The "Official" Aurender Discussion Thread

[AudioDoctor]

4 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I have it connected to the Wilson Audio TuneTots right now and will move it over to the Alexia V after a while. This is a different class of Aurender product than I've seen previously. The analog volume control is really nice. I'm even trying the analog inputs right now. 

 

This is an interesting device.

[The Computer Audiophile]

9 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

This is an interesting device.

I just listened to a Bill Evans Live at the Village Vanguard and Miles Davis Kind of Blue, both start to finish. The sound is really something. AKM DACs, analog volume control, purifi amps, linear power supply. Really great. 

[agladstone]

35 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I just listened to a Bill Evans Live at the Village Vanguard and Miles Davis Kind of Blue, both start to finish. The sound is really something. AKM DACs, analog volume control, purifi amps, linear power supply. Really great. 

How do you feel the value proposition is? Seems like at $22K you’re paying a lot for the built in amplification? Any idea or experience on how it would compare with an A20 and a separate amplifier equally power rated? 

[The Computer Audiophile]

10 minutes ago, agladstone said:

How do you feel the value proposition is? Seems like at $22K you’re paying a lot for the built in amplification? Any idea or experience on how it would compare with an A20 and a separate amplifier equally power rated? 

 

This is my first day with the unit :~)

 

The analog volume control, lack of interconnects, convenience, support, etc… must also be considered, along with everything else that goes along with an Aurender product. In other words, I believe there’s much more to the comparison than adding amps to an A20. Such a simplified comparison could also go the other way and say what if the DAC section was removed and we paired an N Series with a DAC and an amp etc…

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

When you have had more time with it I will be curious to know how you think it compares to the DCS LINA regarding sound quality.

[agladstone]

22 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

This is my first day with the unit :~)

 

The analog volume control, lack of interconnects, convenience, support, etc… must also be considered, along with everything else that goes along with an Aurender product. In other words, I believe there’s much more to the comparison than adding amps to an A20. Such a simplified comparison could also go the other way and say what if the DAC section was removed and we paired an N Series with a DAC and an amp etc…

 

 

Understood and I agree, it’s the single unit, streamlined plug and play convenience market that this unit will appeal to the most vs the separates folks like myself who do have an N Series and use a separate DAC and amplifier. 
it does look nice and I’m sure it sounds as great as everything else Aurender makes, I’m definitely an Aurender fan boy! 

[FLA10]

After the last update version 4 is getting disconnected from the A10. This has not happened before and V3 is solid. Nothing else has moved or changed. Any ideas?

[jrsub]

11 hours ago, FLA10 said:

After the last update version 4 is getting disconnected from the A10. This has not happened before and V3 is solid. Nothing else has moved or changed. Any ideas?

Go to settings in the Conductor app and select help.   From there  create a remote support email request.   That way Aurender can take a look at your problem and hopefully figure out why you and many others are having connection issues with V4.

 

[Anonamemouse]

13 hours ago, FLA10 said:

After the last update version 4 is getting disconnected from the A10. This has not happened before and V3 is solid. Nothing else has moved or changed. Any ideas?

My "routine" for playing something:

1: grab iPad

2: open cover

3: tap little wheel icon (the app is always open, Aurender is the only reason I have an iPad)

4: go to "connect to Aurender"

5: tap only Aurender device I own

6: wait for app to sort through all of my one Aurender devices and eventually connect

7: wait for database update

8: tap "OK" because database update wants confirmation

9: try to locate band (a challenge, because any band with "a" in the name is at the beginning of the letter and any band with "the" in the name is at the end)

10: play album

11: get confused because file information is incorrect, a CD-rip is not DSF

12: close iPad for 0.3 seconds

13: back to 3 because app is disconnected.

 

[DuckToller]

1 hour ago, Anonamemouse said:

My "routine" for playing something:

1: grab iPad

2: open cover

3: tap little wheel icon (the app is always open, Aurender is the only reason I have an iPad)

4: go to "connect to Aurender"

5: tap only Aurender device I own

6: wait for app to sort through all of my one Aurender devices and eventually connect

7: wait for database update

8: tap "OK" because database update wants confirmation

9: try to locate band (a challenge, because any band with "a" in the name is at the beginning of the letter and any band with "the" in the name is at the end)

10: play album

11: get confused because file information is incorrect, a CD-rip is not DSF

12: close iPad for 0.3 seconds

13: back to 3 because app is disconnected.

 

oh, well ...

[DancingSea]

On 10/26/2023 at 4:11 AM, GJo said:

I like Roon's user interface and streaming service integration.

 

I'm discouraged by Aurender's slow adoption of Roon Ready certification. When I purchased my N30SA, I contacted Aurender USA and asked about Roon Ready integration and was told it was imminent and hopefully would happen some time in October. A week ago, I followed up with Aurender USA and was informed they were hopeful this would happen before the end of the year.

