rvw1951 said
I've been listening for about five hours spread over a two day period. There were absolutely no issues connecting the hardware. I used a Pangea Pure Silver USB between the Mac Mini and the "Sender", the supplied short Ethernet cable and a JCAT USB between the "Receiver" and my DirectStream. I use Audirvana+. There were no issues "finding" my DAC within the Audirvana+ preferences. When I pressed "play" on my remote, music started immediately.
On all types of music, I immediately noticed a “blacker” or more silent background. Air around instruments and voices was very definitely increased (not subtle). Voices and instruments seemed to meld in a very natural way and I had the sense I really became much more involved in the performance, as if I were closer to “being there”. There was a “smoothness” (or, perhaps, a lessening in “harshness”) to voices and violins that I hadn’t experienced before. I definitely heard more details, particularly in quieter passages, that I had never heard before. I think the soundstage got deeper, but it may be just more clarity. I didn’t get a sense of the soundstage getting narrower.
The track of music that I keep going back to is the one that now gives me goosebumps and tears at the same time: Cecilia Bartoli’s 96/24 album “Mission”, track 11. In this beautiful piece her voice is very quiet and controlled and it sounds like she is being bathed and totally surrounded in beautiful, soft violins.
It’s this increase in details that I’ve never heard before, and the newly heard absence of harshness, that assuredly means I’ll be keeping my LANRover in my system. Thank you PSAudio for a relatively inexpensive piece of hardware that makes, for me, a huge difference.
Thanks! Glad you found as I did - LANRover is simply extraordinary in added details and soundstaging - unlike anything I have ever tried.
I would not consider getting mine out of the system.
I agree, the labels are a little cheezy looking - I think it’s perhaps the shininess that some don’t like. We just thought it jazzed up the rather ordinary looking black extrusion.
Obviously not everyone agrees.
I guess just one or the other would’ve done it - just the label without the plastic cover (or a much thinner, flat one), or print directly on the case w/ or w/o the plastic. But we digress.
With some burnin, my feelings about LR so far are similar to that of rvw1951.
There seems to be a problem with LR and foobar (I want to emphasize that “seems”). Ever since installing it, here’s what happens with foobar the first time I start it in a Win 10 desktop computer session:
“playback is starting” goes on for a good while (perhaps related to latency settings)
playback stops after one second
pressing Stop sends foobar into Not Responding for a bit, after which…
starting the music again plays for 4 secs - stometimes 1 sec first - then pauses for several, then starts again and continues
I took the LR out of the system, rebooted and this time it didn’t happen. As sample of one, I don’t know if that was coincidental or not.
I mentioned the LANRover over on the JPlay forum computer audio thread and it got some interest. A couple of replies mentioned what they’ve been using with a similar goal and I wonder what the difference between the LR and those are. Here are the replies:
“For usb isolation I use the Intona. I also use the W4S Recovery (with LPSU) at the usb input to my DDC. I have a Jitterbug at the usb output of my PPA V4 card. The Lanrover seems to be a combination of the Intona and the Recovery.”
“I use the iFi iPurifier 2, great value, highly recommended. i have tried with 3 different DACs and it works really well with of all them.”
Mark said: It is "clearly" (haha) a way of covering the silkscreening on the case. If I were sure I was going to keep it, the first thing I would do is peel it off.
Paul said: There is no silk screening below it, though you can peel it to check if you wish.
I was haha joking about it covering up silkscreening. Clearly it's a purpose-built piece. I would peel it off because it's so thick, not because I expect printing underneath. Sorry.
Mark said: It is "clearly" (haha) a way of covering the silkscreening on the case. If I were sure I was going to keep it, the first thing I would do is peel it off.
Paul said: There is no silk screening below it, though you can peel it to check if you wish.
I was haha joking about it covering up silkscreening. Clearly it’s a purpose-built piece. I would peel it off because it’s so thick, not because I expect printing underneath. Sorry.
Hey Badbeef,
I’m curious, where would you be using or mounting the LANRover that the thickness of the label would matter? Or is it just an asthetics concern? Again, I’m curious because many users have different needs or ideas from mine and I’m interested in learning.
I’m curious, where would you be using or mounting the LANRover that the thickness of the label would matter? Or is it just an asthetics concern? Again, I’m curious because many users have different needs or ideas from mine and I’m interested in learning.
cheers,
Gene
Gene - or should I say “Agent P”, or “Perry” - (although I realize that’s a secret - sorry - but loved watching the show with my kids) - it’s purely aesthetics. Just struck me as odd. And in the grand scheme of things (compared with functionality), truly not a big deal. It’s just one of the few things I can comment on from firsthand experience, as I have boxes that look identical, except in dimension, that work in my system. : (
[Plea #2 for adoption of “IMS” = “In my system” = focus group of one = ignore me if you don’t agree]. Completely independent of how folks evaluate this stuff in words, they generally are just individuals, talking about their own gear, and as such, to be taken with a grain of salt. And that certainly includes me.
Had the LR worked out of the box like the USB extender I have, I guess I wouldn’t be nit-picking about Branding. Guess I can forget about doing any more PS Audio betas…
Again - apologies to those for whom it works. I competely assumed I would be one of you. And, as I have said - my SQ experience of a similar rig is mirrored by the majority of positive comments. I’m actually surprised by the number of people who have not heard a difference, or have suggested it is subtle. That was not my experience. But I don’t own your gear.
I noticed a volume difference between the LAN Rover and the Bridge II. Is this normal for the Bridge to have less gain. It seems to be about 10-12 db less. I looked at the DAC and the bridge gain is @100.
