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Article: Aurender A30 Full Review


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2 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

It seems to me that someone ripping a large CD collection would run into longevity problems with the CD drive much sooner than anything else will go wrong with the device.

For large collections I’d use the Nimbie autoloader that works with the A30. 

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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Lots of servers have CD rippers; Audio Store Prestige, Small Green Computer, Vortex Box, Antipodes etc. 

 

I am sure it sounds nice, but the RRP is taking the piss IMHO. Nothing special about the DAC chips; off the shelf. Would expect FPGA DAC for that money.

 

You could buy a Chord DAVE and a top quality server and still have £0000.00s in the bank. Each to their own, wallet sizes vary blah, blah.

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This may not be the appropriate place to ask or indeed an appropriate inquiry but here goes. Just bought a new home and my potential listening room is similar to yours. Would love to know your room dimensions and the provider of the acoustic paneling. Thank you.

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29 minutes ago, coot said:

So you did not compare SQ of A30 mated to the dCS with the W20/dCS?

Correct, and here's why.

 

The A30 is meant for analog output. I don't recommend buying it for digital out to another DAC like dCS or whatever manufacturer/model. It has a single USB output for digital. Aurender has other models specifically designed for digital out, such as the W20. 

 

The W20 connected to the dCS Rossini versus the A30 connected to the Rossini wouldn't be a fair contest. Right now I have the W20 connected to the Rossini via dual AES and the Rossini is sending word clock to the W20. The A30 just doesn't have these features. 

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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For a number of years I had wondered why Aurender didn’t include album art information on their front panel OLED displays. I’m curious, since I now appear to see album art in the review photos, if it will be applied across their line of music servers or just for this one? Does anybody know that answer?

 

It would seem to be an option much more related to software and not in the OLED panels and thus hopefully it will be a front display option on their other servers. 

 

I just updated my conductor app and did not appreciate any album art feature on my now somewhat antiquated S10 unit 

 

anybody know?

Aurender N10--> DCS Bartok w Rossini Clock—>Audio Research REF6 Pre --> Vandersteen M5HPA—>Vandersteen Quatro CT Speakers; AMG Giro Turntable w Lyra Delos Cartridge —> Audio Research Ref 3 PhonoPre

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19 minutes ago, blaven said:

For a number of years I had wondered why Aurender didn’t include album art information on their front panel OLED displays. I’m curious, since I now appear to see album art in the review photos, if it will be applied across their line of music servers or just for this one? Does anybody know that answer?

 

It would seem to be an option much more related to software and not in the OLED panels and thus hopefully it will be a front display option on their other servers. 

 

I just updated my conductor app and did not appreciate any album art feature on my now somewhat antiquated S10 unit 

 

anybody know?

It is my understanding that such displays are a source of noise.

Plus they are redundant to the tablet display. 

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Great review of what I am sure is a superb product, but I’m confused. How does the A30 compare to the Rossini (Ethernet input) directly streaming Tidal or Quobuz or using the Rossini to grab tracks from a networked NAS or a directly connected external hard drive? I guess I’m just missing how this product fits into your present digital system and how it’s performance stacks up.  Not a criticism, I just don’t understand how it fits in, and, for that matter, have always been confused about how a W20 fits in too. Perhaps I am misunderstanding completely, in which case, ignore. 

- Mark

 

Synology DS916+ > SoTM dCBL-CAT7 > Netgear switch > SoTM dCBL-CAT7 > dCS Vivaldi Upsampler (Nordost Valhalla 2 power cord) > Nordost Valhalla 2 Dual 110 Ohm AES/EBU > dCS Vivaldi DAC (David Elrod Statement Gold power cord) > Nordost Valhalla 2 xlr > Absolare Passion preamp (Nordost Valhalla 2 power cord) > Nordost Valhalla 2 xlr > VTL MB-450 III (Shunyata King Cobra CX power cords) > Nordost Valhalla 2 speaker > Kaiser Kaewero Classic /JL Audio F110 (Wireworld Platinum power cord).

 

Power Conditioning: Entreq Olympus Tellus grounding (AC, preamp and dac) / Shunyata Hydra Triton + Typhoon (Shunyata Anaconda ZiTron umbilical/Shunyata King Cobra CX power cord) > Furutec GTX D-Rhodium AC outlet.

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11 hours ago, Doak said:

It is my understanding that such displays are a source of noise.

Plus they are redundant to the tablet display. 

I’m not sure why album art would introduce any more noise than displaying text of the song and artist. Unless you completely shut off the display altogether and I don’t think that’s an option. 

 

Besides - it didn’t seem to affect the sound quality much based on the review. 

 

Would Ld still love to know the answer to my original question if anyone knows if album art will be an option on other Aurender units?

Aurender N10--> DCS Bartok w Rossini Clock—>Audio Research REF6 Pre --> Vandersteen M5HPA—>Vandersteen Quatro CT Speakers; AMG Giro Turntable w Lyra Delos Cartridge —> Audio Research Ref 3 PhonoPre

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Nice review Chris.  A year or so ago I bought an Aurender N10 based on some of the reviews and posts here and on other forums.  Since then I have become a fan of Tidal and upgraded my N10 to do the first unfold of MQA.  This has me on the hunt for a new DAC (EMM, Sim, Brinkmann, DCS, etc.) that does the full unfold. Currently, using a Meitner MA-1 and in my system, MQA files do sound better (to my ears/taste). So was wondering if you had done any evaluation of the MQA full unfold in the A30, especially vs. the W20/Rossini setup or Rossini on its own, since it is on my short list. I may be wrong but I don't think you mentioned anything about the MQA capability on the A30. If anyone else wants to weigh in, feel free but don't want to get this sidetracked into an MQA viability discussion.  Thanks to all!

 

Ed[br]So much music, so little time![br]Mac Mini Itunes - Ayre QB-9 or Ayre C5xe into Ayre K5xe - Ayre V5xe - ZU Definitions

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