[isquirrel]

  Hi Simon, yes, I already owned up to my mistake and apologized.  I was fed misinformation and went with it.  Once again, mea culpa, and as I stated, I have no plans for further DAC discussions here.  So no one else stumbles upon that post and decides to take it as gospel truth, I have edited it out.

Probably a wise idea my friend, its probably best to leave the DAC manufacturers to themselves to talk about how their products work. 

 

[arnaud]

  Hi Simon, yes, I already owned up to my mistake and apologized.  I was fed misinformation and went with it.  Once again, mea culpa, and as I stated, I have no plans for further DAC discussions here.  So no one else stumbles upon that post and decides to take it as gospel truth, I have edited it out.

 
Thank you for being honest about it Romaz.

 

[isquirrel]

   
Thank you for being honest about it Romaz.

+1 Roy is a great guy, I have learnt a lot from him. 

 

[romaz]

After a seemingly eternal wait, the Sonore microRendu + iFi 9V power supply + SonicTransporter arrived today.  Here is a photo.  You will see the Sonicorbiter SE next to the microRendu.  Both are diminutive in size:
 

 
The microRendu has been playing non-stop for the past 7 hours, not even close to being broken in.  With the Chord DAVE and a 9V supply feeding the microRendu, it runs on the warm side but not hot to the touch.  Sonore suggests 7V is ideal and so that is how my Paul Hynes supply will be configured.  I was hesitant to report on the microRendu so early on fearing the microRendu would be at a significant disadvantage, but just like @Sonic77 has found, the microRendu is sounding great even before being fully broken in and so here goes.
 
Early impressions on 2 channel + headphones with Audience AU24SE USB cable and <10 hours of break-in:
 
1)  microRendu + HD Plex 9V vs Sonicorbiter SE + HD Plex 5V --  Even at this early stage, microRendu is quite obviously better and not by a small amount.  Dynamic contrasts are greater.  Bass hits considerably harder although it could be tighter.  I suspect it will tighten with break-in and a better PSU.  Soundstage is clearly more expansive and for sure, there is more air.  Details layer better.   I was expecting it to sound thin but to be honest, even at <10 hours, thin is not how I would describe the sound at all and I suspect the tonality will probably get even richer with time.  No need to blind test.  mR >> Sonicorbiter.
 
2)  microRendu + HD Plex 9V vs microRendu + iFi 9V -- Close call but iFi sounds a little cleaner / tighter.  I will stay with the iFi power supply until my Paul Hynes PSU is ready.  iFi > HD Plex
 
3)  microRendu + iFi 9V vs Aurender N10 -- To my ears, Aurender N10 is superior to the Sonicorbiter SE by maybe 10-15% as described in a previous post.  Not surprisingly, the Aurender is a closer match to the microRendu but once again, even at this early stage, the microRendu is outpacing the Aurender in all of my metrics except one.  The Aurender sounds tighter and cleaner in the bass although the microRendu definitely hits harder.   I will be surprised if the microRender doesn't tighten down with break-in and with a better power supply.  As good as the Aurender layers details, the microRendu layers them better.  With Limehouse Blues (Jazz at the Pawnshop), as the snare is hit with a brush during the first 10 seconds of the track, with the microRendu, you hear more of the bristles stroking the snare.  The better layering is unmistakeable.  Space and depth are superior on the microRendu.  In the same way that the N10 makes the Sonicorbiter sound a bit closed in, the same thing is happening with the microRendu against the N10.  Both carry the same weight of tone but I fully expect the microRendu to break away with time and a better PSU.  mR > N10  
 
3)  microRendu + iFi 9V vs Aurender W20 -- I don't have the W20 in house at the moment but I'm not sure it's worth it for me to bring it in.  Compared against my basic laptop via USB and on the Chord DAVE,  the W20 was a smidge better than the N10 (within 5%), almost too close to call and I could easily be happy with either.  However, the delta I am seeing with the microRendu over the N10 is easily greater than 5% (probably at least 15% as a whole) and no doubt will improve with break-in and with a better power supply.  microRendu > W20
 
As for the microRendu's electromagnetic emission, which I know @paulchiu will be interested in, even at 12 inches away, the readings are very low (1.5).
 
Early conclusion:  The microRendu in standard form and before full break-in is the finest digital source I've heard at any price and a ridiculous bargain at $640.  This device will likely dramatically change the landscape of music servers moving forward.

 

[nepherte]

How does the SonicTransportet fit in?

