Rendu Support Thread

[mackh]

30 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

2.7 works with microRendu 1.3 and 1.4 hardware. 

Thanks very much for the reply.

 

One last question. I now have a Mytek Brooklyn+ DAC (replacing a Chord Hugo), and cannot get my microRendu to deliver an MQA stream from either Tidal or my local NAS to the Brooklyn+ DAC. The only way I have been able to play MQA files is by using the Tidal app on my laptop directly attached over USB to the DAC. This is something I don't want to do. I want to stream music files from both my local NAS and Tidal via the microRendu or possibly in the future an ultraRendu.

 

I have seen a number of posts and questions about this, but haven't come across a resolution. I would just like to know if I am completely wasting my time trying to get MQA files to my fully MQA enabled DAC via the microRendu. Is this just not possible?

 

I am using minimserver on my NAS, and have installed bubbleUPnP server (with a Sonicorbiter OpenHome renderer) on my microRendu to get access to Tidal. I can see and 'play'  Tidal Master files from my Lumin or Mconnect apps on my iPad, but the Brooklyn+ does not recognise them as MQA.

 

Is what I am trying to do just not possible, and if so what is the stumbling block?

 

I am aware that MQA is controversial and the Sonore has apparently decided (possibly because of the controversy) not to release an MQA update for its  products. However, I have a fully MQA enabled DAC and simply want to pass through MQA files (without any unfolding) through to my DAC. 

 

I'd be very grateful for any advice to avoid wasting my time if there is no solution.  

 

[vortecjr]

MQA should pass right through and play on your DAC. The signal just needs to un altered from point A to point B. So no signal processing or digital volume control anyplace in between.

[Theogenes]

Any other Hilo owners out there? Or people with access to a Hilo? I've been extremely happy with mine, and it would be awesome to be able to get the Hilo and uR working together. 

[vortecjr]

14 minutes ago, Theogenes said:

 

Great to hear, Jesus, thank you! Can't wait to have this up and running on my Hilo. Of course, I'm happy to participate in whatever we need to do to get this going as well. Should be ordering my Barefoot MiniMain12 speakers at the end of this week or beginning of next week, so very much looking forward to completing my digital front end and being able to see what all the excitement is about with the ultraRendu!

Great just email me at [email protected] when you are ready.

[Theogenes]

Just now, vortecjr said:

Great just email me at [email protected] when you are ready.

 

Heading off to work shortly, I'll hit you up this evening. Thanks Jesus!

[vortecjr]

1 minute ago, Theogenes said:

Any other Hilo owners out there? Or people with access to a Hilo? I've been extremely happy with mine, and it would be awesome to be able to get the Hilo and uR working together. 

BTW I forgot to mention it “might” support multi channel. Fingers crossed. 

[Theogenes]

15 minutes ago, vortecjr said:

BTW I forgot to mention it “might” support multi channel. Fingers crossed. 

 

Man, that would be AWESOME!! My use case is, for now, strictly two-channel, but I could see that opening up a whole new world for people with high-end multichannel setups. Can't wait to see it up and running, Jesus!

[mackh]

7 hours ago, vortecjr said:

MQA should pass right through and play on your DAC. The signal just needs to un altered from point A to point B. So no signal processing or digital volume control anyplace in between.

Thanks, but it just is not doing that, because the MQA files from both Tidal and my NAS are not recognised as MQA by the DAC. As far as I can see, the only element that could potentially be altering the stream is bubbleUPnP server which is installed on the microRendu and which provides me with the OpenHome renderer I use. I have switched everything I can  see (such as transcoding of any sort) on bubbleUPnP but to no effect.  

 

[vortecjr]

Go to Settings / MPD DLNA and press the max volume button. I'll try it here now on my end.  

[vortecjr]

I set my Rendu to MPD / DLNA output mode. I'm using the new feature where I don't need to run Bubble UPnP and have direct access to Tidal from Kazoo. In Kazoo with Tidal I searched for the word MQA and selected a track from Mozart that has MQA in the title. With MQA disabled on my Mytak DAC I get 16/44.1 and with MQA enabled I get a green dot next to MQA logo and 24/384 playback. 

[mackh]

Thanks very much again for your quick response. This sounds very promising, but with a pretty big caveat in the case of Tidal MQA. I guess the new features that will allow me to use Linn Kazoo are in version 2.7, which means that all I need to do is buy v2.7 on a new SD card and install that in my microRendu. If this works for my version of the microRendu (earlier board) I'd be very happy to do this.

I assume that this will also allow me to pass through MQA content from my NAS, although at the moment I have very little.

