Since the beginning, I have been using Audirvana on my Mac, with excellent results. That said, recently I have switched (back) to Linux (Mint) and installed the headless server for Studio and connected, via the app, to Tidal.
The results are immediately apparent, with more headroom and a really deep bass that wasn’t evident on the Mac installation, even with EQ correction. I am very pleased with this.
Sometimes though Audirvana does seem to stop working in Linux, requiring a reboot, but the audio quality is simply superb.
Same experience here, using Sonore Optical Rendu. Great sound but unstable. I would be certainly interested if someone had any recommendations for a more stable kit for streaming that would also support USB DAC like my Ayre QB-9 Twenty.
My upnp render is a Naim Uniti and the transmission line loudspeakers sound amazing with driven with a good source. For me, it’s not the Naim, but the app seems to lose connection with the computer.
Well, the link between the opticalRendu and the DAC is a USB cable, but when I look at the settings in the web browser, there’re 2 options: Roon and MPD/DLNA. So I have to select DLNA.
Unstable means that the music won’t play, it goes on pause and it’s locked. I have to restart everything. Even then, I usually have to do it many times since there is no indication about where the problem comes from; there is a restart for the transport itself, and another one for the Rendu. Most of the times, a physical restart will achieve a better result. Restart from the Web interface is useless, does nothing. The whole thing could work flawlessly for weeks and suddenly, it refuses to play and it can take forever to get it back to work. I sm on the market for another kit for transport/streaming. Maybe Aurender but I know they won’t support Audirvana.
I don’t know where you have Audirvana installed now, but if you have it running on a NUC or Pi, you might consider using the USB out of that PC into a DDC or USB reclocker and then into the USB of the DAC
I have a streamer with optical Ethernet input that cost less than $500 and as I mentioned is completely solid. Only thing is it’s a mini-computer (Fitlet3 with optional optical Ethernet input) on which I’ve installed a headless Linux OS and UPnP/DLNA software. So it depends on whether you’re familiar with Linux or want to bother learning.
Of course it’s completely understandable if you’d much rather just buy something that works.
The advantage I find is that I’m never in the position of having to wait for a manufacturer to look at a problem, because I completely control the OS and software.
I am not familiar with Linux. I used to programming on the Mac so I know what it can be, but that’s some time ago and my memory has declined so I’m not gone get into that.
Mode #3a - DLNA Output - This output utilizes streams from UPnP/DLNA servers and controllers. This output can be configured as an OpenHome renderer. This output supports true gapless playback of PCM, DSD/DoP, and native DSD. Sonore - opticalRendu Deluxe
I have my laptop with the Linux Core Player connected with ethernet to my router as well as my Naim ND5 XS 2 to the router. Pretty stable that way, but I guess it depends on your definition of stable. I’m using the 3.0 beta (2.99.20).
The cabled connection from laptop router made the biggest difference.
Whenever I encounter instability I have no issues to get the beta running again quite fast.
The regular 2.11 version was more stable, but I guess that’s what’s to be expected.
I do know, but since you don’t own a SonicTransporter, you cannot claim Audirvana is unstable on a SonicTransporter out of experience. It is out of inference.
For those with even the slightest knowledge of the subject, my comments are perfectly clear. An OpticalRendu without a SonicTransporter is a link between nothing and the DAC.
