The "Official" Aurender Discussion Thread

[r_w]

I have never been satisfied with streaming from my NAS (and yes I have compared this alternative on my X100L. It just doesn't sound as good as playing from the HDDs installed on the unit.)

 

Mate, it is physically impossible for a file to be copied onto the SSD and sound different based on where it was copied from. If this was the case our word documents would encounter spelling errors based on where they were copied from. A file is a file... that's why Aurender are so clever by ALWAYS streaming the file from the SSD, regardless if it is copied from a NAS or the local drive.

 

The science of secure, lossless file copying is undisputable. You way well have noise on the LAN that goes away if you remove the LAN cable, but with Aurender you are never listening to the source file, you are listening to the perfectly copied file.

 

Try optical LAN isolation, you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

;-)

[rwwjr44]

Mate, it is physically impossible for a file to be copied onto the SSD and sound different based on where it was copied from. If this was the case our word documents would encounter spelling errors based on where they were copied from. A file is a file... that's why Aurender are so clever by ALWAYS streaming the file from the SSD, regardless if it is copied from a NAS or the local drive.

 

The science of secure, lossless file copying is undisputable. You way well have noise on the LAN that goes away if you remove the LAN cable, but with Aurender you are never listening to the source file, you are listening to the perfectly copied file.

 

Try optical LAN isolation, you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

;-)

 

Whatever. I trust my ears. Could it be something in my system? Perhaps, but I have been around audio long enough to believe that nothing is impossible. Let us just agree to disagree and let the thread move on.

[tranz]

Whatever. I trust my ears. Could it be something in my system? Perhaps, but I have been around audio long enough to believe that nothing is impossible. Let us just agree to disagree and let the thread move on.

 

Here is something a few of us have been experimenting with and with good results (towards the end as the thread has had multiple lives). http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/network-isolation-4265/. Not that expensive to give it a whirl.

 

Speculation is that it has to do with the receiving chips having to work less hard re-asking for packets (wifi being the worst) and thus less electrical activity within the box

 

Not sure what the timing is within the Aurender, but perhaps it starts playback when it is still buffering and copying files to not let the user wait as long?

[r_w]

Here is something a few of us have been experimenting with and with good results (towards the end as the thread has had multiple lives). http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/network-isolation-4265/. Not that expensive to give it a whirl.

 

Speculation is that it has to do with the receiving chips having to work less hard re-asking for packets (wifi being the worst) and thus less electrical activity within the box

 

Not sure what the timing is within the Aurender, but perhaps it starts playback when it is still buffering and copying files to not let the user wait as long?

 

When I remove the LAN cable the track still plays, so it must be copied first. The 1st track usually takes a few seconds [FLAC] to begin, after that you are merely adding to them to the SSD queue.

 

Isolating the network and filtering USB makes a big difference and I await the Uptone Regen to see if this tops it all off, then my digital transport / DAC stages will be complete for the foreseeable future.

[r_w]

Whatever. I trust my ears. Could it be something in my system? Perhaps, but I have been around audio long enough to believe that nothing is impossible. Let us just agree to disagree and let the thread move on.

 

No worries... have you tried (playing) copying tracks from the USB port?, before my NAS arrived I was using a 128gb flash key as a temp library, it sounded great.

[rwwjr44]

Here is something a few of us have been experimenting with and with good results (towards the end as the thread has had multiple lives). http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/network-isolation-4265/. Not that expensive to give it a whirl.

 

Speculation is that it has to do with the receiving chips having to work less hard re-asking for packets (wifi being the worst) and thus less electrical activity within the box

 

Not sure what the timing is within the Aurender, but perhaps it starts playback when it is still buffering and copying files to not let the user wait as long?

 

Yes, I have done something along those lines and plan to complete it. Hmmm... Garbage in garbage out. I'll work on it.

[PeteS]

Can you swap over 2TB disk to N100H?

[DavT]

Well, I have a new Aurender N100 with 1TB SSD and separate NAS and boy, is this ever frustrating. Needing to learn new computer skills again. Similar when I went to digital audio with the MacBook Pro. Definitely not a plug and play situation as was sold by dealer and is suggested in some reviews. I do not want to have great computer skills, I just want to listen to music and to protect my music library. That being said, sound quality is very good, build quality is superb. I am hopeful I can get all this sorted out. My hope was to put hires downloads on the SSD and use the NAS for back up and redbook CD that is ripped. I am thinking more and more the limitation with "computer audio" is that we keep trying to take a general technology and fit it into a very specific role instead of designing something from the ground up.

