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Top music streamer for 2019? Aurender N10’s?

I will shortly be purchasing a Gryphon Diablo 300 integrated with its internal DAC module.  I’m now wondering what to do about a music streamer, as I’m doubting that my current stock Mac Mini with Audirvana will do justice to the Gryphon.  My budget is < 10k.  After scanning forums this is what I’ve found consistently:  1) Aurender is frequently recommended, seemingly more so than other brands, 2) the Aurender N10 sounds much better than the much less expensive N100H, 3) Any higher end dedicated streamer will elevate sound significantly over my Mac Mini.

So it appears my best option is the Aurender N10 other than the price tag.  My questions are:  1) Do people agree with the statements above?  And, 2) How do the much less expensive Moon Mind 2 and Bluesound products compare with the Aurender N10?  Is the difference large?  And, 3) How big is the sound quality increase going to a N10 from a Mac Mini, and what specifically are the differences I should expect? 

Thanks

nyev

Showing 2 responses by redlenses03

redlenses03
9 posts
 
I have been of the mind to separate the processing/computer/network/usb activities. Since experimenting and removing all of the above from the listening room I settled on a microU as the final output before DAC with excellent results. As opposed to a laptop or noisy computer directly attached to DAC. I understand the microU is a "computer" but not the same generally speaking.
Having a high end wkst running HQP and ROON core to a fiber switch (all in laundry room) and then running fiber to listening room to microU (or equiv) seems to be the way to go IMHO to isolate all the crude. The new optical mU would simplify things even more.

However, it seems like a lot of the newer products are putting the design philosophies (power, noise, fiber in some cases, EMI etc..) into these products and would be fun to to try. The Innuous is interesting and I wonder if there would be a benefit over my config / similar config

Seems like one is either a set it and forget it / all in one type (lumin, aurender) or one wanting some more control (NAS, seperate DAC, endpoints etc..), which I am in the latter.

Being my mU is from the orig design (was updated though) I am starting to look as some possibilities. ROON is key (lifetime) for me, don’t care about the MQA bs at all.
This stuff moves too fast, its never eding.


redlenses03
9 posts
 
Question on the Innuos or similar. Maybe this is for a different thread? but in the case where one is looking for just the endpoint what are the best alternatives to an Innuos? It would seem that a Innuos would be total overkill if looking for say just a ROON endpoint and or HQP NAA, no?.
Additionally, and in my case, I’m needing an NAA compatible device for HQP and thus my use of a microU, but going onto what Darko was stating in his Innuos review, he stated the Innuos is better than several streamers and endpoints, including the UltraRendu.

Now I take that with a grain of salt (too many variables) and his network is certainly different than my network, which could potentially have a significant influence overall.
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