…and, IMO, sounded terrible.
2 Likes
They were speakers that if one had a massive outdoor party with a monster-sized back yard and you wanted to have music reach every acre of land, those would be good speakers for that purpose.
But inside a normal-sized room? No way!!
Yes. I expected to be better but @adifferentpaul said it perfectly great stadium speakers!
2 Likes
Here are photos of some new addition to my setup. Vimberg Amea speakers and Simaudio Moon 791 preamp (I’m temporarily using a Moon 600i integrated amplifier as a power amplifier in bypass mode). Ameas are the new benchmark in neutrality, transparency and clarity. Moon 791 is the best preamp I have ever heard, hands down. I am still evaluating the differences between Aurender streamer + MolaMola Tambaqui DAC vs Moon 791 internal streamer and internal DAC…
33 Likes
Rkosk, your pictures of your rig has really caught my eye!
In fact the pictures are very nice and the way everything goes together is a feast to be hold!
I especially like the black and wood combo of the Vimberg speakers… Well done Sir!
And it is nice to see that you have your speaker cables “lifted” and not laying on the floor.
(there is a sonic improvement in having them lifted)
To answer your question, I personally like the performance and integration of the Aurender series of streamers and can recommend them strongly.
I have an Aurender and have been very pleased with it.
Good luck with what ever you choose…
PS, I should mention that you can see my system picture on this thread. It’s number 18. Now I need to warn you that the picture was taken in January of 2019 just after it was started, so some things have changed since that time. My avatar shows a more recent picture.
2 Likes
Thanks Sandrock. Your rig is very nice too.
Those speaker stands are my own design (and also made by me) and yes, pretty good match with Ameas.
I’m currently leaning towards upgrading two parts. First the power amplifier for Moon 761 (from the same North series) - thats for sure, and then upgrading the streamer to an Aurender N200.
Well a thank you also goes back to you for saying that you think my rig looks very nice too!
So again, now that I know that you built from scratch your speaker stands, they look even better! A real “labor-of-love.”
In any event, it is my desire to move up the Aurender streamer ladder, from the N100H that I currently have, which continuers to serve me so very well, to the N200!
After looking at all the current line up of Aurender products, I have come to the conclusion that the N 200 is the best model for me to purchase.
It offers all the next Gen items and improved sound, which I am looking fore.
Here is a recent picture of my rig.
23 Likes
You.have to be grateful when your primary system in 1998 is providing entertainment in a garage today. My future step son in laws are benefiting from Totem Mani 2s, Aragón 4004.MK2 Amp, Anthem Pre Pro along with their Victrola turntable, cd, and cassette gizmo wrapped up in one piece. Next step is teaching cheap absorption techniques for a spacious garage smoking den.
19 Likes
Wow. Those Merril Element 116s + Joseph Audio Pulsars combination must create an exceptional sound. What are those pillows on the top of the speakers, some kind of vibration dampers?
I noticed that you take vibration elimination seriously. You use Isoacoustic pads. I also had everything on these pads, Gaia under the speaker stands and Orea under the components. They are very good, but now I have (gradually) changed them all to Stack Audio AUVA 70 under the speakers and AUVA EQ under the components. The best anti-vibration product I’ve tried so far. Although Isoacoustics were very good, AUVAs are again an audible step forward.
5 Likes
Yes, I agree that there is a lot to talk about for sure, so to start with, the unit on top is as you know a PSA BHK preamp with a pair of Psvane Horizon 12au7 tubes, which I have set to 5ma. On the middle shelf are a pair of Merrill Element 116 mono block amps.300 @ 8 ohms, 600 @ 4 and 1200 @ 2 ohms and are stable. The item in between is an Aurender n100h streamer. The bottom shelf on the left is a Luxman DA~06 DAC and on the right side is a PSA P 12 power plant. I have a full loom of Top of the line Furutech cables. The speakers are Joseph Pulsar 2 Graphene with Nordost jumpers which sound much better than the coupling plates. I am using SolidSteel speaker stands filled with lead shot. The bags you see on the speakers and associated equipment are a hold over from my previous system. They are filled with lead shot and weight around 30 lbs give or take depending on the size of them. I have a suspended floor so I obtained the two slabs of granite with points into the carpet to the wood floor below. The big bags laying on the bottom are from my Von Schweikert VR-2 speakers as seen in number 18 picture above. I also recently acquired an IFI LAN Purifier Pro which cleans up the noise on the Either net going into the Aurender. I have a couple of other tweaks but this is what you are currently seeing.
I hope that helps and gives you a better understanding of everything.
Cheers,
Sandrock/Ian
3 Likes
Rkosak, I have just finished having a closer look at your electronics and wondered what those two items on the second shelf from the bottom are? Quickly they look like Innuos power supplies, but am not sure? Can you help?
Oh, and I am wondering what model Aurender you are using?
Cheers,
Ian
Those are Innuos PhoenixNET and Innuos PhoenixUSB. Both small but valuable additions for cleaning up USB and NET signal paths.
This is the latest version of my little modest system setup. Avid Acutus Turntable with Acoustic Signature TA-5000 tonearm and Soundsmith Hyperion MKII cartridge. Esoteric E-02 phonostage. Esoteric C-02 preamp. Esoteric Grandioso M1 monoblocks. Esoteric N-03t streamer. PS Audio MK2 Dac. Still waiting for Ted Smith to release TSS. PS Audio PST SACD transport. Oppo 205 4k DVD player. LG 4G OLED 65" TV with Polk Audio sound bar and subwoofer. All powered by P20 regenerator. Speaker are Wilson Alexia II’s. All power, interconnects, and speaker cables are Synergistic Research Galileo SX’s. Esoteric has a sweet, dense, powerful, and highly resolving sound. It is quite additive.
20 Likes
You should run the TV/video audio through the Wilson’s! Nice set up.
3 Likes
I do, with An AQ glass toslink from TV, or RCA out from Oppo to my Dac when I am serious.
3 Likes
False modesty!!
JK, great system. Do you have a lot of experience with different streamers? Asking because I am compiling a wish list of potential streamers or server/streamers to consider in the future. I like to have ideas about potential purchases of used equipment in the future and I am wondering if the N0-3t is something I should add to my list for consideration.
Enjoy that great system.
1 Like
“of my little modest system”…makes me wonder what isn’t modest. Beautiful system.
5 Likes
Modest? I find myself at a loss to find a similarly descriptive word for my small setup which cost less than half the going price just for those Wilson Alexia II’s, 
2 Likes
Thank you scott. My friend has the Lumin U1 Mini which is quite nice, but the next level up is where I would go if I didn’t want to keep upgrading. The Lumin U2, or Aurender N-10 or N-20 both I had tried in my system, and is competitive to the sound of SACD, and even surpassed it with DSD256. The Aurender app is also the best app in my experience. If you want even better performance, The Esoteric N-03t is better, but I believe it’s been discontinued, so used market time if you want one. My brother had the Esoteric N-01XD which is a streamer/Dac, and sounded more veiled than the Esoteric N-03t / PS MK2 combo. The noice from the streamer infiltrated to the dac section, so I would stick to separates for the best performance. My brother traded in the Esoteric for the N-20 and upgraded his PS MK1 to a MK2 and could not be happier.
2 Likes
Thank you. This has been my pretty consistent strategy – stretching my budget by buying use equipment; especially kit that is “yesterday’s state of the art”.
I’ll keep my eyes on the used marketplace.
5 Likes