The "Official" Aurender Discussion Thread

[AurenderAmerica]

3 minutes ago, Anonamemouse said:

@AriMargolis, I use a Benchmark DAC3 B which does native DSD conversion. (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0321/7609/files/DAC3_B_Manual_Rev_A.pdf, page 16, page 30)

According to my N100SC it doesn't? I tried to change this in the settings, but it refuses and claims my DAC3 isn't capable.  I have turned the N100SC off, made sure that the USB on the Benchmark DAC3 is set to 2.0, turned the N100SC back on, but no game...

Also the display shows that it is connected to a DAC2, which is incorrect.

From the manual you linked:

 

”Note: To provide full backward and forward compatibility, the DAC3 uses the DAC2 USB drivers. This prevents the need to install two different sets of drivers. Please note that the DAC3 USB input will be identified as "Benchmark DAC2" in your computer control panels. This is intentional.”

 

re: Native DSD, most DACs that claim native DSD input compatibility work only with drivers for windows sources. But, a lot can also be made to work with Linux as well. I posted about this a few pages back. Please send a remote support email from the app so that our guys can check for Native DSD input compatibility with this DAC. Thanks!

[Anonamemouse]

2 minutes ago, AriMargolis said:

From the manual you linked:

 

”Note: To provide full backward and forward compatibility, the DAC3 uses the DAC2 USB drivers. This prevents the need to install two different sets of drivers. Please note that the DAC3 USB input will be identified as "Benchmark DAC2" in your computer control panels. This is intentional.”

 

re: Native DSD, most DACs that claim native DSD input compatibility work only with drivers for windows sources. But, a lot can also be made to work with Linux as well. I posted about this a few pages back. Please send a remote support email from the app so that our guys can check for Native DSD input compatibility with this DAC. Thanks!

Ah, I missed that... one issue taken care of. 

I will send a support request. 

Thank you! 

[agladstone]

12 hours ago, AriMargolis said:

Hey Alan, sorry to hear that! I’ll get back to your email Monday morning. You’ve restarted the Aurender already? If so, It sounds like you need a new screen panel which can be replaced by your dealer or by our facility in southern CA. If you are up to it we can send you the part and instructions to replace

the panel yourself.

 

Thank you all for some good feature requests in the last few posts, which I will log for Korea.

Thanks Ari! 
I’ll look forward to hearing from you, if I need a replacement panel, I think I’m up to the DIY option so I don’t need to go without my Aurender and can save on shipping and service costs. 
I have built my own desktop computer before, so I imagine it won’t be too difficult of a project. 
Thanks again Ari for your prompt response and exceptional customer service as always!!

Allen  

@AriMargolis

[SirAtilla]

I have been experimenting with an Apple Silicon (M1) based MacBook Air and the ability to run iOS apps on the machines alongside normal macOS apps.  I attached a screenshot of dCS Mosaic running which was directly installable from the AppStore and Aurender Conductor running which I had to extract from an iPad and hand copy over to machine.  Windows are not resizable and things generally work.  

 

Early experimentation at this point.

 

Carlin Smith

[agladstone]

On 12/8/2020 at 12:49 PM, SirAtilla said:

I have been experimenting with an Apple Silicon (M1) based MacBook Air and the ability to run iOS apps on the machines alongside normal macOS apps.  I attached a screenshot of dCS Mosaic running which was directly installable from the AppStore and Aurender Conductor running which I had to extract from an iPad and hand copy over to machine.  Windows are not resizable and things generally work.  

 

Early experimentation at this point.

 

Carlin Smith

Is this only possible on the new M1 chip, or is it the newest operating system that makes it possible? 

[SirAtilla]

9 hours ago, agladstone said:

Is this only possible on the new M1 chip, or is it the newest operating system that makes it possible? 

 

It's only available on the M1 chip as it is a similar ARM based processor architecture as iPad/iPhone.

[RevelFan]

Well - it appears I have zero will power.  Bought the N20 and took delivery today.  Currently building out a room for audio/ht but in the meantime plugged this bad boy into my headphone rig (Chord MScaler/Hugo TT2/Audeze LCD4z and Senn HD800).  
 

holy hell.  NIGHT and DAY difference.  I was simply streaming Qobuz from an iMacPro before.  Don’t understand how it could make such a difference as it’s simply serving up bits and the mscaler + dac do the heavy lifting.....but there it is.  Like a brand new system.  Crazy good.

