Sonore uRendu "Fact or Fiction"

[firedog]

Chris-

 

Slightly off topic, but if you could listen to the Kii Three at Munich I'd love to hear your impression.

[Evo1668]

Well I had notification of my uRendu shipping yesterday from the US. I am in the UK, so who knows how long that will take?

When I do get it, comparisons, will be against my Intona/Recovery setup. And by that time, I should also have received back my upgraded Linn Exakt DSM1 for comparison against - So let's see how the uRendu stacks up against a £14000 streamer?

[JW Audio]

Sorry if this is OT, but does the microRendu come with a 30 day return policy? Thanks for your help.

[jonmarsh]

Hi Guys - Sonore told me I could publish the first review of the microRendu, but they couldn't guarantee it once the units shipped. When I was notified of the probable launch date, assuming the production run arrived and passed QA, and I considered the fact that I'd be in Munich for the high end show (I'm writing from Munich now) when the first units were shipped, I spent three days working on the review until 2am each day, so I could publish it before leaving for the show. Testing, researching, confirming facts, etc...

 

Initially the review was going to be a standard one part review, but the deeper I got into this thing the more I wanted to accomplish with the review. It was clear to me that most people had no clue what went into its design, some people had no clue how they'd even use the device, there are a number of PSU options, playback modes, etc... After writing the first several paragraphs it became clear that it would be a two part review. Part one before the Munich show, so I could guarantee myself first publication date in the world, and part two after the show when I return home.

 

That's it. No coordinated campaign here.

 

I appreciate the timing of the review if only because I still wouldn't have known about the product without it! Been so busy lately I rarely have time to do more than check the front page of CA and the new main posts- so the review and the follow up comments on Monday were my introduction. Ordered one on Monday, along with a sonicTransporter, and will set them up with Roon, using a dedicated router and subnet. I'm curious to see how it compares with my NAD M50 and AURALiC Aries, but won't render that judgement until I have the signature power supply, too... (Sigh... Another $1400 I really needed for speaker and electronics parts and CAD software right now... :W

[jonmarsh]

Chris-

 

Slightly off topic, but if you could listen to the Kii Three at Munich I'd love to hear your impression.

 

+1 on that, I've already sent a couple of friends who live in Munich to the stands for Mola Mola and those who will be using their gear...

[MikeJazz]

The Aurender N100 i heard a few times in friend's systems and it was muddy, & not detailed, - bad treble.

 

I've listened to several aurenders in the local hifi store, and it never showed any muddiness. Don't take for granted what you listened in that particular system.

[MikeJazz]

For the record i OWN the Lumin, the Aries and the Rockna WDN, so the uR will be up against some stiff competition upon arrival, I tell ya.....

 

In the paper, the Rockna makes very sense to me doubling as a traditional disc transport and network transport. Please provide your feedback...

 

Thanks.

[MikeJazz]

Well I had notification of my uRendu shipping yesterday from the US. I am in the UK, so who knows how long that will take?

When I do get it, comparisons, will be against my Intona/Recovery setup. And by that time, I should also have received back my upgraded Linn Exakt DSM1 for comparison against - So let's see how the uRendu stacks up against a £14000 streamer?

 

Unlike the Linn, the microRendu does not decode...so it's not a like for like comparison. Or do you use only as a streamer, with digital outputs?

[Cebolla]

Surely, you mean convert (to analogue), referring to the microRendu's lack of DAC, rather than decode (audio files)?

 

All audio file steamers decode and play audio files and DAC-less streamers are commonly referred to as renderers.

[MikeJazz]

Chris-

 

Slightly off topic, but if you could listen to the Kii Three at Munich I'd love to hear your impression.

 

X2!!!!

[mojo_lo]

Some people always see conspiracies and nefarious motives. Nothing you can do about it.

Not so much that but marketing on the web is so sophisticated these days that it's hard to tell what is real vs what is manufactured. Many "reviews" are borderline content marketing and we already know Chris has an established relationship with the sonore and uptone folks.

 

That said, Chris' direct response should put us all at ease. Assuming one believes he's being sincere, which I do.

[hifi_swlon]

....So let's see how the uRendu stacks up against a £14000 streamer?

 

That's more like it!

 

If you have the time/inclination to share your findings based on a basic power supply and a higher end one (if you have one) that would be even better....

[Albrecht]

I've listened to several aurenders in the local hifi store, and it never showed any muddiness. Don't take for granted what you listened in that particular system.

 

Fair enough, I appreciate you taking the time to mention. I recognize that the same product can and will sound different in different systems. I haven't spent enough time with their products to know for sure. Example, of heard Ed Meitner's products in likely more than 50 systems, - so I'm very familiar with Meitner enough to describe it's overall character.

 

That being said, a McIntosh is a McIntosh, and it's chocolate sauce. If you want chocolate sauce, that's awesome, and there's nothing wrong with it. But at the end of the day, you can draw a direct comparison to a McIntosh and a Manley, and one would have a very difficult time supporting an argument that it is not "warmer" than the Manley.

 

I am not poo-pooing on any product, I recognize that my dumb opinion is just that, it's no better than anyone else's.

[Albrecht]

Hi,

Agreed. FWIW, - I still think that hardware is the most important part of high end audio. So, - a percentage? 80%??

