Aurender N20 Music Server Comments and Observations

@pokey77, Hello, it is great to chat with you again.

My Aurender N10 Music Server cost $8,000 and was very good. The Aurender N20 Music Server costs $12,000 and is truly outstanding. As I noted in my above post, the music is clearer, the bass is better, has more air and it has more musical details. The overall musical presentation is much improved. Aurender says the N20 has “An All-Digital Phase-Locked Loop system (ADPLL) incorporating Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) with OCXO clocks precisely times digital audio data transmissions and minimizes jitter to below negligible levels. The results are sonically audible with better image focus, a wider, deeper, taller soundstage presentation and an uncanny analog-like organic quality”. The above is probably why it sounds so good to me. I suggest you give it a listen and decide for yourself. Based on my listening, I strongly recommend the Aurender N20 Music Server

I am not using an upgraded internet switch. I have had major Internet connectivity issues with my Linksys and Apple Routers. I finally purchased the Luxul Wireless Router Kit – EPIC 3 AC3100 Wireless Router and the XAP-1510 AC1900 Access Point. Everything is working fine AFTER my ISP made some further adjustments (adjusted the Internet signal strength (VERY IMPORTANT), replaced my outside junction box, replaced all my inside cables and tuned their outside signal boosting amplifier.

Successful Tidal and QoBuz Streaming REQUIRES all your devices that connect to the Internet to be working perfectly. This includes the router, switch boxes, modems and the ISP connection (junction boxes, amplifiers, etc.). It seems, unfortunately, I have had issues with most everything down stream.

I suggest you review these many components to ensure they are working okay. And, yes, most likely, you will need to contact your ISP to ensure the cable speed is okay, the cable signal strength is within its required range, etc. My ISP, Wave Broadband, was very helpful ensuring the service was working for me. This is not simple project and requires time and lots of patience to get it working correctly.

Any questions, please ask. Thanks.

"11. 12. USB 3.0 Data Port 1, 2

Both ports can be used to copy files from USB memory devices. Either port can also be connected to dCS systems by using the optional USB to RS232 dongle. Connecting the dCS RS232 control cable will enable automatic clock selection between the Aurender N20 and the dCS Master Clock. These ports should not be used as audio outputs".

Is this helpful?   

"Dedicated Word Clock Input

The N20 offers support for an external word clock which can, in some cases, improve upon the SPDIF audio performance in terms of musical rhythm, pace, timing, and phase coherance. If the user wants to use a separate master clock and SPDIF interconnects, a music server with master clock input is needed as well as a DAC with master clock input. The external word clock can then be used to synchronize timing between both digital devices ensuring jitter-free and time-perfect data transmission. N20 can accept word clocks with the following frequencies: Master clock: 10MHz, 12.8MHz, Word clock: 44.1KHz and 48KHz in multiples from 1 to 512. N20 supports both word clock (dCS, DACs or similar) or Master Clock (MSB DACs or similar) inputs.

 Master Clock Input     Word Clock or Master Clock Input (BNC) 10MHz, 12.8MHz (44.1kHz and 48kHz multiples from 1 to 512), Input impedance 75Ω".

Does this help?

1.     In the past you could add favorite songs to the queue, and then save those queued songs as a playlist to Tidal. That functionality no longer works (at least for me). 

2.     In the past, in Favorites the alphabet was listed along the right side of the screen. To jump to that letter, you could just touch it. That functionality is now gone. You now must scroll through all the songs. On an iPad mini with 1,700 Favorite songs that can take a very long time. 

3.     In the past selecting “Songs”, and “Favorites”, one could easily scroll from beginning to end. Now only 50 songs load, and you must then touch “Load More”, reaaallly slow. With 1,700 songs you must go through this process 34 times!!

a.     Now after you finally scroll through dozens and dozens of screens to get to the desired Favorite song, and then you select an action (say play now). You lose your place in Favorites and then need to re-load all the songs AGAIN (see above 34 different screens to get to the letter Z).

4.     In the past, when you loaded Favorites into the queue, the songs maintained the solid (selected) star. Now some of the songs lose their solid star. So if you are listening to a song in the queue and decide it is no longer a Favorite, you can no longer deselect it, as it already shows it is deselected, though in fact, it isn’t. 

5.     In the past, under “Songs”, “Favorites”, one could easily touch a star to deselect it and thereby remove it from Favorites. Now the song just gets added to the queue. 

6.     I understand Wadax makes a nice server (Atlantis) that is both MQA compatible and a Roon Core. Now that Covid is over, time to find an audio show to take a listen and replace this very buggy Aurender. Isn’t convenience the point of streaming after all? 

I recently got aurender n20 and currently feeding esoteric k-01xd via usb. Have fiber optic > sotm > English electric 8s > ENO acoustic to aurender n20. I can say without doubt n20 is amazing in all aspects. Before this I had antipodes CX > S30. It was good for sure, but seemed more digital. Don't know how to explain, but I feel aurender n20 to be more natural and organic in addition to being dynamic and resolving. I will try using spdif output to esoteric k-01xd by next week. 
Also waiting for arrival of esoteric g-02x masterclock to be connected to k-01xd and aurender n20. Can't imagine how much more better it can get, when it is already sounding outstanding. 

