Aurender A10 Review

Mike.......I am surprised that no one has commented on the new Aurender A10 music server/DAC/digital preamp. The A10 is quite the digital package with its 4TB of internal hard drive storage and 120GB of solid state caching playback. The A10 features dual mono 768KHz/32Bit AK4490 Asahi Kasei Microsystems DACs, Tidal integration, full MQA decoding, an optical digital input to the dual DACs, plus volume adjustment of the analog outputs from the Conductor App, IR remote, or front panel rotary control. In classic Aurender engineering fashion the A10 employs full linear power supplies for its various digital and analog sections, meticulous isolation between the digital stages, analog stages, and power supplies, plus delivers a world class jitter-reducting precision clock generation system. All of this technology is packaged in a premium close tolerance aluminum enclosure with front panel controls, an AMOLED display, plus unbalanced and balanced analog outputs. Retail pricing is $5500.00 in Silver or Black.

The Aurender A10 really does deliver a feature packed music server/DAC/preamp, plus full MQA decoding at an attractive price point. It is simplicity at its finest when it comes to digital audio playback, a one box home run that takes the complex and makes it easy. That's why I am so surprised there has been no reaction to your thread here for nearly two months. Does anyone here own the Aurender A10? Comments would be appreciated, especially since this unique Aurender music server has managed to piqued my interest.


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I have had mine for almost a year. Great piece. Andrew Quint is doing his review at The Absolute Sound. Probably a little more interest when it comes out. Aurender hurt themselves by marketing as an "N100 with a built in Dac". I had a N100S (solid state drive) with an full blown Oppo Modwright tube dac with all w4s add on's and Curious Cabling The A10 absolutely kills the combo. Not even close. The dac in the A10 is outstanding as I use it also for my Home Theater needs. I think the integrated design in this instance works better than an 2 box design.
Power cords make a huge diff with this unit. Synergistic Black sounds very nice. Tried a Cardas Clear M and it sucked the life away. I also have Stillpoints Ultra minis and that also improved SQ.
Just upgraded to Audience Au24SX interconnects and you can realize how good this piece is.
 
russellbobby.......I am happy to see the comments on your Aurender A10, particularly the DAC performance. I have been considering a N100H for my living room system but that would require me removing the Wyred 4 Sound DAC2 from my headphone rig in the office. The A10 in black is beginning to look like a more logical choice for me. I would not use the volume control feature, but as a music server/DAC combination I find the Aurender A10 quite attractive.
 
jdandy said:
russellbobby.......I am happy to see the comments on your Aurender A10, particularly the DAC performance. I have been considering a N100H for my living room system but that would require me removing the Wyred 4 Sound DAC2 from my headphone rig in the office. The A10 in black is beginning to look like a more logical choice for me. I would not use the volume control feature, but as a music server/DAC combination I find the Aurender A10 quite attractive.
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Actually as a standalone it sounds really good. Mate it with a really solid pre-amp and it goes to really,really good. I took a leap of faith when I bought it but sure glad I did. I think with the speed digital is changing a folks may get nervous about the built in DAC. I just had a group over this weekend with dacs from: APL, Krell, Yggydrasil, Resolution Cantata, they all loved the A10. Full MQA is a bonus!!
 
I took a ride up to Palm Coast, FL last Friday to hear a guys' system that included an A10 (Wilson Sasha Speakers, Audio Research Integrated Amp/DAC) and the system sounded really nice.
 
I live near Lake Tahoe where the scenery is beautiful but there are drawbacks...like no internet. Does the A10 require Internet to operate? How does the iPad app sync up? With Bluetooth or through a required router connection? Other considerations?

Thanks!
Brent
 
bikeman71 said:
I live near Lake Tahoe where the scenery is beautiful but there are drawbacks...like no internet. Does the A10 require Internet to operate? How does the iPad app sync up? With Bluetooth or through a required router connection? Other considerations?

Thanks!
Brent
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These type of things with no display require that the player and the tablet be connected to the same home network so that the tablet can be used to select the music files. So if the player and the tablet are on a home network then one can use them together. There is a diagram of a typical system configuration at their website - http://www.aurender.com/page/a10
 
As I see it, you can have the system connected to the same home network even if you don’t have internet connection. So you can have your music stored in the Aurender and use the Conductor app to play it. However, since you do not have internet connection that means that you cannot stream music from music services such as Tidal.
In other words, you can play your own music even if no internet is available.
 
