Focusrite RedNet (AOIP Nervosa)

Does JRMC automatically switch the Audio/Midi output formats on macOS?

I don't have it installed at the moment to try it for myself and I will be damned if I can remember (I only run it experimentally, since I don't get on with the UX). If it bypasses core-audio entirely, rather than just using "direct" mode (such as it is), I could easily see why it's not working.

With Roon and Audirvana+, both of which do switch those settings on the fly, the sample rate following functionality seems to work fine. On that basis, and on nothing more concrete, I'm assuming that Audinate are following those settings to drive their rate switching.

 

Works fine for me. Windows. Only thing is you have to keep the Rednet Control open. If you close it, it de-activates the SR Follow option.

 

I'm hearing RN Mac support is kludgy offline. So something to consider, perhaps.

 

@Luckbad subjective rankings for reference point:

http://www.basshead.club/spdif-battle-mutec-singxer-lynx-rednet-et-al/


Once again, to All SBAF Mutec MC3+USB users: Please reflash/stick to Mutec MC3+USB firmware V1.03(or V1.01). It sounds much better(clarity, bass and dynamics) to my ear over the newer V1.10(overly warm, laidback dynamics and missing bass).

 

Yes it can auto switch sample rates, depending upon how the output formats are set.

And when I enabled sample rate following, Media Center came back with an error in even trying to continue.
And when Focusrite tested this with their dedicated card it worked fine so it's the ASIO driver that has 'issues', and so they punted it back to Audinate, where it currently sits.

I would like for them to solve this sooner than later but thus far they are not moving with alacrity, despite my emails asking for a progress report.
And it's hard, at least at this point to know if its an issue with Media Center itself or the Audinate ASIO driver.

And really this is not that big of deal, at least for me, because I sample rate switch all my 44.1 tracks to 88.2 but even this will change when I get a Yggdrasil since it 'prefers' the lowest sample rates for optimal SQ.

JJ

 

Are up here in the bay area?

 

I also asked for this to be addressed since RedNet Control doesn't even 'remember' to keep SRF operating after shutting it down and re-launching the app.
Such are vicissitudes of being an early adopter…

JJ

 

Funnily enough the RedNet 3 is already a 3-year-old product; its usage in the consumer audiophile space is the only new bit for early adoption.

In this regard I think it's even more commendable that Focusrite is listening and responding to what is surely a niche minority of its user base.

 

Lemme try that again. @3X0 Do you live up here in the bay area? Let's do a comparo against the Lynx with and a Mutec.

 

You might also find that using the Mutec with the RN3 and the Lynx as a reclocker results in quite nifty SQ.

Just an added thought.

JJ

 

Folks looking for 2 channel Dante: http://www.atterotech.com/products/dante-aes-o/ as posted before on SBAF.

 

I like the price, but does it only output at 88.2/96kHz?

 

Shame it doesn't do 24/192 as well, at that price.

At $300-$400, with 24/192 and the same direct, standard, AES/EBU XLR outputs, it'd be a no-brainer.

 

The bolded observation is very valuable, it will be interesting to see before/after comparisons of crappier dacs too. Could they scale up to a whole new level? And in this perspective dacs with excellent value (Gungnir Multibit etc) should narrow the gap between end game equipment even closer.

From technical point of view setup was straight forward, DVS and RedNet control worked without hiccups. RN3 Software was patched automatically when I started the device for the first time. Sound routing from Roon -> DVS -> RN3 is done in seconds, no compatibility issues so far. Impressions will follow later when my dac aqcuisition comes together.

 

Doubters gonna doubt...

Doubter here, doubting hard. You change the physical transport of your audio data. You might get rid of some very slight amount amount of electrical noise carried from one of those crappy laptops that people insist on using for audio. You almost certainly (and I'll vote for better engineering, even if it is only theoretical: comes under pride of ownership for me), if you move to an IP-based system, get more of a guarantee that the data that left the file on your PC is what gets handed to the DAC inside the DAC box. Truth is, though, that the existing methods of carrying audio data from box to box, USB, Coax, etc etc even fibre toslink within limits, are actually plenty good enough in practice, even though one can pick holes in the theory or application. For example, my audio-perfectionist neurotic rant is against phono cables: they are just an accident of history, designed for nothing in particular (well, the origin is spelt out in the name, but I don't think it was an engineering solution?) they just-about work for most things. What a pity the hifi world adopted them as standard, when each and every connection type has a proper, engineer designed alternative (duh... I think?)

So, I honestly believe that networking is the neater-nicer-maybe-better-should-be-cheaper way of moving audio from A to B... but, if anyone hears any huge differences, and they are actually real, then maybe something in the old system was broken.

 

Agree. Per recent testing at SBAF (AtomicBob I believe) the bits get through perfectly, it's jitter and noise you're 'cleaning up'. Some of that 'cleaning up' may even be technically worse, we will tend to bias a difference we hear as 'better' if that's what we're in pursuit of. If it makes a big, obvious difference, something in the old stack was bad.

 

I can bring in a microrendu to compare with too, for completeness. Easiest thing to setup also. And if we use a Mutec ant the end of the chain, it can all go into the Yggdrasil via AES.

 

Improvements vary depending on weakness of specific DAC. In general noise floors are lowered by native galvanic isolation unless the specific DAC already addressed isolation. Jitter may be reduced through better handling of the data transport between source and DAC. I hate the phrase "whole new level" as it implies some "in-your-face" difference to everyone. Depending on a particular person's perceptual sensitivity and preferences these audible differences may be more or less noticeable.

My personal casual listening is quite satisfied with a Gustard U12, MoMB and either a Garage1217 Project Sunrise (12BH7 and LPS) or a Vali 2 (6CG7) and HD650 for a desktop system. Nothing in this system simulates listening fatigue, the sound quality is good, for my personal set of preferences and perceptual sensitivities.

When I want to focus more intently on the music then the Dante RN D16 + MC-3+ Yggdrasil/GuMB ZDSE HD800 is my reference system. Resolution is greater than the casual listening station to me. Not always a good thing on albums with tracking/mixing/mastering issues. Lower resolution can offer auditory forgiveness. Certain albums in my collection benefit appreciably from a stock (non-speedball) Bottlehead Crack.

Lastly, my choice of D16 over RN3 was due to my studio / lab being primarily AES/EBU for the last decade. 1 RU takes up less space in an already crowded set of racks.

Edit: I have also added Jotunheim for my SS path in the reference system with the ZDSE as the OTL tube path. Jotuenheim is an exemplary SS headphone amp in my opinion.