Article: Sonore microRendu Review, Part 1

[The Computer Audiophile]

Sorry for the newbie question, but is there a way to use the Micro Rendu without a router? Mine is 50 feet away from my stereo, and there's no way to run ethernet that far. I'd love to simply connect a hard drive with my music on it.

There's a way to do anything. Not sure you'd want to use the microRendu this way though.

 

If you don't use a router, how do you envision connecting the microRendu?

[mink70]

Thanks for your response. I'm wondering whether perhaps there was a way to connect a hard drive directly and control it with an IOS device over inbuilt wifi or a dongle, a la Raspberry PI.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Thanks for your response. I'm wondering whether perhaps there was a way to connect a hard drive directly and control it with an IOS device over inbuilt wifi or a dongle, a la Raspberry PI.

You'd really be swimming upstream attempting to go this route. You could connect it to a Ethernet - WiFi bridge, but using a hub to connect both a USB DAC and USB drive isn't recommended (although it's technically possible).

[firedog]

Sorry for the newbie question, but is there a way to use the Micro Rendu without a router? Mine is 50 feet away from my stereo, and there's no way to run ethernet that far. I'd love to simply connect a hard drive with my music on it.

 

You could get a second router, or ethernet over Electrical outlets, or a wireless access point, use it as a relay, an d and connect the ethernet of the microRendu to an ethernet port on one of those. But it is specifically designed to work with ethernet.

[master]

Sorry for the newbie question, but is there a way to use the Micro Rendu without a router? Mine is 50 feet away from my stereo, and there's no way to run ethernet that far. I'd love to simply connect a hard drive with my music on it.

 

Get a WiFi extender with ethernet port. Probably not the way its supposed to be used but will work.

[matthias]

Chris, when it comes on to Part 2, my primary interest (beyond SQ), is what power supply was used in relation to your closing comment of:

"I can unequivocally say that with the microRendu in place, my audio system has never sounded better than right now."

 

"Using the forthcoming Sonore 7V power supply provided for this review by Sonore, the microRendu uses 1.4 watts during playback."

 

Matt

[soyka0120]

I'm a little confused. On the one hand, the microrendu doesn't require a server. On the other hand, there's a micro rendu bundled with a sonic transporter (i.e., a server). So other than getting Roon off of my computer, why would I need this? (Or did I answer my own question).

 

I don't know that I have a need for this at the moment, I'm using a SonciOrbiter (the original) plus Roon on my MacBook fed into a three zoned system. I've been very happy with the SonicOrbiter and I'm not looking to replace it, other than that someday or other a board is going to burn out and I'd probably want another Sonore product. Roon does seem to take up a fair amount of processing power though, so maybe at some point I'd think of getting it off.

 

For now, though, just curious.

[ericuco]

Roon does seem to take up a fair amount of processing power though, so maybe at some point I'd think of getting it off.

 

By using a "fair amount of processing power" usually equates to a "fair amount of (electrically) generated noise" being passed to your DAC. Using Ethernet to pass the output from your Mac to a low noise (low power, fanless, etc.) device like the microRendu helps isolate your DAC from the noise coming out of your Mac.

[soyka0120]

By using a "fair amount of processing power" usually equates to a "fair amount of (electrically) generated noise" being passed to your DAC. Using Ethernet to pass the output from your Mac to a low noise (low power, fanless, etc.) device like the microRendu helps isolate your DAC from the noise coming out of your Mac.

Yeah, that's the beauty of the SonicOribiter, I'm sitting here in my office and my gear is in another room, so it's isolated from whatever noise. So I've got that feature already. I guess what I meant is that having Roon on my MacPro seems to drain the battery running in the background. Not a major big deal...

[Tintinabulum]

Not quite sure I get it. What's the difference between this and an Auralic Aries in terms of functionality (its been a long day though)?

[Hoo Fighter]

Hi, can you please tell me where you found it.

At sonore it´s been sold out for the last few week

 

Cheers

 

Luiz

now available through site...

[Lcocozza]

Cheers

[frederick184]

Guess it's sold out already. Tried to order, but said it wasn't available.

 

Colin

[jtwrace]

Guess it's sold out already. Tried to order, but said it wasn't available.

 

Colin

 

It hasn't been available to the public just yet.

[frederick184]

It hasn't been available to the public just yet.

 

Ok, thanks. Just read what the guy above wrote about it being now available through the site and tried to order. Just have to be patient! ?