Did anyone read the Stereophile review? Ugh.


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Phishphan said:
https://www.stereophile.com/content/aurender-a10-network-music-playerserver

Sounds like the grumblings of an old man.

On a side note, these reviewers always listen to some obscure track no one else in history owns. I want the reviewer who throws on Green Day’s Dookie, and rocks out for a half hour.
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Phishphan.......I agree with your view of the Aurender A10 review in Stereophile by Jason Serinus. First, I don't particularly care for his writing style or his selection of music for this review. Right from the beginning of the A10 review he made disparaging comments that seemed to belittle the A10 streamer/DAC in a back handed manner, making fun of Aurender's claim the A10 is a high-performance component. He continued by stating the 4TB hard drive was limited storage. A 4TB hard drive stores an enormous number of FLAC encoded music files. He makes the statement that during the time the hard drive is caching files to the solid state drive for playback ultimate sound quality is sacrificed. He must have bat ears because that has not been my experience at all with either my Aurender N10 or N100H music servers, and I highly doubt it is with the A10. Jason spoke less than flatteringly about the sound of the A10's DAC. Again, I suspect he might have wanted the A10 to sound like the dCS Scarlatti he kept mentioning, a DAC system that comes in at five times the price of the Aurender A10. The A10's AKM 4490 DACs are not slouches. In addition, Jason wasn't sharp enough not to place the A10 directly on the dCS components which negatively impacted the sound of the A10 until he wised up and relocated the A10 to it's own shelf. At the same time he admitted to breaking in new cables. Hmm! More with the negative tone, he referred to the Aurender A10 online manual as far too slim. I don't know about other Aurender owners, but I have had no issues finding operating and technical information for my Aurender components and the Conductor App online, not to mention nearly immediate email response from Aurender Tech support when needed. He goes on to complain that when he selects a title of music to play, then taps Play Now in the Conductor App the music starts immediately. What the heck does he think "Play Now" means. None of this strikes me as someone who was committed in a positive way to the A10 review.

Despite the MQA filter issue discovered by John Atkinson while bench testing the A10, which if not already resolved will certainly be so in short order, Jason Victor Serinus as he seems to like to be addressed, seems to take himself more seriously than he takes his job as a reviewer in my opinion. His effort at reviewing the Aurender A10 was a lackluster, uninspired read. Jason kept referring to the A10's apparent lack of color saturation. What the heck is that supposed to mean? Perhaps chartreuse was overshadowing magenta, while a light mauve seemed pale compared to the hot pink.

Jason just couldn't resist himself. His uninspired Aurender A10 review was wrapped up with a final dig, "Those who tend to listen to music while multitasking (read: not paying attention to the music) or who don't spend hours on end sitting undisturbed in the sweet spot (read: not interested in fully enjoying music) need not hesitate."


Note: The comments in parentheses are mine.
 
Extremely well said Dan. I just hope JVS reads your response because a review like his can do more damage to a brand without any justification. I don’t think these guys understand the power they hold with their “reviews”.
 
joeinid said:
Extremely well said Dan. I just hope JVS reads your response because a review like his can do more damage to a brand without any justification. I don’t think these guys understand the power they hold with their “reviews”.
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Joe.......I think most reviewers, and certainly magazine editors, have full knowledge of the impact reviews have on a manufacturer's products and reputation. Stereophile's editor is John Atkinson, a seasoned and respected reviewer himself and a top notch bench tech. Had I been John, I would have sent JVS back to his laptop for an attitude adjustment before publishing such a tarnished review of a fine music server/DAC/digital preamp. JVS reminds me of the rude aloof sales guy in a high-end audio store who does everything in his power while you are in the store to make you feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, and beneath his intelligence. This sales person often revels in the illusion he is somehow superior to anyone who enters the store, and considers the time spent with you either a complete waste or some great gift he granted you as he assumes he is lowering himself to speak with you. That's how JVS strikes me. And what's with the insistence for using his middle name in the byline? Kind of odd if you ask me.
 
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