Hello all,
Currently running Roon with air 3 from an older macbook and hard-wired ethernet to my D400. Loving' it!
Have been considering an Sonic Transporter with internal SSD which would be the Roon whaddyacallit thing serving the Rendu and using the hard wired USB connection.
Anyone have any thoughts concerning this setup when compared to Air 3?
My interest in the Sonic is that it would just sit at the router and, in theory, be standalone and dedicated. Suspect it would sound great but Air 3 is so good I question whether this choice would be a back step.
Many thanks for any comments,
Best,
Warren
(09-Oct-2016, 20:09)Wdw Wrote: [ -> ]....Air 3 is so good I question whether this choice would be a back step.
Sounds like you may have answered your own question....
I couldn't say whether it would be a step forwards or backwards but I doubt there would be much in it. More importantly, you really like what you've got, it works, and it's free - why change!?
(09-Oct-2016, 22:58)Hifi_swlon Wrote: [ -> ] (09-Oct-2016, 20:09)Wdw Wrote: [ -> ]....Air 3 is so good I question whether this choice would be a back step.
Sounds like you may have answered your own question....
I couldn't say whether it would be a step forwards or backwards but I doubt there would be much in it. More importantly, you really like what you've got, it works, and it's free - why change!?
Wise words indeed but surely you're not suggesting we should be happy with our systems as they are!
Heresy!
Thinking the Sonic Transporter as a low noise linux box with an outboard power supply like UpTone''s and packed away in the closest would be more discrete than a MacBook with all the other routines running in the background...and if I was brave enough could wade into the arcania of HQPlayer.
Best,
Wdw
Not sure to what degree you ask for comparison of SonicTransporter or microRendu with AIR3? I have compared mac mini with Roon/ AIR3 with hardwired Ethernet to D250 vs same Roon/ mac mini via microRendu and USB (iFi SMPS). In this setup I preferred AIR3 (no advanced A/B testing though). I would expect the new PSU for microRendu to close the gap though.
Pardon me for saying but didn't many in this forum suggest that digital AES/EBU input was the best SQ by far ... be it vs. Ethernet or USB ??
FWIW - Have used both a Mac Mini with Uptone Audio JS-2 power supply with AIR3 with both the D400 and Mac Mini wired via ethernet, and the same Mac Mini setup with a microRendu. I no longer have the microRendu, to me they were so close that it didn't make sense to have extra hardware in my system. The microRendu was powered by the JS-2 as well.
Of course, your mileage and needs may vary.
Yo baddog,
That's a data point and a great one, thanks. Now if the Sonic Transporter would run the Air 3 software, perhaps, it could be ideal. Were you running HQPlayer in that mix?
Best
WDW
Maybe something to consider is a NUC running Windows 10 and RoonServer? At some point I might move in that direction to have a box that is dedicated for just one task and hopefully not too great in energy consumption.
Of course, the forced updates from Microsoft is a bit of a turn off. And not quite the "appliance" that a SonicOrbiter is.
(10-Oct-2016, 11:01)audio_engr Wrote: [ -> ]Pardon me for saying but didn't many in this forum suggest that digital AES/EBU input was the best SQ by far ... be it vs. Ethernet or USB ??
Absolutely. But keep in mind that quite a few here have no adapter from computer into AES/EBU, but ethernet is fine also. So they must be happy with the lesser connections.
I run iTunes > PureMusic > Dirac (DRC) > Firewire > Weiss INT203 > balanced cable > AES/EBU. Compared to any other it is by far the best even without DRC.
(11-Oct-2016, 09:04)ÜMohmm Wrote: [ -> ] (10-Oct-2016, 11:01)audio_engr Wrote: [ -> ]Pardon me for saying but didn't many in this forum suggest that digital AES/EBU input was the best SQ by far ... be it vs. Ethernet or USB
Absolutely. But keep in mind that quite a few here have no adapter from computer into AES/EBU, but ethernet is fine also. So they must be happy with the lesser connections.
I would not support the generals statement that AES/EBU sounds better than the other inputs. I found it on par with USB for 44khz and for higher Bitrate I favor USB.
My MUTEC is already sold.