Sonore μRendu

[barrows]

I can imagine this new device will be less expensive. Can the Signature Rendu be used as an NAA and Roon endpoint? I think that will be the main selling feature.

 

Those are questions (roon, naa) for Jesus, as they are out of my area of expertise.

As of now there is no USB product. If there is a Ethernet to USB product, I can confidently say that it cannot perform at the level of the SSR unless it it ends up costing as much (with power supply). There is no free lunch, and power supply for anything like this will be critical, as are clocks, power supply management and local regulation.

The SSR costs what it does because of the complexity of its design, the quality of the parts, and the level of engineering involved: it is a no compromise unit designed and engineered for best possible performance.

[Blizzard]

Those are questions (roon, naa) for Jesus, as they are out of my area of expertise.

As of now there is no USB product. If there is a Ethernet to USB product, I can confidently say that it cannot perform at the level of the SSR unless it it ends up costing as much (with power supply). There is no free lunch, and power supply for anything like this will be critical, as are clocks, power supply management and local regulation.

The SSR costs what it does because of the complexity of its design, the quality of the parts, and the level of engineering involved: it is a no compromise unit designed and engineered for best possible performance.

 

 

 

I'm definitely on the same page as you when it comes to USB. IMO all DAC's should have an HDMI I2S/DSD over LVDS input. This is the only way to truly future proof a DAC. It's also the only way to retrofit an external renderer compromise free.

[Superdad]

Can the Signature Rendu be used as an NAA [for HQ Player]?

 

No it can't. And that's a big part of what will make the µRendu exciting for many is that it can. All the s/w features of the former SOtM sMS-100 or Sonore Sonic Orbiter, but on a purpose-built, VERY carefully done board. It is not my place to talk about the tech features of the piece, but I can promise it will be an editing success and that I will place my order early!

[Blizzard]

No it can't. And that's a big part of what will make the µRendu exciting for many is that it can. All the s/w features of the former SOtM sMS-100 or Sonore Sonic Orbiter, but on a purpose-built, VERY carefully done board. It is not my place to talk about the tech features of the piece, but I can promise it will be an editing success and that I will place my order early!

 

 

Do you think that your REGEN will be worthwhile using in combination with this device? Or will what your REGEN does already be incorporated into the design.

[4est]

Right about now seems like the time to say kudos on the Sonore Audiobyte USB>I2S card. That and the Regen have pegged things up a notch around here. Thanks JR and Barrows!

While agree on the limitations of SPDIF, so does USB! Unfortunately, most USB DACs still feature poor USB interface design, this is why we have a massive thread at CA regarding USB-SPDIF converters. For many DACs, SPDIF is their best input, but I agree, it should not be this way!

Ultimately, we are going to get to Ethernet connected DACs, I have to applaud Linn here for their prescience! In the mean time, I think most would be very surprised at the performance of the SPDIF output of the Sonore Signature Rendu, it has a very unique SPDIF drive circuitry, and with a lot of DACs SPDIF from the SSR will be better than USB.

To my mind, converting from Ethernet, then to USB, and then to I2S (internally every DAC will eventually convert to I2S) is kind of crazy, but understand, that for some DACs, USB will be their best performing input...

[firedog]

Those are questions (roon, naa) for Jesus, as they are out of my area of expertise.

As of now there is no USB product. If there is a Ethernet to USB product, I can confidently say that it cannot perform at the level of the SSR unless it it ends up costing as much (with power supply). There is no free lunch, and power supply for anything like this will be critical, as are clocks, power supply management and local regulation.

The SSR costs what it does because of the complexity of its design, the quality of the parts, and the level of engineering involved: it is a no compromise unit designed and engineered for best possible performance.

 

All true. In terms of cost, the micro will have a big advantage b/c of no on board PS and no expensive audiophile casework. From what I can tell it will have high level regulation, etc. But I imagine you will need a very good PS like the Sonore Signature or the JS-2 to really make it shine, and that will bring the price back up. I'm guessing the combo of a superior PS and the micro will be less than the Signature, but not by orders of magnitude. Audiophile casing is expensive.

[Distinctive]

Right about now seems like the time to say kudos on the Sonore Audiobyte USB>I2S card. That and the Regen have pegged things up a notch around here. Thanks JR and Barrows!

Are you saying that Sonore is a subsupplier of the USB-I2s card installed in the Hydra-Z?

[firedog]

Are you saying that Sonore is a subsupplier of the USB-I2s card installed in the Hydra-Z?

 

There are Audiobyte components in the Sonore card. Look at the picture on the Sonore site.

[Distinctive]

There are Audiobyte components in the Sonore card. Look at the picture on the Sonore site.

OK, it was the other way around, then.

Thx.

[vortecjr]

Right about now seems like the time to say kudos on the Sonore Audiobyte USB>I2S card. That and the Regen have pegged things up a notch around here. Thanks JR and Barrows!

