Sonore Signature Rendu SE Deluxe

6 hours ago, rickca said:

I'd be quite unhappy with this review if I were Sonore.

There wasn't any area where the SE was bettered by the mR.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for a product that costs $3295 vs one that costs $509 on sale.

Read it differently. That sounds like an extremely positive comment to me. Not all reviews have to GLOWING. If he had phrased it differently, "The SE bettered the mR in all areas" would you have reacted differently? It's just 2 ways of saying the same thing.

@rickca, Huh?  What Michael found was that the SRse was better than the microRendu is every area, exactly what we would expect here at Sonore.  Let's see, the Signature Rendu SE is better in every way than the micro, and it gets a "Greatest Bits" award.  To me this review screams "Mission Accomplished" for the Signature Rendu SE.

9 hours ago, firedog said:

Read it differently.

1 hour ago, barrows said:

To me this review screams "Mission Accomplished" for the Signature Rendu SE.

OK guys, to me it sounded like a rather backhanded compliment.

If he was being insincere it would only bring question to the full body of his work.  

On 8/6/2017 at 1:12 AM, Steve Bruzonsky said:

My Sonore Signature Rendu arrived yesterday (Saturday) replacing my Microrendu and Sonore Signature Power Supply, the latter which Sonore took as a trade-into, Nice lookin' and solidly built. I went to "My Sonicorbiter" and enabled RoonReady mode. Then I set up the Signature Rendu as I had set up the Microrendu previously. But it's giving me lots of issues and reloading firmware doesn't help. I can get it to play and output actual music only if I set ROON to downsample to 48-24 or 44-16. It will also play and output music when set to 44-16 and 48-24! I suspect perhaps USPS was a bit rough in transport (even though no external evidence of this) enough to mess up the little computer hardware therein. I'll get with Sonore Monday and I'm sure we'll go through steps to see if perhaps I've set it up wrong, and if not, I'm sure Sonore will quickly ensure that I am taken care of.  (Note my multi-channel CAPSv3 HDMI server works fine with ROON - it's just that two channel via USB is the most I am there for critical laid back listening!

 

(turns out the issue was not the Sonore Signature Rendu, but my Theta CBIVA, which via HDMI accepted up to 192-24, but which via AES/EBU or coaxial digital, which I used for 2Ch, accepted only up to 48-24, necessitating a firmware fix by ATI/Theta Digital).

 

On 9/14/2017, Steve Bruzonsky said: 

 

As I stated above, the Sonore Signature Rendu is a nicely built beefy and somewhat heavy (in comparison to my previous Sonore Signature Power  Supply and Microrendu), which is nifty because it works well with tweaks underneath and weights on top.

 

I had two Brightstar Weights on top, about 20 lb or more, and a set of (3) Symposium Rollerblocks with titanium ball underneath, with a Symposium Svelte Shelf underneath and on top of the component rack shelf. I've had these tweaks for years!

 

My Theta CBIV-A SSP also had a set of (3) Symposium Rollerblocks with titanium ball underneath, with a Symposium Ultra Platform underneath and on top of the component rack itself.

 

I decided to take the sets of  Rollerblocks out from under my 5 Theta Digital Prometheus monoblocks, as I felt any benefits were outweighed by detraction of dynamics/microdynamics. So I had some extra Rollerblock sets.

 

I  used a set of the Rollerblocks (without the titanium  ball), added to a set of Rollerblocks with a titanium ball, with the ball sandwiched in between the blocks. I call this a Rollerblock sandwich. I put a set of (3) Rollerblock sandwiches under my Theta CBIV-A SSP. I played some Dolby Atmos blu rays on my Oppo UDP-205 & noticed how the sonics opened up and improved. Same for the Sonore Signature Rendu.

 

More recently, I placed a Rollerblock sandwich on top of a Symposium Ultra Platform, all under the Sonore Signature Rendu, with two BrightStar weights (about 20 lb) on top of the Rendu. WOW!!! 

