Thank you, this release reduced the clicks and pops, and the ability to rename the DAC is very convenient as I had several in the same room (temporarily I hope)
Actually I didn’t hear a single click today
5 Likes
Excellent to hear!!
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Hi
I’m running a Network Renderer V2 with the following firmware:
Current version: 3.1.5-rel-20260911T084621Z-8dd0ff8d
Auto-update is enabled and the web interface currently shows “Auto-update on – Up to date”.
I’ve noticed that Renderer Beta 3.1.6 has already been released on the forum, but my unit has not picked it up yet.
I also have an MSB Discrete DAC connected. Its firmware status is:
- Installed: 16.13
- Available: 29.14
- Status: Update available
Questions:
- Is the Renderer not updating to 3.1.6 because the Discrete DAC firmware is still on the much older 16.13?
- If I click the “UPDATE” button for the Discrete DAC (or use “Install Firmware Manually”), will the online upgrade proceed normally, or should I update the DAC first before expecting the Renderer to move to 3.1.6?
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
To be clear this is an opinion only. I am not an MSB tech.
I would think it’s always best to have your DAC running the latest firmware so I would update your Discrete before anything else.
In my thinking, the Renderer firmware auto updates if you are on the beta program.
The newer Renderer firmware allows the direct updating of DAC and DD firmware (without having to play a bit perfect file via the music player software). But I am not sure the DAC or DD firmware gets automatically updated by beta Renderer firmware.
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The Renderer will independently update and operate apart from the Discrete DAC Firmware. The update rollout for beta testers can take some time, but should come shortly. If you haven’t received it please send a message to support@audibleDNA.com with your name and they should be able to check from their end.
You can update the Discrete DAC firmware before or after Renderer, this will not be affected by the beta updates. The DAC firmware is the same for all users, there is not beta version and the same file is pulled for everyone.
Just a testimony for the quality of the renderer. Motivated by people saying that they could hear a difference using PSAudio Maestro software player, I decided to make a null test.
So I recorded the Cascade output using a Cosmos ADC. The cosmos is a simple, yet very powerful ADC with specs that are state of the art. So, if there is any difference in the music being played, it would show.
So I recorded the song from my local library, using playing through Maestro, Roon and Jplay. And I compared them. No difference at all, as you will see below. In other words: it didn’ matter the software player, the music that came out of the dac was absolutetly the same, down to -120dB.
Then I recorded the same song, but from Qobuz, using Maestro, Roon, Jplay and Qobuz direct. Also, a perfect null. Absolutely no difference.
So, regardless of the network protocol (raat, upnp or qobuz direct), the renderer does it job flawsslessly, and pass the perfect file to the dac.
Below the null results. Nulling is made simply by subtracting one music file from another. The result will only show the differences, if any. a straight line, at 0dB, means no difference at all.
So, this is maestro x roon, playing local files:
this is roon vs qobuz direct:
Jplay with the same results.
The spectrum of the difference is:
As you can see, down to -120dB.
Again, the renderer is spectacular at its job (and so is the dac and clock, always so consistent).
The music was paper airplane, from Alisson Krauss.
Cheers!
4 Likes
Thank you for taking the time to run this test, and doing such a good job of getting it right. 
I would like to think this will end the debate about different software configured for bit perfect playback sounding different in any way, but sadly it probably won’t.
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Me too. But I am also skeptical.
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