Potentially stupid question re: ethernet input for microRendu

matthewpartrick · « **on:** 7 Jul 2016, 03:10 pm »

Hi there,

I have a few questions as I'm setting the product up. I have a LIO but while I'm waiting for Vinnie's updated power supply I'm using the iFi power supply. This is a really stupid question, I know, but does the ethernet input have to come directly from the router or can it come from the back of an extender like the airport express?

Thanks
Matthew

jtwrace · « **Reply #1 on:** 7 Jul 2016, 03:16 pm »

Quote from: matthewpartrick on 7 Jul 2016, 03:10 pm

Hi there,

I have a few questions as I'm setting the product up. I have a LIO but while I'm waiting for Vinnie's updated power supply I'm using the iFi power supply. This is a really stupid question, I know, but does the ethernet input have to come directly from the router or can it come from the back of an extender like the airport express?

Thanks
Matthew

Extender is fine.

TomS · « **Reply #2 on:** 7 Jul 2016, 03:56 pm »

Mine is direct to the router, but I also tried an older Airport Express and it worked without issue.

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #3 on:** 7 Jul 2016, 05:04 pm »

Mine is direct to the router. The router is of course connected directly to the main modem in the house. My iPad is my main controller and has Roon app on it. My computer (a Sonic Transporter i5 has Roon on it, and a large SSD for the music). The iPad is only connected via WIFI to the router. The Sonic Transporter is directly connected to the router. That way, the iPad, the Sonic Transporter, and the microRendu are all connected to each other via the same router. The router's sole connection is to your main modem.

Might want to connect it directly to the router instead of the extender to see if there is a problem. I've had that happen before.

Also the computer that you use to "check" and see if the MicroRendu is "on" and operating must be connected (via WIFI or direct ethernet) to the same router that the MicroRendu is plugged into. Sounds obvious, but I've screwed this up myself.

Best,
Anand.

matthewpartrick · « **Reply #4 on:** 9 Jul 2016, 04:27 pm »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 7 Jul 2016, 05:04 pm

Mine is direct to the router. The router is of course connected directly to the main modem in the house. My iPad is my main controller and has Roon app on it. My computer (a Sonic Transporter i5 has Roon on it, and a large SSD for the music). The iPad is only connected via WIFI to the router. The Sonic Transporter is directly connected to the router. That way, the iPad, the Sonic Transporter, and the microRendu are all connected to each other via the same router. The router's sole connection is to your main modem.

Might want to connect it directly to the router instead of the extender to see if there is a problem. I've had that happen before.

Also the computer that you use to "check" and see if the MicroRendu is "on" and operating must be connected (via WIFI or direct ethernet) to the same router that the MicroRendu is plugged into. Sounds obvious, but I've screwed this up myself.

Best,
Anand.

Thank you so much. I'm also having a problem getting Roon to recognize my music folder, which is stored on an external 2TB Time Capsule. Since it's basically my iTunes folder, I tried browsing for that first, and the message states

"No iTunes library found at this location. The selected path must contain your itunes library XML file."

When I tried browsing through the watched folders it says:

"watching AFP mounted folders is not supported. Please use SMB instead."

I don't know how to write file syntax, when I browse the syntax that shows up in the window is "

"/Volumes/Data/iTunes Media/Music"

Can you help with this? The guys over at the Roon support forum haven't been able to.

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Jul 2016, 06:29 pm »

Matthew,

Unfortunately, I don't use iTunes at all, except on my iPhone. All my files are either FLAC or AIFF format, and separate folders for each album. I'll look and see what folder it is sitting in my SonicTransporter, but I do know that Andrew was kind of enough to configure it so that I could easily just copy my albums into a particular music folder and Roon found it right away. I'm getting my SonicTransporter upgraded to an I5 at the moment, so I will let you know when it returns. It might be best for you to directly email Andrew from the Small Green Computer website and see if he is willing to help. He is a Roon expert!

Best,
Anand.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Jul 2016, 04:00 pm »

Let me ask some stupid questions too:

So if I connect this device to the router and plug my hard drive into the router, then I can control the music on the hard drive to play through the network to the dac?

If that is the case then I can use my laptop with jriver on it and be "mobile"?

What is the Mode selection # to chose for jriver use in the urendu webpage?

I am only interested in this device if it gives better sound. I have zero interest in roon or tidal software's unless they contribute to better sound.

matthewpartrick · « **Reply #7 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 03:45 am »

Big red, I don't know the answer to your question.

That said, I am now fully operational with the microrendu, Roon, iFi power supply, and running my mostly ALAC library with some DSD thrown in. Working very well. I'm prepping to get the LIO power supply for this, however, since it comes with a sort of package deal for the triode preamp.

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #8 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 04:03 pm »

Quote from: matthewpartrick on 22 Jul 2016, 03:45 am

Big red, I don't know the answer to your question.

That said, I am now fully operational with the microrendu, Roon, iFi power supply, and running my mostly ALAC library with some DSD thrown in. Working very well. I'm prepping to get the LIO power supply for this, however, since it comes with a sort of package deal for the triode preamp.

MP,
Do you mind sharing how you solved your initial setup problems?

Thanks,
Anand.

matthewpartrick · « **Reply #9 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 05:57 pm »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 22 Jul 2016, 04:03 pm

MP,
Do you mind sharing how you solved your initial setup problems?

Thanks,
Anand.

