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

and here it is for a Volunio

and here’s the Aurender you actually tried, right?  The much more expensive Aurender’s measurements are marginally better played thru the Mytec - a cheap DAC compared to yours! - but likely inaudible.  And the N200 thru the Mytec measures exactly the same as the Vokumio. Just sayin….

oops, hers the link:

@mdalton I read that review and saw the section you linked us to. What that means, at least to me, is:

1. the USB and reclocking capabilities of the signal of the Mytek and dCS DACs are what’s expected from DACs at this level

2. does not in any way indicate how any of the streamers plugged into those DACs sound like,

3. Does not indicate that dCS and Mytek sound alike either

Measurements is only a part of a complicated chain that impacts music reproduction. Measurements and specs don’t indicate how a component Would sound. If you take a tube DAC like the Nagra or the Lampizator or ARC, there’s a very good possibility that a Topping D90 will measure better in some areas. It don’t mean that it will sound better. That’s been my experience. YMMV.

This discussion is interesting for me at the moment because I just ordered me the Antipodes K50 music server/player after much research and deliberation- and much discussion with my wife. I am resolved to use the 30 day trial period to my full benefit although my dealer is nearly certain I will not be returning it. We’ll see. It should arrive this Monday, weather permitting. I picked the K50 because of its high end USB output. My AC Hele’ne DAC is optimized for USB but also has SPDIF inputs with reclocking capability. I also like the idea that this server/player, the K50 splits the tasks of managing streaming/ library functions and playing between one high powered computer and one low powered computer.

So why am I doing this? Curiosity and the pursuit of better sound. I currently use a RS9 music server (similar to a Nucleus +) running Roon. I have a LPS connected to it and I use sliver plated ethernet cables feeding it through two audio grade network switches in series. The sound of streaming is top notch- very, very good. I even put a high end power cord on the LPS and heard a difference. I can’t imagine the sound getting better, but I have to know.

I want to find out if mdalton’s theory is correct. I’m not so sure. The old adage, garbage in, garbage out might still apply even with high end DACs. No question that the music coming in from the Web is full of garbage. And many of us have learned that progressive filtering out of that garbage through better modems, routers, power supplies, switches, cables, reclocking, etc improves the sound of streaming. How good can it get? I want to know.