Aurender N10 and audiophile network devices

Thank you all for your  answers.

AudioAero DAC only accepts SPDIF or AES/EBU connection, no USB, it is 13 years old DAC.

But with all upgrades I have done, it sounds better to me and my audio buddies then AudioNote DAC4 Signature ( I have borrowed it for day for comparison), lesser DAC's we have tried do not even come close..

Additionally I have borrowed Transparent Reference XL Digital 1m (AES/EBU) from a friend ( he claimed that it is one of the best digital cable there are ) but there have been not audible difference to me with AudioAreo DAC, so I have stayed with mine Tara Labs RS-1 SPDIF (1.5m).

I'm storing my CD's in WAV format (uncompressed), they have been ripped using ExactAudioCopy on desktop PC running WIn7 and transfered to N10 internal drives using Windows Explorer.

For both AudioAero and N10 I'm using Shunyata Alpha Zitron DIgital. Both power cords are connected directly to wall the the some Furutech GTX socket, I'm using dedicated line.

So all is the some, just comparing CD transport with Aurender N10. I have compared N10 to some lesser transports like some SONY $1500 and some Philips, N10 was much much better in every sonic department, cheap CD transports do not even come close.

Maybe just CD-Pro2 used in Aero is that good ??? I do not know.

I have heard in some studios Lumina and other media servers $5000-$6000 (price range) and always have been disappointing (gray and thin sounding).

But I was extremely thrilled when auditioning some very expensive CEC transport (spinner), as good as good turntable.

But I do not want to invest money in XX century technology and physical media, I like the idea of storing music in digital files, but not in the expense of quality. 

I appreciate your answers.
I especially like the idea to contact Aurender support ( they are very responsive and eager to help ).
I have just assumed that there is nothing they can do for me when N10 actually plays music.

I have just used default settings on Exact Audio Copy when ripping CD’s on Win7 based desktop.
When I play CD’s Track01.waw is displayed on the screen. And 16/44.1 on Audio aero DAC. I’m using uncompressed WAV format only.
Yes Tidal steaming are saturated not gray or thin.
As preamp I’m using Supratek Cortese II (last edition additionally modified by skillful electronic). Solid State Clayton M100 monoblocks and YGA Anat speakers.
So setup is quite resolving and capable of discriminating different sources.

I have been recently on Audio Show and heard Aurender A10 being played by dealer, it did not sound good, very uninvolving.

I will contact Aurender support and will keep you posted.
Regards

Follow up:

 

1) Aurender support.

 

I have asked Aurender support to check my unit, they did their best.

After thorough week long investigation I have got answer from Aurender, I'm pasting it below, IMO it might be of some value for audiogon Aurender owners:

"We checked and again did not find anything wrong with your Aurender on the software side.

WIFI Router is used only for controlling app, music is streamed directly from internal drives.

Yes, but noise can still be introduced via the ethernet cable. It may help, but don’t expect a “night and day” difference there.

Your Aurender N10 already has a very fine linear power supply built in. Certainly, a good power cable will make a difference. This will be more easily audible than playing with ethernet cables. Still, temper your expectations here…it makes a very clear difference, but will it completely transform the sound of your system? usually not.

"

2) Wifi router.

I already have replaced cheap router power adapter with battery based PSU (I did not heard difference as expected , as it is only for controlling app).

I will try better Ethernet cables (Supra 8) and will use better router soon.

Aurender firmware has been upgraded to newest version

 

3)  Audition

Aurender N10 vs moded AudioAero MKII vs T+A d10 (with expensive NOS tubes)

Me and my audio buddies have gather after Christmas to one more time compare transports and reach some conclusions. Most  guys are season audiophiles except one.

Four guys are digital only.

- To settle in, Aurender has been on for week, AA player for 1 day.

- The some PC cable used for both units Shunyata Alpha Ztron DIgital connected to dedicated line terminated with Furutech GTX socket.

- we have used CD track which has been ripped to 16/44.1 WAV (playlist).

- amplification modded Supratek Chenin mkII (tube) ,Clayton monoblocks (solidstate class A),

- speakers YGA Anat Studio speakers

 

Our impressions after audition N10 vs AudioAero:

For some reason AudioAero did not sound to his full potential, friends said it never sounded that bad, on the contrary Aurender N10 sounded better then ever (new firmware - who knows):

 

Summary of our impressions:

Friend K: prefers N10 better hights , velvet mids, AA to much bass (he is not an audiophile).

Friend B: N10 balance is lower, less hights and less sibilants, bad sound stage, AA good sound stage better highs but sound to technical, verdict draw

Friend S: AA goes much deeper, wider sound stage,  harmonically saturated, N10 leaner, grayer , preference for AA but difference is not like night and day

Friend A: AA a little to aggressive, but there is shine in the mids, better attack, N10 has jagged frequency band, garish and lean, prefers by wide margin AA (aggressiveness vanished when AA used with Acrolink 7100)

Friend T: AA to much bass, besides that AA is better in every aspect, N10 has no colors no liquidity,  behind weil.

