The "Official" Aurender Discussion Thread

[beerandmusic]

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[Vincent1234]

^^^ [ATTACH=CONFIG]29549[/ATTACH]

If I'm correct AMM is meant for indexing the libraries of an attached NAS; not for controlling the Aurender itself.. Anyone..?

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[Cycleman]

Okay Mr. Suds & Songs,

 

Details are your friend. In this case, Aurender Media Manager is NOT a control app. Not. It's an app for indexing libraries (as @Vincent1234 wrote) and loading music into the Aurender if you're NOT using the unit's internal drives. Like if you're using a NAS.

 

I did a search for you, see here: AURENDER - Reference Music System

 

It seems if you want computer control of a music server, then using an actual computer as your server is probably best for you.

 

Dave, who because he uses his Aurender's internal drives has never needed to use Media Manager which is for managing music media

 

that would mean i would have to put glasses on too (wink)...too many moving parts to change the volume or song selection.

 

 

Relatively certain i read it somewhere, or they woudn't remain on my radaar for my next purchase...you can double-check me, but I am 99% sure they advertised it somewhere! And if not, i will be p.o'd

And i don't know what you mean by full blown... i don't need or want pretty gui..just something to allow me to control song selection and volume...although if they incorporate pretty pictures, then that is fine too.

 

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[KunterK]

I have a N10 and would also be interested in what exactly was "Better". Also a little more info or pictures on what you did and if needed to be ordered what and where to order from.

 

Hi and sorry for the late answer to the previous poster... Did not check this site recently...

 

The site I ordered the Black SATA is

SHOPPING AREA: SATA CABLE

 

The sound is better in all audiophile terms. More depth, more detail, more space, more "real". I did not take pictures at the time of install but will do so when I open the unit up once more to make a power modification to the SSD. I plan to power the SSD externally via Batteries, and will post the results here if you are interested. Should be a couple of weeks though, since I need to take the top cover to a place where I can have a hole drilled to let the battery cable in.

I will use this:

SHOPPING AREA: BATTERY ADAPTER

 

for the W20 owner:

I just changed the SATA cable of the SSD since it is where the music is copied to and than played back from. I am not sure if there will be any benefits to change the SATA cables of the HDD's as well and I am not willing to explore due to high cost. The HDD's sleep once the data is read...

 

I remember it was the 20 cm that I used but will double check when I open up the N10. For the W20, I am not sure about the length requirements, or even this change is possible. The SATA cables seem to pass through some serious shielding in the case...

 

Cheers

[kenreau]

Hi and sorry for the late answer to the previous poster... Did not check this site recently...

 

The site I ordered the Black SATA is

SHOPPING AREA: SATA CABLE

 

The sound is better in all audiophile terms. More depth, more detail, more space, more "real". I did not take pictures at the time of install but will do so when I open the unit up once more to make a power modification to the SSD. I plan to power the SSD externally via Batteries, and will post the results here if you are interested. Should be a couple of weeks though, since I need to take the top cover to a place where I can have a hole drilled to let the battery cable in.

I will use this:

SHOPPING AREA: BATTERY ADAPTER

 

for the W20 owner:

I just changed the SATA cable of the SSD since it is where the music is copied to and than played back from. I am not sure if there will be any benefits to change the SATA cables of the HDD's as well and I am not willing to explore due to high cost. The HDD's sleep once the data is read...

 

I remember it was the 20 cm that I used but will double check when I open up the N10. For the W20, I am not sure about the length requirements, or even this change is possible. The SATA cables seem to pass through some serious shielding in the case...

 

Cheers

 

Thanks, KunterK, looking forward to your sharing of info and findings.

 

Kenreau

[classeaddict]

KunterK-Thanks for the reply. I will be researching my options to upgrade the cable for the W20

 

Steve

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

[Vitor]

Do guys know if the Aurender (N100 or whatever model) can be used without having to be connected to the network with a cable?

Meaning; will it play the content stored in the internal disc (or attached USB disk) without the CAT cable connected?

[Cycleman]

Do guys know if the Aurender (N100 or whatever model) can be used without having to be connected to the network with a cable?

