Clock vs Streamer advice

Aurenders sound great but the app is not good if you want to stream classical music. Also you can't at present use Roon with an Aurender if you think you might want to go the Roon way. 

Ya, I'm not a huge fan of the Aurender app. It's organization was good, but the connectivity could be a hassle. I'm currently using Roon, and I like it, but it's not a deal breaker for me whether or not I use it. 

@mazian

Which app you found best to browse classical music?

Another vote for buying a better streamer and the one with a clock input is a definite plus! 

@lalitk

I tried apps associated with streamers from Elac, Cambridge Audio, Auralic, iFi Zen and Aurender but none of them was as good as the native Qobuz app. I was unable to find any way of using the Qobuz app with any of those streamers except via Airplay but when doing that I could not stream in Hi Res. I resisted subscribing to Roon for years but eventually succumbed and Roon is easily the best way of managing streamed albums, not perfect but the best. To achieve that I ended up buying an Antipodes CX streamer which was both Roon Ready and Roon Core in the same unit. The sound quality is excellent, on par with an Aurender N200, but not cheap and there is also the ongoing payment for Roon. Is it worth it? This you have to judge for yourself.

blisshifi

1,011 posts

01-30-2024 at 11:21pm 

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I suggest you save a bit more or wait for a higher priced unit to come on the used market. That said, warranties count for something, as streamers are inherently computers, and who hasn’t had computer problems? Many times it’s worth buying new just so that you’re not stuck with a lemon in the long run.

Or the short run.
When you run with the expensive streamer camp, buying used is putting a lot of faith in the in-house software and the parts (from the PCB on up) not malfunctioning. If something goes wrong and an RMA is necessary, out-of-warranty can get costly in time, parts, labor.