Article: Sonore Signature Rendu SE Deluxe Review

Just now, Iving said:

 

"making up"? You were given a link - leading to a page where I objected to YOU attacking ME. Not an isolated instance.

 

You are site owner and sole moderator. Fact or fiction. Fact of course. If you abuse that power gradient you shouldn't expect nil response/comment.

In 17 years, I can count on one hand all the people who've said what you've just said, and I can't even count all the others who've said the opposite. You clearly have a problem with me. That's OK, nobody likes everybody. 

Back to the topic at hand. If you guys think it's odd or strange or whatever to use a 5k server, how do you store your files and deliver them to your audio equipment? How do you suggest I deliver audio to a Rendu and DAC? 

Just now, The Computer Audiophile said:

In 17 years, I can count on one hand all the people who've said what you've just said, and I can't even count all the others who've said the opposite.

You aren't factoring in the people who who've been been banned, lost interest or sidled away because they have been offended. Of course you won't know the minds of the vast majority of these people.

1 minute ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

You clearly have a problem with me.

False. I have a problem with precipitous, unjustified snark when I was expecting ordinary conversation.

3 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

If you guys think it's odd or strange or whatever to use a 5k server, how do you store your files and deliver them to your audio equipment? How do you suggest I deliver audio to a Rendu and DAC? 

57 can speak for himself.

I need a PC at the listening position to manipulate a large custom-tagged flac Library in foobar2000. Including Play and Playlist functions. The best way to do this - for me to date - afaik - is optical out to RedNet device on Dante network ... thence re-clocker > DAC.

Price has nothing to do with it - in that I have spent and would spend many ks to get this right.

Actually I was interested to read in your review:

The system I used most during this review consisted of a Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i9 (Gen 4) server running Audirvana > copper Ethernet output > switch > optical fiber > Signature Rendu SE Deluxe > USB > dCS Rossini APEX > Constellation Audio Inspiration Preamp and monobocks > Transparent cable > Wilson Audio Alexia V loudspeakers.

I guess IF it were possible for me to go foobar2000 (NOT Audirvana) on PC > optical > SR SE > USB > DAC then this Sonore product could be of interest to me. Could I play a track/playlist in foobar2000 on my PC at the listening position via optical to SR SE near my DAC between the speakers?

2 minutes ago, Iving said:

I need a PC at the listening position to manipulate a large custom-tagged flac Library in foobar2000. Including Play and Playlist functions. The best way to do this - for me to date - afaik - is optical out to RedNet device on Dante network ... thence re-clocker > DAC.

Price has nothing to do with it - in that I have spent and would spend many ks to get this right.

Actually I was interested to read in your review:

The system I used most during this review consisted of a Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i9 (Gen 4) server running Audirvana > copper Ethernet output > switch > optical fiber > Signature Rendu SE Deluxe > USB > dCS Rossini APEX > Constellation Audio Inspiration Preamp and monobocks > Transparent cable > Wilson Audio Alexia V loudspeakers.

I guess IF it were possible for me to go foobar2000 (NOT Audirvana) on PC > optical > SR SE > USB > DAC then this Sonore product could be of interest to me. Could I play a track/playlist in foobar2000 on my PC at the listening position via optical to SR SE near my DAC between the speakers?

I'll take this in two chunks.

First, your needs of a PC with foobar (cost?) are vastly different from someone who wants a SGC computer running Linux headless, with full support, no need to touch it and it just runs perfectly, silently, etc... I don't understand the premise of someone finding this odd, other than a problem with the price of goods and services. 

Second, the SR SE is versatile and can accept audio via a number of protocols (UPnP/DLNA, NAA, RAAT, Squeeze, etc..) I haven't used foobar in many years. If you can send audio via any of the supported protocols, then you're in business. Now, you might run into an issue if you want a direct connection fiber from the PC to the Rendu. It can be done, but everything works better with a network switch and DHCP from the router etc...

10 minutes ago, Iving said:

You aren't factoring in the people who who've been been banned, lost interest or sidled away because they have been offended. Of course you won't know the minds of the vast majority of these people.

You do have a point. Here's a recent one. Too bad he didn't have a chance to post on the site. Seems like such a nice fella. 

