Posts like these make me feel great about what I am able to achieve with my well constructed but reasonably priced streamer setup vs. my much more expensive analog one. Both have slightly different presentation but are 100% equally satisfying. Details under my house of stereo system. Actually listening to my CD setup now, just as good too. Enjoy whatever you got!
Aurender N20 Streamer & Holo May DAC vs Analog
A couple of caveats..
1. My retail analog system is 2x $ of my digital.
2. Power cable to phono preamp > to Aurender
3. Analog signal interconnects $$$>$ digital cables.
Analog is much more musical with regards to tonality, airy soundstage with great imaging, detail, impact .. in every way.
Aurender/May DAC USB vs AES/EBU is source dependent and I haven’t figured this out completely, but CD likes AES with upscaling. Most other sources benefit from USB with regards to imaging, airy presentation and detail/tonality. Still early, but, for example, playing “Friday Night In San Francisco” these differences were quite apparent with Qobuz 176/24. I was definitely favoring USB, but Analog was so much more of everything and much more involving. Analog was amazing.
Aurender is major upgrade from iFi Zen Stream with their best power supply and fiber optic Ethernet isolation.