Article: Sonore opticalRendu & Signature Rendu SE Optical Review | Part 1

[bunno77]

On 6/28/2019 at 12:29 PM, vortecjr said:

You already knew the answer when you posted here so don’t expect any humor. If you don’t want to buy the upgrade card for what it is don’t buy it. If you want Chromecast contact them and ask them to open source it. 

lol you do have a sense of humour after all

[vortecjr]

14 minutes ago, bunno77 said:

lol you do have a sense of humour after all

I have a dark sense of humor:) 

[fpalm69]

Part 2???

[bobfa]

"Bob's Summer of Fun"

 

Over the summer I have been busy with work and, I have not been posting to Audiophilestyle.  I have also been waiting for "part 2" from Chris on the Signature Rendu SE Optical.  

 

Today I decided to go ahead and post about my experience this summer.  

 

I have used products from Sonore for a while, but I had drifted over to custom-built hardware.  I have been using a custom server and a couple of different endpoints based on the Intel NUC platform.  In all of the work/fun, everything seemed incremental.   I would mix-match-remix, and it sounded "the same but different."

 

After Chris did his part one review, I decided to give the new Sonore box a try.  Since the beginning of July, I have had the Signature Rendu SE Optical Tier 1 (SRSO) in my system.  I have also purchased the large SD card from Sonore, but I have not done a lot of testing with LMS and none with MPD for the moment.  My primary playback system is Roon.  

 

My Server has been running a beta version of Euphony that allowed running the OS in RAM to improve sound quality.  I just updated to the 20190912 production release today.  I will not discuss that here other than to note that it does edge things up further.

 

Listening to the SRSO in my system, there is more space, more depth in the musical soundstage.  The music has a smoothness that I have not enjoyed before.  The sound quality improvement does not come at any expense in detail.  I feel that this is the best endpoint I have ever had in my system.    

 

I have to take the time to listen to LMS and MPD with the SRSO!  I know that Chris liked it.  My short look of LMS running on the SRSO was favorable, but the two box Roon Server system was better.   I hope to get some more time to listen to the system with the SRSO by itself using LMS and MPD.  I can pry myself away from Roon; I know I can!

 

This solution is not in-expensive, but it does deliver.  I am not ready to try the Tier II upgrade YET!

 

There is more I can do in my system.  The Server is set to bridge the network with two FMC devices that are of dubious quality.  I would love a  dual ethernet card with SFP slots that are supported by Linux.  Maybe a Sonore Optical module, maybe an EtherRegen.   

 

I know that I could replace the Ghent USB cable with something else.  I do not know what I will try next.

 

Time will tell.  

[The Computer Audiophile]

Part 2 is now up!

 

 

[charlesphoto]

Nice write up Chris. I have a 3/5th of a Signature  with the microRendu 1.4, their new Sonore Power Supply (with an SR Black fuse in it), and two opticalModules, first fed by a Cisco 2960 and powered by an HDPLEX 100, second oM by an LPS 1.2. Hoping to step up to an opticalRendu someday, but it's also been great how as I've added Sonore products as they've come out to the same core microRendu (got the second to last 1.4 upgrade, whew!) my same amp and DAC of five years just keep sounding refreshed over and over. Saving up for an opticalRendu for sure. The $550 Sonore Power Supply is very good and I found SR Black fuses on sale for $60 so went for those. Again, everything better, more that sense of ease and ah you talk about.

 

Did you try opticalModules? I liken them to a sharpening filter in Photoshop I (but not over sharpened). You might get even better results going from your switch to and oM and then to oR/Signature. I think that's been the consensus with those that tried. Anyway, I'm obviously a Sonore fanboy. Nothing wrong with that I hope!

 

Great selection of music. Listening to that Larry Karush right now. Been listening to a lot of piano, synth ambient stuff from the seventies and eighties (and now). A lot of it by women it turns out, which is refreshing. Check out "The Space Between" by Joanna Brouk (1980) on Qobuz. In my estimation one of the most beautiful records ever made  (the 21' title track at least). And then 'Focus On Similar' and I'll let you go down the rabbit hole from there. Pauline Anna Strom's "Trans-Millenia Music another great one though....

[Gavin1977]

On 9/16/2019 at 8:27 PM, bobfa said:

"Bob's Summer of Fun"

 

Over the summer I have been busy with work and, I have not been posting to Audiophilestyle.  I have also been waiting for "part 2" from Chris on the Signature Rendu SE Optical.  

 

Today I decided to go ahead and post about my experience this summer.  

 

I have used products from Sonore for a while, but I had drifted over to custom-built hardware.  I have been using a custom server and a couple of different endpoints based on the Intel NUC platform.  In all of the work/fun, everything seemed incremental.   I would mix-match-remix, and it sounded "the same but different."

