The "Official" Aurender Discussion Thread

[Stiv]

On 5/9/2018 at 8:24 AM, AudioDoctor said:

 

All the music I have downloaded is in FLAC and then converted to AIFF, so yes.

Can I ask what program you used to convert FLAC to AIFF?

[Stiv]

Was wondering.  I have an Aurender N10 and and an Ayre Q5 20 Dac.  Anyone have this combo and of so, anyone tried out the digital connections to figure which they prefer? USB, spdif or Aes/ebu? 

[Stiv]

1 hour ago, AriMargolis said:

@Stiv - a lot of people have this same question. There's not really a clear universal answer because every DAC is different, every system is different, and there are a whole lot of variables involved. Some DACs have major differences in sound/presentation/features/sample rate limitations from input to input. Others are more input agnostic. 

 

There are some fundamental differences in how USB and SPDIF/AES/EBU transmit signal:

 

In a USB audio connection, the DAC is the "master" - the DAC pulls information packets from the server at intervals defined by the DAC's word clock. This is known as "asynchronous" USB. 

 

In SPDIF & AES/EBU connections, it is the opposite: the server/player pushes digital information out to the DAC as defined by the server's clock. Historically, inexpensive A/V sources are not equipped with super precise clocks. So, jitter is introduced. Jitter results in a "phasey" soundstage lacking differentiation of instruments/voices. Timing is extremely important to creating a realistic sonic image, and, obviously, the clock plays an important role. 

 

This ^ is why Aurender makes such a stink about the OCXO (oven controlled crystal oscillator) clocks on board the N10 and W20...the quality and precision of those clocks is a big part of what makes these players so special. 

 

So, certainly give it a try with AES/EBU or Coax vs USB, and see what you think! I know with my Chord QuteHD DAC, switching to the N10 coax bnc output was a total game changer.

Using the Ayre Qx5 Twenty DAC, and the N10 — and a Kubala Sosna Emotion USB cable —the USB was great and I left it. Last week I switched to SPDIF using a Nordost Tyr 2 cable and it was too a game changer. Deeper, wider, richer. More emotional. Couldn't believe it. 

[Stiv]

24 minutes ago, NordicBob said:

 

I have both an Aurender N10 and Ayre QX-5.  I hear little difference among the various  inputs that I’m using (BNC, USB, XLR) with the the QX-5. My cables for my Aurender N10 to QX-5 include a DH Labs BNC D-750, D110 XLR, or Mirage USB, and far more expensive Synergistic Research Galileo USB. I’m using a DH Labs D-110  XLR or either the USBs mentioned above between my PS Audio DirectStream DAC  and Aurender.  To my ears it appears the the clock in both the N10 and QX-5 are both good.   I hear a much bigger difference between both of my DACs than with the various inputs of either DAC. 

 

As as mentioned above, the only way to know what works best for you is to try the different connections between your Aurender and the QX-5. 

Wow. When I used the SPIDF after the USB  it was like a gear upgrade. So much better. I read Ayre spent lots of time getting the SPDIF right, jitter-free. Charles Hansen said in some interview it is the best-sounding inpu on the DAc. Makes sense. System sounds so much better. Waiting for a good AES cable and will try that soon. Spent a  small fortune on the Kubala emotion USB cable and I remember how much better that sounded than the old blue heaven usb cable I had on before that. Funny. 

[Stiv]

34 minutes ago, NordicBob said:

@Stiv

 

BTW, i forgot to mention that my local dealer carries both Ayre and Aurender and knows both products very well.  With the N10 and QX-5, they came the opposite conclusion that you did.  

Interesting! My dealer David Michael audio in Michigan came to the conclusion the usb  offered the worst sonics in the Aurender / Ayre connections. I tried to prove them wrong. Waste of time on my part. The Spdif is really something. All system dependent i guess. 

[Stiv]

5 hours ago, Ponzi said:

Kubala 

In  17 years of borderline obsessive high-end tail-chasing, Kubala (Emotion) wound up being the very best of myriad cables I’ve pushed through my system. Haven’t used the AeS out on my N10  to Ayre DAC tho. Trying that next week. 

[Stiv]

Funny. I thought the MQA sounded worse every time. On every test between Tidal and beta Qubuz, and also the downloads and MQA cds I have ripped to the N10. MQA to me sounds like a slight extra layer of something false, digital, something that sounds good at first but after a few minutes rings false. Every time, like an unnecessary sonic stamp. The same files I have downloaded and on the N10 sound best, better than any streaming into my system. I'm already passing on MQA, and will pass on streaming too. 

[Stiv]

12 hours ago, Page47 said:

Hello
My AURENDER back repair at AURENDER Europe for motherboard change and front screen.
The failure is random: when I play a music file, the song plays two to three seconds then it stops four to six times in succession before playing the rest of the file correctly.
Problem on ssd memory?
I made a request for remote assistance.

MyN-10 began doing the same thing after the latest update. I’m using an Ayre DAC. 

[Stiv]

9 hours ago, AriMargolis said:

Hi gang, yes indeed, there are a couple of known bugs with the recent software update(s) including the following:

 

1. Glitchy playback of the first few seconds of music when using the “play all” command to add an album or playlist to the queue. This actually turns out to be a Conductor App (iOS) issue, and it has been fixed internally. A Conductor app update has been submitted to the App Store for review already. This normally takes a few days, but then it will be available for universal release. @bmichels @Vincent1234 this is the issue you are reporting. Contact me for a beta version of the app if you want it before it becomes available at the App Store. 

 

2. Disrupted high-res playback compatibility with select DACs (Esoteric, Marantz, Teac). This has also been fixed internally and will be resolved universally in a forthcoming firmware update. In the meantime, If you use any of these DACs, contact me at [email protected] - our software team has a fix that can be applied to your Aurender remotely within 1 Korean business day. 

 

@hellrider77’s reported issues have to do with compatibility with a specific DAC. Aurender’s software team will do its best to restore compatibility with that specific DAC once the universal issues have been resolved.  

 

As always, if you are having trouble with your Aurender, please send a Remote Support email request from the Conductor Settings>Help menu. This provides our software engineers with diagnostic logs. ( @Page47 our European rep, Pablo, should be responding to you soon if he has not already).

 

We appreciate any and all bug reports or feedback - it helps us get better and better! We hope that despite these unfortunate bugs, you are enjoying the improvements that come with every update. 

 

Thank you all very much for using Aurender in your systems, and for your patience and cooperation allowing us to fix any issues as quickly as possible. 

 

 

Thank you! 

[Stiv]

17 minutes ago, KenCyclingNYC said:

Hey all- topic covered before but looking for new perspective… cabling from the N10 > DAC (Ayre qx5 twenty). Do you prefer balanced or unbalanced cables? I’m currently running AES but am thinking of switching to USB. thoughts? Thanks all

aes is superior in that setup, which is exactly what I have. I did many comparisons.  

[Stiv]

4 hours ago, ufoerp said:

So what is your personal view about the difference for these four options? which one is the best? 

I use the Ayre DAC and AES is best for me. By a ways. 

[Stiv]

12 hours ago, ufoerp said:

What is your AES cable brand and model? Cheers.

I use the Kubala “emotion” cable. Crazy good. Tried many.