750$ Intel NUC vs $6000 Aurender N200: I don't hear the difference
I finally plunged into the source is as important as the DAC belief that is quite prevalent here and decided to test out Aurender N200. And given I have a very highend DAC, thought if the N200 pans out I would go for the N20 or N30.
I was expecting the N200 to blow away my Intel NUC which is 10th gen, core i7, 8GB and running Roon Rock BUT I am switching back and forth between USB playing the Roon Rock, and Co-axial playing Aurender N200, and I don't hear much of a difference maybe a hair, or not even that.
A few caveats: 1) Roon Rock is playing Quboz, N200 is playing Tidal (I am unable to get Qobuz login to the N200 for reason I don't understand).
2) I am comparing Coaxial on N200, USB on Roon Rock.
Caveat #2 can be ignored because I don't hear a difference between Coaxial and USB output of N200.
So either this is an "Emperor has no clothes" moment or I am missing something big. Any thoughts on what I might be missing before I send this N200 back to the dealer on Monday.
Rest of my system: Nagra TUBE DAC -> Accuphase E-650 -> Devore O96 and all Acoustic Revive wiring.
@essrand I honestly don't care less what you think about me but you are not giving an honest in depth review. It's just you and your mate who came over on Saturday afternoon and chilled and played some tracks and thought "Hey man this is the same as six grand." Do you really believe such bargains exist? I don't think so and neither does anyone else. Anyway carry on in ignorance. |
We should better understand this as one was better only in terms of subjective sonic preferences and system synergy. The system and owner ears/preferences wanted more full bodied warmth. His comments clearly said this. In audio, nothing is ever universally better. It often comes down to system and room synergy coupled with subjective sonic preferences. I owned the same Roon server and my Innuos Zen was a clear step upwards sonically. Just so much better to my ears in my system. No right or wrong here. Always best to hear a piece in one’s own system to determine for yourself. Glad the OP did this.
In a system with plenty of warmth and body and an owner looking for more speed, detail and resolution, the other server may have been preferred. Welcome to the wonderful world of subjective tastes and all manner of variables inevitably leading to differing conclusions!
The conclusions found in this one instance have absolutely no bearing on what you would determine with the same two units in your system. |
Streaming is not hard. Any modern commercial computing device does it well. Dac is where the big sound differences come in. It’s been this way for years. Take for example your common Roku streamer that cost less than $100. Does high res video and sound which is way more challenging than streaming say cd res audio alone. Case closed. You will find good sounding audio streamers at most any price point. Just because historically good quality music sources were expensive vendors leverage that to bring modern products to market. But the value proposition of high price streamers alone is highly questionable IMHO. |
Everyone who understands the technology does not think bargains exist, they just think the expensive one is over priced. There is a difference. If I have a $1000 - 1 gallon pail of white paint and a $40 - 1 gallon can of white paint, and no one can tell the difference when they are on the wall, is the $40 can a bargain or the $1000 one over priced. Some just cannot except that one of the tested products is a $1000 can of white paint. Burn in on a streamer? What exactly will change w.r.t. what comes out of a streamer after burn in compared to before? |
I myself have been hovering around the use of a Streamer Set Up as a Source to work with a Bespoke Built Valve Output DAC I am using. To see a comparison that is showing that a Streaming Method has the Possibility to be closely compared to a much more expensive device when demonstrated to each other side by side is appealing to myself. It is certainly enough to encourage myself to consider the method as a starting point and not have to part with the Monies required to acquire a much more expensive Branded Streaming Device. In the past I had looked into a NUC as I had seen it referred to as a method and I am sure there was a leaning to the NUC, to be used to supply the music files only and this could be done using the NUC RAM, which was claimed to be much quieter as a method. It is all in the past now and I may be a little bit off course on the method being referred to. I am yet to be convinced from my previous experiences of being given demonstrations of Streaming Devices that a Streaming Source is able to deliver in a manner that is on par with a well thought out Vinyl and CD Source. How the comments made by other contributors to this thread reflect on how the assessment of the comparisons has been evaluated are beyond my learning stage at present. I am happy to learn more on this if further description is offered. Reports like the one from @essrand about their experiences encountered are welcome by myself, and this thread has been a valuable discovery. |