 

still getting used to conductor app.  Less thrilled on that at moment but I’m sure will just take time.

 

cannot wait to throw this in the mix with McIntosh ma12000 and revel studio 2s  :)

[Noushy]

Ah yes mine arrived at the dealer yesterday (N20) and will probably get set up this weekend or next week depending on schedule.  Excited to try it out with my upgraded premier DAC and powerbase.  Clock cable arrives today as well.  Will post updates.

 

Noushy

[merge03]

Has anyone had a chance to compare the N10 (using internal storage) and their own DAC, with the dCS Rossini streaming from a NAS?   Any impressions you are willing to share?

 

[Vincent1234]

3 hours ago, merge03 said:

Has anyone had a chance to compare the N10 (using internal storage) and their own DAC, with the dCS Rossini streaming from a NAS?   Any impressions you are willing to share?

 

Yes, I had both Rossini and N10. Using the Aurender (and its internal storage) as the primary streaming device sounded much better than streaming directly to the Rossini. Same goes by the way for my current Vivaldi One. Using the W20 (and internal storage) as the streaming device sounds much better than streaming to the Vivaldi One. An extensive Roon setup will likely improve things but probably not to the current SQ level.

[merge03]

Hi Vincent,

Thanks for the reply.  I had a friend asking about the Rossini, but I couldn't offer any comparative comments.  I've only ever had the N10 and my Berkeley DAC series 2.  I had always just assumed it was "better" than simpler solutions, but hearing is always the proving that matters.

[merge03]

Not to imply that the Rossini is simple.

 

[michaelD]

You know it’s the little things like the black box.  Love my W20SE 

[Anonamemouse]

On 12/6/2020 at 7:10 PM, AriMargolis said:

re: Native DSD, most DACs that claim native DSD input compatibility work only with drivers for windows sources. But, a lot can also be made to work with Linux as well. I posted about this a few pages back. Please send a remote support email from the app so that our guys can check for Native DSD input compatibility with this DAC. Thanks!

Hello @AriMargolis,

 

It's been over 2 weeks since I sent a support request... No reply whatsoever though...

[AurenderAmerica]

Sorry to hear that. Let me follow up with our European rep. Lmk your name and email so I can look it up.

[jon2020]

Could it be only as I imagined it to be or could it be as real as it gets?

 

I recently upgraded the firmware for my N100H last week.

Usually I would find subtle incremental improvements to the sound but this time, it is more like a leap than a baby step. Timbre, body, soundstaging, transient speed and musicality all soared to new heights.

I guess Christmas came early to my home this year.

 

Kudos to the Aurender team and Good Cheer to all!

Jon  :):):)

[Koso]

On 12/26/2020 at 9:33 AM, jon2020 said:

Could it be only as I imagined it to be or could it be as real as it gets?

 

I recently upgraded the firmware for my N100H last week.

Usually I would find subtle incremental improvements to the sound but this time, it is more like a leap than a baby step. Timbre, body, soundstaging, transient speed and musicality all soared to new heights.

I guess Christmas came early to my home this year.

 

Kudos to the Aurender team and Good Cheer to all!

Jon  :):):)

Hi Jon,

I have noticed that you have “Shunyata Alpha” USB cable. Is it worth money? I have considered this cable as upgrade of usb cable between my Aurender N100H and Denafrips Gaia DDC. I have Siltech Classic Anniversary USB cable now, which is decent cable, but there are great reviews of Alpha online. Have you compared Alpha with other usb cables?

[Noushy]

I have both the sigma and alpha usb and can say they are very similar and in fact almost impossible to hear the difference although both were better than my previous AQ diamond.  I had them both for a demo and my dealer gave me a special price if I kept both.  Since I have sigma nr power cables, xlr and now the clock cable I kept the sigma usb on the aurender N20.

 

Noushy

[jon2020]

23 minutes ago, Koso said:

Hi Jon,

I have noticed that you have “Shunyata Alpha” USB cable. Is it worth money? I have considered this cable as upgrade of usb cable between my Aurender N100H and Denafrips Gaia DDC. I have Siltech Classic Anniversary USB cable now, which is decent cable, but there are great reviews of Alpha online. Have you compared Alpha with other usb cables?

