Aurender N10 - Sound quality performance is erratic

Thanks Pokey,

I won;'t be purchasing a new music player until 2019 but starting my search early. Never know what you run into along the way. I have no immediate plans to stream (I can stream with current player but don't) and I will be redbook all the way given the DAC I am buying. Of course I may at some point go to streaming so not saying never! I know on my current player (Linux based) I typically try to reboot it every week or so. This seems to eliminate any dropouts. I am playing music directly connected to it via USB drive (FLAC) but use their iOS app to drive it and thus the network. My player had a lot of issues with its wireless connection so I went to hard wired and with weekly or biweekly reboots no issues there. If I forget and encounter a drop out I simply reboot the player and all is well.

The N10 appears to be a rock solid player, one on my radar screen. I need S/PDIF output (via RCA or AES) so it certainly qualifies in that way. I am assuming it will work for a USB connected drive as well as using the internal drives? 

I am also curious if the 2 internal drives can be changed out to SSDs if they are not already. I know it caches music to a smaller SSD but with current sizes increasing and prices dropping going all SSD would be nice.

How are the apps they provide? 

Glad your network issues are being resolved and you are able to enjoy the music more!

@jdavis37 

2019 isn't all that far away! I know, it sounds long now since you don't have that new piece of gear, but it'll be here before you know it. I didn't try other servers in my system. I just tried the A10 and N10 and can tell you the N10 is very much worth the extra $$. I think the most important thing is that your new server synergize with your gear and really the only way to find that out is to put your choice in your system and listen to how it sounds. Hope you find just the right server.

Streaming is so fun; the only work is to go look up the next track or album. I'm really digging it. BTW, my CD collection is getting smaller and it feels good.

I'll keep the reboot procedure in mind; thanks for the tip.

"I am assuming it will work for a USB connected drive as well as using the internal drives?" -All the inputs are there so I'd say yes. I am using AES from DAC to N10. I also tried USB and felt AES was overall slightly better. Based on the text on the Aurender site, the two main drives do not appear to be SSD. I am unsure if you can replace them. You could try asking Aurender support. They are very helpful.

The Conductor app is quite easy to use. I found a few videos on YouTube that walk you through the features and that was a good use of 15-20 minutes.

Just finished another listening session and it was really very good. The N10 is an amazing source.

Thx Pokey. It will most assuredly work with the DAC I am buying (R2R, NOS, limited to S/PDIF or AES input). The N10 appears to be a really nice piece and if the well builtness, etc also translates into "hey it actually really does sound better" then it will be on my very short list. There just are not that many music players/servers/streamers focused on S/PDIF these days! USB only in the server would require another box to be bought and that really is not a desired thing. Given its price tag I will most likely look for a demo or very clean used one. My spousal unit is very understanding of my hobbies.. to a point! Thx for the feedback and keep enjoying your music!

@jdavis37 

I have not compared the N10 to other servers in the same price range. But as I mentioned above, I have compared it to the lower-priced a10 and there is clearly a reason that Aurender charges more for the N10. It was a big stretch for me but I'm glad I did it. The N10 plays well-recorded files with ease and files that are more average in recording quality just sounded fuller & clearer than the A10. It was a very hearable quality the N10 brings to the party. The N10 is 27 lbs, meaning there's a lot of iron in there. It can be that heavy because it uses a full-size chassis, where they can physically enclose more and better quality transformers giving a big boost to the sound quality of the larger chassis. Take a look at Google photos or the Aurender site to see the interior of each of the servers, they speak volumes. -I hope you get a chance to try the N10 out. And I'd welcome a discussion of any other servers you have the pleasure of comparing it to. As a side note, my source said that the W20, Aurenders reference server, it is only marginally better than the N10 when using a single AES connection. When the W20 uses a word clock and DAC that can handle the twin-wire connection, it is quite a bit better. But you are looking at a $40k front end. I've heard it in a different system and it was very good, but it is well beyond my budget. Cheers and good luck in your search.

@ pokey77

What dac  where you using when comparing the N10 to the A10?

  I assume you where using both as Streamers and USB out for both?

did you compare the A10 vs N10 +Dac  ?

Just wondering. 
Thanks,
Russ