A Confused streaming system - Mutec / SOtM Ultra

[Confused]

I've one more thought concerning matching audio units and the mR sounding more 'dull' than the SOtM-Kit.

We're talking digital here. We don't talk frequency respond or two units matching/equalizing one another.
In a digital signal you can't say to the bits 'Hey you treble bits, increase another +2dB' unless you set a specific filter on the digital signal to do just that. And you should clearly see that in the frequency respond.

It's different to analogue audio units in the past where there were actually units of different brands that could match perfectly.
In the digital realm if you think something sounds 'better' e.g. in the bass you might be right but it would be plausible that the whole frequency range has gained from this 'better' sound although you are concentrated on the bass at that moment.

My thoughts on why @Confused  hears a assuming +2dB in the highs with the SOtM-Kit is, that the SOtM-Kit has better timing, has a more 'in phase' and a more precise digital signal that leads to more dynamic in a shorter timeframe which can be experienced (and may be measured) as 'louder'. And maybe it is just appearent in the highs because our/his ears are the most sensitive in that frequency range. Again a digital kit that sounds better should sound better in every area of frequency...at least this is my experience in several occasions.

gui

I agree with a lot of this, but I cannot agree with the conclusion because it does not fit all the facts.  Clearly the "bits" or not the culprit here, we all seam to be agree on that one, but the problem is that the microRendu alone appears to have the apparent treble roll off issue.  Consider that the "increased" treble is apparent with the SOtM kit, a cheap and cheerful Pioneer BDP-450 and CI board AirPlay.  In fact, of all the ways I have of streaming from my PC to the Devialet, AIR, Roon AIR, mR, SOtM & various CI board modes, CI AirPlay is just about the most incoherent sounding of the lot, and yet this still his the apparently more prominent treble.  So I still go back to the theory that this is noise related, although I am guessing here and have no idea of the specifics of the mechanisms involved.  It just fits the observations better. Another possibility is that the mR does actually have some kind of digital filter, not impossible, it is basically a mini computer.

As a final point, we can have a discussion about the good and bad in the text from Mr Norwitz, but I think @thumb5 has it right when he says I need a brain re-boot.