Rendu Support Thread

[firedog]

I can't find any information on the file formats that are supported by uRendu. Is there an overview available somewhere?

I realize that perhaps the uR only receives a digital stream, similar to da converter, which would explain why I can't find this information . Otoh, most network players do specify which formats are supported.

 

I hope someone is sble to explain this to me.

 

Thanks.

 

Supports the following PCM sample rates up to: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 705.6kHz, and 768kHz.

Supports the following DSD sample rates up to: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DSD512.

 

The "formats" depend on your playback/server software, not the mR. Playback/server software means something like Roon, JRiver, Foobar, iTunes, minimserver, etc.

You need to use some kind of playback/server software compatible with at least one of the "modes" of the mRendu. The mRendu will playback anything in the above sample rates that your compatible software and DAC can handle.

[firedog]

Would like to give feedback here. After returning the unit to Martin Smith, he figured out that the unit worked fine in his system. with a new unit already on the way, the asked me to check the power supply . so at the end I figured out the power supply is broken. as i received the new unit I used another power supply and after a few seconds the mR was ready to use.

 

Would like to thank Martin Smith for his help and can advise any European resident to give vortexbox.co.uk a try if you are looking for a mR to buy. The service is very good.

 

I had a similar problem with another component once - component seemed not to work properly (it did come on and looked okay), but the problem was a fault in the PS, which wan't obvious. Lesson: always try an alternate PS when mystified.

[firedog]

Why does the hard adapter that comes with the microRendu sound so much better than connecting a 100 dollar Wireworld USB cable to the microRendu?

 

Depends on the system. YMMV.

or

short is better...

[firedog]

I just reconnected my DAC (Schiit Bifrost Multibit) directly to my PC with an external USB hub and do not detect any difference between the direct connection and the microrendu. I'm pretty disappointed that I don't hear any difference considering all of the high praise that this unit has received with regards to sound quality.

 

I'm running the microrendu on a HD-Plex 9V with Shunyata Alpha HC. The rest of my system is:

 

Aesthetix Calypso Signature preamp

Sanders Magtech amp

Magnepan 3.7i

Groneberg TS Premium speaker cables and interconnect between pre amp and amp

Groneberg Quattro Reference interconnect between source and pre

Groneberg Quattro Reference power cables for everything else (soon to be Cerious Technologies GE Blue for the Sanders Magtech amp)

dual Rythmik F12g

dedicated 20 amp circuit to cryo'ed Hubbells (soon to try Furutech GTX-D Rhodium)

foobar with wasapi out (event)

oyaide neo d+ USB cable from Schiit Bifrost Multibit to USB hub connected directly to PC, which is on a separate circuit

 

Every system and set of ears is different.

My only suggestion would be to listen with the mR for a few weeks, and then switch back and see if you notice any difference after a while. Sometimes the differences are small and we only perceive them as something like a more "relaxed" sound after long term exposure and long term lack of exposure.

[firedog]

I have been struggling with using my MicroRendu as a NAA with HQPlayer for months. I am using a Chord Mojo and I cannot get playback at any DSD rate without dropouts through the MR. I get perfect playback using the Chord ASIO driver with the MR connected directly to my PC using USB at all rates up to DSD256. I get perfect play out at 705/768 PCM rates through the MR.

 

There seems to be some issue with DoP as I was able to get DSD512 working well when I was using iDSD Micro as DAC sending without DoP.

 

This issue has followed two computers, the latest being an i7 6500HQ system.

 

Any advice on where to go from here?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

 

Had lots of dropout issues with the mR until I added a good quality unmanaged switch to the system. All the components are plugged into the switch, and there's one cable connecting the router to the switch, so the router can do it's job. Don't know why it works, it just does.

[firedog]

I have read from other thread that the microRendu sounds better when connected by 100 Mbps ethernet instead of GE, is this correct? Any comment?

 

Thanks,

 

Haven't noticed any differnce between the two.

[firedog]

generic advice: I solved network problems with the mR (lots of dropouts) by adding an unmanaged switch to my setup. All the devices and the router plug into the switch. The device from the ISP is setup to act only as a modem (internet delivery).

One or two others here have also solved networking problems this way.

[firedog]

4 hours ago, bkaudio211 said:

My Squeezebox classic died (no wifi-ethernet) last week. I love LMS and the use of iPeng. My LMS software came with my purchase of my netgear pioneer nas. My question is will I still have use of LMS and iPeng if I purchase a microRendu? Where do I install squeezelite? 

 

Yes, totally. You set the mR in Squeezelite mode and it will work with iPeng and LMS exactly like an SB device. It has Squeezelite built in, it is one of several playback modes you can choose between.

[firedog]

Roon is for people who like the metadata, links, and other information it provides. As well as Tidal integration.