Meaning; will it play the content stored in the internal disc (or attached USB disk) without the CAT cable connected?

 

It will play the music, BUT (big gigantic "but"):

* How will you control playback (very very very very limited with front panel buttons).

* How will you get content into the internal disk (need the Aurender Conductor app to do that, and that means the Aurender unit must be on your network, and that means connected with an ethernet cable).

* How will you let the Aurender unit know about the attached USB disk (again, need the Conductor app).

 

Bottom line, if you can't attach an Aurender to your network using an Ethernet cable, or if you don't want to attach it, don't get an Aurender. It really is only designed to be attached to the network directly, and it really needs the Conductor app on an iPad to control not just playback but most (if not all) of setup.

 

No viable exceptions to those factors. None.

But...if attached via cable and using Conductor app, extremely easy to setup and use -- and great sound-quality.

 

Dave

[Vitor]

It will play the music, BUT (big gigantic "but"):

* How will you control playback (very very very very limited with front panel buttons).

* How will you get content into the internal disk (need the Aurender Conductor app to do that, and that means the Aurender unit must be on your network, and that means connected with an ethernet cable).

* How will you let the Aurender unit know about the attached USB disk (again, need the Conductor app).

 

Bottom line, if you can't attach an Aurender to your network using an Ethernet cable, or if you don't want to attach it, don't get an Aurender. It really is only designed to be attached to the network directly, and it really needs the Conductor app on an iPad to control not just playback but most (if not all) of setup.

 

No viable exceptions to those factors. None.

But...if attached via cable and using Conductor app, extremely easy to setup and use -- and great sound-quality.

 

Dave

 

 

Hi Dave,

 

All valid points.(that's what i was expecting to hear i must say)

I hoped it was possible to use the Aurender without all the garbage associated with routers while attached via cable.

Thanks for the reply.

[Cycleman]

Hi Dave,

 

All valid points.(that's what i was expecting to hear i must say)

I hoped it was possible to use the Aurender without all the garbage associated with routers while attached via cable.

Thanks for the reply.

 

If by "garbage associated with routers while attached via cable" you mean electrically induced noise, the Aurender takes care of all that.

 

If you mean something else by that statement, please elucidate.

[Vitor]

If by "garbage associated with routers while attached via cable" you mean electrically induced noise, the Aurender takes care of all that.

 

If you mean something else by that statement, please elucidate.

 

I meant exactly that, electrically induced noise.

In which way the Aurender "takes care of all that?"

[Cycleman]

I meant exactly that, electrically induced noise.

In which way the Aurender "takes care of all that?"

 

I don't know exactly how the Aurender does that, I forget how they describe that on their website.

 

But isn't the real bottom line not technical details, per se, but the ultimate essence of high quality sound?

 

For me, that's all that matters...and I care less how the machines get there.

[Vincent1234]

I don't know exactly how the Aurender does that, I forget how they describe that on their website.

 

But isn't the real bottom line not technical details, per se, but the ultimate essence of high quality sound?

 

For me, that's all that matters...and I care less how the machines get there.

Fully agree. The Aurenders sound excellent connected to Ethernet. Having said that I found that connecting an AudioQuest Jitterbug (just € 50,-) to my router's USB port did improve the sound of streaming Tidal music in making it less 'glassy'. Certainly worth trying! However, connecting the Jitterbug directly to an unused USB slot on the Aurender itself actually decreased sound quality. Less transparency and loss of finer HF details. Be careful if and where you use these buggers..

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[markrubin]

Hello

 

I have Aurender X100L running 5.5.91 firmware to iPad Pro

 

I have had instances of crashes of the Aurender where the only fix was a hard reboot of the Aurender which I know is not recommended

 

Aurender updated the firmware to eliminate the standby mode which helped cut down the number of crashes, but it still happens after streaming Tidal for a few hours

 

I have checked for IP conflicts and such: I have an IP reservation set in the router

 

Any idea what is going on?