[DavT]

Update for those of you like me, computer novices. The learning curve is steep and things are sorting out very nicely. I was just listening to some new "hi res" tracks and then realized I still had Tidal on. Tidal sounds very nice on the Aurender and MSB Analog Dac. The downloads are sorting out well as well. Next big challenge will we the HDD NAS that I am going to use to rip my redbook CD's to. I have had some problems with corrupted files from the NAS going to the SSD cashe ( 120GB), but this seems only to occur with the initial loads. When I reload from the NAS there is less of a problem. May need to give it a little more time. Things are looking up so patience seems to be in order.

[Fsonicsmith]

I have previously tried the Bryston BDP-1 (soon after it first came out several years ago) and a PC based music server that is well marketed/reviewed on some websites though not a huge name. I have an N100H on the way and I am very excited by all I have read. To DavT, when I borrowed the Bryston and then later purchased the PC-based server, I had a good one month long learning curve. Despite the review stuff, I knew the Aurender would not be a plug-n-play or so-intuitive-grandma-could-do-it kind of thing. All references to simplicity have to be taken in context. I am asking that all of you with N100s or N100H's continue to keep this thread going and I will do the same. On the topic of USB-SPDIF converters, it seems to me that there are primarily two reasons we see folks using them with the Aurenders; the user's DAC has a better SPDIF input than USB (often enough the case) or a the user, reasonably enough, has a bias developed over the years that USB is an inherently compromised configuration. I have the original version of the AMR DP-777. My old music server was configured to output SPDIF. I will be comparing apples to oranges somewhat as I try USB input with the Aurender. I am 99% certain the separate USB input section of my AMR DAC has not been burnt-in at all.

[rwwjr44]

Ask and ye shall receive. IMHO Aurender got it right the first time. Install HDDs in the unit and keep things relatively simple. Of course, you have to populate the drives but 99% of us can do that. For those of us that wanted to connect to a NAS and had some experience, using the NAS Share and Server "features" were mostly painless. But that presumed some knowledge as to how networks and NAS' worked. It took me less than 5 minutes to connect to my NAS. Do I have artwork? No, but I don't care.

 

But some people wanted to connect to their NAS (even though, for many, they didn't know how properly set up a NAS) and wanted something less expensive. Aurender gave it to them. BUT first they had to write the software for the PC/MAC/NAS that could coexist with the Aurender database. Well...

 

For those of you with the N100 and depend upon your NAS SCREAM AND HOLLER AT YOUR DEALER if you have problems. I also suggest going slowly (I know), doing one thing at a time (I know) and read the directions CAREFULLY (I know). If you get confused STOP and ask for help.

 

As an aside: I can't help thinking that Roon may just be the solution for all of these different media server/renderer manufacturers.

[Fsonicsmith]

I don't mean to digress when the answer could be found elsewhere, but if anyone can suggest the best means of "ripping" vinyl to the Aurender, (again, I have an N100H on the way), I would be most grateful. I asked my dealer (one of the best, but perhaps not all that music server savvy) and he was pretty vague. I have both a MBP and a PC laptop. My thought was that I need to go from ADC (HRT Linestreamer) to laptop using a software program like VinylStudio (though I had VinylStudio previously and hated it for offering too many options) to the laptop, create a file and then transfer to Aurender via USB. That's about all I know and I am likely wrong. I may need iTunes too and don't even know that. Step by step or reference to step to step would be most appreciated. I don't care about metadata so much (tho album art would be nice) and I have no intent to separate vinyl tracks/preserve them. I intend, for the sake of simplicity, to simply record side A and B and stick an identifier for artist/album name and leave it at that. I am 98% vinyl-committed and the Aurender/AMR is for those times when I just don't feel like going through the vinyl playback ritual or have company over and can't keep getting up.

[DavT]

Update, the Aurender Media Manager finally got straightened out on my iMac, it loaded up double tracks on all of the albums on my N100H (or S for SSD if you would like ) initial panic gave way to quietly sorting it out which allowed my to practice using the Media Manager software and the iPad app. It all worked pretty well. I think the biggest problem was having lots of files in lots of different places and when it all came together it was a bit messy. It is all coming together well and I am very happy with the sound quality of the aurender through my MSB Analog Dac. The Tidal is very very good. I will spend the next few months learning better software management but so far the pain has not been to bad and I am very happy with the Aurender. I hear the Samsung is coming out with a 2TB 850 Pro SSD hard drive. Perhaps in the future if I fill the 1TB.

[r_w]

Hi,

 

A very high quality method of vinyl ripping would be the Tascam DA3000 recorder, it can rip to PCM or DSD.

