Is There Such a Thing as a Better Sounding Streamer?

Wow, my head is spinning here. Lots of great info for a tech fool like me.
I need to study up, as I had resigned my self to the bluesound route for simplicity sake, but now maybe I need to get more savvy and do better.

I somewhat read through the thread, and decided that it might as well be Greek for all the sense it makes to me. Ah, well...
 
I am currently using a PS Audio DSD DAC with the PS Audio Ethernet Bridge and am pretty happy with this setup. I have tried both the UltraRendu and a MicroRendu in lieu of the PS Bridge and I don't hear a difference in my system
Thats a tidy setup, and if you hear no difference, then the Rendus become superfluous. Given the PS Audio Ethernet Bridge is an $899 item, that paints the Rendu performance in a very positive light, especially the microRendu. Once again I'm not surprised.

I'll PM you you regarding those Rendus, perhaps it's time you moved one or both to a new owner?
 
What's a Rendu?

It's a fantastic little streamer made by Sonore, running a custom lean-Linux OS (Sonicorbiter) that has various output modes including RoonReady, DLNA/UPnP, Squeezelite, AirPlay, Songcast, HQ Player, and Spotify Connect.

Translation? Ethernet to USB streamer/player/endpoint/renderer. You connect it to a USB DAC.

Olson has both the micro and ultra versions, $640, and $875 retail, sans power supply (sold separately).
 
It's a fantastic little streamer made by Sonore, running a custom lean-Linux OS (Sonicorbiter) that has various output modes including RoonReady, DLNA/UPnP, Squeezelite, AirPlay, Songcast, HQ Player, and Spotify Connect.

Translation? Ethernet to USB streamer/player/endpoint/renderer. You connect it to a USB DAC.

Olson has both the micro and ultra versions, $640, and $875 retail, sans power supply (sold separately).

Interesting .

That sounds like a lot of fun.
 
I have tried both the UltraRendu and a MicroRendu in lieu of the PS Bridge and I don't hear a difference in my system.

I have a microRendu, and it betters the onboard MiND Ethernet input of the Simaudio MOON 280D DAC.

So in my case I don't go with the ultra tidy and simpler path of Ethernet directly into the DAC, that MiND input sounds quite good, but the microRendu is sublime coupled with a good power supply.

I cheat just a bit there with the UpTone LPS-1, which is an ultra capacitor based PSU design.

17051
 
It's a fantastic little streamer made by Sonore, running a custom lean-Linux OS (Sonicorbiter) that has various output modes including RoonReady, DLNA/UPnP, Squeezelite, AirPlay, Songcast, HQ Player, and Spotify Connect.

Translation? Ethernet to USB streamer/player/endpoint/renderer. You connect it to a USB DAC.

Olson has both the micro and ultra versions, $640, and $875 retail, sans power supply (sold separately).
So.. help the not so swift here.
I have dac with usb input I connect this to the dac and the Ethernet cable in my music room. Ethernet to my router and I am connected to my main pc and my nas?
How do I control it?
 
I find it curious that you critique BlueSound as being built to a price point, then you praise Sonore products.
 
So.. help . . . How do I control it?
It depends upon which application you're using to listen to your music. In general, the main program is always running on the music server/PC and one uses various apps to control things remotely.
  • Roon uses an app on one's tablet / phone to control the program running on the music server
  • Squeezelite - there are apps one can buy for a few dollars that run on one's tablet / phone to control it. Examples include ipeng or Squeezepad
  • Jriver or HQPlayer - Apps like RdClient on a phone or tablet lets one run the programs on the music PC remotely. The PC is running "headless" and one gets a virtual desktop on the phone or tablet to run things.
  • Airplay - one's ios device connects directly to the Rendu device just like one uses airplay to connect to one's TV or smart speaker.
In all these cases, one first needs to connect to the Rendu via any network connected device and switch the app running on the Rendu to the appropriate mode, i.e. Roon or Squeezelite or HQPlayer, etc.. It can only do one type of streaming at a time.

---Gary
 
I find it curious that you critique BlueSound as being built to a price point, then you praise Sonore products.
I find it curious that you spoke out loud but didn't quote me, safe to say you were directing the above post at me? I find it curious you seem to have ignored the fact that I stated exactly this:
Bluesound is of course quite nice, but it is certainly designed and built to a price point, not entirely unlike that of Sonos (or once upon a time Squeezebox). It can be bettered, but at what cost and complexity do you throw in the towel?
Where's the damning critique? Or how about this:
In the context of the OP and the question of is there better sound available from streaming (can the Node 2 be bettered?), the answer is a resounding yes but that isn't necessarily going to be the same price point as the Node 2. Thats all I was trying to say with regard to price point, not make some broader assertion. Everything is built to a price point, and some of the best engineering examples are lower priced gear that performs well, like Bluesound.
Please stop trying to take certain things I've said completely out of context, I perfectly stand by all of the above, and if you'll feel better about it, then we can absolutely agree that Sonore products are made to a price point, and I'll go one step further and say part of that value to the consumer is the lack of a 40% dealer margin, due to their direct sales model.

But back to Bluesound, who you seem to think I've taken a big dump on (except that I haven't), yes the SMPS and plastic enclosure, and any output you like so long as it's SPDIF... those are all design choices made to hit a price point, and not to offer state-of-the-art streaming. Read the title of the thread again to gain further insight into the context of my answers.

What is your answer to that thread title topic question?
 