If you aren't interested in any of that, not much point to it and you would probably be better of with something like Foobar, JRiver, or Audivarna.

 

mR? Should be close to plug and play. Plug the ethernet end into your router, and the USB end into your DAC or your EITR. If your music library is on a computer connected to the same network, http://sonicorbiter.com/my/ should give you a link to the UI of the mR. You might need to go into the settings of the mR interface and make sure it sees your DAC.

 

After that, the App Switcher function in the mR user interface should let you choose the playback mode. Choose one, and then on your music server machine open the playback software that is relevant and make sure it knows it is supposed to output to the mR/network.

 

If that isn't working, let us know what is going on. Once set up, the mR should require close to zero maintenance and just work. I'm outputting the from Roon to the mR and have close to zero glitches over months of use. 

[firedog]

Obvious, but check all the connections and make sure they are solid; sometimes they look okay but contact isn’t good.

Second, it may be a network issue. Do you have another router to try? Or a network switch you can obtain/borrow to add in between the server+ mR and router? Either of those might stabilize your setup. I had similar problems till I added a switch.

[firedog]

7 hours ago, OldBigEars said:

 

Thanks, it seems to have miraculously corrected itself.  I can't honestly pinpoint what cured it other than all kinds of reconnecting, rebooting and reinstalling. I do have 2 networks (one for the TV) and this may have been the source of the problem.  Seems OK now.  The only remaining issue I have is that my mR only plays up to 24/96 files.  As soon as I switch upsampling above 96 it kills the sound.  It's only slightly annoying as I'm not a fan of upsampling beyond 24/96. But I'm curious as to why it won't work.

What mode are you using the mR in? If it won't play  back anything above 24/96, their is probably a settings issue somewhere in your setup. 

[firedog]

For some reason the sonicorbiter.com and /my/ variants don't always work for me. Using http://IPaddress  does.

[firedog]

1 hour ago, vortecjr said:

Companies that focus on Mac and PC only are out of touch IMHO because most all servers and endpoints are Linux based. I would love to fix all DACs in the world in software, but we can't buy every DAC out on the market and dedicate resources to every issue. However, DAC manufactures can download Linux live disks for free and do their part on their end. They can fix the issue on their DAC or submit code to Linux for consideration. Some DAC companies are taking an active role and some could careless, but in every case they are in the best position to fix the issue. You said you had software experience....are you able to implement a fix in the Linux code?

Some of these companies have told me that since Linux isn't standardized and they can't be sure their implementation will work on various streamers with different versions of Linux, they don't want to be responsible for a device not working with a specific streamer and it's software. 
Even several companies whose products do work with Linux streamers don't make that part of their specs, as they say all they can say with confidence is that their product "should" work with a given Linux steamer. I've personally been told this by 2 well known DAC makers.

[firedog]

3 hours ago, barrows said:

Slower in what sense?  I am using ROON with the Signature Rendu SE (optical) and have not noticed anything "slower".

There are multiple reports of very slow or hanging searches. 

[firedog]

1 hour ago, vortecjr said:

How can a Rendu or any other RoonReady device make for slow server side searches...it can’t. I have options to test all kinds of stuff here, but I can’t really speak for how fast or slow it is. 

Oh, I wasn’t implying it did/does. 
Roon themselves say at least part of the problem is sever issues on their end. Totally guessing, I’d say they will find some additional internal Roon software issue that’s causing the problems. 

[firedog]

15 hours ago, vortecjr said:

For issues with a Rendu which drops off of your network

 

I have been experimenting with a router and Rendu and this fix should keep your unit from dropping off the network during usage. 

 

Please log into your router and look for a setting named DHCP Lease. When you find this settings make the DHCP Lease time 8 days and press Save. This should be a global setting, but some routers might have a port specific settings you can tweak. Mine was set to 10 minutes and causing me periodic issues during testing today. After increasing the time all issues are now gone.

 

 

Another thing you can try is to assign the Rendu a fixed IP address in your routers settings.  

Just a note: on my Linksys router you can only assign that setting in minutes. A day is 1440 minutes. That has always worked for me, but  for  8 days it would come out to  11,520 minutes. 

[firedog]

20 minutes ago, rhanson739 said:

This should be an easy one:

 

I just successfully installed a new opticalRendu in my system, replacing an ultraRendu. The ultraRendu is powered down and off the rack.

 

MySonicOrbiter reports both devices. I'd like to remove the ultraRendu from the list, but when I click Manage, of course it cannot find the device.

 

Is there a way to remove the ultra from MSO without hooking it back up, or do I need to make it accessible to the network and then Manage > Remove it?

Just a guess: have you tried rebooting your router since you disconnected the uR? Routers will sometimes continue to show a device as conneted, even when it isn't. If that's the problem, a reboot of the router should solve it.