Legacy Sonicorbiter OS v2.5 - v2.9 Rendu guide

This guide is for Rendu players (microRendu, ultraRendu, opticalRendu and Signature Rendu) running Sonicorbiter OS 3.0 and later.

Power and boot up

Connect one end of an Ethernet cable to the RJ45 connector jack on the back of your Rendu player. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to a router that has access to the internet. If you do not have an ethernet connection in your audio room a local electrician can install one for you for a reasonable price. Otherwise, a pair of powerline adapters can carry your network over your home's electrical wiring. See Using a powerline adapter.

Connect your 6v - 9v DC power supply to your Rendu player. The DC power connector accepts a 5.5mm x 2.1mm jack.

Do not use more than 9v or you will damage your Rendu player.

Give the player a minute or two to start. The first start after a new microSD card takes longer than usual.

The status light on the back of the player, next to the network port and labeled LED, shows what the player is doing:

• Red: powering on
• Yellow: starting up
• Flashing yellow: ready, but it cannot reach the internet. Check the Ethernet cable and your router.
• Green: ready and online

Opening your Rendu player's web page

From any web browser on your home network go to www.sonicorbiter.com and click Manage device next to your Rendu player.

You can also type the player's own address into your browser: http://sonore- followed by the player's four-character ID and .local, for example http://sonore-ab12.local. The ID is shown on sonicorbiter.com.

Everything is on one page. Active shows the player app that is playing or ready, Available shows the other player apps, and Tools holds System Settings, Software Manager, DAC Diagnostics and Drive Manager. Changes take effect right away. There is no Save button.

Attaching your USB DAC

Attach your USB DAC to your Rendu player. Use a good quality USB cable.

Click DAC Diagnostics on the player's web page. You should see your DAC there.

Selecting a player app

Your Rendu player starts out set to Roon Ready. To use something else, tap it under Available. Only one player app can use your DAC at a time.

• Roon Ready: in the Roon app, go to Settings → Audio and enable the player.
• Squeezelite: choose the player in Lyrion Music Server or an app such as Squeezer, iPeng or Material Skin.
• Spotify: choose the player from the devices icon in the Spotify app.
• Qobuz Connect: choose the player from the Qobuz app.
• MPD / DLNA Renderer: play from a UPnP control app such as mconnect or BubbleUPnP, including TIDAL and Qobuz.
• AirPlay 2: choose the player from your Apple device's AirPlay menu.
• HQPlayer NAA: in HQPlayer, choose the Network Audio Adapter backend.
• Caldera: play from Plexamp or Plex. Tap the Caldera tile and choose Sign in to Plex first. You need a Plex account but not Plex Pass.

Tap the active player app to change its settings, such as the name it shows in your apps.

Setting the volume control

Tap the active player app and choose a Volume Control. Choose None if you use a preamp or your DAC has its own volume knob. The player then plays at full volume without changing the audio, which avoids the dreaded double volume control. Choose Hardware to use your DAC's own volume, when the page shows that your DAC has one. Roon, HQPlayer and Plex set volume in their own apps.

Updating your player

Click Software Manager. If an update is available, click Install, then Confirm install. The player restarts by itself when it is done. Your settings are kept, and if the new version does not start, the player goes back to the previous one by itself.

More information

Frequently asked questions