An N20 makes perfect sense. Keep your DAC for a while and buy a 10mHz master clock for the N20. This will take your DAC to a new level and give you time to re-evaluate your system, don't cheap out on cables and give the N20 about 4 months to break in. USB sounds just as good as AES don't listen to the naysayers.
Upgrading streamer transport Lumin U2X Vs. Aurender N20
My current streamer is a Lumin U2 mini with a LHY Linear power supply. My Dac is a Weiss 204 with a Modwright Linear Power supply. Seeking to upgrade my dac to a Berkely Alpha Series 3 with their USB audio interface. I am used to the operation of my Lumin U2 mini that works with Qobuz. Is there anybody that has compared the sound of the Aurender N20 to the Lumin U2X . I did call Aurender and they provide phone support. Spoke to a rep who is out of Minnesota who was very knowledgeable and helpful. Lumin provides a Hong Kong number, but not sure the quality of their support. The Lumin retails for $11,000 and the Aurender $13,500.00. Any thoughts would be appreciated. By the way, Aurender provides storage that I don't need.
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Some comments major on the OCXO clocks being superior to High end Femto but its important to understand what they are and are not used in these machines. I understand
OCXO is excellent for ultra-stable clocking in SPDIF/AES outputs, especially when the device is a server like the Aurender N20 that prioritizes those outputs. Femto clocks are more common in high-end digital transports and DACs because they provide extremely low phase noise and jitter without the thermal stabilization complexity of OCXO.
The U2X is a pure digital transport optimized for USB and network isolation rather than SPDIF/AES. It uses dual femto clocks, one for PCM, one for DSD and provides 10 MHz external clock input/output, which allows sync with a master clock for even higher precision. So its horses for courses. I can only relate how my search went. The comparison I made with the X1 and the A20 was not so much about which was better but which difference fitted with my ears and which offered the best synergy within my system. I preferred the A20 to the A30 and then realised why I was leaning to the X1 it was the fact that the A20 was a little smoother than the A30 but the Lumin offered an even more fluid organic presentation which for me at least was less clinical than the A20 and even more a contrast to the A30. Don’t misunderstand me, had I opted for any of these three products I would have been very happy indeed but being given time to understand their nuances and contrasts over time with my eclectic tastes was instructive. Ultimately, it was the Lumin X1which made it both the easy and difficult choice. I am not sure how this will go for you but I would think we are comparing Apex products and it will come down to personal engagemnt more than technical prowess. I cannot comment on the service aspect from these companies other than to say, I havent needed to speak to Lumin because the unit has been utterly faultless and recieves regular updates. Early in ownership I reached out to the company about whether I should keep the unit switched on and recieved a detailed response less than an hour after my email went to them. That’s about it. So good luck with your choice, I rather doubt you will be disappointed with either of these great products. |
@nubiann Aurender has a critical listening mode that shuts off non essential circuits including the display. It’s not an issue. |
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