microRendu (Quest for the All-In-One Killer)

[plissken]

Music listening used to be simple. You had your music on vinyl and used a turn table connected to an amp & speakers to play it. Bamm. Dark Side of the Moon in all of three seconds. Okay, maybe five.

 

I've gone from one possible configuration to another, finding significant flaws in each of them before finally landing on the Cambridge CXN all-in-one solution. But I'm convinced there must be a much better solution, and in fact, I'm beginning to believe we can largely get back what we had in paragraph 1 while enjoying instant access to our entire music libraries, and without spending a fortune. I MAY have found a way.

 

The purpose of this thread is finding confirmation, correction, redirection, etc. regarding one possible configuration using the ever popular microRendu. Please forgive the over simplifications. You are the most sophisticated group in the universe, and I love that about you, but I'm getting older and don't grasp some of these concepts as quickly. My current understanding as well as where I'm headed is the following:

 

1. Best case scenario, a music library is stored, as well as managed and played, on a network-connected PC, Mac, or NAS located somewhere else in the house (I believe the reason for this is a significant reduction in noise is made possible by keeping each electrical component in the audio chain separated into its own electrical circuit). In my case, the Windows 10 PC is a home theater computer (HTPC) with JRiver Media Center (JRMC) as music player, manager, & server software. An iPad Air with JRemote is used as a remote control.

 

2. The still-digitized music is sent (streamed) over the network and must be received in the music-listening room by a "renderer" (in my case, the microRendu) which converts the "data stream" into digital music. It is then sent to a directly connected digital-to-analog converter (a.k.a. DAC - in my case, the Emotiva Stealth DC-1) which is then connected to your amp & speakers.

 

In short: Win10/JRMC HTPC with internal flac library > ethernet cable > router > ethernet cable > microRendu > USB cable > DC-1 DAC > RCA or Balanced cable > amp & speakers; controlled by iPad Air/JRemote.

 

Is this a configuration you could live with? If not, why; and what would you do differently?

 

Thank you.

.

 

The Windows 10 / JRMC and the Micro Rendu seem to be redundant as they are the same class of product. That is they are both 'rendering endpoints'.

 

The Mrendu is remote controlled directly. I would go with a NAS (I use Netgear) and either the Win10 / JRMC (Which is what I use) or the MicroRendu.

 

This setup is what I'm currently using in my WireWorld thread where I'm swapping out a 12 foot $330 cable with a 315 foot $90 cable I terminated myself with great results either way. I fed another machine with and ADC and the output is posted as a download. Same could be done with the Mrendu. Using the Emotiva DC-1 also.

 

I think either way you will be happy with the results. I would let what you think the best UI experience drive the purchase decision.

[plissken]

@plissken, you're usually right on but I don't understand your advice above. His configuration is fine. He has a server (PC/JRMC) and a renderer (mRendu). He's controlling with a tablet running JRemote. He needs no more/no less. How are the "Windows 10 / JRMC and the Micro Rendu ... redundant"? One is a server, the other a renderer.

 

It's because decent NAS units now days have back end services like Twonky, SMB, etc... built in. So, potentially, the JRiver PC could be omitted.

 

If the JRiver PC going to also be the server offering UPnP/DNLA/Twonky/SMB etc then the setup is fine.

[plissken]

So if this is all good, and one already owns the router/amp/speakers/iPad/cables, the total cost is $1200 (microRendu $700, DC-1 $500). Note: this particular DAC is unusual in that it omits the need for one piece of hardware necessary in most other configurations: a re-clocker such as W4S's $250.00 model. Correct?

 

According to Emotiva you won't need a doohicky with their DAC.

[plissken]

Here's where inexperience is getting the better of me.

 

I thought my iDevice would be controlling the JRMC server, but that's incorrect from your bolded statement above, and that does make sense. To clarify; will my iPad be controlling the microRendu which in turn will control the server? If so, this forces me to trade JRemote for Sonore's user interface app. If this is correct, do you know how Sonore's UI compares with JRiver's?

 

You can setup DNLA on JRiver with the MRendu as an end point/zone. That's a workable solution.

 

Are you attempting multi-zone?

[plissken]

Negative, though I may want to do that later. I just read Chris Connaker's in-depth review of the microRendu followed by several pages of comments. I think I made it to page 4. Somewhere in between, Chris mentioned he'd used JRiver to drive the microRendu during his assessment. Between Chris' stellar review and the many happy buyers, I'm quite sold.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

I thought in your other thread you were a bit down on JRMC UI...

[plissken]

On the contrary. Jriver has always been a joy to use. I'm looking to escape the pitfalls of the pc. It seems like half the time I wake the pc up to play music, I find it must first be restarted before it can work properly. Very frustrating, and it kills the mood. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

 

I use low wattage systems and kill power saving. I'm about to proactively replace my 2.0 PC. I built it in 2009 and it's been running 24X7 almost non stop.

 

You don't necessarily have a PC problem. You have an implementation issue.

[plissken]

I'm sure your correct. The problem in my case is that my renderer is an under-powered and long-in-the-tooth netBook.

 

Thanks All!

 

 

I don't know if you mentioned an old netbook in the other thread. Those were never really reliable kit even when brand new. It's just tough helping sometimes because the goal, the setup in real terms, the real root issues come out of the woodwork bit by bit instead of right away. At least it's all leading to what is going to be a really stream lined setup.

 

I keep everything as simple as possible and it seems you like to do the same. Buy hardware designed competently from the get go and you want have to add usb and power supply doohickeys.

 

I think you will be happy with the DC-1 DAC.

[plissken]

Sorry about that. I did fail to mention the limping netBook.

 

You're killing us here Gary :-)

[plissken]

++^

 

I don't think you need A.O. either.