Sonore microRendu

[vortecjr]

2 hours ago, Bruce Orr said:

Jesus - my microRendu should be arriving tomorrow. I'm jazzed!  Does it have remote RF capability, or a port available for that OR do you recommend it just stay on all the time? Mine will be behind cabinet doors. 

 

thanks,

Leave it on all the time. 

[vortecjr]

2 hours ago, rlow said:

 

Man, this thing doesn't even have an on/off switch, let alone anything RF!

 

I've kept mine on 24/7 for many months - no issues. Just make sure it has breathing room and doesn't overheat due to hot air build up in the cabinet (it can get pretty warm on its own).

Yep. You would think all power supplies would have a switch. 

[vortecjr]

The microRendu units that snuck in on Friday and Saturday for the 1.4 hardware update are done and will ship back on Monday. 

[Paddlefoot]

you my brother... are the man, thank you sir!!!

[kennyb123]

6 hours ago, vortecjr said:

The microRendu units that snuck in on Friday and Saturday for the 1.4 hardware update are done and will ship back on Monday. 

 

WOW!  Huge thanks to you and your team for working over the weekend to get this done!  I truly appreciate the lengths you guys will go to take great care of your customers.

 

My shipping notice indicates my microRendu was received just after 11 AM on Saturday, so it sounds like there's a good chance I will see a shipping notice tomorrow.  Listening without the microRendu hasn't been very enjoyable, so I'm very much looking forward to its return.  

[George Hincapie]

Could someone please explain the difference between the Ultra Rendu and the Micro Rendu, aside from cost obviously?

 

I am presently using an Auralic Aries Mini as a Roon end point and have just ordered a Sonic Transporter i5. I've read a lot about the supposed SQ of the Sonore as an end point and am keen to experience it for myself. I always use SPDIF Coax between source and DAC and the idea of using USB is making me slightly uncomfortable, but I'm willing to try it.

 

Out of curiosity, I'd be grateful to hear from anyone who has made the same switch from the Aries Mini to one of the Sonores and what their impressions were.

 

Thanks in advance.

[bnbayer]

15 minutes ago, George Hincapie said:

Could someone please explain the difference between the Ultra Rendu and the Micro Rendu, aside from cost obviously?

 

See this post in the next ultraRendu topic: 

 

[rogerdn]

12 hours ago, vortecjr said:

The microRendu units that snuck in on Friday and Saturday for the 1.4 hardware update are done and will ship back on Monday. 

Mine's one of them, great service, Thks.

[jaaptina]

6 hours ago, George Hincapie said:

Could someone please explain the difference between the Ultra Rendu and the Micro Rendu, aside from cost obviously?

 

I am presently using an Auralic Aries Mini as a Roon end point and have just ordered a Sonic Transporter i5. I've read a lot about the supposed SQ of the Sonore as an end point and am keen to experience it for myself. I always use SPDIF Coax between source and DAC and the idea of using USB is making me slightly uncomfortable, but I'm willing to try it.

 

Out of curiosity, I'd be grateful to hear from anyone who has made the same switch from the Aries Mini to one of the Sonores and what their impressions were.

 

Thanks in advance.

To my ears microRendu with wall ward equals Aries Mini + SBooster psu. MicroRendu with good psu sounds clearly better. 

[vortecjr]

News flash:

 

I may have forgotten to mentioned that we have been working with Audirvana the past couple months:) For those of you who don't already know the micro/ultraRendu will accept Audirvana streams very shortly. I have been testing the Audirvana beta release and it's working very well. I'll prepare a how to guide next, but its very easy to setup.

[Charente]

32 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

... the micro/ultraRendu will accept Audirvana streams very shortly. ...

