surrender n200 vs n20

I have auditioned and owned a number of Aurender streamers at the three major levels of the N class. There has always been a very consistent and “worth the cost between each level”.
 

The new N2 class has been reported as being a significant upgrade… so I would be willing to bet the N20 is absolutely worth it. I still own two Aurender streamers one a W20SE. If I was in the market for one of the two you speak of, I would unhesitatingly buy the N20.

This comes from an understanding of the company and there products, but not having actually heard a N2 class streamer. But having read positive feedback that is completely consistent with my experience with the company.

If you’re going to use the DAC inside U300, I would ask the Aurender dealer to afford you a demo on both N150 and N200. In my opinion, N20 would be a overkill with U300. 

I just got the N200 and it's awesome.  No comparison other than the Bluesound Vault which it is good for the money but the Aurender sounds leagues better.  Next level performance in my system. 

I love it !!!

Almost went with the 150 but glad I went with the N200

@lalitk why do you say the n20 is overkill?  the u300 has a very nice dac in it?

@ckr1969 

I have owned the N100H, N200, N10, and N20. I decided to keep the N20. I like the N200, but like the N20 better. Not only for the streamer’s sound quality, but also for its versatility for feeding many great DACs. The N200 only has USB digital output, whereas the N20 also has Coax and AES.  Synergy between components is very important. Have you tried both Coax and USB inputs to your Aavik? If you like it fed through its USB input, the N200 could be fine. You could test this with the USB output of your A20, which should give you similar results. You could also try the analog out of your A20 to the Aavik to see which you like better. But if you prefer the Coax input to the Aavik, or if you think you might upgrade DACs in the future the N20 would be my recommendation.  Also, the A20 isn’t much more $ than the N20, and you can test that option before buying. (Sorry for rambling. Hope this helps. )

N200 has coaxial as well.

@fthompson251 

Oops. Thanks for the correction. 

@rockrider so you demo'd the n20 and n200 with same dac/system, the n20 sounded better, what are you impressions on what's better over the n200, thanks

That’s a good question because it is twice the money. I am glad I chose the Aurender   I looked at them alll.  No interest in Roon and it’s just another subscription I don’t want.  
 

I liked the removable storage and that it plays from memory.   The app is OK in terms of stability.  Sometimes I have to relaunch with my Tablet.  Seems fine with iPhone.   Minor inconvenience, these apps are always being tweaked and refined 

I like how easy it is to search and compile / edit play lists. 
 

This machine is right at the max I would want to spend given the associated gear. Still a lot of $$$ but my system is much better with it in the chain

If you are using the USB only the N200 is all you need.  With USB The DAC clock runs things.  If you are using SPDIF or AES the clock in the streamer is used, and the N20 is superior with its upgraded clock, and as previously mentioned has a lot of nice features like the ability to upsample.  If you are using USB only, also, the A20 may be worth keeping instead of getting the N200.  I’m not familiar with the A20 and what features it has, but have owned both the N20 and the 200.  If it’s not clear, go on Aurenders website, and try to find any differences between the two products with regard to its USB output features and performance.  I couldn’t.  Perhaps there is and someone else can chime in with what they are.  The only differences I could find were in the SPDIF and AES outputs and features.  The N20 also does DSD to PCM conversion on the fly.  These features are what you are paying for in the N20 and they aren’t used if using USB.

Main reason I chose N200 over 150 was the USB and SPDIF out and display.  
 

if I had a system that had components in the N20 price range and I could swing it I would.  The N200 and a great sounding DAC really is a great digital front end for someone like me who streams a lot.  I still listen to FM and CDs , BluRay Audio but most of the time it is some type of stream or playing back from some type of drive. 

Well, it was quite a while ago and I did not have them both in my system at the same time.  

