750$ Intel NUC vs $6000 Aurender N200: I don't hear the difference

Agreed. I think people putting 10K into Music servers should put that into upgrading their DACs. Until they reach the point of diminishing returns with DAC, say around 20-30K (Bricasti M21, Lampizator Pacific, Nagra Tube DAC, Brinkmann Nyquist, DCS Rossini, EMM DV2). Then perhaps spend the big bucks on a server.

It’s sad to see $10000 servers with $10000 DACs, perhaps a $20000 DAC would be a far better musical upgrade.

I have only a sample size of 1, I might get the N20 in sometime, let’s see if that changes my mind, but for now I think that the source is as important as the DAC is bunk. Get a better DAC.

I get a warm fuzzy schadenfreude feeling when I hear that people have spent $10-$30 grand or more on DACs without doing proper research.

Fool and his money?

GoldenSound has compared the DCS Bartok to his Holo May KTE and found the May superior for a third of the price. Members here have found the May also as good or better than the Mola Mola Tambuqui. Again at a much lower price point.

Now here's the interesting thing the Musetec 005 has been favorably compared to the May and found to be at least equal if not slightly better depending on your taste for $2k less. May is R2R, 005 uses ESS chips. Each has it's followers.

Personally I have put up my 005 against a $30k DAC and found it superior, and it isn't fully burned in yet. I won't tell the name because a lot of people will see their expensive DACs lose huge amounts of money and my schadenfreude feelings don't go that far.

However I will say as I've said before, with all these excellent Chinese DACs on the market the bottom has dropped out of the Hi-End DAC market in Hong Kong which is one of the largest Hi Fi markets in the World.

Auender N20 plus 005 max $15k you could sell your Nagara DAC and still have $5k change and a superior sound and ease of use.

Pfftt.