 

That's excellent news for many of us who prefer the Audirvana interface and functions

[Bruce Orr]

George - this review does a fabulous job of comparing the micro and ultraRendu products. It praises both, but points out the technical differences based on conversations from Sonore, and then provides glowing reviews of the sound performance.  Enjoy: http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/07/classier-sonores-ultrarendu-takes-digital-audio-higher-still/

[Paddlefoot]

1 hour ago, vortecjr said:

News flash:

 

I may have forgotten to mentioned that we have been working with Audirvana the past couple months:) For those of you who don't already know the micro/ultraRendu will accept Audirvana streams very shortly. I have been testing the Audirvana beta release and it's working very well. I'll prepare a how to guide next, but its very easy to setup.

 

 

it just gets better and better from Sonore, thanks thats great news indeed!

[stevebythebay]

Bruce: read it, but it doesn't do much for me as a comparison.  And using the power from the Vinnie Rossi LIO is not common.  We'll hope that other reviewers do a much "fairer" and complete review of the ultraRendu either on its own or in comparison with the microRendu.  

[Bruce Orr]

I am probably less sophisticated than you - thought the 1,2,3 approach to technical differences between the mR and uR described by the person who actually designed/developed both of them might provide some insight.

 

Hope you find what you are looking for.

[stevebythebay]

5 hours ago, vortecjr said:

News flash:

 

I may have forgotten to mentioned that we have been working with Audirvana the past couple months:) For those of you who don't already know the micro/ultraRendu will accept Audirvana streams very shortly. I have been testing the Audirvana beta release and it's working very well. I'll prepare a how to guide next, but its very easy to setup.

 

Nice option.  Already using the Roon option, but will be great to compare with Audirvana.  In the past the player made a clear difference with my MacMini.  When a Roon Nucleus becomes available, that will also provide some comparison driving a μRendu or ultra. 

[Bruce Orr]

Stevebythebay, if you find anything that sheds more light on your question, please share. Thanks.

[sahmen]

44 minutes ago, stevebythebay said:

Bruce: read it, but it doesn't do much for me as a comparison.  And using the power from the Vinnie Rossi LIO is not common.  We'll hope that other reviewers do a much "fairer" and complete review of the ultraRendu either on its own or in comparison with the microRendu.  

Agreed!  And as I mentioned on the ultrarendu thread, he compared the microrendu HW version 1.3 (as powered with by the Vinnie Rossi Lio) with the ultra, whereas a comparison of the MR HW version 1.4 (as powered by the Uptone Ultracap LPS-1, for example) with the Ultrarendu would have been much more helpful, at least to me personally, and to all those who are trying to choose between the MR 1.4 and the Ultrarendu...

[vortecjr]

5 hours ago, stevebythebay said:

Bruce: read it, but it doesn't do much for me as a comparison.  And using the power from the Vinnie Rossi LIO is not common.  We'll hope that other reviewers do a much "fairer" and complete review of the ultraRendu either on its own or in comparison with the microRendu.  

Steve, there was a tight schedule for the review and I'm grateful for his effort.

 

FYI Ted B. has shown an interest in taking on the next review of the mciroRendu vs the ultraRendu.

[sahmen]

2 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

Steve, there was a tight schedule for the review and I'm grateful for his effort.

 

FYI Ted B. has shown an interest in taking on the next review of the mciroRendu vs the ultraRendu.

Well, I hope he gets to review the microrendu with the 1.4 HW now, in comparison with the ultrarendu.

[vortecjr]

11 minutes ago, sahmen said:

Well, I hope he gets to review the microrendu with the 1.4 HW now, in comparison with the ultrarendu.

That is not what I said.

[austinpop]

1 hour ago, sahmen said:

Well, I hope he gets to review the microrendu with the 1.4 HW now, in comparison with the ultrarendu.

 

I agree with you - this is the comparison that most people, especially mR owners, actually want to see. Don't worry, someone will do it soon enough.

[ted_b]

7 hours ago, stevebythebay said:

Bruce: read it, but it doesn't do much for me as a comparison.  And using the power from the Vinnie Rossi LIO is not common.  We'll hope that other reviewers do a much "fairer" and complete review of the ultraRendu either on its own or in comparison with the microRendu.  