I did have a Bel Canto e.One Stream at the same time as the N200 and I actually preferred it to the N200, all else equal.  (Amazing considering the price difference.)  According to my listening notes they both sounded great, but the primary advantage of the e.One was the very deepest bass.  But I hated the user interface with the e.One.  So that is what convinced me to upgrade to the N20.  

I’ve been totally satisfied with the N20.  I compared it directly with the e.One, and the N20 is superior in my system.  The very deepest bass is present and articulate, and there is more overall clarity, focus, and ease.  Therefore, by inference the N20 is in another league from the N200.  All these comparisons were with the same system/room/cables and multiple DACs, the most satisfying being my Mola Mola Tambaqui.  That’s my experience in my system.  Totally worth it for me. 

One more point. The combination of Streamer and DAC depends on what connection each is optimized for.  I’m using AES from N20 to Tambaqui. 

Many people tried talking me out of a high end streamer , saying a Raspberry Pi or PC or Mac sounds better than something like the Aurender.  No way !   They have never experienced a really streamer to be making that statement 

I tried both and preferred the SPDIF with my current DAC

Can a Mod change the typo in the thread title?

Yeah but I think everyone knows …. Surrender to the N20…..

You know you want it….   Surrender to the N20

spoke to them today, they say the n200 is very close to the n20 when streaming is the main source, n20 better when listening to files

I was very surprised how good the N200 sounds with .wav and .Flac files pulled from a HDD or my Vault.   Really good.   

Both units are very good, but the N20 will present with richer tonal density, more separation and clarity, and a wider, taller soundstage. Its internal clock is admirable, and if you go with the N20 then be prepared to use AES to take advantage of the internal clock. 

The Aavik is a very clean sounding unit. If you are pairing it with Borresen speakers (which is what I have), you may benefit from the N20 as it will provide more of that tonal density and weight. The N200 is spectacular but right there in the center of neutral, and the N20 provides a bit more bloom and simply a bit more of everything. 

In full disclosure, I am an authorized Aurender dealer.

I've owned a N20 for almost one year now and I can honestly say it's the best source component I've ever had, both digital and analogue. It's very slightly bettered by the N30 by a very small margin, not worth paying double the price.

I've never demoed the W20SE or the N200.

It's real strength is having a master/word clock input which really elevates its performance amongst it's peers.

Aurender's literature states that AES/EBU is the best sounding output but I must disagree. The USB with external clock is far superior even though an external clock isn't supposed to help USB - go figure. Only USB or I2s will play native DSD.

I need to buy another streamer but it's difficult accepting anything less than the N20 and I know the external clock has a big part to play.

The N20 is THE total package this side of $20k.

I clicked on the support icon at night and when I woke up there was a response.  So far I feel this was one of the most worthwhile upgrades on a long time.  
 

I keep meaning to install the 4 TB SSD  but I can’t stop listening to it.  

@lordmelton

The best output is also dependent on the DAC you are using. I have used different outputs from my Aurrender W20SE to my Audio Research CD9SE and to a Berkeley Reference Alpha 3. The AES was best in both cases. So, perhaps they should have added, depending on your DAC. 

@ghdprentice Yes, it's very dependent on the DAC, some are optimized for USB.

Have you tried using the dual AES/EBU digital outs on the W20SE? 

@lordmelton

Uunfortunately my DAC does not support dual AES. But the AES produced vinyl equivalent sound in my system.

I had a Berkeley Alpha Reference 3 DAC… I thought it would have dual AES inputs… it did not. I preferred the sound of my Audio Research CD9se DAC to the Berkeley.

So, where does the N10 fit in when compared to the N200 and the N20? A used N10 costs less than a new N200.

@lbkwhitney

The main differences are that the N10 has an internal HDD which can’t be changed without a factory refit. Whereas the N200 has swappable (x2) SSDs and a newer CPU.

The N10 has AES/RCA/BNC/USB outputs while the N200 has only RCA and USB.

The N10 is very capable and it’s a system dependent issue whether it’s better than the N200 or not.