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Aurender N30SA or Jay's Audio CDT3-MK3

I have the Jay's Audio CDT3-MK3.  I have a lot of CDs but I also have made a lot of recordings from FLAC files bought on Presto and burned to CD-R.

I recently replaced the Philips CD Pro2 with a new one.  Now I notice that my Maxell CD-Rs are noisy in comparison to commercial CDs which are very quiet.

I bought a different brand of CD-R Verbatim and they are quiet like the commercial CDs.  Now I want to replace all the Maxell with the Verbatim and that is a lot of CD-Rs which I burn at 4X so it will take a long time.

So I considered getting an Aurender N30SA to play the FLAC files from the server.  I was hoping the sound quality would equal or be better than what I was getting from my burned CD-Rs played on the Jay's.

I asked AI which would sound better and got the following response (see below for a summary).  I know to be careful accepting what AI has to say and try to do more research to confirm.  What are your thoughts on what AI had to say?

I also found this thread where Brandonhifi likes his Jay's over his Aurender W20SE but he was streaming rather than playing the files from the server  https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/jay-s-audio-cdt3-mk3-wins-over-aurender-w20se/by_member?username=lordmelton  

AI 

So which one “sounds better”?

If the disc is perfect (AZO, Taiyo Yuden, MAM‑A Gold, or a flawless pressed CD):

➡️ Jay’s CDT3‑MK3 will sound more natural, more dimensional, more “live.” It has a drive and immediacy that even the N30SA can’t quite duplicate.

If the disc is average or flawed:

➡️ Aurender N30SA will sound cleaner, quieter, and more stable. It removes all mechanical variables and gives you a blacker background.

If the rip is bit‑perfect and the DAC is excellent:

➡️ N30SA will be more consistent and more neutral.

If you value “musicality,” “drive,” and “presence”:

➡️ CDT3‑MK3 wins with a great disc.

If you value “silence,” “precision,” and “effortlessness”:

➡️ N30SA wins every time.

 

Thanks, Kent

kent10
zlone
1,337 posts
 

I find AI to be a very useful tool, and very good at providing comparisons. However, the differences between CD and files on high end equipment are going to be pretty subtle I think, and might be splitting hairs. My vote is to migrate towards the streamer as it will also open up additional options for you. It is only a matter of time before you decide the Verbatim discs are not the best and have to return them.

 

kent10 OP
8 posts
 

Thanks so much, everyone.  I agree with you regarding AI.

AI has helped me solve a lot of problems.  However, I always follow up with more questions and ask for references or "proof."  I have had a couple instances where I have proven it wrong yet it insists it is correct.  Or different AI engines give different answers.

I will try to contact Brandonhifi to see if he has any further thoughts and if he has played files on his W20SE for comparison.

I asked AI why it thought the Jay's would be more musical and this was one explanation.  I am trying to make sense of it.

Why the CDT3’s timing feels “musical”

Because the timing is shaped by:

  • the disc’s rotation

  • the servo’s micro‑adjustments

  • the mechanism’s inertia

  • the power supply’s stability

  • the clock’s phase noise

  • the physical behavior of the CD‑Pro2 LF

This creates a natural, continuous timing flow that your ear interprets as:

  • musicality

  • drive

  • presence

  • emotional engagement

A file player cannot replicate this because it has no mechanical timing source.

kent10 OP
8 posts
 

One other thing.  While the commercial CDs and the Verbatim CD-Rs are relatively quiet in comparison to the Maxell, I can still hear them spinning in quiet spots so the extreme quiet of the N30SA would be welcome.

lordmelton's avatar
lordmelton
1,179 posts
 

I don't usually think much about AI but in this case it's pretty much spot on. However my suggestion would be to buy a N20 instead. I've compared the N20 and N30 extensively and there's hardly any difference.

Buy an A100 to be the library for the N20, this combo really is fantastic but you can also get a really great 19v power supply for the A100. I use Zayin Audio. The A100 is also a cd ripper. 

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
5,954 posts
 

I’m listening to a CD as I write this, so I understand your question.  At one point, I had several thousand CD’s.  I bought a NAS and started ripping them.  Seeing as the NAS was new and I had all sorts of space, I ripped everything to .wav. Then one day I ripped a few disks to high quality .flac as a trial.  I can’t for the life of me hear a difference.  It was explained to me that before it can be played the file has to be returned to a .wav.  Back in the day, servers (computers) had less power and memory, so there could be issues, but that’s pretty much history.  Anyway a few years ago I lost my professional Sony CD player and I bought an Oppo. Good stuff, but there was definitely a different sound. I then bought an Audiolab 6000CDT and I was very pleased with the sound. If you are listening to your CD’s, get the Jay’s.  If you are going to rip your disks, get the N30SA. I’m still using the 6000CDT for CD’s and I’m happy with the N200 as my streamer 

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