The "Official" Aurender Discussion Thread

[Bazinga]

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[agladstone]

On 6/25/2021 at 6:41 PM, JS21 said:

The new N200 is looking good too. Seriously thinking about upgrading my A10.

I wasn’t aware of this new model, I just researched it, looks very nice. However it seems to essentially be the same price as the ASC10, seems to me as though the ASC10 may be the better of the two to purchase since it has the ability to do more and I think they both have very similar specs in regards to playback and features besides the disc trays in the back? Any clarification on this @AriMargolis ? 
Where does the N200 fit when comparing the N10, N200, and ASC10 in your opinion? When you add the cost of drives, basically all three of these units are now in a similar price point? 

[JS21]

5 hours ago, agladstone said:

I wasn’t aware of this new model, I just researched it, looks very nice. However it seems to essentially be the same price as the ASC10, seems to me as though the ASC10 may be the better of the two to purchase since it has the ability to do more and I think they both have very similar specs in regards to playback and features besides the disc trays in the back? Any clarification on this @AriMargolis ? 
Where does the N200 fit when comparing the N10, N200, and ASC10 in your opinion? When you add the cost of drives, basically all three of these units are now in a similar price point? 

From what I've read, the N200 is basically a scaled down version of the N20. I'm sure Ari can provide more details. I really like the front panel display 😛.

[bmichels]

I have W20, and was considering "upgrading" to the W20SE, but... I see the N30 coming.   

So I wonder which is now Aurender's top of the line ?  They are at the same price, this is confusing !   which one will sound better .....

[rwwjr44]

5 hours ago, bmichels said:

I have W20, and was considering "upgrading" to the W20SE, but... I see the N30 coming.   

So I wonder which is now Aurender's top of the line ?  They are at the same price, this is confusing !   which one will sound better .....

 

I am wondering this myself. 

[Bazinga]

The N30SA does not replace, but instead sits beside the W20SE as another Aurender flagship model. One or the other may be more or less suited to a particular audio system. And, as is the case with any audio component, one much audition to determine which has the system synergy desired. 

[Perfect sense]

This is the official standpoint from Aurender at this point regarding the new N30 vs. W20SE:

 

"I’m sure many of you wonder which sounds better, the N30SA or W20SE and that’s a hard question to answer as they each have their own distinct qualities and sonic signature. As is always the case in high-end audio, careful listening and system matching will only definitively answer that question. Much like Ferrari offers several automobiles, each with their own driving qualities and personality, no one would argue they’re not all supercars."

 

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se

 

[jon2020]

My two cents is that 2 boxes should be better than one where the noisy circuits are well isolated from the audio path.

Cheers!

[Bazinga]

20 minutes ago, jon2020 said:

My two cents is that 2 boxes should be better than one where the noisy circuits are well isolated from the audio path.

Cheers!

I picked up the N30SA for that reason , plus don’t care for the split screen on W20/SE 

 

Sound wise N30SA is good , not as good as the Taiko Extreme but good . In the Aurender line I feel the N20 is best value for the money . 
 

I currently own Taiko Extreme, N20, N30SA 

 

[jon2020]

6 minutes ago, Bazinga said:

I picked up the N30SA for that reason , plus don’t care for the split screen on W20/SE 

 

Sound wise N30SA is good , not as good as the Taiko Extreme but good . In the Aurender line I feel the N20 is best value for the money . 
 

I currently own Taiko Extreme, N20, N30SA.

 

Very nice. Congrats!

[MarkusBarkus]

...and some cool Luxy gear! @Bazingaany experience with m900s in bridge mode with those streamers? Cheers...

[Vincent1234]

51 minutes ago, jon2020 said:

My two cents is that 2 boxes should be better than one where the noisy circuits are well isolated from the audio path.

Cheers!

I guess the main difference is not so much the fact that the N30SA has 2 boxes instead of one - although it does seem to have a very extensive LPS in one of them and separation should indeed help SQ. The main difference is the battery based PS of the W20SE, which is extremely quiet. I can imagine this different approach will give each player its own sound character. Would like to hear them side by side in my own system to be able to test the theory.

[agladstone]

10 hours ago, JS21 said:

From what I've read, the N200 is basically a scaled down version of the N20. I'm sure Ari can provide more details. I really like the front panel display 😛.

