[mcgsxr]

Fred when you say hi-rez and moving past the SBTouch - I assume you are now into DSD/DXD?

Using the EDO app (easy to install and just as easy to return to stock Touch firmware) the Touch can play 24/176 and 24/192.

[sts9fan]

has anyone run multiple Aries mini?  Do they sync?  Do they sync well? 
This has been my biggest issue moving from SBs that sync perfectly. 

[Servingthemusic.com]

Fred when you say hi-rez and moving past the SBTouch - I assume you are now into DSD/DXD?

Using the EDO app (easy to install and just as easy to return to stock Touch firmware) the Touch can play 24/176 and 24/192.

actually, I am pretty sure the EDO does DSD as well.

[mfsoa]

I'm looking forward to the introduction of the Sonore µRendu, as a SB Touch replacement. Serve it w/ HQPlayer, maybe stick a USB reclocker in there and I'm guessing it would sound exceptional.

Lately I have come to realize that IN MY SYSTEM W/ MY NETWORK etc. that the Touch sounds much much worse that the USB out from an old Windows laptop running JRMC. (Touch, EDO, ethernet wired to server PC through switch, using coax out w/ Black Cat cable to Marantz SA8005, compared to PC using $2 3 meter USB cable to SA8005). Is it a crummy network? Poor Coax in the Sa8005? Exceptional USB in the 8005? Who knows...)

-Mike

[gregcss]

Fredly,

I take it you built your own music server based on raspberry pi? If so which case did you use? This looks like a fun experiment I may try.

[Fredly]

(Just so we are clear….the below are MY observations)

The Squeezebox Touch I have was modified by Wayne at Boulder BEFORE he got out of the business of aftermarket modding (it was the analogue Mod ONLY) I also added a linear Power Supply from Paul Hynes, that brought things up a bit.

After a few years, I bought the Schitt Bifrost, and now the Touch served as Transport only.

This brought the sound up significantly.

Next I upgraded the Bifrost with the Uber board, again things went up a notch.

Enter the Raspberry Pi 2 with Digi+ board, attached to the Bifrost, and things went WAY up.

And this was with a crappy $10 Power Supply powering the Pi!

Mark, I do have some DSD files, but I currently convert these to Flac to play on the Bifrost DAC, as it does not support DSD playback.
I believe you can play DSD files if you use the DAC+ board in conjunction with the Raspberry, BUT I haven’t fiddle around with this much.
You took my comment about moving past the Touch literally, what I should have said is I wanted a player that did high res files natively/without 3rd party plugins

Sts9fan, as you mentioned the Squeezebox Players do syncing perfectly. So in my case I can have the Touch sync with the Raspberry OR visa-versa OR as I usually have it configured, running as two independent systems. Good stuff! Again the Squeezebox interface appears to be vastly superior to some of the other Pi Music Player Apps out there, of which there are many.

Mfsoa, I have been aware of the Sonore stuff for many years, and it was always a bit too rich for my blood. The µRendu looks very interesting, as I was not aware of it; it looks awfully close to a Raspberry. I think your comments confirm my KISS theory, that for good sound it’s critical to keep the signal path as small as possible/avoid it from traveling through too many different cables

Gregcss, I live in Canada and ordered all my stuff from BuyaPi.ca. The case I have is their own design and can be found here. There are MANY also available on Amazon.

http://www.buyapi.ca/product/highpi-raspberry-pi-case-black/

Couple things I wanted to mention/have observed;

Not ALL Hi Res files are created equal.

I’ve had Hi Res files that sound crappier than their Red Book counterparts.

This is clearly dependent on how the file was Mastered and the Source of the Master amongst other things

The Raspberry Pi uses Hardware Volume control, rather than Software Volume Control, that the Touch uses. Perhaps this attribute is one of the reasons the Pi sounds so much better than the Touch

I strongly suggest if you love Squeezebox Products as I do, please give the Pi a try. It’s well worth the small investment of time and money.

Hope this helps, all for now, Fred in Canada

[JoshK]

I'm looking forward to the introduction of the Sonore µRendu, as a SB Touch replacement. Serve it w/ HQPlayer, maybe stick a USB reclocker in there and I'm guessing it would sound exceptional.

What is this µRendu? 

[Phil A]

What is this µRendu?

Microrendu.sonore.us I guess

[sts9fan]

that upend looks pretty sweet if they can keep the price under $400 or so. 

[firedog]

that upend looks pretty sweet if they can keep the price under $400 or so.

I think you can count on it being a lot more than $400. And more if you add in an upscaled PS.