I honestly don't know. I tried pointing Roon at my music folder at least fifteen or twenty times, and I do not know why it worked the final time. All I can tell you is that I browsed under the "Add iTunes Library" and added the default iTunes folder (that was sitting on the Time Capsule hard drive) and it finally worked. All my ALAC files up to 24/96 are discovered and playable, but I'm still having issues with the DSD files, a vast minority of my music.

I did confirm with Apple today that Airport Express does not support anything above 16/44.1 and that hi-res files are down-regulated.

What wifi hardware are people using that ensures hi-res playback? I can't imagine that the solution is to hardwire the router, NAS and microrendu together. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of wifi capability?

PS. Does anyone have Jesus of Sonore's email? I seem to be unable to PM him. Thx in advance.

jtwrace · « **Reply #10 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 06:10 pm »

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 20 Jul 2016, 04:00 pm

Let me ask some stupid questions too:

So if I connect this device to the router and plug my hard drive into the router, then I can control the music on the hard drive to play through the network to the dac?

It should. Dunno for sure though.

Quote

If that is the case then I can use my laptop with jriver on it and be "mobile"?

Why not just have the HD plugged into the computer that's running JRiver and be done? OR just have another computer running Roon Server and the library and use JRiver to control it all.

Quote

What is the Mode selection # to chose for jriver use in the urendu webpage?

See here as I showed before but you didn't have interest.

Quote

I am only interested in this device if it gives better sound.

It's pretty awesome but as usual you will have to be the judge of that.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #11 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 06:32 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 22 Jul 2016, 06:10 pm

Why not just have the HD plugged into the computer that's running JRiver and be done? OR just have another computer running Roon Server and the library and use JRiver to control it all.

See, that's what becomes a circular discussion in my mind. I already have the MS-2 that gets the hard drive attached and holds JRiver. So then why would uRendu sound better?

Wouldn't I be grabbing the music off the MS-2 and backfeeding it to the uRendu (backwards to the server) and then going from the uRendu through the network cable back down to the same room into the dac?

Are you guys saying that having the "final" signal come out of the uRendu directly to the dac via Ethernet cable is better sounding than going from the hard drive through the computer to the dac via USB?

jtwrace · « **Reply #12 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 06:36 pm »

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 22 Jul 2016, 06:32 pm

See, that's what becomes a circular discussion in my mind. I already have the MS-2 that gets the hard drive attached and holds JRiver. So then why would uRendu sound better?

Wouldn't I be grabbing the music off the MS-2 and backfeeding it to the uRendu (backwards to the server) and then going from the uRendu through the network cable back down to the same room into the dac?

Are you guys saying that having the "final" signal come out of the uRendu directly to the dac via Ethernet cable is better sounding than going from the hard drive through the computer to the dac via USB?

Yes, the µRendu is purpose built. The only way you will know is to try. That's really all there is to it. You could still use the MS-2 to host JRiver and your music. OR just get a sonic orbiter.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #13 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 06:40 pm »

I can run all kinds of Ethernet cables while I am in build stage right now. Is it possible to feed the MS-2 AND uRendu right at the rack using an access point? Plug the uRendu in and the MS-2 in, both linked back to the server upstairs, and accomplish the same result?

jtwrace · « **Reply #14 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 06:57 pm »

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 22 Jul 2016, 06:40 pm

I can run all kinds of Ethernet cables while I am in build stage right now. Is it possible to feed the MS-2 AND uRendu right at the rack using an access point? Plug the uRendu in and the MS-2 in, both linked back to the server upstairs, and accomplish the same result?

Yes.

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #15 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 06:59 pm »

Okay, too easy to do.

srb · « **Reply #16 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 07:07 pm »

Quote from: matthewpartrick on 22 Jul 2016, 05:57 pm

I did confirm with Apple today that Airport Express does not support anything above 16/44.1 and that hi-res files are down-regulated.

What wifi hardware are people using that ensures hi-res playback? I can't imagine that the solution is to hardwire the router, NAS and microrendu together. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of wifi capability?

I'm not sure where an Airport Express would come into use for this system? The microRendu is an Ethernet renderer, so if you want to connect it wirelessly to your network you would connect it to an Ethernet to WiFi adapter.

The only file resolution limit would be the speed of your wireless network. I get real-world wireless speeds at 5GHz of ~ 90Mbps with an N600 router. DSD 128/256/512 stereo files (1 bit) have bitrates of ~ 11.3/22.6/45 Mbps, so as far as wirelessly streaming DSD files, it would depend on which DSD resolution, which router and the amount of other concurrent traffic on the WiFi network.

Steve

TomS · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 07:16 pm »

The Airport Express is nothing more than a WiFi to Ethernet (wire) bridge for the micrRendu so will pass through whatever you need in terms of resolution. The internal DAC has nothing to do with it.

jtwrace · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 07:20 pm »

My µRendu is plugged directly into an Eero router which is of course totally wireless to the main router which is plugged directly to the modem. I can play any bitrate with this setup.

srb · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Jul 2016, 07:31 pm »

Quote from: TomS on 22 Jul 2016, 07:16 pm

The Airport Express is nothing more than a WiFi to Ethernet (wire) bridge for the micrRendu so will pass through whatever you need in terms of resolution.

Although the Airport Express has always worked as an Airplay endpoint device with any router, I've had less success trying to use it in Wireless Extender or Wireless Bridge mode with non-Apple routers. Kind of hit and miss.

But seeing that matthewpartrick has an Apple Time Capsule, using the AE as a wireless bridge should be no problem.

Steve