Article: Sonore microRendu Review, Part 2

[Joaovieira]

What's accurate is that Roon sounds best when sent to the microRendu through HQPlayer. Those who try this seem to end up buying HQPlayer licenses.

 

It's pretty easy to hear how much better Roon sounds this way.

 

And it's ridiculous to say that HQPlayer adds a zillion variables. Really only a handful and even with them all bypassed, straight pass-through still sounds much better than going through RAAT.

 

+1

[barrows]

In this case we are only talking about using the AEx as a wireless bridge to output over Ethernet. In that application the AEx is just receiving standard network data packets via wireless and transmitting them to the microRendu via 10/100 Ethernet.

 

The scenario you are describing only affects the AEx's optical S/PDIF output jack, and yes, that is definitely crippled by Apple's firmware to a maximum of 16/48 output. You can send it files of higher resolution, but they will be downsampled.

 

In the case of the microRendu none of that applies as the only available connection method between it and the AEx is 10/100 Ethernet.

 

10-4!

[DavidZ]

As you can see, I am not the only one to claim this :-) mpd/dlna mode sucks the life out of the music. Once you hear Roon/HQP combo, I bet you can’t go back to either Roon or Dlna mode. The more resolving your system downstream is, the more differences you will hear between these modes. Before I bought uRendu, I didn’t have either Roon nor HQP. Downloaded them to try first and ended by buying.

 

 

OK, I have to run up the white flag here. I gave some serious listening to Roon, and it is much better than DLNA. No doubt. Now... about HQP. What does Roon add to the Roon/HQP combo? Is it sound quality, the GUI, and/or the articles and info? Thanks. -- David

[ericuco]

OK, I have to run up the white flag here. I gave some serious listening to Roon, and it is much better than DLNA. No doubt. Now... about HQP. What does Roon add to the Roon/HQP combo? Is it sound quality, the GUI, and/or the articles and info? Thanks. -- David

 

Roon has a REALLY nice GUI as well as tons of additional information about artists, albums, etc. For example, if you like the sound of a trumpeter in a particular track, you can usually find out who it is and what other tracks or albums they are on. As for SQ, not so great when compared to HQP.

 

HQP is the music player that has a number of options (filters, modulators, etc.) that allow you find the sweet-spot your particular DAC. As for its GUI, not so great when compared to Roon.

 

Both are top notch in their respective areas so that combo is hard to beat when considering ease-of-use, cool factor and SQ.

[DavidZ]

Roon has a REALLY nice GUI as well as tons of additional information about artists, albums, etc. For example, if you like the sound of a trumpeter in a particular track, you can usually find out who it is and what other tracks or albums they are on. As for SQ, not so great when compared to HQP.

 

HQP is the music player that has a number of options (filters, modulators, etc.) that allow you find the sweet-spot your particular DAC. As for its GUI, not so great when compared to Roon.

 

Both are top notch in their respective areas so that combo is hard to beat when considering ease-of-use, cool factor and SQ.

 

Thanks!

[timtom]

Anyone know where I can get more rubber feet for the mr?

[sockpit]

Andrew at small green comp? Or a hardware store.

[Sal1950]

Anyone know where I can get more rubber feet for the mr?

I have these under my DAC very nice and inexpensive.

Pangea Audio Pico Small Sorbothane Foot-Audio Advisor

 

They also have these for an option, no experience with them but VERY inexpensive.

Bright Star IsoNode Feet Set of 4-Audio Advisor

Hope that helps.

Sal

[Superdad]

Anyone know where I can get more rubber feet for the mr?

 

If you don't mind the size, these are nice. ;)

 

[BobSherman]

If you don't mind the size, these are nice. ;)

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]27497[/ATTACH]

 

Let's not forget to include one of these!

 

[CVJ]

I received my mR today and have a comment about connecting it using the Squeezelite output to a Logitech Media Server running on an ancient Windows XP laptop.

initially, this was a failure with the music stream stuttering and burst of "White Noise.

 

This problem was resolved by "pointing" the server to Logitech's Squeezebox.com, and connecting to TIDAL's HQ stream - and this works without any noise or interruptions of the gapless playback to my system:

 

Netgear Nighthawk router - cat6 Blue Jeans cable - microRendu - Peachtree DAC.IT - Krell preamp - Krell poweramp - Martin Logan Aero speakers.

 

My initial impression is very positive - the mR does a solid job of streaming TIDAL HQ streams.

 

As an aside, I am using the iPeng 9 IOS App to control the playback and that still uses the old XP laptop and the LMS server in order to accomplish that. I also have a Logitech Squeezebox Touch to stream my own music collection wirelessly, since that eliminates the problems caused by trying to use mR with Windows XP.

[CVJ]

Deleted this edit

[CVJ]

After some "tinkering" with settings and disconnecting and reconnecting both my Peachtree DAC.IT and the MR, I was able to play WMA Lossless files from the Logitech Media Server on the ancient XP laptop and pass the stream through the microRendu's Squeezelite setting.

 

But for some reason, FLAC encoded files (both 96/24 and 44.1/16) will only play for some 5 minutes before the mR starts "stuttering". I have increased the buffer size to 8192 and the Period Count to 2048, based on a suggestion made in another post, but that has not helped.

 

Does anyone else have this problem?

[timtom]

Thanks Sal. Will check it out.

[timtom]

I already have a pair of those ;-)

[CVJ]

disregard the above post. WMA lossless files also start stuttering after a longer interval.