1 minute ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

First, your needs of a PC with foobar (cost?) are vastly different from someone who wants a SGC computer running Linux headless, with full support, no need to touch it and it just runs perfectly, silently, etc... I don't understand the premise of someone finding this odd, other than a problem with the price of goods and services.

Re headless vs. screen: A phone or tablet at the listening position is no use to me. I need (using a keyboard) to tap in Filter algorithms into fb2k on a decent screen where I can see my music File Explorer style to select Tracks e.g. Rockabilly (where I have stipulated this as genre) from year 1957 I have graded as superlative ('A').

I don't find anybody else's approach odd. Price has nothing to do with it surely. People will spend what they will.

1 minute ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Second, the SR SE is versatile and can accept audio via a number of protocols (UPnP/DLNA, NAA, RAAT, Squeeze, etc..) I haven't used foobar in many years. If you can send audio via any of the supported protocols, then you're in business. Now, you might run into an issue if you want a direct connection fiber from the PC to the Rendu. It can be done, but everything works better with a network switch and DHCP from the router etc...

I use Dante Virtual Soundcard > ASIO > RedNet Device. The music file is sent from the PC to the RedNet Device > DAC. Yes I would want similar functionality - "direct connection fiber from the PC to the Rendu". I don't stream from the internet. I am completely offline and would die on that hill.

4 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

You do have a point. Here's a recent one. Too bad he didn't have a chance to post on the site. Seems like such a nice fella. 

 

Believe it or not I remain here because:

1. The quality of the crowd;

and

2. I haven't been permanently banned - yet.

I'm honestly sorry you get that sort of thing instead of reasoned objections.

1 minute ago, Iving said:

I use Dante Virtual Soundcard > ASIO > RedNet Device. The music file is sent from the PC to the RedNet Device > DAC. Yes I would want similar functionality - "direct connection fiber from the PC to the Rendu". I don't stream from the internet. I am completely offline and would die on that hill.

I hear you. I'm a huge fan of network audio (Dante, AES67, Ravenna, etc...).

Which RedNet device do you use?

4 minutes ago, Iving said:

I don't find anybody else's approach odd. Price has nothing to do with it surely. People will spend what they will.

So we are in agreement. @57gold appears not to be, which is what started this whole dust-up.

6 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I hear you. I'm a huge fan of network audio (Dante, AES67, Ravenna, etc...).

 

Which RedNet device do you use?

D16 AES

tbh I'm a 2 ch. guy. I know you are into Atmos and see it as a thing of the future. With music I am more retro-orientated. I don't listen to much recorded after say 1980. Mostly I try to create music in an era-congruent fashion. I like to play 1930s Jazz 78s/ shellac. I like to hear records as I did when I bought them (but on MUCH better equipment than I could afford then) - they are nostalgic to me. Even the 6 or 7,000 CDs I have ripped / tagged up my own way are intended to achieve a facsimile of that with best possible SQ.

42 minutes ago, Iving said:

 

D16 AES

 

tbh I'm a 2 ch. guy. I know you are into Atmos and see it as a thing of the future. With music I am more retro-orientated. I don't listen to much recorded after say 1980. Mostly I try to create music in an era-congruent fashion. I like to play 1930s Jazz 78s/ shellac. I like to hear records as I did when I bought them (but on MUCH better equipment than I could afford then) - they are nostalgic to me. Even the 6 or 7,000 CDs I have ripped / tagged up my own way are intended to achieve a facsimile of that with best possible SQ.

Nice device (D16 AES). 

I'm a two channel guys as well :~) Whatever makes one happy, is good with me. 

You're in an interesting spot with your requirements. There are no right or wrong requirements of course. If @vortecjr and @agillis added Dante support on the Rendu series (I think this recently got much easier), you could use the same ASIO driver, add a fiber network card to your computer, and connect to the Rendu via fiber cable. As long as your DAC has a USB input, because that's the only output of the Rendu. 

If Rendu supported Ravenna, you could use the Merging audio driver and send anything from 44.1 to 384 and DSD256 to a Rendu, but that's another story. 

2 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

You're in an interesting spot with your requirements. There are no right or wrong requirements of course. If @vortecjr and @agillis added Dante support on the Rendu series (I think this recently got much easier), you could use the same ASIO driver, add a fiber network card to your computer, and connect to the Rendu via fiber cable. As long as your DAC has a USB input, because that's the only output of the Rendu.

