Lumin U2 vs Aurender N200

I was not lucky enough to get any valuable responses when I had the exact same question. And the trend continues. 
 

Having owned lumin u1 mini and Aurender N200, I can only tell you that the N200 sounds best using its native Conductor app. It doesn’t sound as good with Roon. The difference is enough to delegate Roon to background music and Conductor to critical listening. I suspect the difference maker here is the Aurender proprietary processing with caching the data onto a large SSD prior to playing, and Roon’s processing of signal in its own way before it is passed down the network to the Aurender. 

With Lumin U1 Mini I was not able to easily differentiate between Roon and native streaming app. The UI is horrible on Lumin but you said you don’t care. 
 

Sorry I can’t help with the Lumin U2 comparison. I heard it’s a stellar performer. 
 

As a side note I sold my N200 when I bought my Meitner MA3i with a built in streaming card, a Roon endpoint. I heard no value add from the N200 after extensive comparisons. 
The N200 is a great streamer though, just a waste of money if you’re going to use Roon. That’s my $0.02

Thanks guys, for your input. It’s a bit disappointing that sound quality can vary depending on the streaming app. I like Roon, but I’d be open to using Conductor.app if it’s really that good, both in terms of usability and sound quality. I’ve read a few comments here and some people do seem to praise Aurender for its fuller sound.
 

I recently came across a comment saying that someone moved from an Aurender N200 to an Innuos Pulsar and felt it was a clear upgrade. Has anyone else moved from Aurender to Pulsar and considered it an upgrade?

@gabriel123 An upgrade to some could be a downgrade to others. Only way to find out is to audition them yourself, preferably in your system. I've never heard the Innous Pulsar but never doubted my N20 since I  bought it three years ago. 

@lordmelton 

+1

In contrast the Aurender is a bit more accurate and neutral and the Innous more romantic. 

So, yes, especially depending on the rest of your system. If you have a very analytical system and are striving for natural the Innous may soften things up enough to sound more musical. 

If you are comparing in the same price tier... then the most likely differences are design philosophy and if it fits in your system... the rest of your system and your ultimate goal.