What features?
about ready to dive in to streaming... PS Audio AirLens vs Aurender N10?
i am considering buying an AirLens but kinda like the features/cost of an Aurender N10.
my sole question..... will i notice a sonic improvement N10 vs AirLens?
i have PS A BHK300, BHK pre, DSDac, cd/sacd memory player & P20 regenerator with B&W 804D2 speakers.
TIA
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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/ 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/
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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.
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@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. |
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 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. |
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. |
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. |