B&O and Sense UPnP Integration

[Amused]

Hi everyone,

My first post on this forum!

I have B&O Beolab 28’s and use them over UPnP/DLNA (they have a built in DLNA streamer/renderer and DAC).

I am currently using Audirvāna core player installed on a Synology NAS, which works as a DLNA server. I can use the Audirvāna remote app to send audio to the Beolab’s via DLNA and it works great.

However, I would like to have the sound quality and convenience of an Innuos product and therefore I set my mind on a Zen Mini MK3 SSD and the matching linear PSU.

What I want to know is whether I can obtain the full Sense UPnP Integration with B&O (as their native app is a disaster), the way I can with Audirvāna.

I also saw in another thread that Audirvāna integration into the Innuos ecosystem is being discussed and/or developed, any news in that regard?

Many thanks

 

[Stephen Healy]

Hi Amused, welcome to the forum!

There is scope for a possible Audirvana integration of some kind, but this is a long-term consideration and not something that is 100% certain we will commit to either. Watch this space as far as that's concerned!
Regarding SenseUPnP - do keep in mind that this is feature is not the primary purpose of our products and in many ways is still a relatively experimental feature. Anecdotally though, my understanding is that it does work fine with B&O devices and i cannot foresee a reason why you should have any problems using our app to play audio to the 28s via UPnP.
Do note that with Beolab 28s, their primary 'input' is the network whether by WiFi or by cable, and the built-in UPnP renderer is still ultimately the source component within the speakers; changing from Audirvana to Sense should not make any sound quality difference, they will just be two different interfaces for fundamentally the same process (unless Audirvana is applying a lot of DSP or EQ which Innuos does not offer).
If you were to take the optical SPDIF output from the ZENmini into the 28s, this would make much more of a difference, as you then begin to leverage the Innuos player engine and RAM buffering etc for files stored inside the ZENmini.

Alternatively, if you want to keep using the network as delivery method to the 28s, having both speakers Ethernet-wired to a PhoenixNET would also make a big difference, significantly lowering network noise and ultimately increasing signal precision.
Either way, i would recommend trying a home demo of the Innuos product if a dealer can help you out with a home-loan of a demo product!

 

[Amused]

Hi Stephen,

Thank you for your very elaborate answer!

Well noted regarding the Sense UPnP with Beolab 28!

I insist on Ethernet as opposed to optical as a method of connection for my Beolab’s because I have a pretty optimized network path (with fiber media converter and LHY SW6 network switch), which is much better sounding than when feeding the speakers with optical from a WiiM Pro. However, the Zen Mini should be a different beast altogether so I might give it a try as well.

As a final note, Audirvāna serving audio from a Synology NAS (in its DLNA server mode) sounds noticeably better than the native B&O app pulling files via DLNA from the same NAS (over Asset UPnP).

 

[Stephen Healy]

It sounds like your network connection is well treated, so even with optical from the ZENmini it's perfectly feasible that Ethernet will still remain the better-sounding option - i imagine the 28s are built around prioritising this as the mode of input. You could certainly try with optical anyway out of curiosity/experimentation.

 

[Amused]

Yes, that might as well be the idea of the designers, as these speakers are primarily intended to be “streaming” speakers. Not many people will use optical or analog to connect them. Especially having in mind they decided to use a single mini 3.5mm input which accepts both digital (optical) and analog signals, which in all fairness - is not an “audiophile” method of connection. If one would go the dumbest possible route - sending analog signal via a 2 RCA to mini 3.5mm cable, such signal would be then digitized again and in the final stage converted to analog.

Therefore, I would stick to fully optimized and “reclocked” Ethernet path, as every little network optimization I did noticeably affected the sound quality. This option leaves me with UPnP/DLNA as the communication protocol. At least this is my understanding, perhaps I’m wrong.