 

Since the Rendu has no moving parts weights on top are ok. But my experience is that weights on top of a disc player in time will burn out the disc player!!!

 

You can't do this with the Microrendu, and even the Ultrarendu doesn't have enough size and mass to do this - but the Sonore Signature Rendu does!!!

 

Very nice!!@@@

Finally all of me home theater & audio upgrades are done and I am listening to my Sonore Signature Rendu in its full glory. And it sound magnificent.

I can't directly compare to what it sounded like with Microrendu with Sonore Signature Power Supply back last summer because I've done too many system changes since then. But my audio has NEVER sounded better and its an appreciable amount better than before.

In all fairness, I've done a lot to my home theater & audio system since last July:

Replaced Sonore Microrendu with Sonore Signature Power Supply with Sonore  Signature Rendu.

Upgraded Theta CBIV to CBIVA. Finally end of November got firmware upgrade so AES/EBU (and coaxial) digital

     input, via Berkeley Audio USB Converter, accepts up to 192-24.

Replaced 2.35 128.5" wide Stewart Cinecurve Screen with 2.40 168" wide Stewart Vistascope Screen.

Replaced Sim2 C3X 1080 3 chip DLP projector (24 lb) with Sony VPL-VW5000ES  laser projector (94 ib).

Replaced cones under five Aerial Acoustics 7t speakers with Isoacoustics Gaia II speaker feet.

Added four IsoAcoustics Iso-pucks under each of five  Theta Prometheus monoblock amplifiers,

     one ATI multi-channel amplifier (for four ceiling Dolby Atmos speakers), and under two PS Audio P5 power

     regenerators.

Ceiling mounted projector moved back 3 feet from prior throw distance (now at 19.5" throw with the very front

     of lens up about 1.5' higher than the prior projector, and where the front of the lens is just a tad above the very

     back of my head in my preferred second row center on a platform listening leather recliner)

New screen has masking in from sides all the way from 2.40 to 16.9 to 4.3 aspect ratio, and I find that using the       most masking to 4.3 sound best for 2Ch audio (better absorption up front).

Pending projector and screen install, for almost two months I had projector on a table in the back row center, so

     I couldn't listen to music there! And I had to stop using Dirac Room correction because my previous

     measured room correction was way off due to the big projector in the back row. Finally a few weeks ago,

     after all new physical changes were done and the new screen and projector mounted, I was able to measure

     and do new room correction filters for my Theta CBIVA SSP, one for front row (video), one for back row

     (music). YEA!

Also, I moved my Western Digital MyCloudPro4200 32 TB server and Sonic Transporter i5 (Roon Core) out of my

     theater way up and over to my home office, and my installer ran CAT6 through my attics way over into my

     theatre room (super fast Wi-Fi through home and theatre).

I still have the Microrendu with latest firmware. But as I traded in my Sonore Signature Power Supply, I can't hook it up and compare how it sounds with the Sonore Signature Rendu in my current system. Oh well. I can only say I am very, very happy with the Sonore Signature Rendu and how it sounds in my current system!

1 hour ago, Steve Bruzonsky said:

 

Finally all of me home theater & audio upgrades are done and I am listening to my Sonore Signature Rendu in its full glory. And it sound magnificent.

 

I can't directly compare to what it sounded like with Microrendu with Sonore Signature Power Supply back last summer because I've done too many system changes since then. But my audio has NEVER sounded better and its an appreciable amount better than before.

 

In all fairness, I've done a lot to my home theater & audio system since last July:

 

Replaced Sonore Microrendu with Sonore Signature Power Supply with Sonore  Signature Rendu.

Upgraded Theta CBIV to CBIVA. Finally end of November got firmware upgrade so AES/EBU (and coaxial) digital

     input, via Berkeley Audio USB Converter, accepts up to 192-24.

Replaced 2.35 128.5" wide Stewart Cinecurve Screen with 2.40 168" wide Stewart Vistascope Screen.

