Another one (server) bites the dust!


Well, my Musicvault that has served me SO well for a long, long time has begun to serve up errors. My needs and desires for a new server/streamer seem to be met by Aurender's N series and I'm curious if anyone can comment on the sonic differences between the N10 and the N200 for serving and streaming....They're both in my budget.

Mostly, it looks like the N200 has better power isolation and the N10 has a better clock. I imagine that doesn't tell the whole story, though. 

Can you serve up some sensible subjective sonic experiences (please and thank you)?

budburma

@budburma

IME, the revamped Aurender lineup clearly excels over its predecessors in terms of low frequency extension and slam. The newer N series renders a noticeable edge in terms of perceived detail over older N series. Not to mention 2x isolated Ethernet input and super capacitors for safe shut off in case of sudden loss of power in N200. I have owned N10 for 8 years before upgrading to N20. The choice between n200 or n10 will come down to your DAC’s implementation of USB or AES/SPDIF protocol. May we know what DAC you are trying to pair with n200 or n10?

Thanks @deadhead1000 , I like that feature too. It’s a shame they can’t be in a raid array! So it goes.The upgrades do you look like you would provide a much more quiet background. That said, I lean into total density and warmth rather than more detail… Starts to feel angular and Leading edge focused

.

hi @lalitk . How are you? Hope you’re well. My deck is the AMR DP777SE and Sound much better via SPDIF where there are tubes in front. All of my collection is basically Redbook CD, but I stream using Qobuz. Is there a difference between the N10 and 200 and their USB/SPDIF output Quality?

“My deck is the AMR DP777SE and Sound much better via SPDIF where there are tubes in front.”

@budburma

I am well and hope the same for you. In light of above, I would definitely pick N200 over N10. I also liked the storage and grounding options on N200 in addition to aforementioned features / improvements.

I saw Aurender in April at Axpona. They displayed the whole line with tops off.

Builds look impressive. Are they Roon Ready? Maybe you don't care.

I have used an Innuos Zen 3 for a couple years and like it. Streams, Rips, stores.

Under $3k. No DAC. 

 

@budburma 

It's a nice match for my pure Class A amp and Harbeth speakers, which is clearly a warm setup. Never gets muddy nor too sharp, always clear and warm to me. But both Aurenders are very dependent on the sound of the DAC you have or choose. Personally, at the time I put the money saved from not buying the N10 into a higher end DAC. I think the prices are closer now. No regrets. Hope this helps a bit more.