dCS Network Bridge

[firedog]

It will be interesting when the ultraRendu comes out how it will be in comparison to the dCS. I bet it gets you close to the dCS sound for much less.

[firedog]

48 minutes ago, iefbo said:

 

 

maybe ... but no SPDIF out as I understand ... 

yes, of course. each is a specialist item. 

[firedog]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Have them all but haven't done a comparison.

You may be the only person on the planet able  to directly compare the dCS bridge and the Signature Rendu-don't let us down! 

[firedog]

5 hours ago, stevebythebay said:

Wonder if Steven rather than Michael will do the review.

Don't think so, as the Sonore was pictured set up in Michael's barn.

[firedog]

To support Roon all  it needs to do is have RoonBridge installed. I guess it is possible the CPU they are using is somehow incompatible with RoonBridge, but it is a small program that uses little resources and in theory can be installed on almost any type of computer/streamer.

[firedog]

1 hour ago, rickca said:

Well, here's what Stack Audio says: 

 

We use a Swiss made module which is ultra low noise and EMI but the chip cannot support Roon.  The Swiss company are working on a new module that will support Roon and MQA.  However, a delivery date is still to be confirmed.  So I am not making customers any promises.  The fact that it does not support Roon is reflected in the price, if it did support Roon it would likely cost twice.

 

 

I've written them and asked about that quote, as it makes no sense to me. 

[firedog]

2 hours ago, firedog said:

I've written them and asked about that quote, as it makes no sense to me. 

I wrote and asked them what the issue was with installing RoonBridge (Roon streaming app) on the Onset Streamer and they answered me right away and said this:

 

Quote

 

Hello, 

 

Thank you for your email.

 

The chipset we use is not supported by roon. You are right the platform is tiny so size is not the issue and the cost is also not an issue. I chose a Hi end swiss streamer module that has very low EMI and noise. The alternative was to use a platform from stream unlimited which supported roon but it did not sound good. In hindsight I may have made the wrong decision from a business perspective but sound wise I made the right one.

 

The company that supplies the module are working on a new one that will support Roon but this could be a little bit down the line. I launched the Onset at a price that reflects the lack of roon Support.

 

Sorry I could not be much more help.

 

Many Thanks

Theo

 

 

[firedog]

On 11/14/2017 at 3:26 PM, xtraktz said:

I'm just as interested. Can you send it to me also? 

me too

[firedog]

6 minutes ago, stevebythebay said:

Thanks.  That's what I suspected.  Not good and makes me even less likely to bite on MQA.  I rather use both DSP upsampling and volume leveling in Roon, especially to do so in the Nucleus rather than leave it to the Berkeley.  My listening to the limited MQA sources I have in my system has not engendered any clear and consistent benefit.  That could change over time, as better source material comes along.

Roon now allows DSP together with full MQA functionality. I won't go into it here, but there is an MQA approved work around that they've implemented. 

[firedog]

On 6/28/2018 at 5:27 PM, stevebythebay said:

 

This site?  https://www.dcsltd.co.uk/   It’s up for me. What message are you receiving when you try this site?

 

As for firmware for the Network Bridge, it is accessed and applied via the app from Apple App Store as dCS Network Bridge.  Hope you have an iPad.

Site works fine for me, too. Seems you have a browser, cache, or ISP issue. Or something about the DNS you are using.

[firedog]

Glad I didn't buy one thinking the USB would come later.

Pretty hard for me to believe, in spite of what they say, that they don't have anyway of adding USB to their "performance standards". Does that mean SQ, or something else?

Maybe they should have let customers try a "beta" version of the firmware with USB output and see if they are happy with it? What if they were? 

[firedog]

44 minutes ago, agentsmith said:

To me USB was never intended to be an audio interface, all the various "D2D" flavour of the month USB interface boxes and cables indicate to me that USB is a flawed interface that requires a whole new industry of patchworks.

There are USB products on the market for which this isn't true. USB is like any other interface - it needs to be properly implemented. That many manufacturers don't properly implement it is a different issue.