Beta testers wanted for LANRover

Accessories and Tweaks
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RDSChicago said 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?

Thanks.


Unlikely, no. I had some initial success in a similar situation but have not been able to duplicate it with wireless since. It’s kind of spotty to say the least.

You can certainly connect the LANRover to your network but for it to be effective and communicate with the DAC over distance, you’ll need to connect the router through a CAT5 ethernet cable. That works great.

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*** This post was amended 8/6 - please read how issue was resolved at bottom of post **

I too am experiencing some issues as well as some success with the LR.

I’m using a Mac Mini in the direct connect configuration (wired to the DAC).

Surprisingly, I am getting no sound out of the my factory-built Direct Stream DAC nor the PWD I upgraded to DS. Both DS DACs work fine when connected with a straight USB path to the MM. When the LR is introduced, nothing comes through on either one. Spent some time with Duncan earlier in the week when I was using the non-upgraded DS in my dedicated music room. We tried a combination of things, including rebooting equipment in different sequences and checking various settings. Were unable to make it work even though all the correct lights were lit and indicating the two LR boxes were communicating.

The next day, I pulled out my Peachtree tube DAC/Headphone preamp and connected it to the MM. Again, worked fine with the straight USB cord. Then, I inserted the LR and voila - it worked! Using even my most modest pair of headphones, it was easy to hear the improvement in sound quality over the straight USB connection. I would even say it was a quantum leap - darker background, clearer and more discernible voices and instruments, spectacular precise soundstage.

On Wednesday I moved the MM and LR setup into my computer room to connect them to my other system that has the upgraded DS. The result was the same (as with the other DS) when the LR was inserted. Talked to Travis in Tech Support yesterday to let him know I sent an email to Duncan describing these results. I am hopeful this issue is resolved as I’d love to be using these units on my two main systems to improve the USB source material.

Larry Hoffman

Update: Paul sent me an email stating that another Beta tester was able to make the connection to DS work by setting the MIDI format on the MM to 352800.0 Hz. Bingo! The system is now singing and swinging. I’m experiencing the same improvement that I outlined above using the Peachtree. I’ll go as far as saying this setup sounds better than my Olive feeding the DS via digital coax. Thanks Paul for your getting back to me after hours on a Friday night no less.

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Tried my Wyrd after the LR - between the LR and the uLink. Yuck! Everything got a lot woolier, the opposite of veils lifting.

On the other hand, the bass was less prominent with the Wyrd there. The LR is really doing something to the bass and I am not sure I like it. It gets really overdone. Maybe, given Paul’s recent blog entry about no one doing bass he’s made the LR “enhance” the bass a bit :wink:

I am not much of a basshead. Maybe that’s the problem.

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artur9 said Tried my Wyrd after the LR - between the LR and the uLink. Yuck! Everything got a lot woolier, the opposite of veils lifting.

On the other hand, the bass was less prominent with the Wyrd there. The LR is really doing something to the bass and I am not sure I like it. It gets really overdone. Maybe, given Paul’s recent blog entry about no one doing bass he’s made the LR “enhance” the bass a bit :wink:

I am not much of a basshead. Maybe that’s the problem.


The Wyrd is not really very good. Use the LANRover without it.

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ozzymilton said
The Wyrd is not really very good. Use the LANRover without it.
How about we not run down other companies' products while we evaluate the LANRover?
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artur9 said Tried my Wyrd after the LR - between the LR and the uLink. Yuck! Everything got a lot woolier, the opposite of veils lifting.

On the other hand, the bass was less prominent with the Wyrd there. The LR is really doing something to the bass and I am not sure I like it. It gets really overdone. Maybe, given Paul’s recent blog entry about no one doing bass he’s made the LR “enhance” the bass a bit :wink:

I am not much of a basshead. Maybe that’s the problem.


Haven’t heard that since a couple days in, roughly 20 hrs. Mine’s now nearing 75.

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artur9 said

How about we not run down other companies’ products while we evaluate the LANRover?


Subjective opinions regarding all products are fair game. In fact, you described its use in post 7 as “Yuck!” :slight_smile:

ozzymilton said

The Wyrd is not really very good. Use the LANRover without it.


Why do you conclude this?

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highstream said
Haven't heard that since a couple days in, roughly 20 hrs. Mine's now nearing 75.
Mine has been going non-stop since Aug 3. About 50-60 hrs at this point. Did yours get worse and then better again?
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Elk said
Subjective opinions regarding all products are fair game. In fact, you described its use in post 7 as "Yuck!" :)
I thought it was clear I was referring to the sound. If not, let me be more explicit:

Placing the Wyrd after the LR yields a more veiled sound like gauze placed over the speakers. The Wyrd is a fine product.

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artur9 said
highstream said
Haven't heard that since a couple days in, roughly 20 hrs. Mine's now nearing 75.
Mine has been going non-stop since Aug 3. About 50-60 hrs at this point. Did yours get worse and then better again?
Although periods of worse are not unusual during burnin, My listening from ~20 to 45 was too spotty to tell. Plus, I've been using three players, so there hasn't been consistency over the period. I will say that while Bug Head is the best, for ease of use and sonic quality otherwise I like the bare bones Album Player 2 (Russia). Really melodic. I've found foobar to be somewhat rough with the LR, but it does have repeat for burnin.
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hofbat said I too am experiencing some issues as well as some success with the LR.

