Aurender N20 Streamer & Holo May DAC vs Analog
A couple of caveats..
1. My retail analog system is 2x $ of my digital.
2. Power cable to phono preamp > to Aurender
3. Analog signal interconnects $$$>$ digital cables.
Analog is much more musical with regards to tonality, airy soundstage with great imaging, detail, impact .. in every way.
Aurender/May DAC USB vs AES/EBU is source dependent and I haven’t figured this out completely, but CD likes AES with upscaling. Most other sources benefit from USB with regards to imaging, airy presentation and detail/tonality. Still early, but, for example, playing “Friday Night In San Francisco” these differences were quite apparent with Qobuz 176/24. I was definitely favoring USB, but Analog was so much more of everything and much more involving. Analog was amazing.
Aurender is major upgrade from iFi Zen Stream with their best power supply and fiber optic Ethernet isolation.
“if you can find a streamer with a ROON core” There lies your rub @recherche ….so many variables with finding a one box ROON solution without the complexities of a science project or paying top dollars. Streamers from Aurender, Innuos, Lumin and Auralic offers elegant one box solution….those who says they can do it cheaper and make it sound as good as the offerings from aforementioned brands, more power to them. I am not going to get in the way of their double, triple blind test escapades :-) |
