Chris Connaker founder of Computer Audiophile said this in part 2 of his review of the microRrendu, “The ultra low noise bespoke design of this unit, a micro computer designed for audio only, has lead to some amazing listening experiences for me over the last several weeks. From the beautiful distortion of Hendrix to the simplistic vocals and whisper soft trumpet of Chet Baker, the microRendu enabled all the music to shine in its best light. I don’t believe I’ve had a sonically better source connected to my system at any time.”
Hi all. Can anyone comment on how robust the mR is as an HQPlayer NAA? Hoping it’s nice & solid, in which case I’m tempted to go for a pre-order. Also, can it auto switch between HQPlayer NAA and Roon endpoint mode without futzing in the web menu? Cheers.
Yes , it is rubust - no problems here. And No - it cannot auto swich; you have to enter the web interface and change the mode. But as it is robust - why would you go back to the Roon endpoint mode als everything is working wel in NAA mode?
Loving my microRendu so far. Received on Monday, so only a few hours use, but with a decent PSU (Uptone JS-2) and Roon and / or HQP it’s sounding damn good!
I’d like to see some details about the systems folks are using with the microRendu and direct comparisons to some of the DIY solutions we’re working on here.
@AllenB didn’t you have a Naim NDS once?
How would you say it compares?
It’s a product I’m seriously contemplating but I might wait until there is some level of consensus on power supplies.
( also still have the Naim affliction and am getting my 300 DR ed. so it’s best to let that bed in for a few months before changing anything else)
I’m using a uRendu streaming Roon to a Devialet 200. Note that all streaming is via ethernet (not wifi). For comparison…
Prior to using Roon, I was streaming from LMS to a Squeezebox Touch to the Devialet SPDIF input. I’ve used LMS and various Squeezeboxes for many years and streaming from LMS -> SB Touch -> Devialet sounded very good. When Roon adopted the Squeezeboxes as endpoints, I switched from LMS to Roon. To my ears, sound quality via Roon vs LMS was about the same (but, of course, Roon is such a better UI). Prior to the uRendu, the only thing that sounded better than using the SB Touch was…
Streaming LMS to the Devialet using Devialet’s AIR application. This sounded a bit better than streaming to the SB Touch - more open sound stage, better definition - but not dramatically so. Given that the Devialet AIR application has stability issues, I actually preferred using the SB Touch most of the time.
Putting the uRendu in place (USB into Devialet), however, blew away AIR and the SB Touch. The sound quality substantially improved (and that is just with the iFi power supply).
I have heard rumors that Devialet’s AIR3 beta software (only available on Macs for now) may sound as good as using the uRendu. I use Windows so haven’t had a chance to hear that. But AIR3 is beta software and may have it’s own issues.
@Sloop_John_B Actually I still have the NDS, pending completion of it’s sale, but it has been quite a while since I listened to it. In fact, you may have noticed my move away from being completely Naim’ed to now only running a pair of Ovator S600’s via a Devialet 200. A very nice match they make too, but the keys that unlocked a real step forward for me, and my system, were Roon and a modest Uptone Regen. The former was the software that I had always hoped Naim would develop, and the latter actually caused a big step up in performance of the USB input for the Dev (yes, the praise written on the Regen are true IMO).
The microRendu is designed by the same man who brought us the Regen, in fact it contains an improved version of Regen in it’s circuitry, so I was very keen on the mR as a potential replacement, not least because it consolidates what is needed (hardware-wise) to pass a stream into the Dev. It’s Roon Ready and alternatively connects to HQP via in-built NAA.