Unfortunately though, there is one problem with Tidal using this method. I actually already use Linn Kazoo on my Windows 10 desktop to control a Linn streamer I use in a completely different HiFi system in my study, so I decided to try a search for MQA in Linn Kazoo as you suggested. The problem is that this search finds only 6 albums including the Mozart violin concertos you found and tested. Tidal has many hundred MQA masters, but since the search only finds 6 of them, it appears there is no way to find them in Linn Kazoo.

Do you know of any other apps that would work without bubbleUPnP, such as say MConnect, or is Linn Kazoo the only option?    

[vortecjr]

I'm not suggesting that BubbleUPnP Server is an issue. I just explained how I tested it and should also work fine. I have also tested MQA in the past without issues on other version of SonicOrbiter. 

 

There is some information here on various players with MQA. 

https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/30509-sonicorbiter-mqa-decoding-on-the-rendu-series/ 

 

[vortecjr]

I just tried the same MQA track via BubbleUPnP Server on the Rendu with MQA enabled on the DAC and I get a green dot next to MQA logo and 24/384 playback.  

[mackh]

Hi that is very interesting. 

I have just tried playing this same MQA track using both the Lumin app and the MConnect Lite app on my iPad. The track plays, but the MQA indicator (green or blue dot) does not appear in either case, although I notice that there is a (digital) volume control on the Lumin iPad app that I can't find any way to disable. Which app are you using - Kazoo?   

As a matter of interest, I have just looked at the DAC diagnostics in my mmicroRendu for my Mytek Brooklyn+ DAC. Does this look ok to you?

Refresh Status

USB output

Set DAC to MAX volume

DAC description: Brooklyn DAC+      25ce:0025

Diagnostic information for this DAC

/proc/asound/card0/stream0

access: RW_INTERLEAVED
format: S32_LE
subformat: STD
channels: 2
rate: 44100 (44100/1)
period_size: 5513
buffer_size: 22050

amixer: Mixer hw:0 load error: Broken pipe

Thanks for your help.

Do you think an upgrade to version 2.7 on my (1.3 board) microRendu and a switch to Linn Kazoo might resolve my problem whether or not I use bubbleUPnP server? 

[vortecjr]

9 hours ago, mackh said:

Hi that is very interesting. 

I have just tried playing this same MQA track using both the Lumin app and the MConnect Lite app on my iPad. The track plays, but the MQA indicator (green or blue dot) does not appear in either case, although I notice that there is a (digital) volume control on the Lumin iPad app that I can't find any way to disable. Which app are you using - Kazoo?   

As a matter of interest, I have just looked at the DAC diagnostics in my mmicroRendu for my Mytek Brooklyn+ DAC. Does this look ok to you?

Refresh Status

USB output

Set DAC to MAX volume

DAC description: Brooklyn DAC+      25ce:0025

Diagnostic information for this DAC

/proc/asound/card0/stream0

access: RW_INTERLEAVED
format: S32_LE
subformat: STD
channels: 2
rate: 44100 (44100/1)
period_size: 5513
buffer_size: 22050

amixer: Mixer hw:0 load error: Broken pipe

Thanks for your help.

Do you think an upgrade to version 2.7 on my (1.3 board) microRendu and a switch to Linn Kazoo might resolve my problem whether or not I use bubbleUPnP server? 

You might need to power cycle things...DAC included. You said it plays music other wise...right?

[mackh]

Hi,

I have now power cycled everything - microRendu/Brooklyn+ DAC and the network switch to which the microRendu is connected.

I still get exactly the same DAC diagnostics as before, although music (of all FLAC formats including hi-res) does play with the exception of the fact that the MQA indicator dot does not light for MQA files.

I have also tried changing the settings in bubbleUPnP server so as to not create an OpenHome renderer, since someone suggested to me that MConnect light would provide its own connection to Tidal. I was able to connect to Tidal using MConnect, but still no MQA light for Tidal Masters.

It certainly looks from the DAC diagnostics that something isn't right. Do you think its likely to be a problem with my microRendu or with the DAC?

By the way, MQA is definitely 'enabled' in the DAC. When I connect my laptop directly to the DAC over USB and feed it Tidal Masters from the Tidal Windows app, the MQA dot lights up (green or blue) to indicate that the unfolding is happening.

 

Do you think my microRendu has developed a problem given the DAC diagnostics results? I don't know what 'amixer' is, but the 'broken pipe' diagnostic doesn't look right.   

 

[vortecjr]

1 hour ago, mackh said:

Hi,

I have now power cycled everything - microRendu/Brooklyn+ DAC and the network switch to which the microRendu is connected.

I still get exactly the same DAC diagnostics as before, although music (of all FLAC formats including hi-res) does play with the exception of the fact that the MQA indicator dot does not light for MQA files.

