Aurender's "Sound"


Just picked up an Aurender N100H. Great unit. However it's a bit on the warm and dark side, which doesn't sit well with my Pass class A amp. It's like a double whammy of warmth. Great for vocals, but hard to rock out on. But I like the unit and am trying to keep it.

Would love it if I could find a simple way to address this, like with a different USB cable to lighten things up a bit. 

If it comes to it, I might give up the Pass for something more neutral, as nice as this amp is it's not the best for music on the more lively side, or rock. (My tastes and opinions.) Even considering a class D amp like Nord, which is pretty much dead neutral which could peel back some of that warmth and darkness.

So is this a digital question, amp question or cable question? Yes to all.

Has anybody else encountered this double whammy of warmth, and what was the fix. Thanks all.
jaybe
Agree burn-in has to happen. Still ongoing. Hopefully make a difference. Going to play with cables as well. Thanks everyone.
@jaybe What speakers? What model Pass amp?

I had an Aurender N-10 for a bit; I really liked it and preferred the COAX connection to my DAC at that time; I found it be very neutral and organic, perhaps a tad soft. I think I understand your original dilemma; I would have kept it and experimented with different cables, as it was a gorgeous machine inside and out, but I ultimately missed Roon too much; 
Pass amps will basically take on the character of your other stuff in the system. I have found significant "warming" for instance with Wire World power cables and especially an Audience PC (did not like that); 
Cables can make or break your synergy; I have learned this lesson a few different times. Pass amps are pretty amazing and tough to "beat"; you can definitely get a different signature but again its probably much easier to change a cable here or there;
If you are using Audience cables on Pass try taking that off and use the original IEC cable Pass came with-- you might be surprised.
One more thing: when is the last time you cleaned/polished the contacts of speaker cable connections, and others (interconnects)? I found a very effective improvement by using Zu Audio cleaning products and even made the 12AWG copper all shiny again on the AC Romex ends connected to the receptacle. I was shocked by how much black-ish crud came off the exposed copper. restores top end shimmer significantly if you are finding any dullness. Consider doing it, you might be in for a real surprise. :)
Don't toss that Pass yet!



ATC speakers, neutral and revealing as can be. I regularly use Caig Deoxit products.

Isolation devices helped out a bit and have better ones on order. Got some USB cables on the way as well.

After about 125 hours either the server is changing for the better, or I am. Or both. It's getting interesting.
@erik_squires  

I've been thinking about the whole upsampling thing.

While it does not provide more data, it does change the behavior of the upper octave's filter, sometimes by a couple of dB. A significant, audible amount.

Native, bit perfect is far superior if you have a quality DAC.  I think you will start seeing upsampling disappearing from products over the next few years.  No one will want it while DACs improve.
Your (and others) thoughts about Cables is spot on. Used cables are be a bargain if you know what you want.
 I have a synergistic research active usb cable. You can tune it a little but SR has a 30-day return policy so you can determine if it does anything at all. Send it back if not
Also changing the ICs could give you what your looking for.  The cable company has free demos and tons of used options at every price point.