 

Thanks for any help: I love the Aurender but this issue is a big concern

 

Hello

 

I just wanted to update everyone on my issue: I think it is resolved

 

I was running the X100L through a Netgear gigabit switch: that is when I had all the crashes: I bought a new CAT 7 ethernet cable and ran it direct to my gigabit router: this seems to have resolved my issues (fingers crossed)

 

My X100L is my favorite music source component: I set up several playlists, mostly from Tidal and some from the HDD

 

Thanks for the help on this board

[r_w]

Using Fibre Media Converters and a linear power supply at the server end (to optically isolate the LAN connection with clean power) will completely solve that issue and improve SQ.

 

Aurenders are excellent but they still benefit from this very cheap method of optimisation.

 

Hi Dave,

 

All valid points.(that's what i was expecting to hear i must say)

I hoped it was possible to use the Aurender without all the garbage associated with routers while attached via cable.

Thanks for the reply.

[zettelsm]

It will play the music, BUT (big gigantic "but"):

* How will you control playback (very very very very limited with front panel buttons).

* How will you get content into the internal disk (need the Aurender Conductor app to do that, and that means the Aurender unit must be on your network, and that means connected with an ethernet cable).

* How will you let the Aurender unit know about the attached USB disk (again, need the Conductor app).

 

Bottom line, if you can't attach an Aurender to your network using an Ethernet cable, or if you don't want to attach it, don't get an Aurender. It really is only designed to be attached to the network directly, and it really needs the Conductor app on an iPad to control not just playback but most (if not all) of setup.

 

No viable exceptions to those factors. None.

But...if attached via cable and using Conductor app, extremely easy to setup and use -- and great sound-quality.

 

Dave

 

Sorry to disagree with you Dave. But I very successfully used my Aurender N100H wirelessly *and* controlled it via the iPad Conductor app. Aurender will recognize a Wifi USB dongle plugged into one of its USB ports and allows full control and play from the internal drive. Instructions are contained in the on-line Aurender N100H manual.

 

You'll need the wired connection to load the internal drive, or in the case of an N100 without internal drive, run Aurender Music Manager to catalog and load metadata for the USB drive, but after setting up the local Wifi network with the Wifi USB dongle and logging in, there is no need for a wired ethernet connection to control and playback music from local drives.

 

AURENDER - Reference Music System

 

Steve Z

[markrubin]

Using Fibre Media Converters and a linear power supply at the server end (to optically isolate the LAN connection with clean power) will completely solve that issue and improve SQ.

 

Aurenders are excellent but they still benefit from this very cheap method of optimisation.

 

interesting: I will try a fiber media converter for 50 foot run

my X100L takes AC line power direct: I use a sine wave UPS: is there something else you recommend for clean AC power?

[r_w]

That's actually very useful to know, good post.

 

... but on reflection, I think I still prefer optically isolated wired with LPS, just in case some of that 'wifi' and dongle current draw affects SQ in any way.

 

 

 

Sorry to disagree with you Dave. But I very successfully used my Aurender N100H wirelessly *and* controlled it via the iPad Conductor app. Aurender will recognize a Wifi USB dongle plugged into one of its USB ports and allows full control and play from the internal drive. Instructions are contained in the on-line Aurender N100H manual.

 

You'll need the wired connection to load the internal drive, or in the case of an N100 without internal drive, run Aurender Music Manager to catalog and load metadata for the USB drive, but after setting up the local Wifi network with the Wifi USB dongle and logging in, there is no need for a wired ethernet connection to control and playback music from local drives.

 

AURENDER - Reference Music System

 

Steve Z

[Vitor]

Sorry to disagree with you Dave. But I very successfully used my Aurender N100H wirelessly *and* controlled it via the iPad Conductor app. Aurender will recognize a Wifi USB dongle plugged into one of its USB ports and allows full control and play from the internal drive. Instructions are contained in the on-line Aurender N100H manual.

 

You'll need the wired connection to load the internal drive, or in the case of an N100 without internal drive, run Aurender Music Manager to catalog and load metadata for the USB drive, but after setting up the local Wifi network with the Wifi USB dongle and logging in, there is no need for a wired ethernet connection to control and playback music from local drives.

