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

Hello mclinnguy,

I picked the K50 for its high level USB output as well as having multiple player and server app options.  The Antipodes allows the use of Roon, Squeeze, HDplayer (with subscription) and a couple of others.  I also see the logic in their multiple processor strategy.  I'm a little miffed that for the money, they do not include a SSD.  Okay, SSDs are not expensive so no big deal but SSDs are not expensive so why not include a complimentary drive?  That's like my expensive DAC.  It did not come with a power cord.  It is considered a given that the buyer will use their own high end power cord.  Ok, yeah I did have my own high end power cord.

I thought of an analogy to streaming.  Back in engineering college in the 1970s, I remember the Civil Engineers put together a water filtering demonstration for an Open House.  They started with raw sewage and filtered it down to pure drinking water.  The entire process was viewable through Lucite panels.  Everyone was invited to sample the drinking water but there were few takers, that I saw.  The apparatus started with grates to filter out the big chunks, then gravel and then finer and finer sands until the final stage that I guess filtered out the bacterium.  

Just like the water, the music being streamed is mixed in with the garbage and needs progressive filtering to clean it up.  Just a thought.

I began streaming two and a half years ago. One of the things I notice about listening to digital is that the digital glare or edgy highs always forced me to turn down the volume. Now I’m not talking about listening levels that drives everyone out of the house. I mean my normal listening levels that can make you feel the bass but not head splitting- analog music that is loud but not so loud to make groove noise annoyingly loud.

So as I have improved the sound of digital streaming through switches, cables and DACs, I find that I can turn up the volume on songs that in the past I would have to play at lower levels to avoid that cringing glare. I see that as a measurable parameter. I find now that I can play just about any streaming digital song as loud as I want. (Ok, not including the point where my wife objects.)

Yes, I am one of those "touchy sensitive" audiophiles that doesn’t like to crank up their car stereo system- especially if playing SXM. Forcing me to listen to that loudly has to go against the Geneva Convention. :)

Keep in mind that a resolving and open stereo system has the downside to making things like digital glare very apparent.

@audphile1 

Thank you my friend.  I love this hobby, and I know you do too.  

...playing SXM. Forcing me to listen to that loudly has to go against the Geneva Convention.

64 kb/s I believe- I agree- it's horrendous and it hurts my ears as well. 

@mclinnguy thanks for the clarification!