 

[paulchiu]

  After a seemingly eternal wait, the Sonore microRendu + iFi 9V power supply + SonicTransporter arrived today.  Here is a photo.  You will see the Sonicorbiter SE next to the microRendu.  Both are diminutive in size:
 

 
The microRendu has been playing non-stop for the past 7 hours, not even close to being broken in.  With the Chord DAVE and a 9V supply feeding the microRendu, it runs on the warm side but not hot to the touch.  Sonore suggests 7V is ideal and so that is how my Paul Hynes supply will be configured.  I was hesitant to report on the microRendu so early on fearing the microRendu would be at a significant disadvantage, but just like @Sonic77 has found, the microRendu is sounding great even before being fully broken in and so here goes.
 
Early impressions on 2 channel + headphones with Audience AU24SE USB cable and <10 hours of break-in:
 
1)  microRendu + HD Plex 9V vs Sonicorbiter SE + HD Plex 5V --  Even at this early stage, microRendu is quite obviously better and not by a small amount.  Dynamic contrasts are greater.  Bass hits considerably harder although it could be tighter.  I suspect it will tighten with break-in and a better PSU.  Soundstage is clearly more expansive and for sure, there is more air.  Details layer better.   I was expecting it to sound thin but to be honest, even at <10 hours, thin is not how I would describe the sound at all and I suspect the tonality will probably get even richer with time.  No need to blind test.  mR >> Sonicorbiter.
 
2)  microRendu + HD Plex 9V vs microRendu + iFi 9V -- Close call but iFi sounds a little cleaner / tighter.  I will stay with the iFi power supply until my Paul Hynes PSU is ready.  iFi > HD Plex
 
3)  microRendu + iFi 9V vs Aurender N10 -- To my ears, Aurender N10 is superior to the Sonicorbiter SE by maybe 10-15% as described in a previous post.  Not surprisingly, the Aurender is a closer match to the microRendu but once again, even at this early stage, the microRendu is outpacing the Aurender in all of my metrics except one.  The Aurender sounds tighter and cleaner in the bass although the microRendu definitely hits harder.   I will be surprised if the microRender doesn't tighten down with break-in and with a better power supply.  As good as the Aurender layers details, the microRendu layers them better.  With Limehouse Blues (Jazz at the Pawnshop), as the snare is hit with a brush during the first 10 seconds of the track, with the microRendu, you hear more of the bristles stroking the snare.  The better layering is unmistakeable.  Space and depth are superior on the microRendu.  In the same way that the N10 makes the Sonicorbiter sound a bit closed in, the same thing is happening with the microRendu against the N10.  Both carry the same weight of tone but I fully expect the microRendu to break away with time and a better PSU.  mR > N10  
 
3)  microRendu + iFi 9V vs Aurender W20 -- I don't have the W20 in house at the moment but I'm not sure it's worth it for me to bring it in.  Compared against my basic laptop via USB and on the Chord DAVE,  the W20 was a smidge better than the N10 (within 5%), almost too close to call and I could easily be happy with either.  However, the delta I am seeing with the microRendu over the N10 is easily greater than 5% (probably at least 15% as a whole) and no doubt will improve with break-in and with a better power supply.  microRendu > W20
 
As for the microRendu's electromagnetic emission, which I know @paulchiu will be interested in, even at 12 inches away, the readings are very low (1.5).
 
Early conclusion:  The microRendu in standard form and before full break-in is the finest digital source I've heard at any price and a ridiculous bargain at $640.  This device will likely dramatically change the landscape of music servers moving forward.

 
Roy,
 
1.5 at a foot is fine.  Aurender and Nagra transformers will be zero at a foot, but these are reference categories.
Next to my DAVE now with gorgeous legs, this steal at $640 (free shipping??) is great to hear.
 
Thanks again.
 
Paul

 

[romaz]

How does the SonicTransportet fit in?

The SonicTransporter is a fairly compact, completely quiet (fanless), power efficient (8 watts) Linux-based computer designed to run RoonServer and can run 24/7.  The advantage of the SonicTransporter is you don't have to dedicate a potentially loud, power hungry, more expensive computer to serve Roon.  At a cost of $375, it's pretty tough to beat and it's turnkey.  With the microRendu as a Roon Endpoint, you have a complete TOTL Roon solution for about $1,000 (with basic PSU) provided you already own a NAS.  If you don't have a NAS, then you can order the SonicTransporter with an integrated SSD (up to 2TB) for music storage.  Here is the ad:
 
http://microjukebox.com/products/sonictransporter
 
If you need more than 2TB of internal storage or if you have a large CD collection that you would like to rip into your library, the Sonictransporter AP 8TB might be a better solution:
 
http://microjukebox.com/products/sonictransporter-ap-8tb-roon-server

 

[nepherte]

Thanks. I got most of it from the SonicTransporter product page

Can you give some impressions on the SonicTransporter while the DAC is directly connected to it ? How does it perform with large music libraries? Thanks!