I auditioned Aurender, Auralic, Weiss and Lumin over a two week period at a very knowledgable and understanding dealer. It was evident early on I preferred the Aurender's sonic presentation. Most of my listening was done on an Aurender ACS10 where we compared ripped CDs (The ACS10 rips) against my computer rips, ripped using DB Poweamp and then downloaded onto the ACS10's hard drive.

There was a lot of comparison done and the computer rips were no slouch but what eventually won me over to Aurender and eventually the N20 was the voice realism of Redbook CD rips. The Aurender ACS10 rips were amazing also played on the ACS10.

So audition for yourself, hearing is believing don't take my word or anyone else's word for it.

The N20 is excellent.  One thing to be aware of though is it runs very hot.  Aurender recommends not putting it in a cabinet.  I had mine in an open cabinet and ran small computer fans on it.  There's so much processing going on inside (FPGA, upsampling, higher DSD rates, etc.), which make the N20 very attractive in terms of features, but are probably the culprits here.  I now have the N200 and comparatively it does not run hot at all.

@jimmy2615 

How do you like N200? How does N200 compares with N20? I did not experience any 'heat' issues with N20 as I had mine on a open shelf. 

Well, it's the best streamer I ever had, I thought it was great!  Being able to convert DSD to PCM on the fly, upsampling, a really good clock and SPDIF output, among other features make it very flexible, and sound is fantastic.  The N200 in comparison is very simple, but just using USB output it is also very good.  Hard to give a sound comparison though as I did not have the units in house at the same time.  Going off memory fwiw I think the N20 had just a little more refinement and definition.  

@jimmy2615 I find your review of the N20 misleading to say the least. The N20 doesn't run hot. Google is your friend! The N20 will output native DSD over USB into a suitable DAC so why convert to PCM? Why use SPDIF when you can use USB or AES EBU? The N200 costs $6k and the N20 $12k if you can't strongly hear the difference you've got cloth ears or a super crappy system.

Anyone interested in Auender produts should go and have a demo over a few days and make your own mind up. PS I have no horse in this race except I chose the N20 over many other products and many people tried to mislead me along the way.

Lord, the N20 is an AWESOME streamer! It should be for $12k! In fact I think you’re cutting it short. The extra features are a lot of what you are paying for. Its spdif/AES output and clock is super high quality, and ability to convert DSD to PCM on the fly unusual in a streamer and takes tremendous processing power to do it. Did you know if you use USB your DAC’s clock is running the show? Some new DACs and many old ones do not process DSD (which to answer your question is why you would use  spdif as opposed to USB), so the N20 enhanced capability in this area is a great feature. Also, its ability to upsample is great and also takes a lot of processing power, and again not available in a lot of streamers. I now have a DSD DAC and running USB exclusively, which is why I got the N200, I figured it was a shame to waste all the additional tech/features in the N20, not to mention the $$ they cost only not to use them. WRT heat, the N20 ran hot in my system, the N200 does not. What can I tell you? Processing power translates to heat. As I said, even the owner’s manual says not to put in a cabinet because it needs ventilation. I don’t believe I am being misleading.

@jimmy2615 

Thanks for your input. I agree with you, you're are not taking full advantage of N20 strengths if you're only using its USB output. The N20 is a superb streamer and it clearly excels in terms of low frequency extension and slam over its predecessors especially N10. When I upgraded from N10, I clearly heard the edge in terms of perceived detail. In a highly resolve system and with a DAC like EMM Labs DA2, you can really appreciate N20's virtues.

I can only imagine what's N30SA like, hope to hear it someday :-) 

The N20 is far better than the N200 if your system is a high performer. It's ocxo clock and lower noise floor really helps with soundstage placement.On my system (Luxman 509x, D-10X, Sopra No3) piano, vocals, and other instruments are in the space around the speakers. Piano is not just coming from the speaker drivers themselves, but is more organic and full. it comes from in-between the speakers and around. Height is greater as well The N200 is good but doesn't do what the N20 can do. The N200 has clarity and authority but can't provide a deeper more whole or relaxed presentation. Nuances played through the N20 are also easier to point out. The N20 is essentially the N30SA without the separate power supply. If you compare the N20 to the N30SA it is a great buy. But once you jump from all the A models through the N200 to the N20 there is a huge leap in performance and it's immediately discernable.

I had a similar experience as @garybart

I found the N20 to be very sensitive to power cords/power conditioning.

I actually didn’t like it at all when in my first setup.

I had it boxed up ready to sell.

I gave it a second chance, hooked it up to my Isotek Genesis (sine wave regenerator) with Actinote Sinfonia power cords, and it sings.

Actinote cables prove again how musical they are.