 

I don't know, - sure, one needs a processor, RAM, a NIC, etc. But I'm psyched to put my trust & money behind a swiss army knife, hardware focused, flexible, product that doesn't come with a DB/player software that took money & focus away from other stuff, and can use several other long established DB/Server/Player software: some of which is excellent, and doesn't need another "take" on.

We've seen many conveniences with USB, but there are also big issues as well. This has been born out by the more than several USB isolation, regenertion, filtering boxes out there. It takes a talented high end audio designer, who also understands file processing, processor & RAM architecture, & computing peripheral devices to build a single purpose, high end audio digital file transport.

[Distinctive]

In the paper, the Rockna makes very sense to me doubling as a traditional disc transport and network transport. Please provide your feedback...

 

Thanks.

Sure thing.

I am in the process of replacing Windows7 with Linux (running Roon Server) on the WDN SBC. I have run roon on W7 with no issues, though. My library reside on a NAS.

The Rockna WDN output is via I2s to my DS DAC, so a direct comparison with the uR is hard to make since I need to switch between the I2s and the USB. I2s will probably have a slight edge on SQ on the paper.

[Distinctive]

Waiting in suspense for the first panegyric impressions to emerge.....

[cchang]

In the paper, the Rockna makes very sense to me doubling as a traditional disc transport and network transport. Please provide your feedback...

 

Thanks.

 

X2

 

I own a Rockna WDN but a pure disc transport version (pair with Rockna WD Signature dac via I2S overHDMI). My uRendu has arrived but I am away from home on business trip for two weeks. And I need more input for composing a setup to best utilise the uRendu.

[mrvco]

I have not heard the Aries or Aurender N100, but it is clear that the mR violates their respective safe spaces with multiple barrages of micro aggressions Now that I have that out of my system, I am looking forward to reading the reviews of the mR. Regardless of what those reviews may say, I am very pleased with my mR + IFI p/s so far.

 

Actually, you do not know that the microRendu "beats the Mac Mini, Aries or the Aurender N100," since all you have is an inadequately supported opinion that it does.

 

You know, the Hype Machine ™ is created not only by the manufacturers and sellers of audio toys, but also by the Internet denizens who repeat what they've read.

[zerung]

My view. 72 hours on.

Off the box, the MRendu had nothing that made people who reviewed this jump off their seats.

My Mac mini with much tweaks and Uptone JS2 etc beat it fair and square, except on the noise floor, where there is a strong presence of the blackest black.

Even 50 hours of burning, the mids were very constricted, vocal lacked air and the base was a bit muddy...compared to the Mac.

 

The past two hours I sat down and had a listen, now there is a shift sonically; there is an immediate natural ness to the music. I feel some weight off my shoulder and the vocals has the additional air and has some weight lifted off its back.

 

I am relieved, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. This might finally make me give up my Mac mini and sell the parts I have been collecting for the CAS....I am now excited to let the Micro burn itself into the ground.

 

I am using roon, HQ player, works better for me.

 

I am using the JS-2 at 9V feeding the MRendu. The Intona or the Regen has limited or no impact on the sound, I will retest this later this week. If sound gets better after the final burn in, I will try and get some more upgraded PSU. That is perhaps the final straw left, till the next time.

[juanitox]

very nice balanced review

[Patatorz]

+1

[Evo1668]

My view. 72 hours on.

Off the box, the MRendu had nothing that made people who reviewed this jump off their seats.

My Mac mini with much tweaks and Uptone JS2 etc beat it fair and square, except on the noise floor, where there is a strong presence of the blackest black.

Even 50 hours of burning, the mids were very constricted, vocal lacked air and the base was a bit muddy...compared to the Mac.

 

The past two hours I sat down and had a listen, now there is a shift sonically; there is an immediate natural ness to the music. I feel some weight off my shoulder and the vocals has the additional air and has some weight lifted off its back.

 

I am relieved, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. This might finally make me give up my Mac mini and sell the parts I have been collecting for the CAS....I am now excited to let the Micro burn itself into the ground.

 

I am using roon, HQ player, works better for me.

 

I am using the JS-2 at 9V feeding the MRendu. The Intona or the Regen has limited or no impact on the sound, I will retest this later this week. If sound gets better after the final burn in, I will try and get some more upgraded PSU. That is perhaps the final straw left, till the next time.

 

What mode are you using the URendu in, NAA? I.e NAA output from HQPlayer?

[zerung]

That is correct. Sonically I like the HQP NAA a bit better than via the direct Roon Ready

[Evo1668]

That is correct. Sonically I like the HQP NAA a bit better than via the direct Roon Ready

 

Do you have Roon and HQPlayer running on the same device? I ask as I notice you have a Synology NAS. Have you tried running the latest version of ROON (build 1.2) from the NAS, and having HQPlayer running solo on the PC? It makes quite a major sonic improvement by some margin....and allows HQPlayer all the breathing space on the PC to work its magic on the output before your Dac. Or in your case the Urendu and then your Dac.

[tboooe]

Do you have Roon and HQPlayer running on the same device? I ask as I notice you have a Synology NAS. Have you tried running the latest version of ROON (build 1.2) from the NAS, and having HQPlayer running solo on the PC?

How much horsepower is required to run Roon from a NAS?