 

I am at a loss to understand why you guys think using a LIO (or a Teradak or an Uptone or a Hynes or a Teddy Pardo or a etc etc) was somehow unfair?  The LIO is as different a psu from what you guys use as his room is different from yours, or his ears, etc.  However, he used the same power supply for both products, and showed that going from the microRendu to the ultraRendu took sq from 7/10 to 8/10.  Nothing else changed.  Isn't that a comparison worthy of the word "fair" or "complete"?  If only using your own brand of psu is what you are looking for, my review will not be terribly different (LPS-1, JS-2, Hynes are my choices), and likely looked at as unfair too??  Help me out here, I truly don't get it.  Thanks.

 

 

 

[sahmen]

3 minutes ago, ted_b said:

 

I am at a loss to understand why you guys think using a LIO (or a Teradak or an Uptone or a Hynes or a Teddy Pardo or a etc etc) was somehow unfair?  He used the same power supply for both products, and showed that going from the microRendu to the ultraRendu took sq from 7/10 to 8/10.  Nothing else changed.  Isn't that a comparison worthy of the word "fair" or "complete"?  If only using your own brand of psu is what you are looking for, my review will not be terribly different (LPS-1, JS-2, Hynes are my choices), and likely looked at as unfair too??  Help me out here, I truly don't get it.  Thanks.

 

 

 

Easy peasy:  I think you have simply got to use what you have got on hand, and if you do, there are people who would appreciate your review and that is all that matters. There will always be others who might want more, or something slightly different, because of the options they're confronted with, but I do not think you should take that personally. This situation is simply dictated by the state of the market as it stands now, and the options it is offering to different buyers, and that is all there is to it.... Each prospective buyer will view things in the light of their own preferences, and that is inevitable.. 

 

I, for example, would personally like a review of the ultrarendu and the microrendu with the 1.4 hardware upgrade, because both are coming out at around the same time, which places the 1.3 version of the microrendu a bit behind the times, at least from my own perspective.  It is the only reason why I would consider the the ultrarend/microrendu 1.3 comparison somewhat "unfair," (i.e it seems to be comparing the latest/only iteration of the ultrarendu with a somewhat outdated version of the microrendu) but then that would, again, simply be from my personal perspective, because I am getting the 1.4 upgrade, and want to know exactly how that version (and not version 1.3) stacks up against the ultrarendu, and I do not see this preference to be unjustified since it is Sonore themselves who have introduced v1.4 into the market as one more option of the microrendu (not to mention the most up-to-date version) to consider.  It is for a similar reason that I prefer reviews of the microrendu paired with the LPS-1, as opposed to other power supplies...  My expectations/interests are, in other words, determined by the components i already own. None of this means that a reviewer should necessarily view things solely from my perspective. Incidentally, I did appreciate Darko's review, and I even mentioned that... However, it fell slightly short of my expectations, because it left out the 1.4, and I am not familiar with the Vinnie Rossi Lio power supply and its effects on the microrendu... However, that is to be expected in my view, in a market that is crowded with such different options...  On one can "win" them all

[barrows]

sahmen:  Have you read about the technical differences between the microRendu and the Ultra?  The 1.4 micro just has the new clock, the Ultra, in addition, features no switching regulators and better board layout (for lower noise) because of the larger size of the board. 

I have heard both via the same power supply, there is no contest, the Ultra is a bit better, a significant bit (for audiophiles).  More very low level detail retrieval, a more palpable presentation, and better retrieval of ambience cues and low level decay trails.

Yes, I am with Sonore, so for sure take what I say with a grain of salt.  But I would say that John Darkos' comparison was spot on, he is clearly a good listener.  While the delta of the differences is a bit less with micro 1.4, the differences themselves are quite similar.