Replaced Sim2 C3X 1080 3 chip DLP projector (24 lb) with Sony VPL-VW5000ES  laser projector (94 ib).

Replaced cones under five Aerial Acoustics 7t speakers with Isoacoustics Gaia II speaker feet.

Added four IsoAcoustics Iso-pucks under each of five  Theta Prometheus monoblock amplifiers,

     one ATI multi-channel amplifier (for four ceiling Dolby Atmos speakers), and under two PS Audio P5 power

     regenerators.

Ceiling mounted projector moved back 3 feet from prior throw distance (now at 19.5" throw with the very front

     of lens up about 1.5' higher than the prior projector, and where the front of the lens is just a tad above the very

     back of my head in my preferred second row center on a platform listening leather recliner)

New screen has masking in from sides all the way from 2.40 to 16.9 to 4.3 aspect ratio, and I find that using the       most masking to 4.3 sound best for 2Ch audio (better absorption up front).

Pending projector and screen install, for almost two months I had projector on a table in the back row center, so

     I couldn't listen to music there! And I had to stop using Dirac Room correction because my previous

     measured room correction was way off due to the big projector in the back row. Finally a few weeks ago,

     after all new physical changes were done and the new screen and projector mounted, I was able to measure

     and do new room correction filters for my Theta CBIVA SSP, one for front row (video), one for back row

     (music). YEA!

Also, I moved my Western Digital MyCloudPro4200 32 TB server and Sonic Transporter i5 (Roon Core) out of my

     theater way up and over to my home office, and my installer ran CAT6 through my attics way over into my

     theatre room (super fast Wi-Fi through home and theatre).

 

I still have the Microrendu with latest firmware. But as I traded in my Sonore Signature Power Supply, I can't hook it up and compare how it sounds with the Sonore Signature Rendu in my current system. Oh well. I can only say I am very, very happy with the Sonore Signature Rendu and how it sounds in my current system!

Great to here! I’m listening to mine today via my TV’s analog input because my AMP is out for service:) 

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2018/01/mqa-support-comes-to-sonore-streamers/

On 11.11.2017 at 4:25 PM, barrows said:

@rickca, Huh?  What Michael found was that the SRse was better than the microRendu is every area, exactly what we would expect here at Sonore.  Let's see, the Signature Rendu SE is better in every way than the micro, and it gets a "Greatest Bits" award.  To me this review screams "Mission Accomplished" for the Signature Rendu SE.

Is it exactly the same board in side the SE as in the UltraRendu ?

Will we see a Signature Rendu SE with the UltraDigital board as well sometime in the future ?

(The ultraDigital may outperform the Berkeley  Audio converter, if it has proper PS)

13 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

Will we see a Signature Rendu SE with the UltraDigital board as well sometime in the future ?

The only way to make that work properly would be to add both the ultraDigital and another completely separate power supply for it.  That would not fit in the current chassis, so we would have to have a new chassis.

It is a roundabout way to do things as well, and does not really make sense.

Ethernet-USB-SPDIF/I2S has more conversions and is not the best way.

The best way would be to make a dedicated Ethernet-SPDIF/I2S converter.

The Signature Rendu SE is a dedicated USB source, designed to be the best it can be.  We will not compromise it.

2 minutes ago, barrows said:

The Signature Rendu SE is a dedicated USB source, designed to be the best it can be.  We will not compromise it.

Again:

Is it exactly the same board in side the SE as in the UltraRendu ?

I just found this show review from RMAF 2017 from Lee Scoggins of Part-Time Audiophile:

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017/11/12/rmaf-2017-sonore-renders-sublime-sound/

1 hour ago, vortecjr said:

I just found this show review from RMAF 2017 from Lee Scoggins of Part-Time Audiophile:

 

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017/11/12/rmaf-2017-sonore-renders-sublime-sound/

Nice!  Congrats.