 

Searching the web, I see that moving the target date forward appears to have been a familiar theme for some time.

 

I'm not looking to enter a debate about what sounds better. Simply expressing some frustration, and wishing Aurender could be more accurate about the status of Roon Ready integration into the Aurender universe.

 

Roon integration can take a very long time on the Roon side.  On the Roon forums, Hegel routinely posted the Roon integration was imminent for several years before actually getting it.  Roon takes great care that the integration is flawless before giving out the certification.  Roon integration on Aurender may indeed be soon, or might be a well into the future.  It will get here though.

[GJo]

1 hour ago, DancingSea said:

 

Roon integration can take a very long time on the Roon side.  On the Roon forums, Hegel routinely posted the Roon integration was imminent for several years before actually getting it.  Roon takes great care that the integration is flawless before giving out the certification.  Roon integration on Aurender may indeed be soon, or might be a well into the future.  It will get here though.

No doubt that is all true.

 

However, it takes both companies to make it work, and Aurender Inc's failure to get Conductor 4 working correctly for so many users makes me wonder where the responsibility lies on the Roon certification spectrum.

 

Admittedly harsh on my part, but my patience is tested while my N30SA continues to require repeated re-connecting during listening sessions.

[DancingSea]

5 minutes ago, GJo said:

No doubt that is all true.

 

However, it takes both companies to make it work, and Aurender Inc's failure to get Conductor 4 working correctly for so many users makes me wonder where the responsibility lies on the certification spectrum.

 

Admittedly harsh on my part, but my patience is tested as my N30SA continues to require repeated connecting during listening sessions.

 

I'm not an Aurender defender by any means.  I wrote a blistering review of the long since returned N100H on the Aurender website primarily because of the failings of Conductor and how it falls well short of the architecture and stability such high end (and excellent) hardware deserves.  Coming from the Roon/HQP world, I found Conductor to be non-competitive and outdated on multiple fronts (totally respect if others feel the opposite and love Conductor!)

 

Aurender even called me about the review!  They seemed rather stunned by what I wrote.  I may have played a small part in further nudging Aurender towards providing a Roon option for those who prefer such things.  Nothing wrong with choices.

 

I'm snooping around here to see where the Roon progress stands as I was extremely impressed by their hardware.  I've held off going with Lumin or HiFi Rose to wait and see where Aurender lands with their Roon implementation.

 

Can't say if the Roon delays are because of Roon or Aurender.  But I do know it's not a simple process to get Roon certified and Aurender, while fantastic on the hardware side, does seem to struggle by comparison on their software progress.  

 

 

 

[GJo]

8 minutes ago, DancingSea said:

 

I'm not an Aurender defender by any means.  I wrote a blistering review of the long since returned N100H on the Aurender website primarily because of the failings of Conductor and how it falls well short of the architecture and stability such high end (and excellent) hardware deserves.  Coming from the Roon/HQP world, I found Conductor to be non-competitive and outdated on multiple fronts (totally respect if others feel the opposite and love Conductor!)

 

Aurender even called me about the review!  They seemed rather stunned by what I wrote.  I may have played a small part in further nudging Aurender towards providing a Roon option for those who prefer such things.  Nothing wrong with choices.

 

I'm snooping around here to see where the Roon progress stands as I was extremely impressed by their hardware.  I've held off going with Lumin or HiFi Rose to wait and see where Aurender lands with their Roon implementation.

 

Can't say if the Roon delays are because of Roon or Aurender.  But I do know it's not a simple process to get Roon certified and Aurender, while fantastic on the hardware side, does seem to struggle by comparison on their software progress.  

 

 

 

I much prefer Roon's UI, and I'm eager to do a listening comparison between Roon and Conductor when Aurender is finally Roon certified.

 

As you stated, there's nothing wrong with choices. Particularly if the plug-in is selectable, which Roon will be.

[kipdent]

43 minutes ago, GJo said:

No doubt that is all true.

 

However, it takes both companies to make it work, and Aurender Inc's failure to get Conductor 4 working correctly for so many users makes me wonder where the responsibility lies on the Roon certification spectrum.

 

Admittedly harsh on my part, but my patience is tested while my N30SA continues to require repeated re-connecting during listening sessions.

I’m guessing every defender of Roon, which you’ll intuit I greatly dislike, must have no problem curating their libraries of music with no facility for genres. To me, this is the definition of a deal breaker. 

[NTWrong]

8 minutes ago, GJo said:

… there's nothing wrong with choices. Particularly if the plug-in is selectable, which Roon will be.

I’m glad to hear that it’ll be optional, if Aurender does seek Roon compatibility. Even then, it could require Aurender to make regrettable compromises.  
 