Definitely of potential interest to me. I already use a fiber network PCIe card and my Pro Audio DAC has USB input. Thank you for info. I shall watch this space.

4 hours ago, Iving said:

I need a PC at the listening position to manipulate a large custom-tagged flac Library in foobar2000. Including Play and Playlist functions. The best way to do this - for me to date - afaik - is optical out to RedNet device on Dante network ... thence re-clocker > DAC.

Look, in your own private Idaho based listening room, you can put your PC wherever you want, but I keep the bits for my very very large library in my basement, and access and send it remotely over network. In short there are many ways to as they say skin a Cat

1 minute ago, jabbr said:

Look, in your own private Idaho based listening room, you can put your PC wherever you want...

@Iving surely does not live in Idaho; In fact I think he lives in Europe, so odds are slim that he will get the American references (to the terrific Gus Van Sant film, to the City of Night book it was based on, or to the B-52's song). 

But I did... 

53 minutes ago, jabbr said:

Look, in your own private Idaho based listening room, you can put your PC wherever you want, but I keep the bits for my very very large library in my basement, and access and send it remotely over network. In short there are many ways to as they say skin a Cat

Look?

Idaho?

Can you help. If I keep my flac Library in my basement, how do I manipulate the Library - on a sizeable screen/keyboard using on the fly fb2k Filters - with no noticeable latency - either to my screen and keyboard at my listening position or to my speakers - and also without incurring unnecessary and superfluous network arrangements.

I want to operate as quickly as I think at my listening position. And for music to happen at the speakers as instantly as my desire. That's what I have right now.

I think we have established that it's different strokes for different folks.

If you know of a non-Dante way to do what is my first prerogative - controlling my own music according to my own will - I'm all ears.

If indeed I missed a joke, I kneel before you ... because I love humour.

Edit: I already use fiber-direct between PC and D16. And have tried 10G + switch. I gave a full report on the 10G thread.

Edit 2: My PC is audibly silent and and receives VIP treatment wrt electrical supply. I have spent years taming it including to min. of W10 Services for RedNet/Dante.

Edit 3: Reminder - I am religiously (internet) offline.

30 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

@Iving surely does not live in Idaho; In fact I think he lives in Europe, so odds are slim that he will get the American references (to the terrific Gus Van Sant film, to the City of Night book it was based on, or to the B-52's song). 

But I did... 

Thank you. I love to be educated!

Here is "Idaho".

1. I don't sit at a desk!

2. Optical cable between listening position and D16 (via eR) runs under floor (transformers etc also hidden).

3. The square composite stone + bespoke feet + top layers rubber/wood/ other isolation constructed table between speakers is DIY for when I get my Technics SL-1000-R. (Behind it is a bunch of other stuff both gear and DIY.)

4. I'm open-minded about changing cherished and suitably maintained Snell Type A III. But I'm not discovering much that would easily best them. Watt Puppy 50th impressed me, but fitting amps would skyrocket overall cost.

5. The Himalayan lava lamps have no effect on SQ - but likely add to "Idaho".

2 hours ago, Iving said:

Look?

 

Idaho?

To each their own, just saying that the networked approach has its own adherents and the product being discussed isn't as crazy as the B-52s 😛

Also at the speed of light, controlling the music sourced from a server in your living room, or alternatively in my basement is irrelevant in terms of the human experience (I'm not living in either Elon Musk's spaceship or Jeff Bezos' house)

So, back to why the need for a Rendu, in my case my recently upgraded Deluxe from SE.

Five years ago I set about converting my system to single-source streaming-only using Qobuz Studio (or HiFi as it was then). No more LPs or SACDs. No files, no server. Just Internet streaming. I did it because I wasn't satisfied with having limited access to all music and because I wanted to prove that it could be done.

Well, it can be done and the Deluxe was the final nail in the coffin for all other sources for me. The Deluxe and Qobuz bring me closer than I ever thought possible to the master tape, and that was my main objective. I am constantly amazed at the sound quality I now achieve and consider the job to be done. All else is just bonus from this point on.

Thanks for the review, it reinforces everything I hear in the Deluxe's performance. Congratulations to all at Sonore.