I need a music streamer with no dac?

[TubeLover]

On 1/12/2019 at 11:00 AM, audiobomber said:

SOtM sMs-200 Neo, $450:

https://sotm-usa.com/collections/sotm-ultra/products/sms-200-neo-network-player

 

Better sound than a microrendu from anything I've read, at a lower price and includes a power supply that you could upgrade down the road. 

Not sure where you've been reading, but you may want to try other sources in the future. I don't personally anyone else who has come to that conclusion.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

15 hours ago, audiobomber said:

 

Steve Plaskin, Audiostream:

https://www.audiostream.com/content/sotm-sms-200-mini-network-player-and-sotm-mbps-d2s-intelligent-battery-power-supply

 

Hans Beekhuyzen: 

http://thehbproject.com/en/reviews/204/3/SOtM-sMS-200:-the-sound

 

The only review I'm aware of that came to the opposite conclusion was @The Computer Audiophile on this site. If you read his review carefully however, you will note that he compared the sMs-200 with its freebie SMPS to the microrendu with $1000 Sonore power supply. Clearly a stacked deck, both units jump up in performance with a better PSU.

 

 

Its a question of who you want to believe. To my knowledge, Hans Beekhuyzen seems to be mostly involved in Roon how-to videos currently (which are very helpful), and Steve Plaskin was an occasional  second chair contributor to Michael LaVorgna at Audiostream. I'll take input from Chris, who has had virtually every significant digital audio network player/streamer/renderer in his system and reviewed them since that category of device appeared. 

 

John Darko has also awared his Knockout Award to both the MicroRendu and the UltraRendu, it was also raved about in a five page Absolute Sound review by Vade Forrester 

 

There are also likely a few hundred members here in the forums with MicroRendu's and UltraRendus who I also suspect would beg to differ. And please understand that I say this meaning absolutely no disparagement whatsoever to SOtM. They make a nice product.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

On 1/29/2019 at 10:21 AM, audiobomber said:

 

You are grossly underestimating the review experience of both Beekhuyzen and Plaskin: 

http://thehbproject.com/en/reviews

https://www.audiostream.com/writer/32421

 

Chris's review did not compare the microrendu and sms-200 with the same power supply. He said so himself in the Comments section below the review:

"Each company sends a product how they want it tested. In this case the battery supply for the sotm and the signature for the mR."

The Sonore Signature PS cost $1399, the mBPS-d2S cost $400. Honestly, what do you think would the result have been if the had compared the sotm with Sonore PS and the microrendu with the sotm bps? 

 

John Darko has never reviewed a single SOtM product. Maybe that will change now that Plaskin is a Darko Audio reviewer. Or maybe not. The Absolute Sound has never reviewed a single SOtM product. Very odd, don't you think?

 

"There are also likely a few hundred members here in the forums with MicroRendu's and UltraRendus who I also suspect would beg to differ."

 

You have no idea how many AS members own either piece. I searched five pages of results for "microrendu sms-200". I only found three members who had directly compared each using the same ancillaries. All favoured the sMs-200:

I've presented two professional reviews three AS members' comments to back up my statement that the sms-200 sounds better than the microrendu. You have presented only your biased and uninformed opinions. 

 

Note: The sms-200 has now been upgraded to Neo status for $510 (power supply included), so even a better deal, and fits the OP's request for a solution "around $500". The $650 microrendu (without power supply) does not match the stated price range.

I would love to know exactly how you have established that I am biased, as I have long been using an Aurender N100, which relates to neither option. And I have said not a single negative word about SOTM, and noted that they make good equipment.  Secondly, your "professional" reviewers would generally be considered second tier, and/or "out of the mainstream" at best. I've honestly tried to give you a break here, since the issue of the MicroRendu's sound quality, and it's incredible value has been so clearly established over the past couple years that there really isn't even any debate these days. Certainly not in this forum to any meaningful degree.

Michael Lavorgna, who headed up AudioStream for Stereophile , and was technically Steve Plaskin's "boss" assigning him secondary reviews, that he couldn't get to, said of the MicroRendu

"What More Do You Need To Know
If you own a USB DAC and want to play network-attached music through it, the Sonore microRendu is currently the best option I've come across—regardless of price. If that doesn't make your computer-audio-music-loving heart bulge with delight, I don't know what will.
Read more at https://www.audiostream.com/content/sonore-simple-design-microrendu#byOid0TSAg7wIpt9.99"

 

And mind you, that was well AFTER he had reviewed the SOTM equivalent. 

Oh well, it appears you will believe what you will. Good luck with that.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

13 hours ago, audiobomber said:

That should say  2017.

Once again, you are taking things out of context and are wrong. I said above "And mind you, that was well AFTER he had reviewed the SOTM equivalent."

 

This review of the SOTM is from September 24th, 2015. He reviewed the MicroRendu June 30th, 2016, nine months later calling it "the best option he had come across"

https://www.audiostream.com/content/sotm-sms-1000sq

 

The review of the SOTM unit you are referring to took place nine months later, and would need to be compared to the UltraRendu, which is several steps above the MicroRendu and was released in the same timeframe as the upgraded SOTM device.

 

JC 

 

[TubeLover]

14 hours ago, audiobomber said:

Wow, you are seriously confused. The sMs-1000SQ linked in your last post cost $3000, and has not been mentioned previously in this thread. I have consistently referenced the SOtM sMs-200 exclusively, which cost $450 with a 9V power supply, vs. the microrendu, which costs $650 with no PSU. Maybe re-read this entire thread to get yourself back on track.

Once again, you choose to mis-represent things to enhance your argument. Did you, or did you not say, and I quote "you're wrong about the dates in your Lavorgna quote. They had not reviewed SOtM when he said that, nor had anyone else."? Did you specify an SMS-200 in that statement?

 

I clearly showed you that he had reviewed SOTM equipment related, in comparison with the MicroRendu before the MicroRendu review. I suppose you choose to just overlook that fact that he called the MicroRendu "the best option he had come across", indicating, given the timing of both reviews, that it bested the $3000.00 SOTM unit you identified. 

 

I have to say you did name yourself well as "Audiobomber". Do you plan to continue to bomb discussions here with this kind of half baked, poorly justified and otherwise pointless argument?  

 

At any rate, I'm now leaving this conversation to avoid further discordance, misrepresentation and inaccurracies that you leave in your wake. I've also placed you on ignore to otherwise improve my time spent here amongst the countless other members I have met over the years who have things of real value to say and comment on. And it also leaves me time to continue to read the exceptional high quality reviews that Chris, the CA founder contributes with such regularity, such as the one regarding the MicroRendu vs the SOTM in question.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

As noted in my previous note, I'm done Chris. Sorry for any discomfort my part in this provided. When I started my commentary, I honestly thought I was dealing with someone who was poorly informed and that this  discussion could be easily resolved. As you know, I virtually never involved myself in such situations.

 

JC