Tír Na HiFi

gstew wrote:JKeny,

What I've seen on the uRendu previously suggested it has only an Ethernet input and a USB output. You need a source (could be a NAS with appropriate SW, otherwise some computer player that can output via Ethernet) and connects to a USB-input DAC or adapter.

SW capabilities will likely be similar to that of the Sonore Sonicorbitor SE:

http://www.rendu.sonore.us/Sonicorbiter.html

Greg in Mississippi

P.S. I should add the buzz I've heard suggests it will be VERY good, but knowing the almost $3k price of their Rendu Signature, I don't expect it to be a low-cost solution. My guess is nearing $1k USD, but it might well be significantly more. No price posted by Sonore yet.

BTW, the sonicorbitor is a cubox with custom software.

So, it looks like they are taking a $160 retail box, and charging $300 for it.

For the microrendu, they need to pay for their development costs, so $1000 seems like a good guess.

randytsuch wrote: BTW, the sonicorbitor is a cubox with custom software.

So, it looks like they are taking a $160 retail box, and charging $300 for it.

For the microrendu, they need to pay for their development costs, so $1000 seems like a good guess.

LOL.

I looked at it this way:

$160 - Cubox
$40 - Linear wall wart
$100 - custom & tested software load

T'ain't free, but given what some in audio charge for some things we know don't cost near that much, it doesn't seem too bad to me.

I looked at getting one, largely because I already have a Cubox Pro (that I planned to use as a low-power LMS server), but then I realized that the HW is sufficiently different and their SW load won't run on it.

Greg in Mississippi

My board has finally shipped so the scheming begins ... They do not get in any hurry to ship these. I paid for it two weeks ago.

I will be powering the three 3.3 v rails separately (or will I?). There is a fourth and fifth rail which I will power with the "standard" input.

Can't decide if using three batteries is really necessary or would one of the big batteries from the computer supply be sufficient?

Could the junk from the clock infect the other rails if only one battery is used and vice versa?

Only real construction difference would be the switch - two pole versus four pole - even though I might have to follow Randy and use relays here. I like being able to minimize wires lengths with the relays at the expense of having the relay power wires to deal with.

My inclination is to use three batteries but would take counsel if told it would be a waste of effort.

rickmcinnis wrote:My board has finally shipped so the scheming begins ... They do not get in any hurry to ship these. I paid for it two weeks ago.

I will be powering the three 3.3 v rails separately (or will I?). There is a fourth and fifth rail which I will power with the "standard" input.

Can't decide if using three batteries is really necessary or would one of the big batteries from the computer supply be sufficient?

Could the junk from the clock infect the other rails if only one battery is used and vice versa?

Only real construction difference would be the switch - two pole versus four pole - even though I might have to follow Randy and use relays here. I like being able to minimize wires lengths with the relays at the expense of having the relay power wires to deal with.

My inclination is to use three batteries but would take counsel if told it would be a waste of effort.

Rick,

I THINK they don't have them completed and sitting on the shelf, but have to do some final assembly, configuration, and checkout. They MIGHT have to order the LCD too once your order is placed.

My plan is to eventually power mine similar to how you describe, with 3x 3.3v lines and then 5v into the regular input, which will then provide power into the 2.5v & 1.2v lines.

How I'm tackling this is to first run it via the 5v line (to make sure it works ok, if nothing else) then later will add the other power supply points.

The SDTrans384 SHOULD have a lot lower self-produced noise than a full computer setup, so you MIGHT be able to get almost as good results with just two power rails (5v & 1x 3.3v into the clocks, microprocessor/memory card, and S/PDIF / I2S).

OTOH, if you want to go crazy with it, go with 3x batteries, one into each of the 3.3v points, and then another 2 batteries in series floating down to 5v for the main input

Very curious to hear about your results.

Greg in Mississippi

My board arrived today

Will start with a five volts battery, only, to power.

Question for Nigel - I cannot decide whether to use one battery for the three 3.3 volts rails or to use three individual batteries, one for each rail. What is your opinion, please?

Found it is easy to tack on the HIROSE cable to the output pads of the isolators. Will collect the grounds from these and take them to the star ground.

Moved the grounds for the output to the star ground.

Should have the thing working by tomorrow.

rickmcinnis wrote:My board arrived today

Will start with a five volts battery, only, to power.

Question for Nigel - I cannot decide whether to use one battery for the three 3.3 volts rails or to use three individual batteries, one for each rail. What is your opinion, please?

youll just have to test both ways
if you have em start with 3 and remove them to compare
its quite possible one is ok
however three will not be worse

Found it is easy to tack on the HIROSE cable to the output pads of the isolators. Will collect the grounds from these and take them to the star ground.

Moved the grounds for the output to the star ground.

Should have the thing working by tomorrow.

is it not as easy to have the star gnd at the battery terminal?
i like to think the battery terminal as reference gnd

some close up pics would be nice rick
ive done little research on the sd trans it sure would help

I am confused by your advice to use the - battery terminal.

On the SOEKRIS I have 5 batteries so I have brought all of the grounds to one point near the spot on the DAC that SOEKRIS said would be best for grounding. This is the same spot I will bring the I2S grounds and the output grounds.

I can see doing it this way with the SDTrans if I use only one five volts battery supply.

I know you are not intimate with the SDTrans but these are general concepts and I trust your instincts. I thought you had thought I used too many batteries on the SOEKRIS and thought maybe you would think the same here!

I know that three separate batteries could not be worse and maybe I should just go ahead and do that. I really am not fond of too much fiddling around. AS if I had to tell you that!

Will listen to it and let it settle before doing anything beyond a five volts battery.

Just saying if your star gnd was on the end of a battery it wouldnt hurt

I'd doubt there's such a thing as too may batteries but there has to be a point where adding additional cells isn't audible

Always a good idea to familarise
Bring her out to dinner
And buy her a few drinks first

A question about clocks:

There are two clock s on the SDTrans.

I will only be listening to 44.1 Redbook files.

Are both clocks needed or could one of them be disconnected? It is easy to do since there are jumpers for the clocks to make it easy to use another clock.

Just thought it would have to be better to only have one screaming away if it would work.

Who knows?

usually the other clock isnt enabled therefore has no signal output to pollute anything