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

[simoncn]

(26-01-2015 14:41)ted_b Wrote:  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.

Thanks very much and welcome to the MinimServer forum!

Quote: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?

Using OpenHome doesn't affect the stream sent to the renderer. Using BubbleUPnP Server might affect this stream if BubbleUPnP Server is doing any transcoding.

[ted_b]

(26-01-2015 18:43)simoncn Wrote:  Using OpenHome doesn't affect the stream sent to the renderer. Using BubbleUPnP Server might affect this stream if BubbleUPnP Server is doing any transcoding.

Simon,
Sorry I forgot to mention that I am not doing any Bubble server transcoding (hirez to 48 or 44, etc) , no.

What do you mean by including a separate statement that "using Openhome doesn't affect the stream"? How does one do OpenHome without doing BubbleUPnP? Or are you simply trying to underscore that Bubble would do no harm if simply doing OH?

Thx

[simoncn]

(26-01-2015 19:45)ted_b Wrote:  Simon,
Sorry I forgot to mention that I am not doing any Bubble server transcoding (hirez to 48 or 44, etc) , no.

What do you mean by including a separate statement that "using Openhome doesn't affect the stream"? How does one do OpenHome without doing BubbleUPnP? Or are you simply trying to underscore that Bubble would do no harm if simply doing OH?

Thx

Some renderers such as Linn DS support the OpenHome protocol as well as standard UPnP.

The OpenHome protocol changes the way the control point and renderer talk to each other. It doesn't change the way the renderer talks to the server. When the renderer is playing music, it is talking to the server to get the music it is playing. This interaction is the same with or without OpenHome.

[ted_b]

Thanks! I'm back on OH and not looking (listening) back.