Aurender N20 Streamer & Holo May DAC vs Analog

To get the best out of the N20 you will need:

1. Get a 10mHz 75 Ohm clock, something like After Dark or Chinese will work, no need to spend $1000s, but a quality 75 Ohm clock cable is essential.

2. Hi-End power cable, $3-5k. For DAC too.

3.Silver USB cable 1.5m

4.Purple Fuse. For DAC too.

Concentrate on SSD playback until you get it sounding right before you start messing with streaming. No need to upsample. Switch DOP off if you have DSD files.

If you are considering changing your DAC the Terminator 12th Anniversary has a built-in clock output designed for the W20SE but it should work with the N20.

Check with Alvin at Denafrips.

The N20 is very sensitive to power cables. Use the best you have.

@vonhelmholtz 

Is there an advantage to an external clock when the Aurender already has a quality clock and the May hasn’t any clock input? Is Silver critical with USB?

A 10 mHz external clock helps the internal clock be more accurate. It makes a big difference. It is not essential to have a clock input/output on your DAC but the Terminator Anniversary kills two birds with one stone.

Silver USB works very well for me but USB cables seem to vary wildly in performance to cost.

As @soix said put your best analogue cables on your digital rig and compare.

However you need a few months for everything to burn in.