After 5 years, my Aurender N10 finally broke on me!! It’s always a little quirky and oftentimes a little difficult logging on. I guess it’s time for another server, maybe the upcoming PS Audio Octave.
I was using the RAL HDMI along with the Audience FrontRow USB, Matrix 2, and the tricked out Farad power supply with the Aurender. The sound was really out of this world!! Meanwhile I decided to dust off my old Mac Mini and using JRiver and the same items I was using with the Aurender, and guess what? Yes, the sound collapsed and is a bit veiled sounding! I am really spoiled by the Aurender!! Yes, by itself, the Mac Mini does not sound bad, in fact it does sound pretty good, but next to the Aurender, forget it, not even close!!
So I decided to try playing files on the DMP. I put the RAL HDMI on the DMP and change to some better power cords, and I was stung with how close it sounds to the Aurender!! The files sound just as good as the SACD’s!! I’m glad they put in the file playing feature with the DMP, it sure comes in handy!! And yes, playing files on the DMP blows away the Mac Mini even with all the mods!!
Are you sure it’s not just time for a new HD. I would contact them and let them log into it remotely and see what they say is wrong.
It may well be, but it does not even log on anymore. Anyway, I’m a little tire of having to shut the unit off and start it several times before it starts up. This is not a recent occurrence either. It’s alway that way from the beginning, only not as bad. Anyway, I it’s time to try something new.
Well change is good but I don’t think I would want to be at the front of the Octave line. In that range I would be looking at the Auralic Aries G2.1 or the Innuous Zenith. I’m partial to Auralic but people love the Innuos gear too.
So it’s pretty much a toss up between a G2 or a Zenith I gather.
It would be to me unless you want to have another go with Aurender like the new N20. I like the Auralic software package. For now Innuous is still using iPeng which is a the newest variation of the Logitech software package. They have been going to release their own software for over a year but keep pushing it back thus my reluctance with Octave and Innuos has been in the business for a long time.
I think you mean a W20. But I don’t have much faith in Aurender anymore. Maybe something like the Esoteric N.03T, I might consider. If it’s anything close to my Esoteric E-02 phono stage, I know it will be unbeatable!
From Coolio’s website: “iPeng is the first remote control solution ever developed for iOS. Dating back as far as late 2007 (then as a Web App), and being on the App Store since 2008 (retaining a 4.5-star overall rating ever since then), iPeng is the benchmark for easy and efficient music browsing and control available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.”
Coolio was just this guy in Germany back then who liked Squeezeboxes and wrote the app for free. He continued not charging for it for years afterward. I’ve never been as happy to pay for an app as I was when he started charging. Does it compete with Roon? No. But it is tried and true.
So it has been around for a while and is a way to control LMS (Logitech Media Server), which is what Logitech renamed Slim Server/Squeezebox Server when they bought it from Slim Devices.
Slim Devices started in 2000 in Mt. View, CA, so the framework of the server in the Innuos has been around 20 years.
The N20 is a new model.
The Esoteric is based on the Lumin platform in a more expensive case so an alternative to that with same functions at lower price would be X1 or U1.
I have the Lumin U1 and highly recommend it.
Very interesting! I was looking at two nice digital transports: Lumin U1 ($5.9k) and Esoteric N-03T ($13.5k). I noticed their apps are identical. Both seem to have been developed by the company that owns Lumin. EDIT: However, being based on the same architecture or platform is news to me and very interesting to know. Lumin X1 costs $13.9 and has a DAC on board.
Well that just broke my Esoteric bubble 
That “partnership” has been in place for a number of years and also includes the streamer/DAC combos from Teac. I own a Teac Reference NT-505 and it’s operation and software is identical to the Lumin D2 I owned previously. I use the Lumin software as it is updated more frequently.
Did you audition anything else? Just curious for any real-world comparisons, as it seems like most folks just bought one thing or the other based on other criteria. I did. Hard to get head-to-head sound comparisons.
Hi Marc,
I did, thanks to my local dealer, here in Belgium.
I compared the Lumin to Bridge 2, which I still have.
My dealer also let me hear an Innuos Zenith, mk2, if I remember well.
The Lumin won easily, which is no surprise given it’s much higher price.
The Chord AES/EBU cable to the DS Snr also made a big difference.
Switching from a laptop to the Nucleus + made an even bigger difference.
The Aurender N20 looks very tempting, but I’ll probably still go with the Esoteric N-03T mainly because I am familiar with how trouble free, high performance, and how reliable Esoteric is, and it matches the rest of my gear.
Sounds good.
Excellent. What is the name of the Chord cable please? Is it Signature Super ARAY AES/EBU?
Just a word or two of support for Aurender. My X100L is well over 5 years old and has given no trouble whatever. The firmware and app continue to be updated, and the app is the best I have come across for my purposes. Support has been excellent and responsive on the few occasions I have contacted them.
Hi @Serhan, it is the Chord Sarum T aes/ebu.
Most of my other cables are Wireworld platinum, but in my system, the Chord was better from the Lumin to the psa DS Snr.