Anyone own the Aurender N10 music server?
 

The Aurender N10 is getting fabulous reviews. Curious if any AA members are using this music server and what your impressions are of it and the Aurender Conductor app for the iPad.

Aurender N10 music server | Stereophile.com



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I had one as a courtesy loan from my dealer. I wanted to like it, but felt it was obscenely overpriced for what it actually offered and did. And clunky. Impressive built quality and looks, but the interface and overall functionality were, to be blunt, a mess. I'm used to my Oppo 105, which pretty much plays everything you throw at it without any issues or glitches or complicated set-ups. The Aurender felt like going backwards to me. I do not need the fancy app, and I felt as if that was the only component that the Oppo did not offer me (the Oppo's control app is rudimentary in comparison, but gets the job done perfectly... and I'm sure the upcoming Oppo 115 will fix this, anyway).

The perfect example of why I felt the Aurender was a little on the pointless side was presented to me when I tried to copy my +/- 2TB collection of music to its internal hard drive. The Aurender only has a USB 2.0 port (which I did not know...), so copying the files would have taken me literally 1 or 2 days... I then tried the ethernet port, which was supposed to be a gigabyte one... but no luck, either. The transfer rate was even slower than USB (and I have a very good router)... Probably a driver or similar issue, but after a while I gave up. These things are supposed to make life easier, and not the opposite.

Keep in mind that this is strictly a "server/file-reader/transport", without a DAC, and there is NO remote included, either. You really are at the mercy of the app.

I'm sure newer models in the Aurender line will address these issues, but, frankly, the more I test and experiment with other devices, the more I love my Oppo.

Esteban.......Thank you for offering your experience with the Aurender N10. I agree the price ($7999.00) is off the deep end. I have no experience with the N10, only read several reviews.

I am sure it is a fine sounding piece of equipment. But. In contrast to a turntable, an amp or a par of speakers, this item will have an extremely low second hand value when trying to sell it in 3 years. I am not sure this type of equipment will even exist in 3 years.

bigblue.......I am relatively confident music servers, computer based network and NAS servers will still be here for years to come. The demand for music servers is growing. Music servers already have a history of success that spans approximately 15 years or so. The concept of server based music delivery is certainly not a flash in the pan. In my opinion, there is nothing I see in the pipeline, including streaming from subscription based Internet servers, that is likely to make personal music servers disappear from many audiophile's sound systems anywhere in the near future.

You are correct that music server values on the used market will drop. The same can be said of nearly all audio components with few exceptions. Audio systems bring us great pleasure, which in some cases is priceless, but none of these racks of equipment are investments that pay financial dividends. Most audio gear depreciates faster than many other items and it seems the pricier the gear is the faster the price drops as it ages and begins to show up on the used market. I have never purchased new audio gear with the notion that I was going to make a profit when I sold it years later. Speaking of the Aurender N10 network music player, it is not exempt from depreciation any more than nearly every other audio component sold today, computer based or otherwise.

My original topic is more in line with hoping to hear about the Aurender N10 performance, ease of use, and owner satisfaction. Whether it survives in the marketplace short or long term, or its inherent value in the future, is of no real interest to me.

Dan - I don't have any first hand experience with the Aurender N10, but several rooms were using them to great effect at the last AXPONA show. Some of the best sounding rooms at the show using digital front ends had the N10 in common.

Based on my experience with the X100, I'm confident the N10 would make an outstanding source component. Aurender simply works. My X100 was in my system for 2 years and never once had so much as a hiccup. Rock solid performance. Never froze, never crashed. The app is the best I have experienced. My library is 3+ TB with 3000 albums and the app response time was instant searching any myriad of ways. Very simple to use, completely intuitive, much like an apple device. I used it with McIntosh MCD1100 and Esoteric K-01X DACs. Previously, I owned Bryston BDP-1 and Apple MacMini. The Aurender both sounded better and more fun to use than either of those. When I get the chance to build a system again, I will get a black N10 to pair with McIntosh gear.

Bill.......Thanks for your comments. Everyone I have communicated with tells me the Aurender N10 performance is exceptional. I have a friend who owns the N10, although I haven't heard it, who tells me it is never leaving his system. That's how thrilled he is with his Aurender N10.

Jason.......That is the kind of information I am looking for. Thank you. I am looking for superior performance in a single box with a control application that is intuitive and well designed. Not only is the Aurender N10 an exceptionally well built product, the over all design and high caliber of the case, the fit, and the finish are strikingly beautiful. I am impressed with the Aurender N10. The price is what has me in a holding pattern.

AURENDER - Reference Music System

Agree that the Aurender's have the best app, own the N100H myself, also own the Melco N1A (plays in another system), using the Lumin app for that one, definitly less satisfying.