[sts9fan]

I don't need an upscale PS plus the sonic orbiter was what? $1000? Under?
Plus if it is "a lot more then $400" then the Aries mini wins

[mfsoa]

Fred in Canada,

Thanks for the great info - That Max2Play software looks great.

I was wondering why did you choose coax (I assume due to use of Digi+) into the Bifrost and not USB? Just curious, not implying right or wrong...

Thanks for giving me one more data point in believing that there is some serious SQ improvement to be had in ditching the digital out from the Touch.

So w/ your setup you run all the software you need on the Pi? You don't need a second PC to run for example JRiver that pushes the music to the Pi?

Thanks again

-Mike

[firedog]

I don't need an upscale PS plus the sonic orbiter was what? $1000? Under?
Plus if it is "a lot more then $400" then the Aries mini wins

It's not in direct competition with the Aries Mini. It's supposed to be an extremely high end ethernet to USB renderer. Designed for people who already have a server and a good to high end DAC, and want the best USB source possible. It also gives you many software/control options that the Auralic devices don't. I for instance don't like their proprietary software and would rather use Roon, JRemote, or LMS, etc. The microRendu gives the user that choice.

[Fredly]

Hey Mike, the reason I chose Coax, was two fold.

One- The Touch was originally coax connected to the Bifrost, so I simply moved the coax to the Raspberry, which allowed me to properly compare the sound between the two transport solutions.

Two (and more importantly) - I don't currently have the Bifrost USB add-on board/interface, which allows for USB connectivity to the DAC.

Yes, the PI and attached 2.5 USB External Hard Drive act as BOTH Player and Server, so everything is self contained in a VERY small package (good stuff)

AND...since I created a Share to the Music Library on the PI attached external drive, I can map my Touch to the Raspberry Pi's Music Library and in theory, no longer need to have my PC powered on running Logitech Media Server (LMS) (double good stuff)

Make sense?

All for now, Fredly in Canada

[sts9fan]

It's not in direct competition with the Aries Mini. It's supposed to be an extremely high end ethernet to USB renderer. Designed for people who already have a server and a good to high end DAC, and want the best USB source possible. It also gives you many software/control options that the Auralic devices don't. I for instance don't like their proprietary software and would rather use Roon, JRemote, or LMS, etc. The microRendu gives the user that choice.

You may be right.  The Aries Mini if not now will be able to use Roon.  Anyway my point is that its a smaller Sonic Orbiter which is $899.  I would expect it to be cheaper. 

[gregcss]

Thanks to this thread I decided to experiment/tinker with a Raspberry Pi 2B. I have it running piCorePlayer OS and has squeezelite built in which is a squeezebox emulator. Music is stored on a Synology NAS running Logitech Media Server. The RPi was up and running and connected to LMS in 5 minutes (probably less, but didnt time it). Took some research (but not much) to configure Squeezelite to play nice with the USB DAC on my Emotiva XMC-1. I am happy with the hardware, software, and ease of setup. On to the sound...

I've done initial comparing between a Squeezebox Touch w/ Bolder digital mod (output over Wywires digital coax) and the RPi output over Amazon brand USB cable. I tested both with the same Paul Hynes power supply and with regular redbook 16 bit FLAC files. I think both sound great, the RPi is a touch brighter, or perhaps it's the SBT that is duller...minimal but noticeable. The bass seems to be a little tighter on the SBT than the RPi. I'm splitting hairs comparing the two because both are good, but need more testing.

Cables and power supply aside the RPi was $48.50 ($63.50 w/aluminum case) and the SBT w/mod was $350 (i think). While both are inexpensive the SBT is 7 times the cost of the RPi. I'd be happy with either one.

[firedog]

You may be right.  The Aries Mini if not now will be able to use Roon.  Anyway my point is that its a smaller Sonic Orbiter which is $899.  I would expect it to be cheaper.

My understanding is that the point of the uRendu is to be a superior source to the Sonic Orbiter. It might be cheaper, as there is very little in casing, etc. involved.  My guess is that to get full performance out of it, it will need an upgraded PS, and that won't make it cheap.

[kbuzz3]

since the  The microRendu is still vapor ware at this time, what is the general estimated release date and price.....

[mfsoa]

since the  The microRendu is still vapor ware at this time, what is the general estimated release date and price.....

I asked the question re availability over at ComputerAudiophile and was told

"No, any such estimation would be a guess, and hence, not helpful for anyone. Information about the µRendu never should have been leaked to the public in the first place."

[kbuzz3]

Thanks for he reply.   So I guess the answer to its questions is the Aries mini lol :icon_lol

If one can wait Elac is also planning a sub 1k streamer with built in Roon.   My last recall from other forums is that it won't be ready until sometime in 201

If money was no object is just buy a Naim streamer but that way to costly