The "Official" Aurender Discussion Thread

[isquirrel]

14 hours ago, agladstone said:

I have become a diehard Shunyata fan over the years via auditioning several other brands. 

Shunyata power cables just seem to have some magical powers that translate into increased sound quality and performance. 

They have a new series out now called Delta that has replaced the ZTron series that I have and they also have the Aplha line which is above the Delta. I plan to eventually upgrade the Aurender Power Cable from the ZTron to the Delta, since the Delta employees some

new noise filtering enhancements that I think will be beneficial. 

Music Direct has a generous 60 day return policy, so if you live in the USA, that is a great way to give them a trial. 

I use Shunyata, always have. I use the Triton V2 and a Typhon connected to the wall outlet which is a dedicated line via Sigma HC PC, I tried a few PC's and ended using the now superseded Sigma Digital, I compared it to the Sigma Analog and it sounded better, not an earth shattering change but clearly an improvement. Previously I had been using Alpha PC's and the same applied the Digital sound better to the W20. Now this makes no sense at all as the W20 is battery powered so it shouldn't matter what PC is used even a $2 Jug Cord should sound the same, but it doesn't. The biggest change was placing 4 HRS Vortex footers under the W20. I also found that using AES 110 ohm sounded better than USB using the same cable manufacturer (Transparent) and it improved even more when I used a 75 ohm BNC word clock cable to use the DAC's clock rather than the Aurenders. It limits my high res to 24/192 and DSD 64. Anything over including MQA I use USB which is still very good. 

[isquirrel]

I always have major issues with freezing and the "Preparing Aurender" message on the W20, I rarely am able to get MQA to work even though my DAC supports it.

 

Would I benefit from upgrading to Aurender MQA decoder ?

 

Does anyone else have these issues with Tidal MQA Streaming?

[isquirrel]

Couldn't wait so I bought the MQA "upgrade" and am restarting the unit. Hopefully that will get MQA of some kind working.

[isquirrel]

MQA now works, except that prior to using the Aurender MQA decoder my DAC would say MQA now it doesn't? I might ry it with Decoding switched off on the Aurender end. I have a feeling I just paid for something that was already happening. Plus the MQA sign on the Conducter app now shows 32 bit 192K whereas the DAC shows 24/96?

 

Anyone have any idea what is going on here please?

[Vincent1234]

11 hours ago, isquirrel said:

MQA now works, except that prior to using the Aurender MQA decoder my DAC would say MQA now it doesn't? I might ry it with Decoding switched off on the Aurender end. I have a feeling I just paid for something that was already happening. Plus the MQA sign on the Conducter app now shows 32 bit 192K whereas the DAC shows 24/96?

 

Anyone have any idea what is going on here please?

No issues with my W20 and using the first MQA unfold done by the Aurender. Using dCS Rossini as DAC. SQ Is absolutely fantastic this way. 

I do however have the same '32 bit' mentioned in the Conductor app. Obviously this is a small bug.

[edje]

14 hours ago, mjb said:

There‘s a small Conductor App update available: version 2.9.4.1.

Is there a way to force the conductor update? I can see the version nr. But cannot update it.

[BrianLS]

This happened to me recently.  I ended up deleting the current app and then installing the new version.  I was all ready to have to re-register the app with my N10 and reconfigure my Tidal account, but I didn't have to do anything; it just worked.

[isquirrel]

10 hours ago, Vincent1234 said:

No issues with my W20 and using the first MQA unfold done by the Aurender. Using dCS Rossini as DAC. SQ Is absolutely fantastic this way. 

I do however have the same '32 bit' mentioned in the Conductor app. Obviously this is a small bug.

Did your Rossini process the MQA by itself normally? MY Select DAC does through the USB/MQA module and it shows MQA on the DAC's screen, but last night I toggled between the two (having the W20 do the unfold) and the normal way having the DAC do it, and I prefer the Aurender's sound by quite a margin. Its good that we are getting the same results.

[agladstone]

1 hour ago, isquirrel said:

Did your Rossini process the MQA by itself normally? MY Select DAC does through the USB/MQA module and it shows MQA on the DAC's screen, but last night I toggled between the two (having the W20 do the unfold) and the normal way having the DAC do it, and I prefer the Aurender's sound by quite a margin. Its good that we are getting the same results.

