[bmichels]

good news : Now the AURENDER APP integrates QOBUZ 

 
 
This is a brand new software release from March 2nd (System SW 4.5.58(5.5.58) / App 2.5.x)
 

 

 

[preproman]

Good news for some if you're looking forward to Roon.
 
https://roonlabs.com/partners.html

 

[romaz]

I noticed Aurender is still a holdout.  I recently picked up a Sonore Sonicorbiter SE as I was intrigued by its use of a Cubox CPU, the same CPU used in the TotalDac d1-server.  
 
http://www.sonicorbiter.sonore.us/
 
This has been approved as a Roon End Point and I can validate that it works well and sounds great.  It also only costs $300.  Sonore will soon be releasing their microRendu, a similar but much higher-end Roon End Point Sonore has designed from the ground up that may very well rival the best music servers available today for less than $700.  It incorporates a specially designed motherboard geared solely to play audio and has at least 2 very low jitter clocks (for the CPU and the USB bus) as well as numerous low noise regulators separately powering various components including the CPU and USB bus.  It also incorporates an improved version of the USB Regen and the whole thing fits in a tiny box smaller than a deck of cards. You will want to combine it with a very good 9v linear PSU to have it perform at its best.
 
http://microrendu.sonore.us/

 

[vert]

Thanks for the heads up on the Sonore gear. 
 
I see you have a Chord Dave.
 
Are you grounding it with an Entreq box? I have the Olympus and Atlantis cable for my DAC and it's out of this world. 
 
There's someone on the devialet forum who posted that he couldn't tell the difference between his Linn Akurate DSM grounded with an Entreq box and his Totaldac ungrounded.

 

[jp11801]

I recently picked up a Melco NA1 and absolutely love it. Easy transfer of my music using the network transfer wireless method. I have it feeding my Yggy and and am impressed by the increased SQ over the mac mini with SSD and 16gb ram with audirvana or amarra. I can use Tidal using he BubbleUPnP app on an old galaxy note I had lying around. I would prefer an iPad interface that could do Tidal or see Melco design an app but other than that very happy. 

 

[REXNFX]

Chris Connaker over on CA thinks the server is now irrelevant when using Roon and Sonicorbiter:
 
 "I setup five different computers as Roon servers to send audio to the Sonicorbiter SE.

1. Windows 8.1 noisy, non-tweaked (hardware or software) PC with 6TB spinning drives of local storage.
2. Windows 2012 R2 server SOtM / AO server with highly tweaker hardware and software.
3. OS X El Capitan MacBook Pro
4. OS X El Capitan / Windows 10 (Boot Camp) MacBook Pro retina
5. OS X El Capitan iMac 5K


I couldn't hear a hint of difference between the sources when sending audio over Ethernet to the RoonReady Sonicorbiter SE. This combined with the fact I have no idea how the source could possibly effect the sound of the Ethernet endpoint in this situation, lead me to believe the source has no effect on sound quality.

Note: I completely respect the opinions of others who will try similar tests as more RoonReady endpoints become available. In addition, my conclusion here has absolutely nothing to do with locally attached server / DAC combinations not using audio over Ethernet."

 

[romaz]

Yes, with Roon endpoints, it is the endpoint's sonic qualities that you will hear and not what is feeding it.   Whether the endpoint sounds better than the source, which itself can serve as an enpoint is the question.  In general, small RF footprint, minimal OS processes running in the background, shortest path from input to output, tightly regulated independent power to necessary components generally results in cleaner and better timed delivery of 1+0s to the DAC.  Sonore and others believe this is better achieved with small devices like the Sonicorbiter SE and the upcoming microRendu.  So far, I am very impressed with the Sonicorbiter SE.  If the microRendu lives up to its billing, it could change the landscape of music servers as we know it.  

 

[romaz]

  Thanks for the heads up on the Sonore gear. 
 
I see you have a Chord Dave.
 
Are you grounding it with an Entreq box? I have the Olympus and Atlantis cable for my DAC and it's out of this world. 
 
There's someone on the devialet forum who posted that he couldn't tell the difference between his Linn Akurate DSM grounded with an Entreq box and his Totaldac ungrounded.

Yes, signal grounding with the Entreq is the real deal but results will vary.  With the TotalDac d1-monoblock, while the DAC boxes themselves benefited, the greatest benefit was with the server/relocker feeding the DACs.  
 
I have moved on to the DAVE.