I have also tried changing the settings in bubbleUPnP server so as to not create an OpenHome renderer, since someone suggested to me that MConnect light would provide its own connection to Tidal. I was able to connect to Tidal using MConnect, but still no MQA light for Tidal Masters.

It certainly looks from the DAC diagnostics that something isn't right. Do you think its likely to be a problem with my microRendu or with the DAC?

By the way, MQA is definitely 'enabled' in the DAC. When I connect my laptop directly to the DAC over USB and feed it Tidal Masters from the Tidal Windows app, the MQA dot lights up (green or blue) to indicate that the unfolding is happening.

 

Do you think my microRendu has developed a problem given the DAC diagnostics results? I don't know what 'amixer' is, but the 'broken pipe' diagnostic doesn't look right.   

 

You can refresh that page with music playing and see if the information changes. You can also a new SD card if you want to try 2.7.

 

I have a feeling you have volume control enabled and reduced in one of your controllers. Look at all the controllers even if they are not running. Another test is a DoP file since it also needs bit perfect playback. 

[mackh]

Thanks again for the quick reply. 

 

I have tried refreshing the DAC status page with music playing and the DAC diagnostic report remains exactly the same. Is this a problem?

 

I don't have many DoP files, but I do have a few. I have just played a 'Blue Coast Collection' track by Keith Greeninger. This plays and displays on the Brooklyn+ DAC as 32bit/352.8kHz, and so I guess it is playing as it should be.

 

I am happy to pay for the 2.7 SD card to see if that makes a difference. I am based in the UK. Do I have to order this from the States or can I get it from a dealer in the UK?  

[jos]

11 minutes ago, mackh said:

Thanks again for the quick reply. 

 

I have tried refreshing the DAC status page with music playing and the DAC diagnostic report remains exactly the same. Is this a problem?

 

I don't have many DoP files, but I do have a few. I have just played a 'Blue Coast Collection' track by Keith Greeninger. This plays and displays on the Brooklyn+ DAC as 32bit/352.8kHz, and so I guess it is playing as it should be.

 

I am happy to pay for the 2.7 SD card to see if that makes a difference. I am based in the UK. Do I have to order this from the States or can I get it from a dealer in the UK?  

https://www.vortexbox.co.uk/

[vortecjr]

1 hour ago, mackh said:

Thanks again for the quick reply. 

 

I have tried refreshing the DAC status page with music playing and the DAC diagnostic report remains exactly the same. Is this a problem?

 

I don't have many DoP files, but I do have a few. I have just played a 'Blue Coast Collection' track by Keith Greeninger. This plays and displays on the Brooklyn+ DAC as 32bit/352.8kHz, and so I guess it is playing as it should be.

 

I am happy to pay for the 2.7 SD card to see if that makes a difference. I am based in the UK. Do I have to order this from the States or can I get it from a dealer in the UK?  

I can’t say it will make a difference because I’m not sure what is going on in your specific case. What rate DSD did you try? I assume if it’s native DSD or DoP the DAC should display...DSD and not PCM.

[mackh]

As far as I am aware or can see, the Brooklyn+ does not specifically display 'DSD' or 'PCM'. The DSD files I have tried were originally downloaded from Blue Coast Music a couple of years ago when I was testing my Chord Hugo. I think that they had been mastered in DSD256, but I can't be certain about that.

The files played on my old Chord Hugo DAC, but do not play on my Linn Klimax DS streamer (which doesn't support DSD).

They do play on my Brooklyn and the Brooklyn display indicates they are 32bit, 352.8kHz, but as far as I am aware there is no equivalent of the MQA indicator lights for DSD files. 

[diecaster]

I bet upsampling is turned on somewhere....

[vortecjr]

10 hours ago, mackh said:

Thanks again for the quick reply. 

 

I have tried refreshing the DAC status page with music playing and the DAC diagnostic report remains exactly the same. Is this a problem?

 

I don't have many DoP files, but I do have a few. I have just played a 'Blue Coast Collection' track by Keith Greeninger. This plays and displays on the Brooklyn+ DAC as 32bit/352.8kHz, and so I guess it is playing as it should be.

 

I am happy to pay for the 2.7 SD card to see if that makes a difference. I am based in the UK. Do I have to order this from the States or can I get it from a dealer in the UK?  

My Brooklyn DAC displays DSD. Email me so I can log into your unit....

[mackh]

1 hour ago, vortecjr said:

My Brooklyn DAC displays DSD. Email me so I can log into your unit....

Hi,

I will do but not sure how to find your email address. Is there a way to email you from within the forum?

[mackh]

Sorry - ignore my last post. just realised I can email you from the Sonore site