I’m using a Mac Mini in the direct connect configuration (wired to the DAC).

Surprisingly, I am getting no sound out of the my factory-built Direct Stream DAC nor the PWD I upgraded to DS. Both DS DACs work fine when connected with a straight USB path to the MM. When the LR is introduced, nothing comes through on either one. Spent some time with Duncan earlier in the week when I was using the non-upgraded DS in my dedicated music room. We tried a combination of things, including rebooting equipment in different sequences and checking various settings. Were unable to make it work even though all the correct lights were lit and indicating the two LR boxes were communicating.

The next day, I pulled out my Peachtree tube DAC/Headphone preamp and connected it to the MM. Again, worked fine with the straight USB cord. Then, I inserted the LR and voila - it worked! Using even my most modest pair of headphones, it was easy to hear the improvement in sound quality over the straight USB connection. I would even say it was a quantum leap - darker background, clearer and more discernible voices and instruments, spectacular precise soundstage.

On Wednesday I moved the MM and LR setup into my computer room to connect them to my other system that has the upgraded DS. The results was the same (as with the other DS) when the LR was inserted. Talked to Travis in Tech Support yesterday to let him know I sent an email to Duncan describing these results. I am hopeful this issue is resolved as I’d love to be using these units on my two main systems to improve the USB source material.

Larry Hoffman


Larry,

Have you tried to change the setting in the midi setup to 352k? I have the exact situation like yours. Once I changed it, I got sound from my MM, LR and DAC. Hope that helps.

Allan

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hofbat said I too am experiencing some issues as well as some success with the LR.

I’m using a Mac Mini in the direct connect configuration (wired to the DAC).

Surprisingly, I am getting no sound out of the my factory-built Direct Stream DAC nor the PWD I upgraded to DS. Both DS DACs work fine when connected with a straight USB path to the MM. When the LR is introduced, nothing comes through on either one. Spent some time with Duncan earlier in the week when I was using the non-upgraded DS in my dedicated music room. We tried a combination of things, including rebooting equipment in different sequences and checking various settings. Were unable to make it work even though all the correct lights were lit and indicating the two LR boxes were communicating.

Larry,

Have you tried to change the setting in the midi setup to 352k? I have the exact situation like yours. Once I changed it, I got sound from my MM, LR and DAC. Hope that helps.

Allan


Allan,

You’re suggesting that changing the Audio Midi sample rate to 352K did the trick of getting sound? That’s news to me.

For those having this issue, can you try this? On the Mac, got to Finder->Applications->Utilities->Audio Midi and set the sample rate at 352K

I would be excited to know.

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Paul McGowan said

Allan,
You’re suggesting that changing the Audio Midi sample rate to 352K did the trick of getting sound? That’s news to me.

For those having this issue, can you try this? On the Mac, got to Finder->Applications->Utilities->Audio Midi and set the sample rate at 352K

I would be excited to know.

Paul, I have a feeling this is a compatibility issue between the Mac Mini and certain DACs. I agree that does not make sense but it worked for me. That's the only way for me to get sound between MM, LR & my DAC. However, I still have not figure out how to get sound if I use Bit Perfect with itunes AND LR.
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artur9 said
Elk said Subjective opinions regarding all products are fair game. In fact, you described its use in post 7 as "Yuck!" :)
I thought it was clear I was referring to the sound.
Which is fine. As is everyone else's comments about any piece of equipment, whatever they may be. We do not censor opinions.
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artur9 said
Elk said
Subjective opinions regarding all products are fair game. In fact, you described its use in post 7 as "Yuck!" :)

I thought it was clear I was referring to the sound. If not, let me be more explicit:

Placing the Wyrd after the LR yields a more veiled sound like gauze placed over the speakers. The Wyrd is a fine product.


I found the same to be true of the Aqvox device. It is a good product by itself, but it makes the sound worse when placed in front of the LR. However, I found the same to be true when using the Regen.

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a25105 said
Paul McGowan said

Allan,
You’re suggesting that changing the Audio Midi sample rate to 352K did the trick of getting sound? That’s news to me.

For those having this issue, can you try this? On the Mac, got to Finder->Applications->Utilities->Audio Midi and set the sample rate at 352K

I would be excited to know.

Paul, I have a feeling this is a compatibility issue between the Mac Mini and certain DACs. I agree that does not make sense but it worked for me. That’s the only way for me to get sound between MM, LR & my DAC. However, I still have not figure out how to get sound if I use Bit Perfect with itunes AND LR.


I think you’re right but what’s weird is this is exactly how I listen. To get the LANRover to work, sometimes I have to go to Bit Perfect->Preferences->and toggle the driver choice between any driver and the right one. Once toggled it works flawlessly.