It looks very nice! (N200), I am definitely curious what Ari’s thoughts are between N200 vs ACS10 if it were to be used as a single box player and not as a server only. 
In the past, Ari had shared with me that in his opinion, he felt the ACS10 rivaled the N10 in sound quality for less the cost and more features. 

[AurenderAmerica]

46 minutes ago, agladstone said:

I am definitely curious what Ari’s thoughts are between N200 vs ACS10 if it were to be used as a single box player and not as a server only. 

@agladstone Yes, those two units sit at the same price point and in some ways they are very similar, but they also have very different features. ACS10 of course has huge on board storage and support for RAID array. It has CD ripping and library management capability as well as the ability to act as a musical "mothership" from which other Aurender devices can stream.

 

With N200, you get a the new large color screen and a coax output. It also has a unique and attractive 13" chassis.

 

They both use the same low power Intel quad core processor.

 

They both have 2X isolate LAN port.

 

N200 runs a little leaner with 2 x 35W transformers as opposed to ACS10's 2 x 50W. 

 

Other than that, they are the same! Different flavors for different types of users. 

[rwwjr44]

I wish Aurender well and my N10 replacement will be an Aurender BUT there appears to be a lack of product focus and scatter shot approach to its plethora of very similar components (sound and price). I know of a few people that are interested in an Aurender unit but are very confused by the range of offerenings. Coupled with a low number of dealers... 

 

My suggestion is to take a hard look at the product line and trim/consolidate  it a bit. Just my 2 cents.

[The Computer Audiophile]

57 minutes ago, rwwjr44 said:

I wish Aurender well and my N10 replacement will be an Aurender BUT there appears to be a lack of product focus and scatter shot approach to its plethora of very similar components (sound and price). I know of a few people that are interested in an Aurender unit but are very confused by the range of offerenings. Coupled with a low number of dealers... 

 

My suggestion is to take a hard look at the product line and trim/consolidate  it a bit. Just my 2 cents.

I certainly hear you, but I love options. If a consumer can get educated a little bit about the models, he has a great opportunity to purchase one that fits his needs better, because of the number of models. 

 

I'm not discounting those who are overwhelmed or confused by the number of models though. I eat, sleep, and breathe this stuff, so I'm in a strange boat :~)

[agladstone]

23 hours ago, AriMargolis said:

@agladstone Yes, those two units sit at the same price point and in some ways they are very similar, but they also have very different features. ACS10 of course has huge on board storage and support for RAID array. It has CD ripping and library management capability as well as the ability to act as a musical "mothership" from which other Aurender devices can stream.

 

With N200, you get a the new large color screen and a coax output. It also has a unique and attractive 13" chassis.

 

They both use the same low power Intel quad core processor.

 

They both have 2X isolate LAN port.

 

N200 runs a little leaner with 2 x 35W transformers as opposed to ACS10's 2 x 50W. 

 

Other than that, they are the same! Different flavors for different types of users. 

Thanks @AriMargolis ! 
besides the differences you mentioned, my biggest curiosity is do they have the same or very similar sound quality? 
As you mentioned , different flavors for different folks. 
At same general price point, I personally see the advantages of all the additional features and capabilities of the ACS10, but I would want to know they have same general sound quality before making that statement:) 

I can definitely see how and why another person would prefer a larger screen and case size  and maybe they don’t have or want they’re own collection and only intend to stream via Qobuz and Tidal, N200 is for them:) 

[ufoerp]

On 6/29/2021 at 1:07 AM, AriMargolis said:

@agladstone Yes, those two units sit at the same price point and in some ways they are very similar, but they also have very different features. ACS10 of course has huge on board storage and support for RAID array. It has CD ripping and library management capability as well as the ability to act as a musical "mothership" from which other Aurender devices can stream.

 

With N200, you get a the new large color screen and a coax output. It also has a unique and attractive 13" chassis.

 

They both use the same low power Intel quad core processor.

 

They both have 2X isolate LAN port.

 

N200 runs a little leaner with 2 x 35W transformers as opposed to ACS10's 2 x 50W. 

 

Other than that, they are the same! Different flavors for different types of users. 

Hi Ari,

I want to consult if i shall upgrade from current N100C to N10 when i only use USB port of Aurender?

 

Someone says there is large difference between N100C and N10 on USB port performance and someone thinks the difference is very minor on USB port. 

 

Your comment is appreciated. 

