rossb

I've just done this comparison again - very briefly. This time the server connected directly to the DAC via USB sounded better than the OpticalRendu. It sounded slightly darker, fuller and more liquid. This was using a Teddy Pardo power supply on the SOTM USB card. Then I tried the Sonore Signature psu and another locally made (and very good) psu on the USB card in place of the Teddy Pardo. The sound from both of these was somewhat drier and less liquid than with the Teddy Pardo, which was a bit of a surprise. They sounded a lot closer to the EtherRegen/Optical Rendu - which had been powered by these two power supplies. Now I need to do some more comparisons to determine if the PC with TP psu on the USB card really sounds better than the OpticalRendu. I will need to see if I have some other Teddy Pardo PSUs of the right voltage to power the EtherRegen and OpticalRendu to remove this variable.

I use a Sonore Signature power supply.

It does not surprise me that a Taiko Extreme would sound better than an Optical Rendu. The Taiko PCs are both extremely powerful and use very high capacity linear power supplies. But in my case, adding an Optical Rendu (or even an Ultrarendu) gave superior sound quality compared to the same server connected directly to the DAC via USB (with the USB card powered by a linear PSU). The difference was small, but definitely noticeable. I did this comparison quite recently, which is why I ended up with my current set up.

I should have clarified that in my experience, when connecting a PC directly to a DAC, as both server/core and streamer, then the higher powered PC will generally sound better than a lower powered one. The exception to this is where a PC is used as the server/core and audio is streamed via ethernet to a DAC. In this case the higher powered PC will sound better as the server/core, but a low powered device can be used as the streamer, since it does minimal processing of its own. A lower powered purpose built streamer such as an ultrarendu or optical rendu powered by a linear PSU and streaming from a high powered PC is the optimal combination. In my experience, using something like one of the Rendus or a Lumin U1 sounds better than an "audiophile" PC (eg Antipodes) as a streamer, and the combination of high powered PC and streamer sounds much better than a lower powered PC performing both functions and connected directly to a DAC. I should add that this is my experience using a range of streamers and PCs, but obviously I have not heard every combination or product.

I'm far from being an objectivist, but I think a lot of these statements are articles of faith more than anything else. I have an extremely resolving high end headphone setup - An Nagra HD DAC/Classic PSU, EAR HP4 and Niimbus US4 headphone amps and Audeze LCD4 headphones (amonst others). I have tried completely fanless audiophile servers run on linear power supplies - an Antipodes DX3, for example - and found that my high end gaming PC with its i9 processor and about 12 fans connected to the motherboard and ATX PSU sounded better. This is consistent with my experience in general that higher powered PCs sound better than lower powered ones, even where the high powered PC is run with a conventional switching PSU. In fact, I once built a mid range server with an i5 processor and an HD Plex linear PSU, and it sounded much worse with the linear PSU than with a conventional ATX power supply. So my experience is that having a very high powered PC which necessarily requires fans to run at acceptable temperatures, even with a conventional switching power supply, sounds considerably better than a lower powered fanless one. I have built and used PCs with fans and without fans. The processing power of the CPU in my experience has a far bigger impact on sound quality than a few fans.

Is passive cooling really necessary? The fans on my Noctua NH-D15 are currently spinning at about 200rpm and are completely silent.

Yes, I tried my 12v Teddy Pardo with the same result. The 7v is a Sonore Signature PSU.

I think I spoke too soon. The ER seems to stop working after a while. It does get very hot - I wonder if it is overheating ...? This is using a 7v power supply.

I've just reinstalled the ER again and it seems to be working without any problem. I'll give it some time but hopefully that means any issue has been resolved and it was just one of those things ...

Thanks, Alex. It's not urgent, so please respond when you can but no hurry.

It's not a network issue. The network works fine without the ER connected. I swapped in a conventional switch where the ER used to be and everything is working without problem.

The ER was bought in March last year. I assume it is under warranty - I think I will be sending it back to Uptone for repair/replacement.

How do I find these? I am a novice when it comes to networking. I'll have to reconnect the ER and see what effect it has on the router (which is in a different room).

Yes, the internet connection drops out from all PCs and other devices on the network.

Thanks, but that’s not quite the problem. The eR is working fine. But it causes my modem/router to lose the internet connection when it is connected to the network.