Aurender N150 vs N200

@vthokie83 The N10 is sonically very close to the N200, with the N200 being a bit more detailed. The challenge with the N10 is that it is quite a dated unit, and at this point Aurender is not supporting it with upgrades anymore. It is on a completely different chipset vs the new generation (ARM vs Intel), so it is difficult to manage both architectures. As of a few months ago, Roon became certified on Aurender, so now Aurender units can act as a Roon endpoint. This is a feature that is not available on the N10, and I am aware that Aurender has additional third party integrations in the works.

Also, I mention it in other threads, but to make sure I communicate openly, Aurender has a non-transferable warranty. This means if you buy used and experience issues, you will likely be paying for service and repair. For most electronics and speakers, I love the used market. For Aurender, I find the warranty to be worth it. It is a sophisticated computer, and who hasn’t had an issue with their computer at some point?

For the most part Aurender is very stable, but I’ve had a few customers that are very glad they bought it new.

blisshifi,

Thank you for the information, and I understand the warranty information. However having had the N200 and N10 here at the same time, I will say that in my system (with my equipment which includes a Denafrips Pontus II), the N10 outclassed even the N200. I could live forever with the N200, but the N10 was superior in my system, with my components, in my room. I will probably try to buy an N20 next year when I have the funds, but if not I would LOVE to have an N200 right now.

“Aurender units can act as a Roon endpoint”

@blisshifi

Happy New Year! Does this mean you need another ‘box’ to run ROON Core?

@blisshifi 

Do you know which additional third party apps are in the works? 

@vthokie83 Yes, opinion is split on which is better, N200 and N10, depending on the priorities (resolution vs tonal density, etc). Unfortunately, I don’t know what is in the works in terms of third party apps, and if I did, I probably wouldn’t be allowed to share it. 

@lalitk Yes, the Aurender is not a Roon core, so at this time another box is still required to run as a core. But you should already be able to go to your Aurender app and enable Roon under Streaming settings.