 

[bmichels]

  The SonicTransporter is a fairly compact, completely quiet (fanless), power efficient (8 watts) Linux-based computer designed to run RoonServer and can run 24/7.  The advantage of the SonicTransporter is you don't have to dedicate a potentially loud, power hungry, more expensive computer to serve Roon.  At a cost of $375, it's pretty tough to beat and it's turnkey.  With the microRendu as a Roon Endpoint, you have a complete TOTL Roon solution for about $1,000 (with basic PSU) provided you already own a NAS.  If you don't have a NAS, then you can order the SonicTransporter with an integrated SSD (up to 2TB) for music storage.  Here is the ad:
 
http://microjukebox.com/products/sonictransporter
 
If you need more than 2TB of internal storage or if you have a large CD collection that you would like to rip into your library, the Sonictransporter AP 8TB might be a better solution:
 
http://microjukebox.com/products/sonictransporter-ap-8tb-roon-server

 
Finally a simple ROON solution without NAS and other network set-up....  I Am happy  

 

  thanks Roy

 

[shuttlepod]

  After a seemingly eternal wait, the Sonore microRendu + iFi 9V power supply + SonicTransporter arrived today.  Here is a photo.  You will see the Sonicorbiter SE next to the microRendu.  Both are diminutive in size:
 

 
The microRendu has been playing non-stop for the past 7 hours, not even close to being broken in.  With the Chord DAVE and a 9V supply feeding the microRendu, it runs on the warm side but not hot to the touch.  Sonore suggests 7V is ideal and so that is how my Paul Hynes supply will be configured.  I was hesitant to report on the microRendu so early on fearing the microRendu would be at a significant disadvantage, but just like @Sonic77 has found, the microRendu is sounding great even before being fully broken in and so here goes.
 
 

 
Roy, have you had a chance to experiment with different ethernet cabling configurations and the microRendu? I know you have a SOtM ethernet cable + filter -- is that what you have been using so far? And are you also using optical isolation of the ethernet cable with that as well? I'm curious as to whether either 1) a specialized "audiophile" ethernet cable and/or filter, or 2) optical isolation results in any audible difference that you can detect with the DAVE. OTOH, maybe you should just sit back and enjoy the music!

 

[romaz]

   
Roy, have you had a chance to experiment with different ethernet cabling configurations and the microRendu? I know you have a SOtM ethernet cable + filter -- is that what you have been using so far? And are you also using optical isolation of the ethernet cable with that as well? I'm curious as to whether either 1) a specialized "audiophile" ethernet cable and/or filter, or 2) optical isolation results in any audible difference that you can detect with the DAVE. OTOH, maybe you should just sit back and enjoy the music!

Not yet, Jon.  I will try to assess how good the network isolation is on the mR is this weekend.  I also have several USB cables coming in.  I am close to finalizing my setup and hope to finish further testing and just enjoy music for a while.  

 

[romaz]

Thanks. I got most of it from the SonicTransporter product page

Can you give some impressions on the SonicTransporter while the DAC is directly connected to it ? How does it perform with large music libraries? Thanks!

I haven't had time to set this up yet but I will this weekend.  I have high hopes for it.

 

[Articnoise]

I’m interested in the microRendu and will perhaps get one. I have read about it on different forums, but still don’t really understand more specifically what is it that makes it different (in design) to other top quality transporter/servers/ NAA? And isn’t it better to convert the signal to I2s, SPDIF or AES instead of changing it to USB? I have and have had an Offramp 5 + PSU and AP2 + PP with good result.

 

Maybe someone that really know this can point out what the microRendu does different and why this way of doing it is better on an easy to comprehend technical point of view.

 

TIA

 

[shuttlepod]

  I’m interested in the microRendu and will perhaps get one. I have read about it on different forums, but still don’t really understand more specifically what is it that makes it different (in design) to other top quality transporter/servers/ NAA? And isn’t it better to convert the signal to I2s, SPDIF or AES instead of changing it to USB? I have and have had an Offramp 5 + PSU and AP2 + PP with good result.

 

Maybe someone that really know this can point out what the microRendu does different and why this way of doing it is better on an easy to comprehend technical point of view.

 

TIA

Hi Articnoise:
 
You might find this review on YouTube helpful. It was just released:
 
youtube.com/c/TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

 

[romaz]

 
Hi Articnoise:
 
You might find this review on YouTube helpful. It was just released:
 
youtube.com/c/TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

Thank you for this, Jon.  I just saw it and his experience very much mirrors my own.