Sonore Streamers

[GuillaumeB]

I'm really hopeful from everything that I've read everywhere, () that the 'tiny' computer's the way to go - people seem to be saying they have amazing setups from a cubox running custom software, and a decent power supply, with the ethernet providing most of the isolation.  I can see the logic to this and Ive read some nice posts on how the final connection is really the only bit that matters (unless data is actually being lost/dropped somewhere), otherwise on streaming services, you'd have to worry about the jitter-trail all the way back to hard drives in their data-servers for example.

Hmm... logic and hifi don't always go hand in hand! 

I'm also not sure that ethernet provides most of the isolation. If anything I think ethernet can often be the problem. Hence the reported success of using an optical bridge - I haven't tried this myself but know of many that swear by this. Myself I have had great success using Entreq to "ground" (oh oh I can hear you all tutting!) NAS and routers... 

Don't forget that Vincent at totaldac who is your ultimate measurements engineer has created an ethernet cable with a massive (ferrite) choke - this acts as a low pass filter effectively absorbing all the high frequency noise that allegedly travels down the ethernet cable. He recommends that this is used to connect switch to d1 server.

I think possibly one of the reasons that the Melco works so well is that it effectively replaces your network. All those computers/NAS/switches with their cheap SMPS...  

So for me - at least - I worry about the whole chain from source to DAC and want to optimise every stage of this. It's certainly not scientific but it floats my boat and seemingly a few others.

Guillaume

[Hifi_swlon]

I'm really hopeful from everything that I've read everywhere, () that the 'tiny' computer's the way to go - people seem to be saying they have amazing setups from a cubox running custom software, and a decent power supply, with the ethernet providing most of the isolation.  I can see the logic to this and Ive read some nice posts on how the final connection is really the only bit that matters (unless data is actually being lost/dropped somewhere), otherwise on streaming services, you'd have to worry about the jitter-trail all the way back to hard drives in their data-servers for example.

Hmm... logic and hifi don't always go hand in hand! 

I'm also not sure that ethernet provides most of the isolation. If anything I think ethernet can often be the problem. Hence the reported success of using an optical bridge - I haven't tried this myself but know of many that swear by this. Myself I have had great success using Entreq to "ground" (oh oh I can hear you all tutting!) NAS and routers... 

Don't forget that Vincent at totaldac who is your ultimate measurements engineer has created an ethernet cable with a massive (ferrite) choke - this acts as a low pass filter effectively absorbing all the high frequency noise that allegedly travels down the ethernet cable. He recommends that this is used to connect switch to d1 server.

I think possibly one of the reasons that the Melco works so well is that it effectively replaces your network. All those computers/NAS/switches with their cheap SMPS...  

So for me - at least - I worry about the whole chain from source to DAC and want to optimise every stage of this. It's certainly not scientific but it floats my boat and seemingly a few others.

Guillaume

Well, I certainly couldn't disagree, not least since I don't have the answers and you've clearly been through the process far more than I have....

I guess I was more getting at the jitter/clocking aspect for the final connection, but I had read Ethernet was essentially a galvanic isolator, but I too have read optical isolation helps so there must still be noise coming through.

I suppose like you say the Melco approach - remove everything and replace it with a special purpose box - does seem to make sense if there are unknowns at play. Seems to be working for them anyway!

It's not for this thread really I suppose, I'll start a new one, but this whole thing reminds me of professional imaging post production a decade ago..... Thankfully things moved on, albeit the oversized cables with giant wooden connectors etc never seemed to appear there. I guess we're just a lot more susceptible/influenced by sound. I know I am.

[Antoine]

Ethernet in general is isolated through tiny pulse transformers, either built in into the connector or in a separate IC somewhere upstream, like in our Devialets. Due to capacitive leakage part of the higher frequency noise will still find a way trough. The higher the frequency the more.

[Borgen]

Interesting topic... and given that there are several alternatives for ethernet cabling it should be easy and cheap for each of you to test the impact of low vs high quality ethernet cables.
1. Cheap cat5 type unshielded
2. Next step up with outer shielding braid
(make sure that the shield is connected at one end only)
3. Next step up with individual shielding of each conductor
4. Might also be that a high-quality switch at the other end makes a difference

I believe I am at "step 4" and I believe I got more emotions out of the music compared to "step 1", but it may all be placebo. I have also seen several others here saying that a good cat7 cable help in their setup. Use of ferrite rings is an interesting idea, but I am not sure if that would work given that the cable has a shielding braid.

And then on the original topic. I am currently running with a tuned Squeezelite on Cubox i4Pro (+ liner power-supply) and think this is a clear step up from Jriver on mac mini running win7. I have been thinking about Regen in addition, but right now the microRendu looks like my next solution.

[Hifi_swlon]

I hadn't realised that the microRendu hardware was designed by the same person as the Regen.

Because of my own experience with the Regen, as well as following many of the discussion about it, I'm slightly less excited about the microrendu now….

[AllenB]

Well, John Swenson has just recently posted on CA that the microRendu is better sounding than a SoSE feeding a Regen. Personally, I would not be without the Regen in my system, except of course, possibly the microRendu supplants it (and my MacMini or RPi 2).

[ogs]

I hadn't realised that the microRendu hardware was designed by the same person as the Regen.

Because of my own experience with the Regen, as well as following many of the discussion about it, I'm slightly less excited about the microrendu now….

It is the opposite for me. Because JS has designed the microrendu I am very exited. The Regen is wonderful on the input of my 250. According to JS a microrendu is even better than a Regen+PC. Remember that JS also designed the output circuit of the bigger Signature Rendu with it's re-clocker and i2s port.

[octaviars]

Anybody heard when the microRendu is going to come out?

[Hifi_swlon]

The latest news as of a week ago seemed to be 'soon'.

Apparently Chris at Computer Audiophile will (unsurprisingly) be doing the first review of the unit 'soon' too.

I believe there are only preproduction units at present.  Here's the latest quote I spotted at CA, from Jesus at Sonore in relation to a question about whether an Intona should be used with it, and after several questions asking about what power supply to use:

Making these recommendations / predictions is really outside of our work here. Barrows, John, and Alex have provided honest feedback based on their limited listening experience with preproduction units. I also want to be clear that these are not tests per se and rather just listening sessions. Soon there will be plenty of people including Chris posting their experiences with every possible combination imaginable. I know that we have become accustomed to having to tweak everything, but things are changing. Just get the best power supply you can afford and enjoy the music..

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f26-so...dex26.html

[Hifi_swlon]

The microRendu is generating quite a bit of heat on the CA forums now.  Despite everyone hinting at its performance having some connection to Sonore, or at least a close relationship, there have been a couple of notable comments that are hard to ignore.  This certainly caught my eye from Chris Connaker (as Computer Audiophile below, my bold) in response to another poster :

Quote Originally Posted by pipis2010  View Post
Actually it is being said that the mRendu SQ rivals the sound of servers costing $3-5k, which might seem like a bold claim, but I bet it's going to be true!!

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app

I'd be hesitant to listen to much conjecture about the microRendu (including my own to follow). It's a very different animal compared to a server. I wouldn't be surprised to hear people say the microRendu is better than any server at any price because of how it works and how it was designed. It could be a new paradigm for computer audiophiles.

I get the impression it could well be available April/May, and my interest has definitely perked up again.