Reading all of this almost makes me happy that my hearing isn't as good as it was years ago. My streaming device on my main system currently consists of my Galaxy S9 streaming Amazon Music HD/Ultra HD to a ChromeCast Audio fed with an optical cable to my Onkyo P-3000R preamp which has a host of digital inputs plus quite good dual Burr Brown DA converters (one per channel). I don't stream any of my FLAC files from my NAS yet as I haven't tied a PC into that system yet but will sometime soon. Somewhere packed up I have a very basic "Mini PC" that runs Windows 10 that I may use for JRiver on my main rig.

Thankfully, I'm not out to squeeze every last inch of sound from streaming. It's more of a convenience than anything and it sounds great for what it is. I don't have the time, patience, money, or desire to play in the "audioplhile" world.
 
Yeah - my setup is so simple - no cables - no USB no nothin - just wireless with nice internal DAC - works like a dream.

Isn't it nice?
That's what started this whole discussion. If I could make my streamer sound as good as my vinyl front end, it would be damn tempting to go with the clean and easy option.
 
Isn't it nice?
That's what started this whole discussion. If I could make my streamer sound as good as my vinyl front end, it would be damn tempting to go with the clean and easy option.
Ditto.
And as all I have now is a laptop or phone out of headphone jack I want to explore the next step.
 
I will say that the best I got Digital to sound was my previous set up. The Mytek Brooklyn to my Bluesound Vault 2 and/or Node 2 was on a level that brought me as close to my CD and vinyl playback as I have ever come. I made a mistake in thinking that it could be replicated at a lower price point. I am humbled by my own hubris and admit that there is a direct link between sound and price.
 
I will say that the best I got Digital to sound was my previous set up. The Mytek Brooklyn to my Bluesound Vault 2 and/or Node 2 was on a level that brought me as close to my CD and vinyl playback as I have ever come. I made a mistake in thinking that it could be replicated at a lower price point. I am humbled by my own hubris and admit that there is a direct link between sound and price.

That all makes sense to me. What I curious about is how much of that sound difference is the Bluesound gear, and how much is that wonderful DAC.
 
I feel I need to expand on my last statement. The Vault was in my case just a streamer. Roon and Mytek had more of an impact in netting me better sound than the Vault alone. The Vault, running BluOS along with the Mytek netted me great sound. Adding Roon elevated it to a higher level on par with my other sources. I hope that makes sense.
 
The build quality of the device is DIY hobbyist level. It consists of basic off the shelf parts, things that already just do what they do as they come from a 3rd party, implemented in a competent if basic manner.
Thanks Amir, but there is nothing DIY or hobbyist about it.

What am I missing?
Sonicorbiter OS among other things.

For the price charged, I find it to be utterly ridiculous especially considering that you have to supply your own power supply and you better bring at least a good LPS because I would hate to see what gets into and through that device with a wall wart.
Thanks again, so now you can fully judge a product's value without ever having heard it, that's phenomenal.

It costs MORE than the Node2, doesn't include a power supply, doesn't include the server, it is basically what, a homemade Chromecast?

Yes it does cost more than a Node2, no it does not include a cheap crappy SMPS like the Node2, no it does not include a local-storage server, and no, it is neither homemade, nor does it have anything to do with the Chromecast at all, neither it's hardware or software is in any way compatible with or comparable to a Chromecast.

I'd list all of the ways that it's vastly different from a Chromecast for you, but I know that won't matter based on the way you've completely ignored making any kind of reply to Post #51, instead shifting your focus to attacking Sonore products.

You do realize what an absolute ass Amir made out of himself in the original pan review he did of this device, which had to be stricken from the record in the interest of revisionist history? You know, where he made the completely false claims that the microRendu was not bit perfect, and that it had caused an 8 dB rise in the analog output of his DAC, backed by "measurements"? How'd that turn out for good ole' Amir, any egg on his face there? Any shred of truth to either of his bullshit claims? None at all, right?

But a data stream is not an 'analog' of anything. It is..what it is.
So bits are just bits then, thanks for that. Olson and I and various others must all be deaf then.
You haven't answered how its different. Beyond time domain accuracy and freedom from mains corruption/RF, how is the data stream going to be different?
Sonicorbiter OS, Texas Instruments low noise LDO regulator, custom board layout, manufactured by SolidRun, femto clock in the HW1.4 version, and various other things you will claim make no difference and or have no actual knowledge of.

I am under no obligation to be cross examined by your maniacal demands for proof of something, take anything I say here as accurate or not, but I will not be subjected to your demands for proof. You aren't an EE, and neither am I, so get off that pedestal.

I feel people are being sent on a fool's errand by charlatan products that don't do anything special
Who was sent on that errand and when? At what point in time did you become the arbiter of what is a charlatan product and what is not? Read Prime Minister's post, he asked a question about what other brand of streamers he might consider. I answered it, and I doubt we have a need for the poor unwashed masses to be protected here, you are the consumer protection police now?

And I say that from how horrible the iFi iPower was on my iFi iPhono2.
Thats because you didn't shunt the AC leakage current to ground. Just about any SMPS has that exact same issue, not just the iPower. That said, the iPower does measure exceptionally well in terms of noise within the audio band (better than many LPS units at just 1uV). Why doesn't iFi just ground the dang thing in the first place? They would like to sell you their $49 Groundhog accessory (I made my own instead).

John, I never attacked Bluesound in any way, I actually praised them more than once. Go back and reread that, you'll see. I'm sorry if your feelings are hurt, but they shouldn't be, everything is indeed made to a price point. However I think I can sum it all up like this:

OP's thread topic question: Is there such thing as a better sounding streamer?
My reply: Yes, but at what cost and complexity?

Your reply? Something to the effect of "No there is no difference between any two streamers, it's all just ones and zeros and people are being fleeced, especially by the evil Sonore, (but Bluesound is the very best streamer out there)".
 
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