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

@essrand ,

This appears to be a "you can never be woke enough moment", complete with the required insults.

Extreme positions and echo chambers. No matter what you do eventually you do someone will eventually try to ostracize you for wrong speak.

The Petrus comment just tells me that someone is offended that you were allowed in the club without paying the membership fee.

You obviously don’t understand the difference either. That first time wine taster was still able to tell the difference between the Australian and the Petrus. I’m showing a link that exposes that even very experienced wine testers will prefer other wines over Petrus. It could have been a vintage thing it really doesn’t matter. There is no objective best in wine tasting. There is a most objectively accurate in audio but there is no subjective best either.

mmmmm Petrus....nwo with that ANY server will sound better

This is quite amazing finding considering you're not using LPS on NUC. With LPS and fanless base I could more understand result. Are you sure the Aurrender is burned in, the analytical sound you speak of is common with lack of burn in.

Or perhaps results not unexpected. I have Trifield Meter and find things like displays, hdd, wifi, transformers give off horrible levels of RFI, the reason I like all separates. I'm careful with placement and provide shielding  around the worst RFI offenders.

@jallan, please check my second last post, they were both tidal in the latest test.

@lordmelton It's okay if you don't approve my testing methodology of playing my favourite songs and some audiophile test tracks that I and a friend know in and out and A/B test the two servers. I am not sure how your method is different, plus I would test streaming because I want to listen to streamed music who cares if aurender sounds better on a USB stick if I only listen to Qobuz or Tidal.

Not sure why you are so angsty, did you just drop 10K on an Aurender or something? :)

Just reporting my findings in case somebody is in the same boat as me. My same friend who auditioned with me, is happy with the listening tests we did, because he was seriously considering picking up N200, and now I have saved him $6000.

I will keep an open mind and audition the N20 whenever my dealer has it available (soon he says), or other servers, maybe a 432Evo or Grimm or Fidata. But for now Roon ROCK it is.

@sns That was the first thought me and my friend had. We immediately called up the dealer who said the N200 was in the showroom since July and has had at least 100 hours play time.