You make it sound like 2016 is ages ago, well it isn’t. And then you make it sound like we all should be lucky to have at least two more years of support, well that’s very short in my world. When I buy a micro/ultra/opticalrendu today I expect it to work at the very least for the next ten years without having to pay for new hardware. And that really is at absolute bare minimum.At the prices you ask for your products I would expect at least 15 years. Anything less than that lifespan it absolutely not worth my money
I make it seem exactly how it is. What would make it stop working that a replacement micro SD card wouldn’t fix. Most people are grateful that we keep the software updated. I think you misunderstood the comment though. That is the projection for the software we are working being included as a base Kernel with on going updates.
Well the question is, if I buy a rendu today will I be sure it will be working with roon/tidal/qobuz in ten years from now without having to purchase any new hardware or software for it? While I don’t expect a lifespan of a computer audio product to be as long as an amplifier for example I will expect at least ten years out of it at absolute bare minimum, preferably longer. That’s what I would like to hear as a guarantee before I pull for my wallet. I want it to be a set and forget device. If I sneeze ten years have past allready, that’s how fast life goes
We have a Roon certified RoonReady product. Roon is fully aware of our software and hardware limitations and capabilities. This is more a question for Roon. I hear you though…time flies.
I’ll step in to defend @Jesus_Rodriguez a little bit on this one (no, really… I just hope he won’t start arguing that the products aren’t comparable 
).
The @ALLO_audio_boards USBridge, original version, was based on a SoC that breaks with newer versions of Linux. How old, do you ask ? Well, the most recent supported kernel was released in November of 2013, and if I’m not mistaken, the USBridge was released in 2016… Recent releases of DietPi work on it, but that’s the reason why you can’t have Ropieee on it.
Another, which might’ve changed at this point, is the problems that users were having with Cambridge Audio streamers (CXN v1 and 851), which don’t have Linux USB 2 drivers. So they were stuck with 24/96 over USB from external streamers, because that’s where USB 1 stops, and there are few (if any) windows streamers.
Well, this indeed refers to other manufactureres as well but specially to Sonore. If you charge Rolls Royce prices you also have to deliver Rolls Royce service. We are talking about almost $2000,- here for a sonore optical system, and that does not even include the adviced power supply upgrade. We are not talking about a $35,- raspi solution. When I even think about it for a second that all of this might have been rendered into completely useless devices in 5-6 years from now I’m totally stupified you find this completely normal. I don’t think it is. For me this is one of the reason I have never bought off the shelve music streamers but allways went the DIY way with computers. For the money Sonore is charging I do want to have a guarantee that the devices last ten years bare minimum.
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It’s certainly something you guys have thought about, but why not “simply” anodize Sonore cases differently (or have 'em painted at a local car shop) ? It isn’t like Florida is known for its drab palette… so a nice, sparkly play on alligator green or flamingo pink maybe wouldn’t be super restrained or tasteful, but it’d fix your problem, don’t you think ?
I don’t. I was only pointing out it was widespread, and I completely agree with you that more expensive products should be held to higher standards.
For me it is essential to have a “software guarantee” before I buy a product in that categories.
I happen to ask Sonore, because I am interested in one of their products.
I dislike to give up my software autonomie without any software guarantee and being the eventual owner of a “stranded” hardware.
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Especially Sonore…ahh. The opticalRendu can include a power supply if the customer wants it. We have a more expensive unit called the Signature Rendu SE with a built-in power supply. We also have a very expensive offering, not on our website. The offering not on our website is a referral service for private clients where we provide things like custom builds, features, etc. The service includes a sherpa for assisting with the installation over the network, server setup, and so on. In some cases, the service includes a trained field rep on site for the install. Are you predicting the future saying our gear will not work after 5 years? Well we have units at and past that in the field working just fine. DIY builds are perfectly fine but it’s not free of issues and you know that. We offer a 1-year warranty on the software and hardware. We can’t offer you a 10-year minimum warranty.
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I’m a biker and I like white with red polka dots. We offer some products in silver and some products in black.
You can look at our track record. You can ask for customer feedback. You can contact Roon and see what they think about our track record. I wouldn’t ask Nyquist but maybe he can offer you a 10 year warranty on his DIY solution. I can’t guarantee that Roon, Tidal, or Quboz will be around tomorrow. If you ask me…we do a pretty damn good job.
Sorry, I should have said specially compagnies like Sonore, this is not a personal vendetta, don’t worry.
I’m not talking about waranty against failure, I’m talking about long term compatibilty
No worries. I’m pretty sure our units were the first to include multiple selectable output protocols. This was done to give customers the ultimate long term flexibility. MPD, DLNA, SqueezeLite, RoonReady, Shairport, NAA. The units have a built in server with LMS, Bubble UPnP Server, and direct local playback. Anything app that is iffy is labeled bata. I think we stacked this in favor of the customer long term. That said I can’t predict the future…yet.
“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”
― Yogi Berra
I wish we could end the thread on that line.
This thread feels like deja vu all over again 
I think your expectations are a little unreasonable. If Tidal and Qobuz are still around in ten years in anything like current format I’ll be astonished. Look, the Apple Industrial Complex can’t even release software (on any of its platforms, except maybe the TV) that works for 10 minutes let alone 10 years for large swathes of their users. Yet people keep shelling out more than an ultraRendu costs every year or two to have the latest device on which Apple can beta-test (or more like alpha-test) their software on millions of people. I have an ultraRendu. It works. It sounds fantastic. I have set it and forgot about it apart from the two times in the year I’ve had it to reboot it after a power cut. There are other options out there at all price points which I’m sure also work excellently and are reliable. Will they still be there in 10 years? Who knows. Will you or I? Who knows. I hope so. Ye pays your money and ye takes your choice.
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Exactly my viewpoint.
I have a microRendu (and yes - a decent power supply improved it), and as with you and your ultraRendu it just works and has served me well as a very capable streamer and Roon end point for quite some time. I have been very happy with the unit and also with the very quick and comprehensive support I received to resolve a slight issue I had with MQA when I moved from a Chord Hugo to a Mytek Brooklyn+ DAC.
Excellent and pertinent point about long term support for some Apple devices, and I would hazard a guess that Apple is a slightly larger company with more resources than Sonore.
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Usually companies plan a support span for their products.
I for example don’t want to buy a Micro Rendu if that product has a support end in 2021.
I have been made aware something similar happened already with a Sonore product in the past, the Sonic Orbiter. So it is better to know in advance before spending $$$$.