I am not 100 % if it’s a roon thing either. I will check roon with Lan Rover vs Bridge to see if there is a difference.
darrenv1070 said
I noticed a volume difference between the LAN Rover and the Bridge II. Is this normal for the Bridge to have less gain. It seems to be about 10-12 db less. I looked at the DAC and the bridge gain is @100.
I am not 100 % if it’s a roon thing either. I will check roon with Lan Rover vs Bridge to see if there is a difference.
Not sure that it has anything to do with LR, though now that we are comparing stuff we don’t ordinarily compare, it helps to try and volume match. Different inputs and sources may have different gain, and we ordinarily are not paying attention to that. If one of your A/B’s is 1dB hotter than the other, you’ll swear that’s better sounding independent of SQ. (not sure if that smiley is “call me” or “radical dude”)
There is a setting in Roon (at least for DOP) where you can add 6dB.
I understand. It is an rather large volume difference. About 25-30% so it’s ultra noticeable. I can try Roon direct from mac to dac and then bridge to see if it’s a usb thing.
I am probably going to keep the LANRover in my system. I haven’t been trying to evaluate its sonics, but only to see if it works well enough as a method to connect the computer in my office to the DAC in the adjacent living room. After some fiddling (documented elsewhere), I do think it is going to be okay. I have noticed some dropouts (when using Tidal via Audirvana) but not too many and I’m not sure if they are caused by the LANRover, the generic ethernet patch cord I’ve been using as an experiment, or something else.
Anyway, the next step is to install a real ethernet cable to connect the two rooms. This will require crawling under the house and will me a PITA. I expect I will be using Cat 6 cable, or perhaps Cat 5e, and try to hook up terminal boxes and patch cords. Any recommendations here? (No, I will not be spending hundreds of dollars on silver-plated ethernet cable.) Also, for the short USB cable to connect the receiver LANRover to the DAC, any recommendations there? I think someone told me to use unshielded USB cable. Is that correct? Any specific recommendations?
darrenv1070 said
Would CAT 7 cables have anything to do with it? I just rewired and got all new cables. All CAT 7
You bet! I just switched from a CAT5E to CAT7. It is more musical and the image is a bit more 3D. However, I also tried a CAT6 but sound worse than the CAT 5. They are different brand and length as well.
I removed the Wyrd from my chain earlier today. The chain ended up being
Minimserver -> Router -> Ethernet Switch -> NUC -> LR transmitter -> LR receiver -> uLink -> Lyngdorf -> Bifrost.
I thought it sounded a little better with the Wyrd between the LR and the uLink. With the Wyrd in place I could hear a little music even if the volume of the Lyngdorf was set to 12 (out of 99) but without it I could not hear anything below 34.
I decided to go for my endgame. I have the computer that houses the music files (i.e. it acts as a NAS) that runs MinimServer and upmpdcli. That would send the file (after up sampling to 96/24, which is all the Lyngdorf is capable of) to the NUC, also running mpd. The NUC is near the stereo as I run Kodi/LibreElec on it for movie playing.
The endgame is to eliminate the NUC from the above by using the Ethernet capability of the NR. Now the chain looks like
(minimserver/mpd/upmpdcli) -> LR transmitter -> Router -> Ethernet Switch -> LR receiver -> uLink -> Lyngdorf -> Bifrost.
I am listening to this right now and it sounds good. I think I will put the Wyrd in again tomorrow to see what effect, if any, it has.
I tried the LR last evening direct-connected method. I’m confused about connecting it to my home network. I am all Apple with Apple router, iPad’s, iPhone’s, iMac, Apple TV’s, Airport Expresses, etc. I have several listening areas in the home. If I don’t have my laptop with me, I use Apple TV optical into the DAC and generally stream music over AirPlay primarily via Tidal using my iPad as the remote.
Can I connect the LR to my main iMac/router and benefit from it by listening in other areas of the house over WIFI/AirPlay, Apple TV into DAC, or must I use a hardwired connection with a laptop?
darrenv1070 said
Would CAT 7 cables have anything to do with it? I just rewired and got all new cables. All CAT 7
You bet! I just switched from a CAT5E to CAT7. It is more musical and the image is a bit more 3D. However, I also tried a CAT6 but sound worse than the CAT 5. They are different brand and length as well.
Not sure why it would make a difference, but what brand did you use for CAT7?
Well I figured out the volume issue. I didn’t realize I had Roon volume leveling on for the bridge and not the LAN Rover. Now both are set to off. Same volume between sources. Awesome.
I picked up Rosewill Cat 7 since I needed about 12 cables to update all the cables. Split system for home PC’s as well, Net is much faster too! All good!
I have to say, I am NOT sending the LAN Rover back! I will try to use it for LP recording from my PS Audio NPC to Mac.
One small thing I do notice, not sure if others notice this too. It does seem that the LAN Rover is a little more bottom heavy that the Bridge II. Not sure if it’s the LR or the Cardas USB cable? Anyone else hear this? My subs just seem to have a tad more thump. Not alot, maybe 2-3 DB
One small thing I do notice, not sure if others notice this too. It does seem that the LAN Rover is a little more bottom heavy that the Bridge II. … Anyone else hear this? My subs just seem to have a tad more thump. Not alot, maybe 2-3 DB
Yeah, I’ve noticed this as well. Nice thing about it is it seems to be well-controlled bass, not one-note bass.
I seem to hear this with all percussive instruments. They seem more impulse-like, IYKWM?