I have given a little more depth here mainly leading up to my conclusion that I am not missing the NDS / Naim system at all. The mR is still very new and maybe needs a fair few more hours burn-in (I have seen 50 hours as a rule of thumb target to achieving full performance), even now though it has surpassed the sounds I was achieving with the Regen, so the other parts of the mR are coming into play. SQ is extremely good, the best I have achieved since I switched out from Naim, better than NDS/500 system? Well that’s a tall order, but like I say, I am not missing Naim at all. Maybe that’s a good enough commendation
Just a bit more background. I had switched to Devialet as a 1-box solution hoping to use Devialet AIR, their very own streaming protocol or virtual sound card, but as @mdconnelly has intimated, AIR is unstable for almost all Devialet users. In fact, it’s a right PIA, but the Devs sound so good, AIR apart, the hardware is terrific, but it was a case of finding an alternative source and using one of the other inputs on the Dev. I opted for USB and have played with many sources utilising that connection.
Roon is the go-to software ( and I am not just saying that because we are on their forum), I realised that from the moment I started using it early last year, all avenues on the hardware side have been under-pinned that they must be Roon capable going forward. What with my take on the Regen, the mR appeared to me to be the ideal solution, and so far, I have to say, I have not been disappointed. The only fly-in-the-ointment is the Dev’s implementation of USB and power saving modes, which thus far, have been a cause of frustration to the use of linux based devices and HQP NAA. It points to Devialet, hopefully they resolve it eventually.
I haven’t A/B’d the CuBox-i with the mR; still burning in the mR. But there is one change I’ve noticed which may be of interest to other Vega owners.
The Exact clock setting on the Vega has the best SQ but can introduce artefacts. With DSD these take the form of white noise, sometimes cyclic (requires play to be restarted) sometimes continuous (goes away). One of the things that can affect this is power supply.
Since replacing the CuBox and its bog-standard switching ps with the mR and the iFi switching ps I have noticed a marked reduction in artefacts and a lower intensity.
I think I will get the UpTone Audio Ultra Cap LPS-1 ps when it is released. That might kill off Exact clock artefacts completely.
Quick question for you… I also have a Regen (with Curious USB link) and use a SonicOrbiter SE. If I was to replace the SOSE with a microRendu would I still need the Regen and does it replace that as well? I’m very curious as I’ve read great reviews but curious what improvements I’d hear over what I have now. On both the SOSE and Regen I also added LPS to each (CIAudio & Breeze Audio respectively).
@anon94274355 As you will know, the SE is a Cubox with customised OS via the Sonicorbiter software. The Cubox is a great little unit but it will not be particularly optimised against the usual ‘noise’ that one gets with computers. The mR on the other hand is completely optimised to accept ethernet in and USB out, John Swenson included an improved Regen circuit in the mR as I understand it, together with other optimised components with the intention to make audio out via USB as good as one can get. It also runs the proprietary Sonicorbiter software. It would be a perfect replacement of the Regen / SOSE in my estimation, not that I have experience of the SOSE, but I have used the Regen with a highly optimised MacMini and also a Pi2. My mR has replaced all those components, and improved the SQ to boot.
I would say, the better the power supply you put to the mR and you reap rewards (however, I would imagine diminishing returns apply here, as is the case with most PSU’s). I use the Uptone JS-2, re-purposed from the MacMini, but @andybob has noted the LPS-1 which promises to be a game changer, for reasonable cost, and also notably designed by John Swenson.
Unconvinced due to the big claims and lack of solid data in the marketing of this thing, and also in light of Amir’s measurements I decided to go with a basic RPi 3 as a Roon Bridge network device instead. £50 versus £600 for the mR and it sounds top notch on my extremely revealing headphone system. Worth a try first if you’re on the fence.
I understand that. But not everyone lives in the UK and pays UK VAT and customs for it. Just didn’t want every reader to think that the “price” of the mR is 600GBP. The price is $640, or about 436 GBP. I paid the equivalent of about 538 GBP, and that included overseas shipping, VAT, and local customs.
What it costs you to get it to your door varies greatly. For some reason I don’t understand, buying things in the US and shipping them to Canada is often more expensive than shipping them halfway across the world. 1000 CDN is about 532 GBP, which is exactly the point I was trying to make.