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Paul McGowan said

Allan,
You’re suggesting that changing the Audio Midi sample rate to 352K did the trick of getting sound? That’s news to me.

For those having this issue, can you try this? On the Mac, got to Finder->Applications->Utilities->Audio Midi and set the sample rate at 352K

I would be excited to know.

I have tried the 352.8 thing off and on since it was suggested (last weekend maybe?) and it has not helped - until now.

In this case, the Mini was shut down, so I hooked the LR up, booted, set AMidi to 352, went into Roon and selected my prior config for LR, and it ‘played’ without sound. Reset the settings in that Roon config to defaults, no go. Reset to the settings I’ve been using, and in AMidi the PS Audio output config disappeared for a few seconds and it defaulted to Built-In Output. PS Audio reapppeared in AMidi, and it now is playing out, though the AMidi output did not change (stayed on Built-In).

I’m doing all this in Screens (headless Mini). So I go to my iPad which I use as Roon Remote, and the functioning zone does not appear as an option. Going into Settings/Audio, it’s there, and appears as does any other enabled zone. So I tried saving those settings, and a disable/enable, and when I click “Enable”, Roon hangs on the “Enabling…” logo animation indefinitely (have waited minutes on other occasions to no avail).

So now I am able to play through the LR in my preferred config for the first time in 9 days - as long as I control it with Screens directly. Take that back, the second time - it worked when I first hooked it up a week ago Thursday for less than a minute. This is not the first time I have had some or all of these behaviors. Now I’ll see if I can take it out and do it again.

a25105 said :

Paul, I have a feeling this is a compatibility issue between the Mac Mini and certain DACs. I agree that does not make sense but it worked for me. That’s the only way for me to get sound between MM, LR & my DAC. However, I still have not figure out how to get sound if I use Bit Perfect with itunes AND LR.

I’ve gotten it to work and/or not work with different DACs and computers. That is, for example, I couldn’t get it to work with the Mini and the Oppo HA-2 headphone amp/DAC, but it also did not work with my laptop and the Oppo (though in both cases the Oppo works with my current GIUSB chain). If I put the Roon Core on my laptop or Mac Pro, the LR works with Roon. I could go on (and have ; ).

So I’m still thinking it is SOMETHING (for me anyway) in the combination of the Mini/Roon/LR.

Prior to this, the only other time I got the LR to work with this specific chain was by using HQ Player! Go figure! I guess that, like Bit Perfect, it takes control of the USB output, and that helps matters somehow.

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Additionally, now when I stop Roon playback, the Output indicator in Audio Midi pops back over to “PS Audio USB 2.0 Output” until I hit play again, and it jumps back to “Built-In Output”.

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PLEASE IGNORE PRIOR POST ABOUT GETTING IT TO WORK!! I had forgotten that I put an optical cable in yesterday, so I’m pretty sure it was simply reverting to an ACTUAL Built-In Output-output. Mea Culpa! I usually do not have anything else hooked up to this computer. And since I’m using Screens to do all this on my laptop, I’m not looking at the Junior’s display. Guess I should set it to USB rather than Auto when testing just to be safe.

Trying to get it to go again: Took the LR out, using just the last USB cable in the chain - worked fine. Reattached the LR chain and tried all of the stuff mentioned in the prior post, to no avail. I sometimes get “Transport: Roon lost control of the audio device” and “Transport error: something_something_something” (goes away to quickly to read) in Roon. But not always.

280

After about 20 hours of burn-in I revisited the LR this morning and once again have found the difference too close to call. Every time I think I might be hearing nuances of a wee bit more life and detail to music when the LR is in the system, I discover later when listening blind that there is no correlation whatsoever, that I am not able to distinguish the LR from no-LR and just an ordinary USB cable between computer and DAC.

Since finding no benefit doesn’t seem to agree with what most beta testers here are reporting, I wonder, in the end, if part of my system here is just too low-tech. Here’s what I used for testing:

  • MacBook Pro (used as a personal computer), running iTunes
  • the short USB cable packaged with the LR
  • LR Sender
  • 20' CAT 5e cable (Belkin)
  • LR Receiver
  • 6' USB cable (no-name garden-variety)
  • Red Wine Audio Isabella DAC (a 16-bit, non-over-sampling, digital-filterless iteration using R-2R [resistive ladder] conversion). Had originally intended to use my PWD II here, but soon found out that its USB input is dead -- of little consequence in this testing, though, since to me the Isabella and the PWD II are virtually indistinguishable and equally enjoyable to listen to.
  • $25 RCA cables
  • Bakoon HPA-21 headphone amp
  • Sennheiser HD800 headphones
Maybe a higher-end USB cable and/or DAC would allow me to hear the kinds of benefits that others are claiming from the LR. But having to spend substantially more than I have already on the hoped-for improvement would mean mission-creep and at a price not bargained for. Moreover, it would not remedy (at all) not being able to use the LR over WiFi, a capability that Paul claimed early-on and has subsequently had to step back from -- and one that was my main reason for wanting to try the LR on for size.

By the way, the LR suffered no glitches during my testing. It was essentially plug-and-play.