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microRendu - Sound Quality observations and comparisons
#21
(16-Jun-2016, 09:57)GuillaumeB Wrote:
(16-Jun-2016, 08:32)Confused Wrote: If you don't like having a PC or similar in the chain, the microRendu is a very bad idea.  

Actually you could run it with a sonicTransporter with SSD storage which pretty much behaves like a NAS in the background (and runs Roon Server/Core).

If someone lends me their microRendu I could try this out and compare to my current totaldac setup. I already have the sonicTransporter.  Wink 

Guillaume

I have 2 sonicTransporter on order as well after chatting to you. 1 for me to test and 1 for a mate.
UK kit - Technics SP10 - Technics EPA-501  - AT33SA - NUC5i3 - W10 - Roonserver - Roon AIR - Devialet 1000 Pro CI - Blue Jeans Speaker Cable (0.5 metre each side) - Magico S5

Spain kit - NUC7i5 - W10  - Roonserver - Roon AIR - Devialet D250 Pro CI - Blue Jeans Speaker Cable - Ergo IX speakers
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#22
(16-Jun-2016, 09:57)GuillaumeB Wrote: If someone lends me their microRendu I could try this out and compare to my current totaldac setup. I already have the sonicTransporter.  Wink 

Guillaume

This is actually very interesting as it would tell if the microRendu performs better than Vincent's built-in CuBox.  Hope someone in the UK can lend you a microRendu!
*
Devialetless!
Roon, ROCK/Audiolense XO/Music on NAS/EtherRegen/RoPieee/USPCB/ISORegen/USPCB/Sound Devices USBPre2/Tannoy GOLD 8
250 Pro CI, MicroRendu(1.4), Mutec MC-3+USB
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#23
(17-Jun-2016, 09:47)ogs Wrote:
(16-Jun-2016, 09:57)GuillaumeB Wrote: If someone lends me their microRendu I could try this out and compare to my current totaldac setup. I already have the sonicTransporter.  Wink 

Guillaume

This is actually very interesting as it would tell if the microRendu performs better than Vincent's built-in CuBox.  Hope someone in the UK can lend you a microRendu!

The problem with this is that you would also compare USB vs. AES as the totaldac only has AES output and as many think including me the Devialet sounds better with AES input, just my opinion.
Speakers:TAD CE-1. Amplifier: TAD M2500mk2. Digital: TAD DA1000-TX, Innuos Statement Next-gen, Innuos PhoenixNET.

Miscellaneous: Qobuz Studio, Ansuz Mainz 8 D2, Ansuz Darkz DTC, Tubulus Argentus ethernet cable, Tubulus Concentus USB cable, Tubulus Argentus V2 XLR cable, Tubulus Argentus V3 + V3 bass, iFi Nova powercables. 

Second system
Qobuz Studio -> Devialet Silver Phantom, Devialet Tree









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#24
(17-Jun-2016, 11:19)octaviars Wrote:
(17-Jun-2016, 09:47)ogs Wrote:
(16-Jun-2016, 09:57)GuillaumeB Wrote: If someone lends me their microRendu I could try this out and compare to my current totaldac setup. I already have the sonicTransporter.  Wink 

Guillaume

This is actually very interesting as it would tell if the microRendu performs better than Vincent's built-in CuBox.  Hope someone in the UK can lend you a microRendu!

The problem with this is that you would also compare USB vs. AES as the totaldac only has AES output and as many think including me the Devialet sounds better with AES input, just my opinion.

Not necessarily. The mR would connect via USB to the totaldac re clocker and output to AES. In which case we are comparing mR to cubox.

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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#25
(17-Jun-2016, 11:31)GuillaumeB Wrote:
(17-Jun-2016, 11:19)octaviars Wrote:
(17-Jun-2016, 09:47)ogs Wrote: This is actually very interesting as it would tell if the microRendu performs better than Vincent's built-in CuBox.  Hope someone in the UK can lend you a microRendu!

The problem with this is that you would also compare USB vs. AES as the totaldac only has AES output and as many think including me the Devialet sounds better with AES input, just my opinion.

Not necessarily. The mR would connect via USB to the totaldac re clocker and output to AES. In which case we are comparing mR to cubox.

Guillaume

I know that you can do that, but the mR would still be going throug the USB input and it's implementation and the internal signal would go directly to the re-clocker so perhaps not a fair test but I can be wrong about this......
Speakers:TAD CE-1. Amplifier: TAD M2500mk2. Digital: TAD DA1000-TX, Innuos Statement Next-gen, Innuos PhoenixNET.

Miscellaneous: Qobuz Studio, Ansuz Mainz 8 D2, Ansuz Darkz DTC, Tubulus Argentus ethernet cable, Tubulus Concentus USB cable, Tubulus Argentus V2 XLR cable, Tubulus Argentus V3 + V3 bass, iFi Nova powercables. 

Second system
Qobuz Studio -> Devialet Silver Phantom, Devialet Tree









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#26
(17-Jun-2016, 11:38)octaviars Wrote:
(17-Jun-2016, 11:31)GuillaumeB Wrote:
(17-Jun-2016, 11:19)octaviars Wrote: The problem with this is that you would also compare USB vs. AES as the totaldac only has AES output and as many think including me the Devialet sounds better with AES input, just my opinion.

Not necessarily. The mR would connect via USB to the totaldac re clocker and output to AES. In which case we are comparing mR to cubox.

Guillaume

I know that you can do that, but the mR would still be going throug the USB input and it's implementation and the internal signal would go directly to the re-clocker so perhaps not a fair test but I can be wrong about this......