 

[romaz]

  I recently picked up a Melco NA1 and absolutely love it. Easy transfer of my music using the network transfer wireless method. I have it feeding my Yggy and and am impressed by the increased SQ over the mac mini with SSD and 16gb ram with audirvana or amarra. I can use Tidal using he BubbleUPnP app on an old galaxy note I had lying around. I would prefer an iPad interface that could do Tidal or see Melco design an app but other than that very happy. 

Congratulations.  Most people who buy a Melco seem to be very happy with their purchase.

 

[vert]

  Yes, with Roon endpoints, it is the endpoint's sonic qualities that you will hear and not what is feeding it.   Whether the endpoint sounds better than the source, which itself can serve as an enpoint is the question.  In general, small RF footprint, minimal OS processes running in the background, shortest path from input to output, tightly regulated independent power to necessary components generally results in cleaner and better timed delivery of 1+0s to the DAC.  Sonore and others believe this is better achieved with small devices like the Sonicorbiter SE and the upcoming microRendu.  So far, I am very impressed with the Sonicorbiter SE.  If the microRendu lives up to its billing, it could change the landscape of music servers as we know it.  

 
Are you using fancy ethernet cables with the orbiter? 
 
I'm thinking of getting the orbiter to stream Tidal from a Roon server.

 

[romaz]

   
Are you using fancy ethernet cables with the orbiter? 
 
I'm thinking of getting the orbiter to stream Tidal from a Roon server.

I used to, but I found something better.  You should consider an optical network to isolate the orbiter.  It fixes many network sins.  Your cable modem and router are electrically noisy and will introduce RF into your line.  I used to power mine with an expensive LPSU and it made a difference.  Then there is the matter of the tens of feet of Cat 5/6 cable that connects your broadband modem to your router and then to your server and as we know, this cable will act as an antenna for even more RF.  I bought an SOtM CAT 6 cable (1m) + filter and this indeed mitigated some of the RF.  
 
But I found optical isolation to work better and is a much less expensive solution (about $100).  
 
Check out this thread beginning with EuroDriver's post #149
 
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/network-isolation-4265/index6.html
 
Here are the components I used.  
 
You will need two of these TP-Link MC210CS Gigabit Media Converters:
 
http://www.amazon.com/MC210CS-Converter-1000Mbps-single-mode-mountable/dp/B003CFATKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457319178&sr=8-1&keywords=tp-link+mc210cs
 
You will also need an optical patch cable.  Any length will do.  I chose this inexpensive 1 meter length:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Electronics-SCSCDUPSM-1M-Yellow-Single-Mode/dp/B008BQ1LOE/ref=pd_bxgy_147_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0ZWYFT23Z40EDTXE6BWC
 
You connect your network via CAT6 cable to one of the GMCs and the Sonicorbiter to the other GMC via a short CAT 6 cable and now it doesn't matter how far you are from your router or cable modem and how dirty electrically your network is because this short optical network completely isolates you.

 

[vert]

 
But I found optical isolation to work better and is a much less expensive solution (about $100).  

 
Thanks, I'm going to look into this.

 

[bozebuttons]

  Yes, signal grounding with the Entreq is the real deal but results will vary.  With the TotalDac d1-monoblock, while the DAC boxes themselves benefited, the greatest benefit was with the server/relocker feeding the DACs.  
 
I have moved on to the DAVE.

Did you ever get to try the synergestic grounding block?

 

[romaz]

Did you ever get to try the synergestic grounding block?

Yes, it had an effect but not as great as the Entreq Poseidon with Apollo or Atlantis cables on my DAC or Server. I was hoping it would have some effect on my subwoofer (to get rid of the hum) and the chassis of my power supply but I noticed no benefit so I returned it. As an aside, I plugged my subwoofer into a Son of Q balanced power supply by Equi=Tech which is basically an isolation transformer + RF filter and the hum is now gone and the bass has tightened up. This has now replaced my Audience aR6 line conditioner and is a lot cheaper.

 

[vert]

  I used to, but I found something better.  You should consider an optical network to isolate the orbiter.  It fixes many network sins.  Your cable modem and router are electrically noisy and will introduce RF into your line.  I used to power mine with an expensive LPSU and it made a difference.  Then there is the matter of the tens of feet of Cat 5/6 cable that connects your broadband modem to your router and then to your server and as we know, this cable will act as an antenna for even more RF.  I bought an SOtM CAT 6 cable (1m) + filter and this indeed mitigated some of the RF.  

 
Since my listening isn't near a router, I'm going to have to try one of those dlink powerlines. I don't know how noise they are.
 
I have to say I'm astonished at the performance leap with the Olympus and Atlantis. It appears we are only unlocking the potential of digital now with proper grounding.