Solo streamer

@soix 

My post was meant solely for you, given your need for gratuitous posts picking fights with other members.  I’m thrilled that the OP, having evaluated for himself the alternatives, is happy with his purchase.  

@mdalton Hmmm.  Sure seems like your link to expectation and confirmation bias was targeted at the OP, but whatever.  I don’t pick fights, I just respond to the material being given.  You have your opinion and I have mine, and thankfully the OP has his and didn’t bother to listen to your advice.  Good for him!

@soix 

There you go again.  I am very comfortable with others having different views to mine.  I do not have an insatiable need to fill some existential void in my soul by bullying friends, colleagues or strangers into conforming their views to mine.  As I pointed out previously, my first post on this thread was as follows: 

“Here’s a link to a recent thread where competing perspectives on this issue are discussed:”

I do not feel in any way diminished when someone disagrees with me.  

@soix 

As far as improvements go, where can I begin?  Compared to the Cambridge, which btw I thought was very good, the detail is so much better, the timbre is very natural, dynamics are much wider, the sense of realism is palpable. This is what music sounds like.  I listen to the Aurender just for the sweetness of sound in every track. (of course some will say it’s confirmation bias, but that’s their problem.)

Even though it's ridiculously expensive, it’s worth every penny, and yes, I’m keeping it.

I am very comfortable with others having different views to mine.  I do not have an insatiable need to fill some existential void in my soul

@mdalton Nor do I, but I do enjoy greatly helping people avoid obvious potholes when they’re thrown in front of them.  Such was the case here where your advice was just utterly counterproductive and wrong though you’ll never admit it — pothole avoided and success achieved despite you.  I’d say I hope maybe you actually learned something from this but pretty sure that info won’t process at all and you’ll just keep spewing your extreme minority opinion deluding yourself into thinking you’re somehow helping when really you’re just a perpetual pothole to people with otherwise open minds and ears.  It’s a free country and potholes can happen, but thankfully they can also be filled.

Being happy...that’s generally everyone’s goal in life once the veneer of all the details is stripped out. The path to happiness is not necessarily a logical one & what’s logical is different for all of us. If @rvpiano is happy with his purchase, what else is there to say?

@rvpiano you can set airplay volume to max on ipad or iPhone and control the volume with your preamp. That’s how I run it in airplay mode. 

Yes, that’s what I do.

I love the smell of digits in the morning!

I still think the Conductor app is the worst app ever conceived, for classical music

You haven’t seen Lumin app. Looks like a high school project compared to Conductor

@rvpiano glad the N200 sonics are working so well for you. Classical music is one of the toughest to catalog. Somewhere I saw Aurender asking for feature and improvement ideas. You might consider telling them what you’d like to see. Unlike many companies, they want to hear from us and are trying to improve.

Thanks,

aldnorab

aldnorab,

Thanks for the suggestion.  
I might just do that.

For those that thought I should replace my Benchmark DAC3 with a better one, here is a review from stereophile:

“The DAC3 was all about depths, in several respects . . . I heard deeper into the music." The concise conclusion to JA's Measurements sidebar: "All I can say is 'Wow!'" In a Follow-Up, JCA wrote of using the Benchmark processor with the same company's AHB2 power amp—a combination of high source output voltage and modest amplifier gain that he describes as "optimal for minimizing noise and distortion"—and reported hearing "richer and more interesting" reproduction of very subtle details.”

I also have the Benchmark AHB2 amp.

@rvpiano I had a Benchmark LA4 preamp. It is well regarded and delivers great sound. I really liked it, but felt there might be more to discover. Only suggesting that it would be worth trying something outside that brand. It is a bit on the cool, analytical side, which I honestly like, but I am happier since moving on to a different sound. 

@zlone

I believe my warm sounding tubed Conrad Johnson preamp makes the rest of the system work.

Ah, that would do it. 

OP,

That sounds right to me. Connnie Jay… great preamps.

I was wrong about AirPlay on the Aurender.
It sounds just fine, despite the volume being partly controlled by the tablet.

Classical Music is a Bridge to far for most app developers.

Has the OP tried mconnect?  If he prefers the CA Stream Magic app, mconnect is similar and it’s easier to make playlists with

Mconnect is not available for my iPad.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

Mconnect is not available for my iPad.