Friend J: AA more information , mids are withdraw, N10 better mids, but very gray, dummy sound, AA wins

 

Next contender we have tried was T+A d10 SACD/CD player (we have used only CD's for comparison), unit has not been modded but better then stock tubes has been used: some NOS Siemens, Telefunkens etc.

To our surprise, it has been unanimous (nobody has expected it) T+A was not just better then AA or N10 it was crushing victory, all aspects have been better: highs mids, bass finally has been under control, huge sound stage, liquidity.  Totally different league then N10. Just a few comments: balanced, musical, good controlled bass, saturated, liquid.

 

Next we has tried standalone DAC's we had Lampizator 4.5 and Cello Music&Film DAC 8.

Cello in character has been similar to AA Cap but much less refined, nobody was impressed, Lampizator was very different, very upfront, good for voices but for nothing else, very flat sound stage, strange mechanical. Integrated DAC's of AA or T+A have been much better.

Additionally we have compared Shunyata Alpha Zitron Digital Power Cord with Acrolink 7100 Power Cord, again unanimously Acrolink won when used with AA or T+A.

 

When everybody got cozy about T+A sound , digital we could have leave with, I decided to put analog on: SME 20/2 + SME V + Kisseki Purple heart (SME with small mods: VanDenHul wire has been replaced with Kondo wire, cheap DIN socket with silver WBT RCA socket).

If there has been 1mile difference between N10 and T+A, now between T+A and SME there has been 10 miles difference. Nobody has any doubts there is a long, long way for digital to reach that kind of musicality if ever .... My vocabulary is not rich enough to describe it, just music with sound coherent, liquid, natural, with finally saturated colors, huge sound stage.

 

Happy T+A owner just asked me how much does it cost to start adventure with analog. Illusion time is over for some of us.

 

4) Future plans

It is not surprise for me that analog still is king of the hill and will be at least for decade or longer. Even knowing that, I'm not going to give up on it. One of my friends is very experience and knowledgeable electronics engineer, and he is going to look at my N10 to see what can be done to make it fuller more colorful. It will take considerable time and some money but I hope that he will be able to much AA musicality. or maybe even T+A (I know I'm letting myself t to be carried away :)

 

Will update thread when N10 will be back with all mods.

 

 Thank you for reading, hope that has any value.

Regards

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve thank you for your comment.

 I'm newbie when it comes to digital, so 
First question: how expensive Ethernet cables can help in case of Aurender N10 (even Aurender support doubt that)  playing from internal drives ? INO only SPIDF cable can matter.
Yes, I believe Ethernet cables could help when streaming from Tidal (we have not tested it).


Second question, to use Aurender controlling app one have to use wifi router hence there is no use case for  AQVOX Switch ?

Stereophile Dec 2018

ATC CDA2 MK2 review Ken Micallef

"Going from physical CD to ripped files is like switching vinyl out for digital, but with edges polished and dynamics truncated. The sound was very good overall, including from DSD files, but it lacked the visceral grip of CDs through the ATC's transport. I did't stay here long."

Seems that I not the only one who have noticed that good CD transport can beat easily ripped files.

For me the biggest loss was of colors, palpability dynamics. 
My friend electronics engineer is working on N10, in month or so, I should have it back with first mod. He says that it is going to be more alive but will not much AudioAero.

> i disagree that ripped cd’s sound inferior to the hard cd
This is prevalent message, that is why I have decided to try media server. I was literally shocked that my experience do not jive with experience of so many experienced audiophiles. Hence that thread.
In 2018 I have attended 2 audio shows, all media servers have been disappointment to me (some where really bad), with one exception I did like newest Lampizator Golden Gate DAC, but generally IMHO analogs wins hands down.
The some impression had my teenage daughter, she did not like even one digital demo, she feels that only analog is sound real, and she is not an audiophile.
I agree that Aurender support is incredible, though :)

It took long time, but finally my Aurender N10 is back home from upgrade.
In summary more body, more dynamic, more colors, it is no longer flesh out, hollow grayish sound.
Is it better then my benchmark: CD AudioAero Capitole mkII, hard to say, very, very close, I still have impression that Capitolle is fuller but darker, which is better, now it depend on your taste. Planning to gather my audio buddies and again run blind tests like before. I have impression that now it is not going to be crashing CD victory but close call.
I attended Audio Show in Warsaw November 2018 (second biggest in Europe), and A10 has been demonstrated by dealer with some expensive speakers and electronic. I would say, it was two level below N10 , very artificial mid hifi sound, huge disappointment for me (I have read great reviews).