According to Aurender, Roon forces manufacturers to design specifically to satisfy Roon, thus leading to a loss of control over the design of their own product.
 

I plan to use the internal storage of my N200 because that’s the path to the best sound quality. I’m not interested in an N200 as a Roon endpoint. Roon gets mixed reviews even by comparison to the sound quality of other streaming services. 
 

If Aurender has to compromise its vision in order to conform to someone else’s design requirements, that’s a shame.

[GJo]

28 minutes ago, kipdent said:

I’m guessing every defender of Roon, which you’ll intuit I greatly dislike, mist have no problem curating their libraries of music with no facility for genres. To me, this is the definition of a deal breaker. 

 

Libraries of music can be sorted by genres in Roon. I don't know if sorted is synonymous with curated in your statement.

 

[GJo]

20 minutes ago, NTWrong said:

I’m glad to hear that it’ll be optional, if Aurender does seek Roon compatibility. Even then, it could require Aurender to make regrettable compromises.  

 

Why not approach Roon from a positive viewpoint? Give it a chance. If it diminishes your experience in any way, even disabling Roon and using Conductor, then move on to another product.

 

If Taiko can make Roon integration work (along with disabling Roon in favor of Taiko's proprietary software if one chooses), then certainly Aurender can do likewise.

[kipdent]

24 minutes ago, GJo said:

 

Libraries of music can be sorted by genres in Roon. I don't know if sorted is synonymous with curated in your statement.

 

Hi, GJo—

 

I should have been more specific. “Genres” in the Roon world is what Roon thinks they should be. You cannot create and sort by genres that make sense for your personal library in Roon unlike, say, Conductor or Audirvana which honors whatever genres you have tagged for your personally-owned music.

[GJo]

29 minutes ago, kipdent said:

Hi, GJo—

 

I should have been more specific. “Genres” in the Roon world is what Roon thinks they should be. You cannot create and sort by genres that make sense for your personal library in Roon unlike, say, Conductor or Audirvana which honors whatever genres you have tagged for your personally-owned music.

Thanks for the clarification. So, for example, I could tag some albums in my collection "Knucklehead Shoegaze" and curate those selections. 

 

If tags are a key element to your curation, then I can understand why not having that sort feature would be an issue. Thank you for sharing your perspective and improving my understanding.

 

Fortunately, you will be able to continue to use Conductor without any changes to your system settings. Win-win for all. 

[jhwalker]

40 minutes ago, kipdent said:

Hi, GJo—

 

I should have been more specific. “Genres” in the Roon world is what Roon thinks they should be. You cannot create and sort by genres that make sense for your personal library in Roon unlike, say, Conductor or Audirvana which honors whatever genres you have tagged for your personally-owned music.

This is not true.  You can tag your files however you like WRT Genres, and Roon will display them that way.  I have lots of different Genres and Roon honors what I've entered in the tags.

[GJo]

5 minutes ago, jhwalker said:

You can tag your files however you like WRT Genres, and Roon will display them that way.  I have lots of different Genres and Roon honors what I've entered in the tags.

Perhaps beyond the scope of this thread, but a tutorial about this method would be helpful. Maybe a link to the procedure?

[Mazza]

1 hour ago, NTWrong said:

According to Aurender, Roon forces manufacturers to design specifically to satisfy Roon, thus leading to a loss of control over the design of their own product.. 
 

If Aurender has to compromise its vision in order to conform to someone else’s design requirements, that’s a shame.

 

EXACTLY!!!

 

I first considered and then bought an Aurender based on THEIR reputation and THEIR sound quality, not Roon’s. if I wanted Roon, I’d buy a Roon player.
 

I have serious misgivings that the adoption of Roon will lead to a reduction in Aurender quality because compromises will have to be made to software, firmware AND the culture of the business as a whole. 
 

It will be a dark day if Aurender flip that switch. 

 

[jhwalker]

6 minutes ago, GJo said:

Perhaps beyond the scope of this thread, but a tutorial about this method would be helpful. Maybe a link to the procedure?

No "procedure", per se, just tag your files when you import them.

 

For example, when I purchase files from download sites, I run them through MP3Tag to make sure the tags (including Genre) are as I want them.  When I import them into Roon, I have the setting "Settings | Import Settings | Use Genres extracted from file tags" turned on.

 

You also have the ability to map "your" Genres to something else for display in Roon, but I don't bother with that - so long as Roon is recognizing the tags I've embedded in my files, I'm good.

[GJo]

Just now, jhwalker said:

For example, when I purchase files from download sites, I run them through MP3Tag to make sure the tags (including Genre) are as I want them.  When I import them into Roon, I have the setting "Settings | Import Settings | Use Genres extracted from file tags" turned on.

That's the procedure I was interested to learn. Thanks.