Does OH add to signal path?

[ted_b]

Hi. First post here. Longtime audiophile and reviewer (and NativeDSD co-founding team member). I love Minimserver. I recently wrote a ComputerAudiophile dot com review about the PS Audio Directstream DAC with the Sonore signature Rendu and used Minimserver on my Synology DS1513+. Loved it.

For DSD files I run Minimserver in either DoP or native modes, as the I2S (HDMI) connection supports both (but the Rendu's other output, SPDIF coax, supports only DoP, of course).

Question: I recently added BubbleUPNP server to my Synology stack in order to get the nice features of OpenHome, including more control point stability (ipad background tasks, etc), more choices, better playlist management and just overall better communications with control point software. My Signature Rendu is now duplicated as an OH renderer (gave it another name) on my network. However, unless it is placebo or some other issue I also notice, over time, that there might be a very slight graininess or congestion/harshness to the sound, especially during complex music passages. I've made very few other changes, but it could be just my hearing, but I've tried to a/b it and it seems to follow when I add OH capability. Is it at all feasible to think that the addition of Bubble server, or OH in general, has anything to do with this?

I run 0.8.2 of Minimserver (0.8.3 has not been presented to me yet on the Synology although I can certainly go get it manually) and 0.9 of BubbleUPnP Server.

Thanks. And thanks Simon for a very nice application.

Ted_B