AJC

2 hours ago, vortecjr said:

I just found this show review from RMAF 2017 from Lee Scoggins of Part-Time Audiophile:

 

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017/11/12/rmaf-2017-sonore-renders-sublime-sound/

From the review, what is power supply "film capacitor damping" about ?

15 minutes ago, look&listen said:

From the review, what is power supply "film capacitor damping" about ?

The Signature Rendu SE uses high quality film capacitors (in addition to a large amount of electrolytics) in the power supply to damp any resonances, and to provide filtering to the incoming AC.

1 hour ago, barrows said:

The Signature Rendu SE uses high quality film capacitors (in addition to a large amount of electrolytics) in the power supply to damp any resonances, and to provide filtering to the incoming AC.

Thx, I value your advice.

The first sounds like the old pratice of bypassing electrolytics in analog amplifier power supplies, but not sure what you mean by "provide filtering to the incoming AC."

No, this is not for bypass of main electroyltics.  We use film capacitor(s) to damp the transformer and eliminate any ringing/resonance there.  (Although there is a very small film cap as final decoupling element before the main, discrete, pre-regulator stage).  

AC filtering is a separate element, but I am not going to talk specifically about any more details in this much depth.  We also reserve the right to change the design at any time (but rest assured, any changes made would only be for the betterment of the product).

Nice review. My journey was not as long as yours but ended in same place with the signature RenduSE.  I did spring for the SR fuses which I have never used so not sure what that adds to the SQ. agree though that I am very pleased with the purchase.

Yes, sorry I forgot to mention the Synergistic Black fuse. Since I haven’t heard the SSRSE with any other fuse, I didn’t mention it.

1 hour ago, Al Jones said:

Yes, sorry I forgot to mention the Synergistic Black fuse. Since I haven’t heard the SSRSE with any other fuse, I didn’t mention it.

My advice to you. Try a good DAC and use the analogue inputs of your Lyngdorf. You will be amazed!

Let’s see. You’re suggesting that I put a DAC between the source and the Lyngdorf TDAI-2170, run analogue into the Lyngdorf where it converts back to digital for room correction, electronic crossover and digital amplification?

Apart from the additional cost of a “good” DAC and a Lyngdorf audiophile ADC to make all of this even possible, I am in no doubt that my path, source to Lyngdorf to speakers with the signal entirely digital all the way, will be cleaner in every possible sense of the word.

4 hours ago, Al Jones said:

Let’s see. You’re suggesting that I put a DAC between the source and the Lyngdorf TDAI-2170, run analogue into the Lyngdorf where it converts back to digital for room correction, electronic crossover and digital amplification?

 

Apart from the additional cost of a “good” DAC and a Lyngdorf audiophile ADC to make all of this even possible, I am in no doubt that my path, source to Lyngdorf to speakers with the signal entirely digital all the way, will be cleaner in every possible sense of the word.

I had exactly the same thoughts. Then - just for fun - I tried a Chord Hugo (first gen.) and indeed introduced an extra d/a to a/d conversion. I was stunned by how much better - especially more musical and real - this sounded. That lead me eventually to purchasing a Chord DAVE. But I also tried other DAC’s in the >5k region and all did a better job in reconstructing the signal than my Lyngdorf. Don’t think it’s because I have a TDAI2200 vs your TDAI2170. Actually I prefer the 2200 over the 2170. Probably because of it’s better PS. And don’t get me wrong. I love the Lyngdorf for it’s capabilities as pre-amp, amp, digital cross over and last but not least Roomperfect. Just try it (with good analogue interconnects).

Sorry for the OT btw.

Whatever floats your boat.

Enjoy.

1 hour ago, Al Jones said:

Whatever floats your boat.

 

Enjoy.

I understand that it is difficult for you to digest. I pointed other Lyngdorf owners in this direction and in most cases their first reaction was the same as yours. But after they explored this contra intuitive path they were thankful. You have a very nice source with the Sonore Signature Rendu SE. It deserves a very good DAC.