aurender n10 or....?


I run a lynx card sets/ebu to Berkeley dac (original version. Not even use) to some ancient jrdg mono amps (thx Guido!) to a pair of audio physic scorpios.
I have grown frustrated with my homemade pc server and its penchant for dieing on my every 12mos or so. Soooo I am thinking of joining the rest of the world and picking up a more reliable way to get data to the Berkeley. I love my tidal and given my connectivity needs (aes/ebu) i was thinking I'd look at the aurender n10. Anyone have any other suggestions for my short list? The n10 at $8k is at the top end of what I would like to spend. Well, actually it is 2x what I would like to spend but if it is as good as I am told I'll sell some plasma.
thx!!!
jimmy3993
My Aurender N10 worked perfectly after I loaded my albums and connected it to Tidal.  I was able to play all my stored albums and albums from Tidal but my stored albums (AIFF format) were MISSING their cover art.

My local dealer sent a Tech to my home to solve the problem.  We discovered that iTunes stores the cover art in an encrypted and hidden file that was NOT COPIED to the Aurender.  We found and ran Doug's Scripts ($1.99) that placed the album cover art in the correct album file location.  We then deleted all files on the Aurender and copied everything over again. Again, the cover art was not displayed.

After the Tech left, I immediately called Aurender Customer Support who said Doug's Scripts has two versions and we selected the wrong script.  I re-ran the correct Doug's Script version that stores the album cover art in the correct file location AND NAMES it "folder.jpg".  I deleted all the files on the Aurender, again, and copied everything over again.  My cover art was included and was displayed correctly on my iPad.  Everything worked perfectly.  Please see:

 http://dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=savealbumartjpeg

I am a huge fan of Tidal and prefer my albums be in artist sequence and they were not.  I emailed Aurender Customer Support and requested they upgrade their software to provide this artist sort sequence capability.  The last Aurender software release included this sort feature and I was very happy.   

My Aurender N10 continues to work perfectly and sounds terrific.  Their customer support is terrific.   As you already know, setting up a computer, like the MAC Book Pro, or the Aurender Music Server, like the N10, sometimes may require some extra work.   In the case of my Aurender N10, I had problems with the missing album cover art but was able to get the problem resolved.   I have had no other problems with my Aurender N10.

As I have stated above, the Aurender N10 is a wonderful music server, easy to use and I highly recommend it.  



Please remember the Aurender cover art image files MUST BE CODED as Folder.JPG and included in the same folder as the album songs.  Doug's Scripts "Save Album Art as folder.jpg” script ($1.99) handles this for iTunes on the MAC.   Please verify that you are using the correct Doug's Script version that saves the cover art as Folder.JPG. 

Unfortunately, if you are running a PC, some other computer or software other than iTunes,  you need to check your source album files to determine where the album cover art is stored.   If it is stored in the same folder as the album songs AND coded as Folder.JPG, you are okay.  If this is not the case, you need to determine how to convert your album cover art to be stored and coded correctly.   I suggest a phone call to your dealer, and/or Aurender Customer Support, to discuss your options is suggested.  

If someone else has a solution to using a PC, please post your recommendations here.  Thanks. 
jimmy

I love my new Melco N1. Retail is 2K stores 2 terabytes and accommodates  external storage as well as cloud storage. 

Below is a link to a review on the Melco that goes into much more detail about it please call me if you would like additional information. 

http://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/melco-ha-n1a-part-1

Hopefully I would get hate mail for bringing up a product that I sell. If you do send hate mail can you address it to my X wife please.

soundsrealaudio - no problem at all. I am looking for ideas. I need: access to tidal, an ads/ebu output, ease of use and great sound quality. If telco fits the bill let me know. I couldn't figure out much from the review or the distributor's website.
You should also consider the Antipodes DX (the newest Roon ready version) with the AES/EBU option. 

Late last year I upgraded from a Mac Mini to an Aurender N100H, that was a huge leap forward in sound quality. I really like the Aurender Conductor iPad app a lot; it's easy to use and has a really polished looking interfaced as well as a nice Tidal integration. The Tidal artists and albums are separate from your physical digital music (on the Aurender or on a NAS on your network), but you can create Playlists that mix Tidal and your digital music together. The build quality of the Aurender is superb. 

This month I upgraded to an Antipodes DX and it was a quantum leap in sound quality over the N100H (much larger jump in price as well). The newest version of the DX is Roon Ready. The nicest feature about Roon is that your physical digital music library and your Tidal Library are commingled into a single library. 

I can't compare how the Antipodes DX sounds compared to the N10, but they are priced pretty similarly--so I do think both are worth an audition if possible. 

There's a used N10 on Agon now and Mike from Verstarr is a great source for Antipodes (and top flight cables). 

Good luck in your search.