Hi Koso,

 

I have only compared the  Shunyata alpha usb with my previous cable which was the Oyaide Continental 5S. In another previous post in this thread, I described the superlative qualities of the alpha and stand by all of them today. The alpha is truly worth every penny and elevates the overall SQ of my system to a whole other level. Hope this helps.

 

Cheers! Jon.

[jon2020]

On 6/22/2020 at 5:35 AM, jon2020 said:

 

 

I can only compare with the cables that I had in the past which aren't many.  Just 2 - the ifi Audio bihedral cable which separates usb signal from power, and the Oyaide Continental 5S. 

 

I will get the ifi cable out of the way in that it is to be used with the ifi USB which is not appropriate for further discussion here. Anyway, the SQ is a big step down from the Oyaide. Which goes to show that cable design and construction entails a lot more than separating usb signal from power.  

 

On to the Oyaide comparison. The step up in SQ with the Shunyata is huge on so many levels.

What the Shunyata brings to the table are :-

lower noise floor, better focus, deeper and wider soundstage,  more air and space around instruments(xylophones never sounded so good), better separation and delineation of instruments, more body, greater urgency to leading transients, better bass and slam(kick drums), silkier highs with no loss of edge (trumpets, violins). 

 

Listening to full orchestral symphonies is indeed a revelation. The strong bass foundation and expansive soundstage with all instruments clearly imaged and positioned makes me want to just listen over and over again. Bernstein's Mahler never sounded so coherent. And the same goes for piano, violin and cello concertos.  Cellos sound as woody as they should.  

 

Albums that I thought sounded lean with the Oyaide are now more fleshed out and balanced with the Shunyata. 2 come to mind - Fred Hersch's Dancing in the Dark and Bill Evans' Waltz for Debby.  

 

Female vocals are a joy, silky or raw with more breathiness as they naturally are.  

 

A solid cable for all genres of music. Music ebbs and flows with greater ease, as near as can be to analog.  

 

The Shunyata apha usb cable has made a very clear statement that the transmission of digital bits from server to dac is the single most important link to digital heaven.

 

No regrets, no guilt. 

 

Hi Koso,

Searched and found my previous post. I totally forgot about the iFi audio cable. 

[Koso]

5 minutes ago, jon2020 said:

 

Hi Koso,

Searched and found my previous post. I totally forgot about the iFi audio cable. 

Thanks for info and link to your review. Now I am quite sure I will try Alpha!

[jon2020]

Koso,

Good for you!

After trying the alpha, you will never let go of it! :)

[Ponzi]

FWIW, I tried various USB cables between my Aurender and DAC, some terribly pricy, and found that none them matched the performance of a good balanced AES cable.  The balanced cable I am using is a Kublal Sosna.  I would note, too, that the owners manual for the W20SE says rather openly that balanced cables will give better results.  The W20SE permits a stereo pair, but my DAC (the PS Audio Directstream) accepts only one.  

[Vincent1234]

2 hours ago, Ponzi said:

FWIW, I tried various USB cables between my Aurender and DAC, some terribly pricy, and found that none them matched the performance of a good balanced AES cable.  The balanced cable I am using is a Kublal Sosna.  I would note, too, that the owners manual for the W20SE says rather openly that balanced cables will give better results.  The W20SE permits a stereo pair, but my DAC (the PS Audio Directstream) accepts only one.  

I fully get you, however my experience is different. The Crystal Dreamline Plus USB sounded just as equally great as the same cables in dual AES/EBU in an extensive test, connecting the W20 and the dCS Rossini, but USB obviously was/is at way lower costs. I think it really depends primarily on ones system and especially on the quality of the USB implementation of the Aurender as well as the DAC being used. So I would strongly advise anyone to try before you buy. 

Since I have moved from dCS Rossini to dCS Vivaldi One, I guess I should try again if dual AES would make a significant improvement. Underlining 'significant' here as the additional costs will be very high on this level of cabling.

[Ponzi]

Interesting.  I will have to experiment more.  I will say that I had trouble betting good connections with many USB cables.  They seemed not to fit tightly and even sagged a bit, when plugged it.  The AES by contrast snap in and hold tightly.  Also, I am using a switch between the W20SE and the router, which made an obvious and immediate improvement. Possibly that makes the choice of interconnect less consequential. ?????