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

@lordmelton you make a great point, which is that you need to consider the server and your preferred DAC in tandem. The best input on my preferred DAC is AES and the best output on the Grimm is AES so that should be a good fit. Whereas it sounds like you prefer a DAC whose best input is USB, so the Aurender makes sense. I have an ok sized file collection but would strongly prefer to stream, to the extent the gap between streaming and pulling from local storage isn’t significantly. No doubt the local file sounds better in a direct A/B, but I’m interested in how good streaming can sound on its own terms.

@audiotroy thanks perhaps you might seek out Christiaan Punter to review the EVO again. He last reviewed it in 2015. He’s reviewed the Grimm, Antipodes and Aqua Linq relatively recently. So he’s got the requisite experience (it seems like some of these server reviewers don’t know what they’re doing!) and I happen to think he’s generally quite accurate in his assessments of products.

@metaldetektor Hi the USB for DSD is absolutely wonderful there is a very small difference between AES/EBU and USB for PCM and I will not be able to make my final conclusions until maybe another 2-3 weeks from now when the Musetec should be fully burned in.

AFAIK I can't re-clock the USB because there's nothing that I know of that has a USB input and output, so I may try re-clocking the AES/EBU with a Mutec and see if it makes a difference. I've tried the Grimm re-clockers and compared to the Mutec they sound exaggerated. YMMV.

As far as streaming is concerned I've listened to the Aurender N20 and N30 in hi-end systems and they both are very,very capable but since I know my music collection mostly off by heart I prefer to listen to ripped.

I built my own streamer using Clocking Cards slaved to the onboard Clocks found inside the Motherboard, I used linux OS for the Audio.

It outclassed almost all Streamers I put it against in my room except one, which was the Playback Design Dream Series Server installed in the Transport. This was using a proprietary connectionFibre Optic and it was superior to USB.

If your budget it small, stick to building your own server and get a proper Audio OS System.

Agreed. I think people putting 10K into Music servers should put that into upgrading their DACs. Until they reach the point of diminishing returns with DAC, say around 20-30K (Bricasti M21, Lampizator Pacific, Nagra Tube DAC, Brinkmann Nyquist, DCS Rossini, EMM DV2). Then perhaps spend the big bucks on a server.

It’s sad to see $10000 servers with $10000 DACs, perhaps a $20000 DAC would be a far better musical upgrade.

I have only a sample size of 1, I might get the N20 in sometime, let’s see if that changes my mind, but for now I think that the source is as important as the DAC is bunk. Get a better DAC.

I get a warm fuzzy schadenfreude feeling when I hear that people have spent $10-$30 grand or more on DACs without doing proper research.

Fool and his money?

GoldenSound has compared the DCS Bartok to his Holo May KTE and found the May superior for a third of the price. Members here have found the May also as good or better than the Mola Mola Tambuqui. Again at a much lower price point.

Now here's the interesting thing the Musetec 005 has been favorably compared to the May and found to be at least equal if not slightly better depending on your taste for $2k less. May is R2R, 005 uses ESS chips. Each has it's followers.

Personally I have put up my 005 against a $30k DAC and found it superior, and it isn't fully burned in yet. I won't tell the name because a lot of people will see their expensive DACs lose huge amounts of money and my schadenfreude feelings don't go that far.

However I will say as I've said before, with all these excellent Chinese DACs on the market the bottom has dropped out of the Hi-End DAC market in Hong Kong which is one of the largest Hi Fi markets in the World.

Auender N20 plus 005 max $15k you could sell your Nagara DAC and still have $5k change and a superior sound and ease of use.