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Old 04-26-2021, 06:08 PM
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Puma Cat Puma Cat is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: East Bay, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by n_brio View Post
The sMS-200ultra Neo or ultra rendu is just a roon end point, right? or can all sound from the pc go through it?
The SMS-200 UltraNeo and Sonore UltraRendu are devices known as a "network bridge". The principal function of a network bridge is to take network input from the music server, and convert it to a digital output that a DAC can accept; usually via a USB cable and interface.

The network bridge connects on the input end via a physical network connection (usually copper Ethernet, but could also be optical fiber) to a digital source of content e.g. a music server, NUC, Roon Nucleus (preferably located well away from the audio rack), then on the output end, to your DAC or "endpoint". The network bridge is then connected to your DAC.

Here's a graphic representation of a basic setup.
Some routers have some RJ45 Ethernet ports built-in, in which case, you can forego the Ethernet switch shown, and just connect an Ethernet cable from your music server to directly to the Router, and another Ethernet cable from the Router that runs "downstream" to the network bridge in the audio rack.



Network bridges also generally have much better digital clocks than generic or consumer-grade networking devices, so you get better sound quality from using an audio-grade network bridge.

One of the most important things with respect to a simple setup like this is the quality of the power supplies used for the devices in the chain. Switch-mode power supplies are not good as they add leakage current to the chain of connections that results in an audible degradation of sound quality. Even the generic TP-link Ethernet switch shown above can be improved by using something as simple as Jameco Electronics Reliapro linear power supply for eleven bucks.

You can buy network bridges from a a coupla hundred bucks, e.g. a Raspberry pi-based one from Allo, etc., all the way to <$4K for an Auralic Aries G2 or dCS Network bridge.

A great place to start, though would be with a Sonore microRendu for $399.
https://www.sonore.us/microRendu.html.

Just be sure to get a good linear power supply for it. Small Green Computer sells some for devices in the price range of the microRendu for about $189 or so.

I use a network bridge from SoTM called the SMS-200 UltraNeo; it costs about $1200, so you can see there is a range of products with various price points along the way. Sonore also makes the ultraRendu which is an upgrade to the microRendu. Both are Roon-ready and will serve as a Roon endpoint, so you can stream content either from files resident on a hard drive or the Net via Tida or Qobuz from within Roon.

If you get something a bit better than the entry-level network bridges, consider a better power supply, too.

Ivan carries a line of really nice linear and very affordable power supplies that support two devices independently, from a company called Keces, and I use a Keces P3 for my SOtM SMS-200 UltraNeo. So, if you were to get say, a SOtM or UltraRendu, I would recommend the Keces P3 power supply for it from Ivan.

Hope this helps as an introduction.
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Last edited by Puma Cat; 04-26-2021 at 06:27 PM.
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