 

Thanks and I hope you are enjoying it. I currently use an i2s input only Buffalo IIISE DAC, but Barrows is building me a USB version of it with the Sonore/Audiobyte card and it's coming out very nice. Post some images of your build and I'll do the same when mine is ready...

 

Jesus R

[MikeJazz]

Thanks and I hope you are enjoying it. I currently use an i2s input only Buffalo IIISE DAC, but Barrows is building me a USB version of it with the Sonore/Audiobyte card and it's coming out very nice. Post some images of your build and I'll do the same when mine is ready...

 

Jesus R

 

Jesus, is this because you prefer USB for i2s, or is for convenience?

Would it be feasible to have the DAC with the double input (i2s and USB) so one could compare both input types?

[vortecjr]

There are Audiobyte components in the Sonore card. Look at the picture on the Sonore site.

 

The components are similar, but remember that the purpose of our unit is much different. The intent of the Sonore/Audiobyte interface is to provide custom oversampling on the FPGA chip to allow one to bypass the first stage oversampling filter of the Saber DAC chip and to provide a master clock signal to the Buffalo IIISE DAC board in synchronous mode. The i2s/DSD output are CMOS level and thus the connection is made with short U.FL interconnects.

 

Jesus R

[vortecjr]

Jesus, is this because you prefer USB for i2s, or is for convenience?

Would it be feasible to have the DAC with the double input (i2s and USB) so one could compare both input types?

 

The primarily reason is for testing with the μRendu. I'm currently using the Sonore Signature Series Rendu into my i2s DAC and I'm sure there will be time for comparison at some point. One could add a USB interface with a Twisted Pear 2:1 mux, but it makes things significantly more complicated and there is just not enough room in my case. It's also kinda hard to beat the electrical and mechanical simplicity of a single input i2s DAC. Below is an image of my i2s DAC.

 

Jesus R

 

[MikeJazz]

The primarily reason is for testing with the μRendu. I'm currently using the Sonore Signature Series Rendu into my i2s DAC and I'm sure there will be time for comparison at some point. One could add a USB interface with a Twisted Pear 2:1 mux, but it makes things significantly more complicated and there is just not enough room in my case. It's also kinda hard to beat the electrical and mechanical simplicity of a single input i2s DAC. Below is an image of my i2s DAC.

 

Jesus R

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]20074[/ATTACH]

 

It's lovely. Thanks.

[4est]

Mine is a glorified breadboard!

Thanks and I hope you are enjoying it. I currently use an i2s input only Buffalo IIISE DAC, but Barrows is building me a USB version of it with the Sonore/Audiobyte card and it's coming out very nice. Post some images of your build and I'll do the same when mine is ready...

 

Jesus R

[vortecjr]

Mine is a glorified breadboard!

 

Mine started out on a piece of MDF and it's on revision 4-5:)

 

Jesus R

[rickca]

Jesus, I guess the micro Rendu is a follow-on to the discontinued SMS-100, right? Will the micro Rendu sound at least as good as the SMS-100?

[toddrhodes]

Subscribed. I find this very intriguing and I think this would be the first product to finally get me over the hump to keep Roon

[Superdad]

Will the micro Rendu sound at least as good as the SMS-100?

 

By all rights it should sound MUCH better!

[kukiman]

Hello vortecjr,

 

Would this be linux based? or FPGA based? This seems like an extremely exciting product! one that I've been looking for. Although a bit similar to the Aries, but it looks simpler and I always think simpler the better.

 

Would it support NAA as well?

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

Sounds exciting. What is the expected release date ?

[rickca]

Guys, the spec sheet is on Jesus's (vortecjr) signature. Yes, kukiman, it will support NAA. I don't think a release date or price has been announced yet.

 

Alex, why are you confident the micro Rendu will sound much better than the SMS-100?

[ericuco]

Jesus - assuming this is Linux based, will it have the libasound2 and kernel packages needed for non-DoP native DSD on Linux for the HQP NAA?

[firedog]

Jesus - assuming this is Linux based, will it have the libasound2 and kernel packages needed for non-DoP native DSD on Linux for the HQP NAA?

 

The μRendu is based on Sonic Orbiter and supports PCM, DSD encoded DoP, and native DSD playback.

 

I think everything we are going to find out about it at this point is on the web page linked to above.

Jesus mentioned that you can subscribe to updates - instructions on the website page.

[firedog]

Guys, the spec sheet is on Jesus's (vortecjr) signature. Yes, kukiman, it will support NAA. I don't think a release date or price has been announced yet.

 

Alex, why are you confident the micro Rendu will sound much better than the SMS-100?

 

I'm not Alex, but: AFAIK, the SMS-100 is basically a standard board, not something especially designed and built for audio. The micro rendu is designed especially for audio, has low noise regulators, quality clocks, etc. The product page already says it's best when paired with a low noise linear PS.