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What's my ideal music server? Read and recommend please

Right now I use a MacBook Pro as my server, and it drives my DAC. My MacBook Pro is getting cranky, it's storage is so full I don't have space to do a current Mac update and I am beginning to think better sound quality can be achieved than a MacBook Pro via USB to a DAC. I use JRiver media center, v.27, and right now, my JRiver and MacBook Pro aren't working properly together as I keep loosing the proper MIDI setting and get no audio output.

I'm aware of the Aurender N100H. I know that uses a USB output and I'm starting to wonder if USB is my best bet. Then I see the Aurender N100C which has a digital coax out, but that output is derived from the USB, so what's the point?

My wish list- probably no less than 2 TB storage; got to be easy to use in terms of getting music into it and playing music (downloading music from say HDTracks to JRiver is the bleeding edge of my technical skills); sound quality has to be first rate. I would also be interested in a server that has a BNC output, as a regular coaxial output can never be a true 75 ohm connection but a BNC can be. 

So- what should I have on my short list? Recommend away please, and thanks-
zavato
jmarshak
157 posts
 
My experience with the N100C has been really good. I used the Coax out because I had a good Coax cable and it sounded terrific in my system.

Currently, I have the N10 and absolutely love it, but it was not as much of an upgrade as some would think, going from N100C to the N10. I would say the SQ upgrade was subtle and it took me a while to identify it via A/B.

Point is IMHO, the N100C was a really good unit and hard to beat, even with a unit costing more than double the price.

Good luck and best regards
rockrider
181 posts
 
My experience with Aurender N100H and their tech support has been excellent. @cleeds experience is irrelevant to me no matter how many times he repeats it. 
cleeds
6,258 posts
 
rockrider
@cleeds experience is irrelevant to me no matter how many times he repeats it.
That’s as it should be! Similarly, your experience is irrelevant to me. However, my information may have relevance to someone still making a decision. That’s the point.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
I went from a PC based set up to an Aurender N10 and the N10 blew it away in both ease of use, lack of needing to be a network admin to get things going, and a definite sound improvement.  I would KEEP AWAY from USB at ANY and ALL costs as the USB interface truly sucks from a sound perspective.  USB is effected by almost every computer process which causes jitter and other digital remnants that you don't want going through your dac.  
sacman
125 posts
 
I have 10TB of music sitting inside a Synology NAS but personally, the best/ideal music server is TIDAL
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