[Sal1950]

disregard the above post. WMA lossless files also start stuttering after a longer interval.

Maybe it's the PS noise. LOL

[sgr]

Hi,

I own both the mRendu and a REGEN. I'm a tinkerer like most audiophiles. I briefly connected the two like this Apple AirPort Extreme via Ethernet to mRendu into the REGEN then into my DAC. I could swear that the two worked well together and listened long into the night. Next morning I had to go out of town. When I returned I found that my REGEN no longer worked. (I hope thAts a coincidence. ) mRendu was powered by HDPlex linear power supply while REGEN powered by the mean well power supply. A rebuilt REGEN is on the way. Has anyone else experimented with the two?

[Veovis]

I'm a bit puzzled by all the praise this thing is getting. No matter what you call the MicroRendu it's just a network to USB converter, right? For a few bucks more you get for example a Simaudio MiND 180 network player that does what the mR does but outputs to S/Pdif (optical and electrical) and AES/EBU. I own one and can only say that computer audio since I got it finally has fallen into place. What am I missing here? Is USB audio inherently better than any other interface (JRiver (PC) and Audirvana (OSX) with USB has so far proven to be no competition to the MiND for me)?

 

Not saying the mR is a bad product, since I haven't tried it. Just curious and suggesting we should keep a sound (no pun) perspective here. And wouldn't the result with the mR be somewhat dependant on the USB implementation on the DAC side?

[ted_b]

I'm a bit puzzled by all the praise this thing is getting. No matter what you call the MicroRendu it's just a network to USB converter, right?

 

No, that is an oversimplification that misses the uRendu point. This is a complete redesign of the USB handshake like you may have never heard before...the ethernet to USB thing is rather secondary, except that it allows this new USB kid gloves treatment to start with a very clean source signal. And then throw in the renderer/input modes as a bonus!

[Veovis]

No, that is an oversimplification that misses the uRendu point. This is a complete redesign of the USB handshake like you may have never heard before...the ethernet to USB thing is rather secondary, except that it allows this new USB kid gloves treatment to start with a very clean source signal. And then throw in the renderer/input modes as a bonus!

 

I get the part about sending the best possible signal to the USB port of the DAC. But that was the only thing I understood to begin with. I don't understand the rest of the "uRendu point" I'm afraid. To me, USB has always sounded worse than any other interface. I realise it has potential. Sounds much better out of a EDO-modified Squeezebox Touch with a good linear PS than a computer for example, but still not up to the level of a good s/pdif or AES/EBU output imo. So theclaim that the microRendu sounds better than any other source (Chris' words) puzzles me. Again, is the USB interface that much better and is the implementation on the DAC side not a factor when the uRendu is in the chain? I miss that angle in the review.

[kennyb123]

Not saying the mR is a bad product, since I haven't tried it. Just curious and suggesting we should keep a sound (no pun) perspective here.

 

You haven't tried it and yet you are telling the rest of us who have that we should keep perspective? Really?

 

Many of us have tried many other products as well, and from our perspective the mR rocks. That's why we're so excited about it. There should be nothing puzzling to that.

[sbank]

I get the part about sending the best possible signal to the USB port of the DAC... Again, is the USB interface that much better

Yes it's "that much better". IMHE, mR leapfrogs performance of all the other server/renderers I've heard regardless of interface type. Prior biases against other USB implementations can be thrown away.

 

It is pretty remarkable that Chris's review, Michael Lavorgna's and Hans Beekhuyzen's video review all reach basically the same conclusions. Part of the appeal is the USB-specific handshake stuff John just explained above, part is the flexibility to use in a wide variety of setups with control software from multiple sources, and part is other aspects of the design that optimize sound quality through clever choices surrounding powering the audio board(Jesus, John & Barrows explained much in detail throughout these long threads). The ability to use a wide variety of power supplies and hear the benefits of extra investment makes the mR a smart choice for those looking to get something really good at modest investment and later go for max sonics down the road.

 

For me the proof is in the pudding and since I've gotten my mR, about a dozen audio enthusiasts have listened and every one said that that it's among the very best digital setups they've heard. That's without HQP and with my $1250 Gumby dac, so there is still plenty of room to take it to even higher levels of performance.

[Doak]

Yes it's "that much better". IMHE, mR leapfrogs performance of all the other server/renderers I've heard regardless of interface type. Prior biases against other USB implementations can be thrown away.

 

It is pretty remarkable that Chris's review, Michael Lavorgna's and Hans Beekhuyzen's video review all reach basically the same conclusions. Part of the appeal is the USB-specific handshake stuff John just explained above, part is the flexibility to use in a wide variety of setups with control software from multiple sources, and part is other aspects of the design that optimize sound quality through clever choices surrounding powering the audio board(Jesus, John & Barrows explained much in detail throughout these long threads). The ability to use a wide variety of power supplies and hear the benefits of extra investment makes the mR a smart choice for those looking to get something really good at modest investment and later go for max sonics down the road.

 

For me the proof is in the pudding and since I've gotten my mR, about a dozen audio enthusiasts have listened and every one said that that it's among the very best digital setups they've heard. That's without HQP and with my $1250 Gumby dac, so there is still plenty of room to take it to even higher levels of performance.

 

Excellent summary.

[Account Closed]

Before you question, play critic or start recommending other products please at least have actually listened to this product.