[bobfa]

My First Aurender

 

I have a pretty settled-down system, but there is almost always an itch to scratch.  I have been using Roon on an excellent custom server.  As an experiment, I have been trying MPD with UPnP there.  The sound quality improvements have been palpable, yet I have had trouble with control point apps that either do not work well, crash, or are unsupported.  I also feel that UPNP is a bit of a nightmare! 

So I have been studying commercial servers, targeting Lumin and Aurender, which I have never had a chance to use.  I found the Aurender line-up to fit two of my needs; user-installable HDD, SPDIF output.  The Aurender N200, N20, and the N100CS are right in line with my desires. I found a used N100SC as an excellent introduction to the company, hardware, and software.

The folks at The Music Room packed it up nicely.

I installed a 4TB SSD in the bay!  That is both simple and satisfying.

https://vimeo.com/574011302

 

The initial software setup had a couple of bumps, primarily due to impatience and some new user confusion.  The key is to relax and let the machine finish the initial startup! After I allowed the N100SC to complete initialization, things went rather well.  The software did have some trouble finding my NAS, so I had to enter the Synology IP address to copy the music.  

Note that while copying files from the NAS, the Aurender does not play music.   You can pause the copy to listen.

 

The overall look and feel of the 3.x conductor app is a lot like a combination of Linn Kazoo and the Lumin app, with a dash of Mconnect HD thrown in for good measure.  After about half a day of listening to the system and using the Conductor App, I am more comfortable with it.  There is more to discover.

 

 

The performance of the iPad app is outstanding partially due to the caching of the database info on the iPad.  

I have only had one issue with the app so far.  I am copying music from a couple of different places, and three times, the app would not start the copy and ends up spinning.  I had to force quit it.

I will continue this thread as I learn more.

 

 

TLDR:  THE SQ is Tony the Tiger GRRRREAT!

[AurenderAmerica]

@bobfanice post! Thank you for sharing your candid feedback. 

[bobfa]

12 minutes ago, AriMargolis said:

@bobfanice post! Thank you for sharing your candid feedback. 

Thanks Ari,

 

I am really pleased with the operation and SQ of the N100SC.  It surpasses my expectations by quite a bit.  The Conductor App is really nice!  This is tamping down my upgrade-ITIS. (Of course the N200 with the large display is so interesting). 

 

 I am excited to see what Conductor 4 brings.  

 

I have changed too many things at once as usual so I have to listen some more.  Time to upgrade diagrams, etc..

 

Bob

 

[ufoerp]

Hi Ari,

I want to consult if i shall upgrade from current N100C to N10 when i only use USB port of Aurender?

 

Someone says there is large difference between N100C and N10 on USB port performance and someone thinks the difference is very minor on USB port. 

 

Your comment is appreciated. 

[AurenderAmerica]

42 minutes ago, ufoerp said:

 

Hi Ari,

I want to consult if i shall upgrade from current N100C to N10 when i only use USB port of Aurender?

 

Someone says there is large difference between N100C and N10 on USB port performance and someone thinks the difference is very minor on USB port. 

 

Your comment is appreciated. 

@ufoerpThis is a very subjective question and if you asked 5 different people you may get a few different answers. Your best bet is to find a dealer who can help you decide for yourself by listening with your own ears. 

 

In my personal experience, with my own two ears, the difference between N100C and N10 when comparing USB to USB is certainly audible, but it is "very minor," as you put it. N10 is slightly more open and relaxed...one can perceive the effect of the subtlest of veils being lifted to allow for a more transparent playback. Switching to AES/EBU or SPDIF outputs of N10 will have larger delta compared with USB on most DACs (not all...and as I have said before, there is no "better" or "worse" when comparing USB sound quality to SPDIF/AES/EBU in most cases it is just "different" and entirely DAC-dependent). Moving up to N20, W20SE, and N30, the difference becomes much more significant even with USB. 

[AudioCyclist]

I am reposting my question. Due to inexperience on this forum it did not end up in the Aurender thread as I had intended.Sorry.

 

I have an Aurender A10 and would like opinions regarding benefits/risks of leaving it on 24/7. Other than concerns re Aurender startup delay (which makes no difference in my system due to a tube amp which auto delays on start-up anyway) I am wondering if there is a sound quality enhancement from "always on" which would outweigh the concern of an improper shut down due to a sudden  power grid issue. I know this could vary from system to  system but it would be helpfull to know what others are doing. Issues with power interruptions are beginning to occur with more frequency as the grid gets stressed by heat and drought in my locale.

[Bazinga]

Anyone compare W20 to N30SA ?