Good to know! I have an MQA DAC already, so I did not think upgrading the aurender to do first unfold was necessary, good to know it’s worth considering. I’m actually trying to decide if I should even keep Tidal or not so I will decide

that first. (I like Tidal a lot, I just have such an enormous personal music collection that I hardly ever have time or even remember to use Tidal, so it’s basically a waste of $20/ mo at the moment. 

[Vincent1234]

6 hours ago, isquirrel said:

Did your Rossini process the MQA by itself normally? MY Select DAC does through the USB/MQA module and it shows MQA on the DAC's screen, but last night I toggled between the two (having the W20 do the unfold) and the normal way having the DAC do it, and I prefer the Aurender's sound by quite a margin. Its good that we are getting the same results.

Hi, I'm using the Aurender to do the first unfold. As mentioned in an earlier post this is the only way I can use my Aurender for MQA, since the dCS can only do the first unfold through Ethernet (using the network card processor for that job). The second unfold is done by its FPGA. Since the Aurender is doing the first unfold now I'm really happy to be able to use it now for full MQA too, connected to the dCS through a top quality USB cable (Crystal Cable Dreamline Plus) which is a big improvement. Also separating the two unfolds to be executed by separate hardware can lead to better SQ. The same goes for separate hardware when using Roon. I absolutely prefer using the Aurender for MQA now, compared to using Roon with Tidal MQA through the dCS's Ethernet input (using high quality cabling too). Simply sounds better. ?

[Vincent1234]

4 hours ago, agladstone said:

Good to know! I have an MQA DAC already, so I did not think upgrading the aurender to do first unfold was necessary, good to know it’s worth considering. I’m actually trying to decide if I should even keep Tidal or not so I will decide

that first. (I like Tidal a lot, I just have such an enormous personal music collection that I hardly ever have time or even remember to use Tidal, so it’s basically a waste of $20/ mo at the moment. 

I would certainly check out first to have the first unfold done by the Aurender. You might be pleasantly surprised! Maybe you can test it at your dealer without having to buy the license straight away?

[rwwjr44]

I have been listening to the MQA update (I don't have a MQA DAC) and find that is changes the sound of music, placement of instruments and general sound stage in such a manner that isn't better but (IMHO) worse. Music is generally more forward and louder but it doesn't sound better and there seems to be a bit more distortion in the rendering of cymbals and biting brass. 

 

I'll continue to test the MQA update but it seems to me not to be a audiophile tool but one that is aimed to a market similar to that of the Bose Lifestyle products.

[Vincent1234]

22 minutes ago, rwwjr44 said:

I have been listening to the MQA update (I don't have a MQA DAC) and find that is changes the sound of music, placement of instruments and general sound stage in such a manner that isn't better but (IMHO) worse. Music is generally more forward and louder but it doesn't sound better and there seems to be a bit more distortion in the rendering of cymbals and biting brass. 

 

I'll continue to test the MQA update but it seems to me not to be a audiophile tool but one that is aimed to a market similar to that of the Bose Lifestyle products.

Very strange result indeed. All the first unfold is doing is to give you an increased resolution which you would otherwise not get from the same files. It shouldn't change the soundstage or volume at all.

[Foxman50]

rwwjr44

have you noticed any bad effects on standard flac files from HDD/NAS.

 

ive yet to do the firmware update and really have no use of MQA at this time. I’m very concerned that this update may have an ill effect on my NAS stored files.

 

i has some issues a couple of pages back but may have got the wrong end of the stick. 

 

By all means anyone comment.

[rwwjr44]

5 hours ago, Vincent1234 said:

Very strange result indeed. All the first unfold is doing is to give you an increased resolution which you would otherwise not get from the same files. It shouldn't change the soundstage or volume at all.

 

So you don’t hear any changes in the sound with MQA enabled?

[rwwjr44]

5 hours ago, Foxman50 said:

rwwjr44

have you noticed any bad effects on standard flac files from HDD/NAS.

 

ive yet to do the firmware update and really have no use of MQA at this time. I’m very concerned that this update may have an ill effect on my NAS stored files.

 

i has some issues a couple of pages back but may have got the wrong end of the stick. 

 

By all means anyone comment.

