about ready to dive in to streaming... PS Audio AirLens vs Aurender N10?

What features?

I think the Aurenders can do a lot more than AirLens.   You can only do Tidal and Qobuz through Roon on the AirLens which would be a no go for me.  

The N10 is a full featured streamer that has native Tidal and Qobuz apps built in.  It also has internet radio and can accept internal SSD.    

If you are firmly distilled down to just these two choices, then it’s the AURENDER for me.

if you are willing to consider other options that are peers or better - as contenders and no pretenders - ,then think MOON by Simaudio

https://simaudio.com/en/all-products/

reviews:

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/moon-680d

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/moon-681

https://darko.audio/2021/07/refined-precision-moon-by-simaudios-280d-streaming-dac/

You can use Mconnect to stream Tidal and Qobuz with the AirLens. Not the best method by far sonically or from UI perspective. Roon is your best option with it but it’s a subscription service. Advantage of the AirLens combined with the PS audio DAD is the i2s interface if you buy into PS Audio clams. 
 

Aurender N10 has a superb clock and uses caching which helps in getting a signal as jitter free as possible. Conductor app is easy to use but there’s no Roon with N10. Best connection between the N10 and the PS Audio DAC would be the AES/EBU interface. 
 

I never owned the AirLens or the N10 but I did own a PS Audio DSD MkI and used Aurender N200 with it via AQ Diamond USB cable. I still have my N200 with no plans to change it but the PS Audio DAC is gone. 
 

Aurender is full featured except for their blocking of Roon. AirLens has no app for remote control and no USB for local play. Paul preferred Innous before he marketed his crippled unit.

There are numerous alternatives.

There is no real sonic advantage to i2s with a modern (< 10 YO) PS Audio DAC.

Believe hype at your own peril.

@fuzztone you’re correct about the previous generation of Aurender streamers-no Roon. However, the latest Aurender streamers are Roon ready. I’ve used Roon with my N200. 

ROON is a non factor for me. i have enough subscriptions in my life. 
im only considering the AirLens because i like uniformity. 
so really, my main concern is audio quality.
thanks for your replies thus far. 

I have not heard all the darling streamers, but I’ve owned all the Eversolo models and the HI ROSE 130. The Aurender N200 was the best sounding of the bunch. The conductor app is very easy to use. I’m 70 and I was up and running in no time. I now have the Aurender N20. There is only a small difference in sound between it and the N200 despite the 6K difference in price.

Aurender is very good but in my experience, Antipodes is better and has the best ever customer service.

Aurender for sure. It is an audiophile grade streamer with sound quality, build quality, support and a great app for navigation. I own two Aurender.

Just a note on sound quality differences between, say the N200 and N20. I would say the difference is very substantial and very much worth the money. This is not really a contradiction with what @dwest1023  said. It depends on the associated equipment you own and the value you place on improved sound quality. I am familiar with the different tiers of Aurrender streamers and am also in touch with other audiophiles with excellent high end systems and the consensus is definitely that each step up in tier nets a significant and cost justified improvement in sound quality. So, if this is worth it for you is a question of your system and financial means. I own a $22K Aurrender W20SE streamer and I was simply shocked at how good it was and thought it a great deal at that price because it brought the sound quality of my digital end up to the level of my $45K vinyl end.

I love my N200.   It's been great.   

If you want the best sound quality, the airlens hands down. Years ago I went with Auralic over the Aurender because of sq and lightning DS is light years ahead of aurenders software.

The airlens only has 2 output interfaces and you want to use the i2s interface. If you notice, the airlens doesn’t include the flawed usb interface.

I use Roon with ps audio DS dac, and the airlens will make your dac sound better. Get the best I2S cable you can afford.

Using i2s, you won’t be fooled into buying all those usb tweaks/gimmicks which try to get the usb interface to sound better. It’s like putting lipstick on a pig

One thing that always is a welcome addition is a good DDC or reclocker 

it not only has far better filtering and clocks then the streamer and the vast majority 

of dacs but it adds a much more real perspective in naturalness ,for sure better 

Bass and midBass articulation  and even better if your streamer can run I2S or

quality Digital inputs. 

thank you all for your input. i have decided to go with the Aurender N10.
i genuinely appreciate each of your comments. kind, clean & mostly on topic. 
best wishes to all.

Innuos Pulsar 

Though I know OP's question doesn't go there

I have a question for those who have the Aurenders... Does it require an additional DAC?  I just read a review on the 200 and the guy had his connected to a Yssagril or whatever DAC.  I'm interested in changing from my Bluesound Vault and Weiss Dac combo, which sounds great, to a Aurender 20 or 200, but one says its a streamer and one says its a servier.  So I wasn't sure if either would be a stand alone into my McIntosh 352 tube amp and Revel Studios, or if I would need a DAC as well.

@mojo771 If you Google Aurender and go to their website, my browser returned tabs for each model. They are both listed as ‘Transports,’ and nether of their listed outputs include an analog port of any kind, so, yes, you’re going to need a D/A converter, otherwise known as a DAC. Curiously, to me, the N20 includes several more outputs than the N200, as well as a clock input. 

@googoogjoob good choice! Get a nice AES cable and you should be set!

@mojo771 Aurender models designated with N are network streamers. Ones designated with A are streamer/DAC combos. In example N200 is a streamer only and requires an outboard DAC. The A200 model has a built in DAC. 

googoogjoob

Great choice! I tested the N10 to the N200, and both were great streamers; not a bad decision to be had with either unit

I have been very happy with the ExaSound Delta Mk 2.  Very favorably reviewed in Stereophile and is in their list of recommended components.

N10 owner here…love it! No complaints whatsoever.