I had an A10 which is the predecessor to the A200. It’s not going to get much better. Aurender will always sound good and never fatiguing but will not get you the utmost in resolution or transparency. Send it back why you have a chance. I had the Cary 600 and 700 after the A10. Again very good but also uses the AKM velvet chip sets and they are just too smooth. I have a Bricasti M3 streaming Dac and it’s what music really sounds like. Dynamic and big. Added an EtherRegen and a LHY OCK 2 reclocker and it digs deep with fantastic transparency.
Aurender integrated streamer/DACs
Does anyone have experience with any of the mid-to-upper-level Aurender units that feature integrated DACs and how do they compare with comparably-priced outboard DACs? Understanding DAC voicing can be a matter of preference, I am also considering a dedicated Roon Core built of JCAT components feeding either a Weiss 502 or the new PS Audio DSD when that becomes available.
Bonus question: looking at this another way (assuming the DACs referenced above are superior to a built-in Aurender DAC), how would a nicely spec'd Roon Core compare with an Aurender Server/Streamer?
Please answer only on in terms of sound quality only. I believe the UI will work fine for me, whether it is Conductor or Roon. Thanks very much!