 

AURENDER - Reference Music System

 

Steve Z

 

Great to hear that! Do you feel that wirelessly the playback is better? As far as i understand this method only works for the internal media stored in the Aurender and not via NAS, correct?

Any wifi dongle will work or only the ones stated in the aurender link you provided?

[r_w]

Well if your sine wave UPS is a mains regenerator (sounds like it is) then you've already got a great mains supply.

 

You will need to put a linear power supply on the fibre media converter at the Aurender end (it's ok for the other end to have a lesser supply as it's optically isolated) so that nasty noise from the supplied SMPS doesn't undo all that good work of cleaning the LAN with optical fibre.

 

 

 

interesting: I will try a fiber media converter for 50 foot run

my X100L takes AC line power direct: I use a sine wave UPS: is there something else you recommend for clean AC power?

[Cycleman]

Steve, thanks for the correction.

 

I don't like to mislead others, and so your info will help others.

 

Good stuff.

 

Dave

 

Sorry to disagree with you Dave. But I very successfully used my Aurender N100H wirelessly *and* controlled it via the iPad Conductor app. Aurender will recognize a Wifi USB dongle plugged into one of its USB ports and allows full control and play from the internal drive. Instructions are contained in the on-line Aurender N100H manual.

 

You'll need the wired connection to load the internal drive, or in the case of an N100 without internal drive, run Aurender Music Manager to catalog and load metadata for the USB drive, but after setting up the local Wifi network with the Wifi USB dongle and logging in, there is no need for a wired ethernet connection to control and playback music from local drives.

 

AURENDER - Reference Music System

 

Steve Z

[zettelsm]

That's actually very useful to know, good post.

 

... but on reflection, I think I still prefer optically isolated wired with LPS, just in case some of that 'wifi' and dongle current draw affects SQ in any way.

 

Thank you, r_w.

 

Actually, what I found was the wireless Wifi was an audible improvement over copper wired ethernet, but because I have much more music on my two NAS than would ever fit on the N100H internal drive and I didn't want an electrically and mechanically nosiy external USB drive on my equipment rack, I went to optical fiber ethernet from the NAS' and "computer stuff" in an adjoining room to a fiber-to-copper converter (FMC) and short wired jumper at the Aurender. I found this to be better than copper wired ethernet and on par with the wireless Wifi, plus it gave me access to all my digital music files.

 

My N100H is history now (no Roon support from Aurender unfortunately) -- I replaced it with a Sonore microRendu -- but I continue to use optical fiber to connect to my NAS' with excellent effect.

 

Steve

[zettelsm]

Great to hear that! Do you feel that wirelessly the playback is better? As far as i understand this method only works for the internal media stored in the Aurender and not via NAS, correct?

Any wifi dongle will work or only the ones stated in the aurender link you provided?

 

That is correct. A wired connection is required unless you can somehow put the content of your NAS on the same local wireless WiFi network the USB dongle/iPad are using. I didn't try this.

 

I can't say if any USB dongle will work -- I did try some unused Wifi USB dongles I had on hand that came with a flatscreen TV and a Blu-ray player and neither of those worked. I ended up using an inexpensive Trendnet USB dongle that was on Aurender's list of approved dongles and it worked first time everytime.

 

I feel wireless is audibly superior to wired ethernet, but also feel optical ethernet is as good as or better than wireless Wifi and has the added perks of allowing access to all my music on NAS and no additional screwing around with external USB HD power supplies or having to connect wired back up to run Aurender Music Manager or load music into the internal hard drive and then disconnecting again.

 

One thing I did with optical was substitute inexpensive Jameco linear regulated wallwarts for the cheap SMPS wallwarts that came with the fiber/copper converters. But there is a whole thread here on CA devoted to optical isolation -- so as not to hijack the Aurender thread from Aurender discussions.

 

Steve

[zettelsm]

Steve, thanks for the correction.

 

I don't like to mislead others, and so your info will help others.

 

Good stuff.

 

Dave

 

No problem, Dave. We subscribe to many of the same threads here on CA and I've never known you to mislead others -- quite the contrary. I and many others have benefited greatly from your shared experience and expertise.

 

Very best regards,

 

Steve

[Pat Case]

Mm