Help with Denafrips Ares DAC and microRendu

Support
1

Just got this new R2R DAC:

http://www.denafrips.com/store/p4/DAC_ARES.html

Major issues with playing music through Roon. Sound is breaking up so often it is unlistenable

Feeding DAC via microRendu all connected to router with Ethernet

Roon Core on a PC also connected directly to router via Ethernet

Everything is solid with my other DACs. Three of them plus Bluesound Node 2.

Issue only with Ares.

Contacted their support and they mentioned something about “controlling buffering on Roon” and to ask Roon “can the USB DAC buffer configurable?”. And “try to to increase the USB DAC buffer”.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I am very frustrated as I have spent all my evening today with this, to the point of returning the Ares.

Also flagging @support

2

BTW, this was purchased by their official dealer with the rights to sell in USA

Product page:

https://www.vinshineaudio.com/forum/denafrips/ares-r2r-dac

3

Alvin at Vinshine is a good guy and was chatting with him just now after he said helped you - I actually txt him this post :stuck_out_tongue: . I use his R2R DAC in my setup too and will probably try the Denafrips once it lands in Singapore. Just wish they had a DSD512 ready unit…coming soonish I’m told :smiley:

1 Like
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Hello guys,

First post in roon! I’m Alvin of Vinshine audio. My friend @wizardofoz flagged me this post, so i thought i would share my steps to troubleshoot the Denafrips Ares DAC issue here.

@thyname was having clicks/pops/breaks issue with the Ares DAC of which connected to uR, played thru roon core and controller. Okay I’ve to admit, I’m not familiar with both the uR and roon (ops sorry roon, i’ve not tried to play with it yet, promise will do it soon!)

So i suggested thyname to use a computer (i.e. laptop/desktop), connect the Ares DAC directly to the computer via USB cable. Going through the standard procedure, install the USB driver, get the computer to recognize the Ares DAC, set it up in JRiver and Tidal in exclusive mode. Apparently the computer + Ares DAC combination makes music sing and flow very well without break. The key here is to set the Ares DAC to allow application to have the priority and exclusive mode to ‘lock’ it, so that you can be sure that the Ares DAC (in fact most of the usb DAC), only serve the player application.

Now back to the uR and roon, both are out of my limited knowledge. I uses sotm sms-200 personally, so i thought the uR should be very similar in configuration and settings. True enough, manage to go the the uR web browser with help from thyname. Since there is a JRiver installed in the computer which i’m familiar with, i decided to run the uR as DLNA renderer, stream the music from JRiver to uR and playback via Ares DAC.

Hooray! The music playback beautifully without issue.

At this point, we can conclude that the Jriver + uR DLNA + Ares DAC combination are working fine.

We’ve also subsequently (briefly) tested the roon and uR + Ares DAC (with some roon setting changed in the uR, particularly the volume control to none, and DSD via Dop mode). The music seems to be playing well for awhile before my friend in the US need to go to bed.

Not conclusive as of now whether the roon + uR + Ares DAC would work well, but i believe there should be a setting in roon to manipulate / optimize further.

Lets see what i can do when thyname is up again.

Cheers!

Rgds,
Alvin

edit: Troubleshooting was done by teamviewer on my Android mobile

2 Likes
5

I’ve added the microRendu to the title as this perhaps is also part of the chain of command that might need tweaking. @Jesus_Rodriguez too so he can chime in

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I am up, but have to go to work soon.

Thanks @alvin1118 for unprecedented hours of help and support last night very late. Truly outstanding!

I am confident that we’ll have this figured out, hopefully with Roon’s help and chiming in.

1 Like
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Is this still not working with Roon? If so, can you post the information from DAC / Diagnostics.

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Thanks for chiming in.

It is working today afte Alvin (Denafrips rep) made some changes remotely to mRendu settings (see first screenshot).

Second screenshot shows the DAC diagnostics screen.

Let me know if you something unusual.

IMG_0243.PNG2048×2732 372 KB
IMG_0244.PNG2048×2732 231 KB

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@thyname, I’ve intention to order this unit from my local dealer, Vineshine Audio and use it as a desktop DAC with my amp drving HD650 headphones. Do you have any issue when playing back on Roon itself using the download Windows driver? It is possible the DAC can do the followings:-

  1. Able to playback up to 24/384k?
  2. Able to playback up to DSD256 natively (not DOP)

Thank you for time.

10

It is going to be tough to accomplish this, as my PC where Roon Core is located, attached to the router is in a different floor of my house than my headphones equipment. Maybe I can try this during the weekend.

Also, I don’t have DSD files (yet). My music is all CDs ripped to ALAC, plus streaming Tidal Hifi. Maybe I buy some DSD during the weekend

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To do the test @MusicEar is asking for, you could just use Roon’s DSP to upsample some Red Book material to DSD256.

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The image is blurry. Can you post the information next to DAC description?

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The unit does not support native DSD with Linux right now. I’m going work on that for you, but it’s going to take a while though.

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Thanks for looking into this.

Next to DAC description is USB Audio 2.0 20b1:2005

Looking to the images I posted right now in a PC, and they look fine. Completely readable.

Can you elaborate a bit on your second post above … “unit does not support native DSD with Linux”…?

Also, would you be able to tell why I had those dropouts with “regular” mRendu settings before Alvin made those changes?

Finally, Alvin mentioned “increasing buffering size” on his communications to me, but not sure why. mRendu has worked great out-of-the-box with my other DACs I have / had in the same setup (Bifrost 4490, Mimby, Deckard, Matrix Quattro II).

Thanks!

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I guess the setting i made should be fine. Would love to hear experts opinion if there is any other thing to further optimize :grinning:

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I tried this. See pictures. Music skips.

IMG_0250.PNG2048×2732 1.5 MB
IMG_0248.PNG2048×2732 738 KB
IMG_0249.PNG2048×2732 1.96 MB
IMG_0247.JPG2448×3264 1.18 MB

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More. I forgot I had a DSD 64 album. It does not look like Ares support DSD, unless I am doing something wrong.

IMG_0251.PNG2048×2732 240 KB
IMG_0252.PNG2048×2732 1.86 MB
IMG_0253.JPG2448×3264 1.25 MB

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You have to select DoP in the mciroRendu.

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Native DSP was in response to @MusicEar request. I know you mentioned it does not support Native DSP in Linux, and you are working on it.

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DoP DSD should work well with Ares.