[vortecjr]

I just opened up sales on the website to the general public.

[frederick184]

Ordered! Thanks, Jesus

 

Colin

[vortecjr]

Thank you...enjoy!

[rrwwss52]

Sorry for the newbie question, but is there a way to use the Micro Rendu without a router? Mine is 50 feet away from my stereo, and there's no way to run ethernet that far. I'd love to simply connect a hard drive with my music on it.

 

Ethernet over power. If you have a router in your computer room, you can connect Ethernet to another location in the home via the house wiring. I do this with my entertainment system which is in the living room, while my router is across the house in the office. I also use a set of modules to monitor my solar PV system. Several companies make the modules.....I am using Linksys PLEK 500 and an 8-port gigabit switch for the Entertainment Center.

 

ordered my microRendu too...

[Mike Gillespie]

Computer neophyte and need some basic help.

 

I've got a

 

--Synology 1812 NAS with terabytes of music files,

-- a long ethernet cable from the NAS that will reach the micro-Rendu,

-- a DAC that will take USB,

-- and an IPAD.

 

The physical connections seem simple enough but how do I control my music files on the NAS and actually play music in terms of what software might best work?

 

Is all the software just going to be on my IPAD or do I need to fiddle trying to get software on the NAS and/or the micro-Rendu?

 

I don't see simple instructions on the Sonore website. Just a long list of programs I don't recognize that might work with it.

 

Thanks. And apologize for my ignorance on this stuff.

 

Mike

[master]

Computer neophyte and need some basic help.

 

I've got a

 

--Synology 1812 NAS with terabytes of music files,

-- a long ethernet cable from the NAS that will reach the micro-Rendu,

-- a DAC that will take USB,

-- and an IPAD.

 

The physical connections seem simple enough but how do I control my music files on the NAS and actually play music in terms of what software might best work?

 

Is all the software just going to be on my IPAD or do I need to fiddle trying to get software on the NAS and/or the micro-Rendu?

 

I don't see simple instructions on the Sonore website. Just a long list of programs I don't recognize that might work with it.

 

Thanks. And apologize for my ignorance on this stuff.

 

Mike

 

You would need another device on the network, so your iPad will do fine. Don't see an app, so I believe everything will be browser based.

 

Instructions on accessing @ SONORE microRendu Manual.

[mlknez]

How many channels does this handle?

[firedog]

2 channels

[firedog]

Computer neophyte and need some basic help.

 

I've got a

 

--Synology 1812 NAS with terabytes of music files,

-- a long ethernet cable from the NAS that will reach the micro-Rendu,

-- a DAC that will take USB,

-- and an IPAD.

 

The physical connections seem simple enough but how do I control my music files on the NAS and actually play music in terms of what software might best work?

 

Is all the software just going to be on my IPAD or do I need to fiddle trying to get software on the NAS and/or the micro-Rendu?

 

I don't see simple instructions on the Sonore website. Just a long list of programs I don't recognize that might work with it.

 

Thanks. And apologize for my ignorance on this stuff.

 

Mike

 

You don't need to install anything on the microRendu, but

you need some sort of server software that matches one of the modes on the microRendu: LMS (squeezebox server), Roon, JRiver, Minimserver, etc. The server software can be on your NAS or on any other computer/tablet on your network, as long as that device/server software can be setup so that the audio is sent over the network to the microRendu.

 

Most server software can be controlled from some sort of app from your ipad. I can't be more specific till we know what server software you will install. The simplest setup would be to install the server software on your NAS. In fact, it may have some pre-installed - I don't know enough about your unit to tell you.

 

I hope knowledgeable Synology users (not me) will chime in and tell you what's available to run on your model of NAS that's a match for the microRendu, and the ipad app necessary to control it for playback.

[ted_b]

Mike, I assume you have all this into a wireless router (otherwise what does your ipad see?). You'll need music serving software (like Minimserver on your NAS) and a some free music browsing software on your ipad (called a control point in UPnP language) like Kazoo or other UPnP clients. No need to buy anything like JRIver or Roon if you are fine with loading free Minimserver on your NAS and a free iPad app. The microRednu sees Minimserver (once Minimserver loads and catalogs your NAS music and you tell microRendu to be in UPnP renderer mode), and grabs whatever music your ipad-based music browsing remote tells it to. The microRendu sends that music, via USB, to your DAC.