Are you sure?  I have an older iPad and have mconnect HD on it.  

I use mConnect on my iPhone.  Update the OS on the ipad

I got it.
The only problem is that it only works using AirPlay which doesn’t support my hi-res files the way Conductor does. Still, it’s useful for accessing my favorites.

Thank you.

I must say, I’m amazed at the quality of sound every time I play a new track.

 At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, it’s almost a life changing experience.

I never dreamed recordings could sound this good.

@rvpiano  if it doesn't have close to 200 hours playing time it gets even better.

Thanks,

aldnorab 

I don’t see how😊!

OP …”never dreamed recordings could sound this good.”

Congradulations! Amazing isn’t it! Finally we can skip the vinyl unless we feel nostalgic.

Yes it is!

• @rvpiano I’m assuming you’re using the stock Aurender USB cable which is fine. Whenever you’re ready, there’s more to be had with better USB and better power cord if you’re using stock. Again no rush …the stock USB is decent. 

@audphile1 

I’m using a fine power cord.  
It sounds so good, at this point I don’t feel the need for a better USB.  
But thanks for the suggestion.

I don’t listen to much pop, rock, and the like. But for classical orchestral music this streamer is extraordinary.  It separates instrumental choirs clearly, with plenty of air around instruments.  Never a hint of harshness no matter how loud.  Violins are full-bodied.  The dynamic range is huge, that of a full orchestra.  Instruments are clearly and accurately portrayed.

I’ve never heard anything near to this type of presentation, except sitting close to the orchestra  at a live concert

@rvpiano 

yes it has excellent separation, layering and dynamics.
Hope you’re using the Critical Listening Mode which shuts off display and other non-essentials. The difference is subtle but audible. 
 

I don’t understand why mconnect only works for AirPlay.  In my system you get a list of devices that you want to stream from, and another that you want to stream to.  I’m Ethernet and I believe you are WiFiso I am wondering if that has something to do with it, but if everything is on the same network I don’t understand how…

@audphile1 

For some reason critical listening seems to cut out the highs.

Really? That’s strange. I’m between DACs now and can’t test it but I will compare after I get a DAC. Don’t recall the CLM being an issue. 
May be revisit it after you got some miles on it and reassess.

@mahler123 Are you using mconnect with Aurender? 

No. With Melco N100 and Cambridge Audio VXN2

I wrote to Aurender about the Alphabetical sorting, and searching of favorites and this is their reply:

“The limitation related to Qobuz sorting is actually a limitation by Qobuz, not Aurender. They share something called an "API" that allows us to incorporate features of their software into ours, and they did not share any sorting or filtering options with other developers. I agree 100% that this is a must-have feature but we have to wait for them to allow us to incorporate it.”

Nice reply.

The only downside to Aurender is that the dynamic range on some tracks is too good; it ranges from almost inaudible to ear splitting in the space of a few minutes. Happily, on most tracks this doesn’t happen.

Well, it can’t be perfect, can it?

The only downside to Aurender is that the dynamic range on some tracks is too good

That’s an impressive high-quality problem to have.  Sounds like the N200 is giving you some “good trouble.”

@rvpiano that is a great reply. Many companies wouldn't even bother to answer. This makes me wonder if Tidal offers alphabetical sorting? 

Thanks,

aldnorab 

I’m sorry to keep raving about the streamer so much but I have one other observation: Unlike any other source, the Aurender actually forces you into the MUSIC being played.  No matter what I put on, I get drawn into it and can’t turn it off.

Forgive me if I keep giving my impressions of the new streamer.

How can you not be convinced to buy an N200 now, folks?  No excuse is accepted other than "I could not afford it." 

Also, pair it up with BM DAC 3. No excuse is accepted because you could definitely afford it.

@rvpiano all good man! Keep the thoughts coming! So far you’re reflecting my 7 months journey with the N200. And I enjoy music with it in the system now as much as I did the first time I plugged it in.

@rvpiano Perhaps good to know that Quboz Connect will soon be available, so that you can stream directly from Quboz without a third party app or interface. It is being tested now.

In the meantime, if you want to use a pc, try Audirvana instead of Roon. In my experience it sounds better and is also cheaper.