 

After Chris did his part one review, I decided to give the new Sonore box a try.  Since the beginning of July, I have had the Signature Rendu SE Optical Tier 1 (SRSO) in my system.  I have also purchased the large SD card from Sonore, but I have not done a lot of testing with LMS and none with MPD for the moment.  My primary playback system is Roon.  

 

My Server has been running a beta version of Euphony that allowed running the OS in RAM to improve sound quality.  I just updated to the 20190912 production release today.  I will not discuss that here other than to note that it does edge things up further.

 

Listening to the SRSO in my system, there is more space, more depth in the musical soundstage.  The music has a smoothness that I have not enjoyed before.  The sound quality improvement does not come at any expense in detail.  I feel that this is the best endpoint I have ever had in my system.    

 

I have to take the time to listen to LMS and MPD with the SRSO!  I know that Chris liked it.  My short look of LMS running on the SRSO was favorable, but the two box Roon Server system was better.   I hope to get some more time to listen to the system with the SRSO by itself using LMS and MPD.  I can pry myself away from Roon; I know I can!

 

This solution is not in-expensive, but it does deliver.  I am not ready to try the Tier II upgrade YET!

 

There is more I can do in my system.  The Server is set to bridge the network with two FMC devices that are of dubious quality.  I would love a  dual ethernet card with SFP slots that are supported by Linux.  Maybe a Sonore Optical module, maybe an EtherRegen.   

 

I know that I could replace the Ghent USB cable with something else.  I do not know what I will try next.

 

Time will tell.  

Is Signature Rendu SE OpticaL still your present reference?

[bobfa]

4 minutes ago, Gavin1977 said:

Is Signature Rendu SE OpticaL still your present reference?

It never became a reference device for me.  I have moved it along.

[Gavin1977]

10 hours ago, bobfa said:

It never became a reference device for me.  I have moved it along.

Thanks Bob - I note from your profile that you are now using Antipodes CX --> Antipodes EX.  There is very little in the way of comparisions of the Sonore Optial Rendu vs Antipodes.  Would you be able to enlighten us why Signature Rendu SE optical never became your reference?

[bobfa]

6 hours ago, Gavin1977 said:

Thanks Bob - I note from your profile that you are now using Antipodes CX --> Antipodes EX.  There is very little in the way of comparisions of the Sonore Optial Rendu vs Antipodes.  Would you be able to enlighten us why Signature Rendu SE optical never became your reference?

There is no way for me to compare as the Sonore has been long gone from my systems.  Over the last nine months or so I have listened to six or seven system designs that failed me in one way or another.  (I also tinker a lot).  So there is a journey here not a comparison.  

 

The Sonore did not work right in my systems , it would not stay connected to my Kii Three speakers  and was unstable on the network.  I did not have a good support experience.  No blame no shame.  I have moved on. YMMV

 

I have some different goals these days so my direction and reporting of things may shift a little.  I am looking for simplicity, stability and ease of use. 

 

 

[vortecjr]

6 hours ago, bobfa said:

There is no way for me to compare as the Sonore has been long gone from my systems.  Over the last nine months or so I have listened to six or seven system designs that failed me in one way or another.  (I also tinker a lot).  So there is a journey here not a comparison.  

 

The Sonore did not work right in my systems , it would not stay connected to my Kii Three speakers  and was unstable on the network.  I did not have a good support experience.  No blame no shame.  I have moved on. YMMV

 

I have some different goals these days so my direction and reporting of things may shift a little.  I am looking for simplicity, stability and ease of use. 

Everyone once and a while we have a difficult circumstance and we can't make things right or can't do in a timely manner. Sonic Orbiter 2.7 shipped with a lot of units and was very good. There are some USB devices with issues and apps with issues that have been resolved with Sonic Orbiter 2.8 and it would have been nice to see how that played into your issues. Anyway, would be interested in any additional feedback regarding "I did not have a good support experience."     

[Matias]

Well, time for a follow up review then.

[vortecjr]

1 hour ago, Matias said:

Well, time for a follow up review then.

Chris’ DAC and network are not giving him issues so we will say it’s simple, stable, and easy to use:)

[Gavin1977]

9 hours ago, vortecjr said:

Chris’ DAC and network are not giving him issues so we will say it’s simple, stable, and easy to use:)

I'd review - but am unable to source a demo in the UK.

[oldfirm]

I'm trying to get my head around this D to D converter.

Is this the connection logic.(by set-up)

Router>RJ45 out>Fidelizer network switch >RJ45 out >optical module>optical out>OpticalRendu>USB out>DAC>XLR out>amp

                                                                     <>RJ45 out>laptop >windows 10 Pro

[The Computer Audiophile]

9 minutes ago, oldfirm said:

I'm trying to get my head around this D to D converter.

Is this the connection logic.(by set-up)

Router>RJ45 out>Fidelizer network switch >RJ45 out >optical module>optical out>OpticalRendu>USB out>DAC>XLR out>amp

                                                                     <>RJ45 out>laptop >windows 10 Pro

Yes.