 

 

QUOTE=Fsonicsmith;444690]I don't mean to digress when the answer could be found elsewhere, but if anyone can suggest the best means of "ripping" vinyl to the Aurender, (again, I have an N100H on the way), I would be most grateful. I asked my dealer (one of the best, but perhaps not all that music server savvy) and he was pretty vague. I have both a MBP and a PC laptop. My thought was that I need to go from ADC (HRT Linestreamer) to laptop using a software program like VinylStudio (though I had VinylStudio previously and hated it for offering too many options) to the laptop, create a file and then transfer to Aurender via USB. That's about all I know and I am likely wrong. I may need iTunes too and don't even know that. Step by step or reference to step to step would be most appreciated. I don't care about metadata so much (tho album art would be nice) and I have no intent to separate vinyl tracks/preserve them. I intend, for the sake of simplicity, to simply record side A and B and stick an identifier for artist/album name and leave it at that. I am 98% vinyl-committed and the Aurender/AMR is for those times when I just don't feel like going through the vinyl playback ritual or have company over and can't keep getting up.

[dminches]

I currently have a dedicated PC server (CAPS v3-like) running MC20. For those of you who have used a similar streamer can you tell me:

 

1 - How would compare the sound of the N100 to the PC?

2 - How would you compare AMM/iOS app to jriver/jremote? I like the ability to crearte customized views so I can organize my music.

 

I am using a Lampizator DAC via USB.

 

TIA.

[DavT]

I found JRiver remote perhaps a little easier than the Aurender but it is really a wash/equal. I found the ability to populate meta data, cover art much easier with JRiver and give that a huge advantage. The sound quality I think is better with the Aurender than my previous MacBook pro but I think people could argue that for months. Tidal is much better with the Aurender, easy to get to, very easy to surf etc. I like that my Aurender has a SSD drive in it for durability ( custom upgrade from factory, they are very good at working with their customers ). And that brings me to the biggest reason I like not using JRiver anymore. I found them to be rather disinterested in their customers and would rely on volunteer administrators to assist people on their help site. I can understand the cost savings of the business model. I just prefer better direct customer service and am will to pay for it. I connect with USB to an MSB Analog Dac.

[dminches]

Thanks for your response. Does the Aurender software allow you to make custom views, like in jriver? For example, I have a hires view (all non-DSD at 24 bit), but it excludes certain folders since some bands have their own view. Is AMM powerful enough to do that?

[DavT]

yes, I can specify DSD, different choices of sample rate etc. I wish I could specify only the internal drive separate from the NAS however. this cannot be done at this time. I can also show only albums that have cover art, this can be a little easier with regard to album selection. I also continue to spin some discs with an MSB Universal Media Transport V so the NAS is less and less of a player. In an ideal world I would have the N100 with a samsung 850 Pro 4TB SSD hard drive and forget the NAS. ( there is no 4TB SSD from samsung yet but they are coming out with a 2TB soon, my N100 has a 1TB 850Pro ). I am waiting for Aurender to have this upgrade available so I can spend more money.

[rwwjr44]

New upgrades is available for both the app and Aurender. I don't have the list handy but it seems as though they cleaned a good number of minor quibbles AND say they made the use of a NAS easier.

 

I hope they didn't degrade the sound.

[smdb01us]

Howdy,

 

I upgraded to the new code (5.3.129) this morning on my N100H and I not happy to report that a lot of my music is gone from the music DB on my iPad (also upgraded). The files are still on the N100H but for some reason it not being seen by the system. I obviously rebooted my system a couple of times and dig refresh DB on iPad and also full scan, no dice. I can still browse in the folders and get to the music but no metadata or data is shown on the iPad app. I emailed them early this morning and no response yet... and I just got my new amplifier so there goes my testing...

[Foxman50]

I have just completed the upgrade which deleted the database off the Aurender. Not an issue but the Windows version of AMM now says it needs to be upgraded yet the Windows AMM is still not on the Aurender website. Has anyone got a link for this. Many thanks

 

Graeme

[smdb01us]

I have just completed the upgrade which deleted the database off the Aurender. Not an issue but the Windows version of AMM now says it needs to be upgraded yet the Windows AMM is still not on the Aurender website. Has anyone got a link for this. Many thanks

 

Graeme

 

Where you able to rebuild the DB? I have scanned it multiple times and I can't get it to rebuild the way it was prior to the upgrade...

[Foxman50]

not sure how you can get it to rebuild?

[rwwjr44]

So far everything works well on the X100. I guess I won't be getting an N10 for a long time.

[DavT]

Yep, my aurender N100 works perfectly, until it upgraded and now lost everything from the NAS. Damn, I sure hope who ever did this upgrade gets some more on the job training.