I'm the OP. Let me be clear, the SACD 30n is an excellent sounding piece of equipment, but I ended up returning it. I eventually determined that it probably doesn't work with USB 3.0 (I think that was the problem - I didn't have enough time to run a lot of tests). Let me be clear, the SACD 30n is an excellent sounding piece of equipment. My computer is a 2019 Mac Pro (desktop) with 96 GB Ram and a 3.2 GHz 16-Core Intel Xeon W. I have 4TB PCIE SSD storage and 16TB HD storage; and I use Audirvana so I have this part covered:
Second, music servers often have more powerful processors and more RAM than a standard computer, which helps to ensure smooth, uninterrupted playback. Third, music servers usually have multiple storage options, which allows for a larger music collection. Finally, music servers often come with specialized software that makes it easy to manage and organize a music library.
I've heard that a more powerful computer is worse for sound quality, so maybe my desktop puts me at a huge disadvantage. I don't really care about streaming and I'm not convinced it would give you an accurate signal. I'm using a Mark Levinson 585, so I hope the DAC is up to standard. I've also used a Chord Mojo into the 585. They both sound good. When I put my ear against the speaker (Dynaudio Contour 20i) I don't hear any noise until I turn it up all the way. I couldn't listen at that volume even if I wanted to. When I tried bypassing the computer and using music stored on a hard drive or USB stick via the SACD 30n, I could not hear any significant improvement. I did hear a noticeable improvement when playing SACDs.
I assumed that if a computer could create issues, bypassing a computer altogether (from what I can tell, even a music server is simply an underpowered computer) would provide the best sound quality. Again, I did not hear a significant difference.
I still don't get the music server thing, but maybe I just need to try a better one. I understand I looked at the Aurender stuff, but the least expensive model I could find was an N150 for $2,500.00. The N150 does not include a DAC. A good DAC (like the Chord Qutest) is another $1,200.00 - $1,500.00. I'm ready to believe, but I'm not willing to suspend disbelief. Given my experience with that SACD 30n, I just struggle to believe an Aurender would outperform something like a dedicated current MacBook Pro (or even a MacBook Air) with a custom Linux or Hackintosh operating system stripped down to eliminate all but the most necessary processes. Aurender refers to a "Audio Class 2.0 USB output", but since the actual USB chipset is not identified, I have no way to know WTH that means or whether there are any tests or measurements to support any claim of sonic superiority. I may try an Esoteric N-05 since I can find one on clearance and it seems to have superior DACs (it also has "dual mono" docs). I think that will be my last try. I can't find any credible reviews for it and the few opinions I've seen here on Audiogon don't give me confidence that it's bad or good.
