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jay

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  1. Maybe. Regardless, it's how I had to make it work for some reason...when it was connected to the optical cable on power up I couldn't get it on the network. Your way must work for most...just didn't for me for some reason.
  2. I'm just telling you how it had to work for me on both of my units. Could be something with how it's getting an IP in my particular network setup. I'm just throwing it out there in case others are having issue with your recommended steps.
  3. In my case the above did not work if the OR was also connected to the network (optical) cable on power up. So in my case I needed an added step 3b "Plug in the Optical network cable and let the OR attach itself to the network after the light turns orange" for it to work. (In most cases) mine wouldn't connect and show up on the network without this step. That may be unique to my situation and network for some reason, but if anyone is still having trouble you might add this step to your troubleshooting in the sequence above (power up the OR without the network cable connected and give it a minute to turn orange). I've had zero issues connecting either of my ORs (I have 2) after adding this step to my startup sequence, and both have been very stable since. Also, of note, I have switched Roon servers (demoing an Antipodes CX) and my whole system has basically been stable for over 48 hours now, so I do think my "tired" modded Mac Mini Roon server was somehow throwing wrenches into the sustained connectivity (and subsequent needs to reboot things). That definitely wasn't the only issue, as I had trouble using Spotify and Airplay too (removing Roon from the equation), but worth mentioning if you are losing connectivity...my PS Directstream DAC/OR combo definitely didn't like losing a strong Roon signal.
  4. OK, I changed the order of firing up things. I booted up the PS DirectStream DAC first, with the USB cable connected to the OR, but with the OR unplugged (powered down). Once the DS was fully booted, with the optical network cable unplugged on the OR, I booted the OR up until it's light turns yellow from red. Then I plugged in the optical cable, and it all seems to be working now. If this was clearly spelled out before in the thread or in instructions somewhere, I missed it. Let's see if it maintains it's connection.
  5. I'm using a PS Audio Directstream DSD like many on here it seems. Also like many others, I can't figure out the pattern to connect the OpticalRendu to the DS to save my life. I think I've finally figured out (from reading much of this thread) how to connect the OR to the network regularly (boot it without the optical connection, let it run for a few minutes, then plug in the optical cable), but I can't figure out how to make it connect via the USB to DAC with any sort of predictability or guaranty. I've tried it with two different USB DACs and 3 USB cables...nothing works off the bat. I left the house for 6 hours and when I came back this evening it was magically connected to the Music Hall DAC I was using to test (and it played songs fine it seemed), but unfortunately that's the not the DAC for my main listening (the DirectStream is). I thought I had it connected to the DirectStream this morning (DS USB light showed green, OpticalRendu showed up in Roon), but just got the "Roon spin through song after song in the playlist without playing" behavior that others seem to get sometimes too. I tried HQPlayer and that exhibited the same behavior. So I started an hour long reboot session which never got me "connected" again. I bought the Roon-only version of the OR a few weeks back, and then got it working after about an hour, and the thing sounded amazing, so I ironically ordered another one for my other system (the full version). But I haven't yet gotten the second one to boot up and connect. BTW, I can connect to it via the Spotify and Airplay connections but it won't play and connect to the DAC with any of those connections either, so I do NOT think Roon is part of the problem. Unless there's a guaranteed pattern to connect to the DACs that I'm missing, I'm afraid this product doesn't seem ready for primetime which is really, really unfortunate because it sounds so good when it works. What am I missing?
  6. Let Aurender know. I got that advice, and even though it took them a few days, they figured out the situation remotely and updated my Aurender while I wasn't even home (with your permission and granted access from your end).
  7. I'm not sure why, but adding in some additional USB regen AFTER the OpticalRendu seems to bump the performance even further. This is consistent with my previous experiences with just USB...there is clearly (to me, anyway) benefits in the noise reduction/reclocking that results in simply a bigger, cleaner sound. Each device also greatly benefits from clean, linear power. The costs (and clutter) add up, and in spite of my feeling that simpler should be better, it's not in these digital chains from my experience.
  8. Dropped the OpticalRendu in, and despite some set-up challenges (had to do a large series of reboots on various components for about 20-30 minutes to get it to fully connect to the PS DS DAC and for Roon to see it), we're up and running and it sounds pretty darned good. It sounded very good before, but I would say it's definitely better and I'm not feeling like I want to take it out to be sure...it's an obvious improvement. To get the right feed to it, I had to take the Optical Modules out of their duty feeding the Mac Mini/PS DS Bridge II Thunderbolt/Ether bridged setup, so those are back to straight ethernet, and I haven't gone back to compare how much "less awesome" that now sounds. I'm going to put in other USB-regen devices between the OpticalRendu and the PS DirectStream and see if I can make it even better, and I may go get a new switch with Optical outs so that I can individually feed the computer AND the Optical Rendu optically, and reuse the Optical Modules in another system upstairs. I'm prepared to say that Optical isolation is a must-have if the ethernet network is in your chain and you're looking to maximize the SQ. Note: I was impatient and ordered the Roon-only version of the OpticalRendu (because it was in stock and the other was not), and realize now that I can't use HDPlayer with it, which did produce an even better sound in my USB-fed configurations before. So take note of that if you're in a hurry to order, you may want to wait until the more full version is in stock again if the other non-Roon feeds might be important to you.