I only use the internal HDD drive not a NAS. I assume that MQA doesn’t physically change any files. Was that your question? 

 

I also assume that whatever changes I hear on files stored on the N10 will be the same if the same file were stored on a NAS.

[Foxman50]

Im confused what this update does. Does it change the sound of the standard flac files stored on the internal drive. By that i mean does the aurender now add some form of MQA filtering to all files played, or will it only do something to MQA encoded files.

[michaelD]

Forgive me if this has already been asked but for those with a DAC that can unfold and decode MQA can you still do the unfold in the Aurender and just the decode in your DAC?  Do you need to switch something off in the DAC or does it just work?  The reason I ask is really like the looks that Aurender incorporatated into Conductor app and on their OLED display.  Would like to keep that but since at this time my DAC does do MQA just curious.  I understand the plan for Bricasti is to unfold and decode like many others do.  Also if you can unfold in the Aurender and just decode in the DAC does this affect the sound quality - I don't think so but also curious.

[Mazza]

7 hours ago, Foxman50 said:

Im confused what this update does. Does it change the sound of the standard flac files stored on the internal drive. By that i mean does the aurender now add some form of MQA filtering to all files played, or will it only do something to MQA encoded files.

 

I guess the answer to this would need to come from Aurender or someone suitably informed by them, otherwise it would be mere speculation.

 

I have to say, I haven't noticed any changes to SQ of my HDD or NAS .flac files if that helps you

[rwwjr44]

7 hours ago, Foxman50 said:

Im confused what this update does. Does it change the sound of the standard flac files stored on the internal drive. By that i mean does the aurender now add some form of MQA filtering to all files played, or will it only do something to MQA encoded files.

 

This update SHOULD NOT change the FLAC files stored anywhere. What is does affect is the stream of data as it it being played. Which means that the "sound" of the stream will differ in some way. IIRC ALL 16/44 files played through the MQA filter will be affected. Of course MQA encoded files will "benefit" most if you have a complete MQA decoding system (Aurender plus a MQA decoding DAC).

 

I hope this helps. 

[rwwjr44]

This is from Meridian's site: https://www.meridian-audio.com/en/about-meridian/high-resolution-audio/. It is advertisement but should help. 

 

[Vincent1234]

19 hours ago, rwwjr44 said:

 

So you don’t hear any changes in the sound with MQA enabled?

Sure I do: higher resolution, more/better timbre, better dynamics, more space etc. But none of the changes that you described. Nothing gets worse, only better..

[Mazza]

43 minutes ago, rwwjr44 said:

 

This update SHOULD NOT change the FLAC files stored anywhere. What is does affect is the stream of data as it it being played. Which means that the "sound" of the stream will differ in some way. IIRC ALL 16/44 files played through the MQA filter will be affected. Of course MQA encoded files will "benefit" most if you have a complete MQA decoding system (Aurender plus a MQA decoding DAC).

 

I hope this helps. 

 

You might be right but is this mechanism confirmed by Aurender?

 

I ask because if there isn't an MQA 'flag' to the incoming data stream, then I would expect the incoming data stream to bypass the MQA decoding/rendering routines & 'jump' to the normal & pre-existing routines. Why waste processing power & risk potential new SW bugs on something that is unnecessary? To do otherwise, you are into a potential wholesale re-write of the software and good software is modular in nature so that shouldn't be be necessary.

 

As I said in my previous email, IMO this is all speculation unless you get it direct from Aurender.

[Vincent1234]

8 hours ago, Foxman50 said:

Im confused what this update does. Does it change the sound of the standard flac files stored on the internal drive. By that i mean does the aurender now add some form of MQA filtering to all files played, or will it only do something to MQA encoded files.

No. This applies only to MQA files (local or streamed through Tidal).

[Vincent1234]

1 hour ago, Mazza said:

 

I guess the answer to this would need to come from Aurender or someone suitably informed by them, otherwise it would be mere speculation.

 

I have to say, I haven't noticed any changes to SQ of my HDD or NAS .flac files if that helps you

NO changes to regular flac or other non-MQA files. I know for sure because my dCS only shows the automatically engaged MQA filter while playing MQA files. Obviously so.. 

Guys, any possible MQA filtering is done only by the DAC, not by the Aurender! Save of course for the A10's built in DAC. Let's not make things more complex than they are.