Originally Posted by jdandy
SCAudiophile.......I have looked at the Aurender W20 but the $17,600 price is a serious turnoff. The Aurender N10 offers much the same performance, full linear power supplies, OCXO clock generators, beautiful all aluminum case, OLED display, and identical software for $7999 configured with 4TB (2x2TB) internal storage plus 240GB SSD for cached playback. The N10 can also be configured with 8TB of hard drive internal storage (2x4TB) and the same 240 GB SSD for cached playback. I have seen a couple pre-owned N10 servers in the $5800 price range.
The Lampizator SuperKomputer does not appeal to me for several reason. Unlike the N10, the Lampizator SuperKomputer is built on an off the shelf Asus motherboard. It is essentially a personal computer, Intel CPU, sound card, and a linear power supply. The computer has been tweaked for music playback, but still must be connected to a keyboard and monitor for any setup changes. Its homely enclosure and face plate are reminiscent of an old horizontal desktop PC. Then there is the price, $6600. In my opinion the Lampizator SuperKomputer doesn't measure up to the competition at that price point.
The Esoteric N-05 Network player is an attractive device but I have no need for the AKM dual-mono DACs and additional analog outputs. For someone who needs a DAC for their NAS the N-05 could be just the ticket but not needing the DAC or wanting to pay for it, the $6500 price seems steep. If Esoteric removed the dual-mono DAC's and delivered the network player for two grand less, this might make it far more interesting.
There is also the SilenZio music server being offered by Audio by E here on Audio Aficionado. This hand-built customized music server has been well received by member/owners on this forum. It is a customized PC motherboard running an Intel CPU with Windows 10 software. The hand built server is assembled in a slim generic case and comes equipped with an internal slot loading transport for copying disc based music thus providing a convenient headless music server. Remote control is via WiFi and JRiver Remote running on an iPad. It is attractively priced under $3000 but requires additional investment in a NAS setup and multiple hard drives. The additional cost is determined by the extent of the NAS and its capacity.
Regarding ROON, I have no interest in that user interface. There are several other equally competent remote interfaces that suit my requirements without being clipped for $500. In particular, JRiver Remote works just fine for me and seamlessly controls JRiver Media Center 21 on my Sony Vaio laptop.
One of the reasons the Aurender N10 strikes my fancy is the one box solution with internal storage. No NAS is required, plus the hard drives cache to the 240 GB SSD for playback while the hard drives sleep after a three minute period. The Linux based OS appeals to me more than the Windows 10 OS. I also like the OCXO clock generator that controls the timing accuracy of the coaxial output. I find the OLED display to be useful, unique and well implemented, plus the ability to control the Aurender N10 with the buttons on its face is a real bonus. The aluminum enclosure is remarkably attractive. The close tolerance fit and finish appeals to me. The Aurender Conductor app is well conceived, intuitive, and can be installed on the iPad and Android devices. The list price is a bit hard to swallow but a pre-owned N10 brings that down to a more tolerable level.
I have been considering a new music server for at least the past year and an half. I presently own two Olive 04HD's and a McIntosh MS750. They are all working perfectly but I want to raise the performance bar, particularly with my two channel studio system. I am still sitting on square one, no decisions are firm, so the research continues. The Aurender N10 is currently at the top of the list.
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