  9. @miguelito Thanks for the topic post...curious about the identical questions and I'm running a very similar setup to you, although I have the Bridge II on my DS which I'm currently using and decently happy with (especially with the latest software updates to both the Bridge II and the DS PS). Haven't noticed massive differences on the inputs (Bridge II ethernet vs. USB from the Mac Mini and Aurender N100), but most curious about optical isolation so playing with that (or will be more once additional products arrive) vs. regenning USB. I am a Roon addict in spite of suspecting I'm giving up some SQ from other front-ends. I'm hoping my opticalRendu will arrive today and I'll try USB again with that solution. I've got pseudo optical isolation now with an Uptone Optical module set sitting between my switch and my Mac Mini (with the same Uptone mods I think you have), then Thunderbolt to ether-bridged to the PS DS. I couldn't drop the Optical module directly between the switch and the PS DS because the Bridge II doesn't apparently accept the gigabit output the Optical module produces (sadly). I also ordered an EtherRegen but I'm on January's delivery schedule so I won't know how that compares for many months unfortunately (and assuming it would work directly do the PS DS). I do think the Optical Modules helped a little, but again, I'm not using them in their best configuration I suspect because the DAC is still getting computer noise from the Mac Mini without optical isolation. Once I get through the Optical experiments I do plan to play with Euphony and see if I can wring out additional SQ improvements with the modded Mac Mini hardware. However, I'm hopeful that the Optical isolation methods will minimize the server-side improvement needs and I can live with the Mac Mini for some time to come (the server hardware/software developments have been, in my opinion, moving at seemingly blistering paces and quite honestly are almost impossible to follow holistically...I feel like improvements there will continue and waiting as long as possible might prove beneficial).
  10. I too would love to see some details about the mono test please?
  11. And sorry, I mean this as a legitimate question as well...this entire group does agree that as an electrical device, the switch's power supply and such could introduce electrical noise of sorts into a sensitive and transparent sound system? I lost the plot a bit on whether that was being debated at all here in these 11 pages?
  12. This is/was an interesting read, albeit painful at times given the demeanor. Unfortunate, really, for those legitimately trying to learn. Because I honestly don't know, can someone confirm whether or not ethernet cables/switches/connections are naturally susceptible to both RF and or ground loop issues?
  13. I used balanced. Which do you prefer and what differences do you hear? I also didn’t get a chance to extensively test different inputs...I think I just used USB.
  14. @Joaovieira Very interesting data point, thank you. I too think there may be something to the burn-in of this DAC. I demo'd it for about 3 weeks, and while it had moments of brilliance in my systems, I found it's high level of detail oddly lacking the last bit of coherence, which over the course of a couple hour listening session, resulted in an unsettling fatigue of sorts. You could hear EVERYTHING going on within the soundstage, but for whatever reason they felt like individual pieces, rather than a musically coherent presentation. It turned out to be distracting rather than relaxing. I find odd cohesion to be a regular bi-product of incomplete burn-in in many new high-end, detailed devices, and I asked the dealer about how many hours the DAC had on it. He assured me it was burned in, although I got the sense from his answer that I was one of only the first 2-3 to have demo'd that particular unit. Over a week or two it got a little better, but only slightly, with probably an additional 50 hours on it from me. It never got to a point where I felt it had the right synergy with my systems. I didn't ultimately buy it given that experience and just assumed it was a great product that didn't have full synergy with my system choices. But later I also wondered/suspected it never reached a fully burned in state, as I read so many stellar reviews of it before and after those 3 weeks. Your feedback makes me wonder that further now.
  15. Sorry, I felt it was implied in the question...in particular the sentence referencing "other reviewers." I do see the follow-on comments regarding the Aries...thanks to shinyc for clarifying. Regardless, if HQPlayer is not compatible, I suspect many would argue that with certain DACs, you're potentially losing out on some SQ when using Roon based on a lot of the findings here, including my own. Others may wholly disagree. All of that not withstanding, hopefully I'll be able to demo a dCS Network Bridge myself. I'm merely hoping someone had already done the comparisons and could comment.
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