The internal CuBox of the Totaldac is connected to the external USB input of the re clocker as far as I know. This would be a fair and complete comparison.
*
Devialetless!
Roon, ROCK/Audiolense XO/Music on NAS/EtherRegen/RoPieee/USPCB/ISORegen/USPCB/Sound Devices USBPre2/Tannoy GOLD 8
250 Pro CI, MicroRendu(1.4), Mutec MC-3+USB
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#27
(17-Jun-2016, 11:48)ogs Wrote:
(17-Jun-2016, 11:38)octaviars Wrote:
(17-Jun-2016, 11:31)GuillaumeB Wrote: Not necessarily. The mR would connect via USB to the totaldac re clocker and output to AES. In which case we are comparing mR to cubox.

Guillaume

I know that you can do that, but the mR would still be going throug the USB input and it's implementation and the internal signal would go directly to the re-clocker so perhaps not a fair test but I can be wrong about this......

The internal CuBox of the Totaldac is connected to the external USB input of the re clocker as far as I know. This would be a fair and complete comparison.
 
Your right forgot about the connection USB out to USB in on the Totaldac. As you say this would be a fair comparison.
Speakers:TAD CE-1. Amplifier: TAD M2500mk2. Digital: TAD DA1000-TX, Innuos Statement Next-gen, Innuos PhoenixNET.

Miscellaneous: Qobuz Studio, Ansuz Mainz 8 D2, Ansuz Darkz DTC, Tubulus Argentus ethernet cable, Tubulus Concentus USB cable, Tubulus Argentus V2 XLR cable, Tubulus Argentus V3 + V3 bass, iFi Nova powercables. 

Second system
Qobuz Studio -> Devialet Silver Phantom, Devialet Tree









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#28
It would be interesting if someone was able to compare the respective USB outputs of the microRendu vs the Melco N1A/N1ZH60.
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#29
(17-Jun-2016, 09:38)octaviars Wrote: The last thing in your replay I can vouch for, a Mutec MC3 between my microRendu and Devialet made a change to the better. A good re-clocker and the use of AES instead of USB is something that I can recomend to try if one dont want to use AIR.

octaviars, thanks for this. By all accounts, it would appear that the AES/EBU input of the Devialet is better than its USB input.

Of course, the Mutec is good, but I wonder if, on another device with a better USB input, the microRendu via USB can be as good at the Mutec MC3+ USB via AES.
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#30
(15-Jun-2016, 19:51)Celts88 Wrote:
(22-May-2016, 20:53)Antoine Wrote: I haven't compared to solutions like those of Auralic, Aurender, Melco etc. as I don't like the closed platforms these run and the prices they charge but this is my list with scores. Please, consider the scores HIGHLY subjective and indicative, they're not absolutes!!

500 Sonore microRendu (Curious USB 0.2m) with Mutec MC-3+ USB (AES/EBU)
400 DIY music server (Curious USB 0.8m) with Mutec MC-3+ USB (AES/EBU)

Genuine question.

Why would I buy a Sonore microRendu / Curious USB 0.2m / Mutec MC-3+ USB when I could buy an Antipodes DS Server with internal 2Tb HDD, CD Ripper, and choice of either USB or AES output for a similar price (well, over here in Australia it would be)?

I can have a one box solution with the Antipodes DS with internal HDD (SSD is too much for me at present) instead of microRendu and Mutec

Antipodes DS

One would probably do this for one reason: better sound quality. And although I 'feel' the microRendu should easily outperform the Antipodes DS (which is in it's basis a hard- and software optimized PC running Linux) I can't be sure as I have never heard it myself. I haven't come across any comparisons between the two as well.

Comparing the functionality of both is an apples to oranges comparison. The microRendu is designed to be a lightweight and thus low-noise, HQ output endpoint/renderer, so not a powerful feature rich machine. Of of the key design principles behind the mR is to move the 'heavy lifting' upstream on different computer as far away from the DAC as possible. Smile

The sonicTransporter could for example be such a machine although to me this is nothing but a low cost, small and power efficient machine but of course pre-configured software wise. Any computer (PC or Mac) could do though.

Personally with computer audio I believe the days of needing or wanting optimized computers are near to over and I think we'll be moving more and more to purpose built hardware like the microRendu or purpose built bridging hardware that'll take some output from a general purpose computer and convert that to USB/AES/EBU/SPDIF/I2S/...for example a Dante/Ravenna device like the Merging NADAC (but without the built-in DAC) or something like an Focusrite Rednet device (or one similar future device targeted at consumer/high end audio) that'll accept an ethernet input and output SPDIF/AES/EBU. So a bit more like AIR and the streamers like those of an Aurender but without the closed ecosystem lock-in of those platforms.

The idea behind AIR IMO has always been a great one, it's execution OTOH less so! Wink
PS Audio P3, Shunyata ΞTRON Alpha Digital and HC/Furutech power cables, Paul Hynes SR7EHD-MR4, DIY Roon Server & Roon Endpoint running AudioLinux Headless, Phasure Lush^2 USB cable, Audioquest Diamond RJ/E ethernet, Uptone Audio etherREGEN, Mutec MC-3+ USB, Shunyata ΞTRON Anaconda Digital XLR AES/EBU, Devialet Expert 250 Pro CI, Nordost Tyr Reference LS cables, Von Schweikert VR-5 SE Anniversary Edition, Anti-Mode Dual Core 2.0, JL Audio Fathom F112. More detail here.

The Netherlands
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