Article: Sonore microRendu Review, Part 1

[sandston]

I'm having a hard time grasping what real-world improvement this could make over a direct-connected USB input to my DAC from my iMac, which is in another room about 15ft away. Doesn't an XMOS interface offer some electrical isolation already? Is the claims that a modern computer is generating so much noise that leakage though USB/firewire ground plane is going to reduce fidelity by a great degree? Teach me here, I'm open and I have a run of CAT6 going to the system, for the SBT already. I gather I could just use a hub with the existing network cable in order to provide a path to both the SBT and optionally to the rendu for Roon/HQP use. Aren't there opto-isolators on the market for USB that would accomplish the same thing?

 

 

How does this fit in the audio chain? What can it do on its own? What I think would be beneficial for us less versed in this field is some pictures of how this is used with all the typical software and hardware components we all use. For instance, how do I seem tidal? Do I have to have the Tidal app or tidal web app residing on a separate computer or can this be done native?