Aurender n200, talk me out of signing on the dotted line

@tvad the answer is the clock. N20 and up use high quality OXCO clock for SPDIF. The n200 clock is nit on the same level. The USB out on the N200 is isolated and as long as your DAC clock is up to the task, USB is the way to go…with N150 and N200. 

I should clarify SPDIF sounds smoother, but USB does not sound harsher. The smoothness with SPDIF is really rounding off the edges and reducing precision. Not a bad thing in some systems but it restricts the N200. 

@mediaferret the biggest difference between the N150 and the N200 is a blacker, lower noise floor and a wider/deeper soundstage. Depending on your DAC and the overall resolution of your system, I’ve found the improvements can be minimal to substantial. While the N200 improves upon the N150 from a fidelity perspective, the bigger jump is to the N20, which adds a good amount of harmonics and tonal richness beyond both the N150 and N200. That said, N20 is a big investment and should be made by those who are confident that their systems will be able to properly render everything it is capable of. 

@blisshifi This is useful, thank you. 

I’m loving my N200! I signed on the dotted line and 37 hours later DHL dropped it off on my doorstep!  South Korea-Indianapolis-customs-Missouri-my doorstep in 37 hours.  I was blown away!

Oh and I had no problems in installing on two phones and two pads. I’m using my NAS and Qobuz.

All the best.