means that they plan to retire the entire rednet 3 range including the D16 and it may be superseded by something else (but perhaps not a mark 2).
 
Despite this, I'm going to try out the D16, and see if it improves on my microrendu + js2 > chord sarum usb > regen > chord sarum usb > Ifi usb3 + js2 > chord sarum usb > puc2 > MIT aes.

Ok - a little confusion here.
 
First the Focusrite AOIP Dante (Ethernet Audio) line-up is called REDNET this is a demarcation of their better units.  Within that line-up are the REDNET 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, PCIe, 16D AES, etc...I count 16 products.
 
They are all listed on the Focusrite website:
https://us.focusrite.com/ethernet-audio-interfaces/rednet
 
So there is no 'version' 4 that supersedes 'version' 3.
 
The model 4 is a mic preamp unit.  The reason your dealer has low inventory - is that this thread has set the audio world on fire and they are selling 3's and 16's like hotcakes...
 
PS now Focusrite also makes Firewire REDNET's, Thunderbolt REDNET's, etc...but those operate on an entirely different communication protocol.
 
PSS Nice USB chain!  I really liked the PUC2 and you appear to have it well fed. How do you like those Sarum USB cables?  I've read many good things about them.