750$ Intel NUC vs $6000 Aurender N200: I don't hear the difference

Do people realize that whether a computer use 10 watts or 500 watts, it still must pass the same radiated and emitted radiation standards? There is no guarantee the lower power one is less noisy either, though it is often easier to shield, but that does not mean that it is.

RF fields from unintentional emitters (computers, etc.) are fairly small, even on cables assuming you are using something that has met FCCICESIEC standards for consumer/residential. You don't have to move very far away from them until the fields are low, probably lower than a nearby radio or TV station. Those cheap meters pick up stuff, but you have to be quite close to pick it up.   And even if there, there is no guarantee it will get into the end equipment and most of you are just guessing that it does.

I again spoke to the dealer. Asked him if he was sure if the unit was burned in. He got back to me yesterday saying it has only 60 hours on it.

Aurender says the N200 needs 150 hours to sound its best. Maybe that is the issue.

The unit is going back and I might demo it again in a few weeks after its 100% fully burnt in.

It is not the issue. Burn in on a server , 150 hours.... come on. That is stretching the realm of believability beyond the usual in this hobby. Swamp land in Florida anyone?

@Cindyment

Thanks, and yes, either could impact sound, and neither is completely easy to 100% eliminate.  All the power supplies and isolation i refer to are custom designed and built by me - as are some of the interfaces and clocks.  So with luck, that's not the issue. I do believe i mentioned that isolation quality varies and I strongly prefer good transformers.

But what i experience is really not the issue. I am hoping to point to issues that many may experience, and why "cut and dry" technical answers give me pause.  I have spent my career helping giant tech companies overcome technical sclerosis that is bred by engineers becoming comfortable with one paradigm or another - things they are invested and expert in.

I suspect that we have a difference in perspective. You seem very comfortable with what you can measure.  I find Audio just full of the "unknown unknowns", things I can hear, but have difficulty measuring.  This is nothing new - once (40 years ago) clocking and jitter was totally swept under the rug.  My objective is to slowly learn what to measure, or at least what design concept correlate with good sound.

“if it measures good, and sounds bad, it is bad. If it sounds good, and measures bad, you’ve measured the wrong thing.” – Daniel Von Ricklinghausen, HH Scott to the Boston Audio Society, 1954