SSD Caching

SSD caching is a great feature that Aurender has implemented into all of its servers. It's essentially a way to preserve system resources during music playback.

Your music files are stored on spinning hard disc drives (HDD), but playback occurs from a solid state drive (SSD). This method allows for the HDD to only be concerned with loading content onto the SSD for playback. When you add content to your queue via the Aurender Conductor app, that content is immediately cached to the SSD. The spinning drives go to sleep, easing the use of system resources. The caching drive does error correction, re-clocking, jitter correction, etc., and sends the content to the DAC. This works for music you've ripped and saved to the server, but also music that you stream from services. You've basically putting a brick wall behind any kind of interference that happens before it gets to the DAC.

Storage Options

With high-resolution streaming becoming the norm for many audiophiles, the need for hard drive storage has lessened. Aurender developed a solution that satisfies the needs of both the file collector and the streaming enthusiast: optional storage. Some Aurender models come with internal storage, while others allow you to add storage (traditional hard drive or solid state drive) to best meet your budget and intended use. The A30 has an internal 3.5-inch, 10TB HDD. The A20 has two pull-out trays for 2.5-inch HDD or SSD Drive (user installed). Now, the best audio performance occurs when music is stored on Aurender's internal drive. However, the Aurender platform is also capable of seamlessly integrating content stored on a NAS, external USB hard drive, or thumb drive. This essentially gives you limitless storage options.

Integrated Dual-Mono Full Decoder MQA DAC with Fully Discrete Linear Power Supplies

The DAC in the A30 and A20 is a 768kHz/32bit dual-mono DAC that was designed around the flagship AKM 4497 DAC chipset. The DAC includes full MQA Decoder technology, allowing you to play back MQA audio files and streams. There's also a streamer; TIDAL and Qobuz are among default options during setup. You can add other services via the Aurender Conductor app.

Support for All High-Resolution Formats

• • • All major codecs are supported: PCM up to 786kHz/32-bit. DSD up to 256 DoP. Native DSD up to 512.

FPGA-Based Precision Clock with World-Class Jitter Reduction

• • • The precision clock generation system incorporates Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) with a sub 100fs jitter-reducing clock generator that precisely times digital audio data transmissions and minimizes jitter to below negligible levels.

CD Ripping

The A30 can be paired with an Acronova Nimbie USB Plus that can load and rip 100 CDs consecutively for curating large CD libraries. Now, you can still use the Nimbie for CD ripping with the A20. You'll have to connect it to your computer and use a program like JRiver or Media Monkey, and then you can copy your files over to the Aurender. The Nimbie is available for rent for Moon Audio's Aurender customers.

Aurender's playback engine operates on a "play queue" basis. When you select a song or group of songs to play, those files get cached to the internal SSD for best audio performance. To add a song to the queue, simply tap on its name. It will be added to your queue according to the "song selection default behavior" settings, which you can set under "general" in the Conductor app settings menu. One thing I couldn't immediately figure out how to do was to play a full album. To add and play a full album, you can press and hold on the album thumbnail and then select the desired playback behavior. (Hint: The Aurender website has a bunch of helpful video clips to guide you through the app!)

In addition, the A30 has the A30 Manager App. This app is used to configure all system settings, including CD ripping preferences and behaviors. Smart Copy, Move, Delete, Editing, and Duplicate Checker are some of the library-management software-based tools provided, allowing you to organize your music library the way you want.

A really nice perk with Aurender is remote support technical assistance. You can send a remote support request through the Conductor app. If you experience a glitch in your server, you can put your Aurender into maintenance mode. Then, a technician will go in and troubleshoot. This is a premium service that comes standard with any Aurender product.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Roon, since many Moon Audio customers ask if Aurender servers are Roon Ready. The answer is no. Aurender is a closed ecosystem, similar to Apple, and will not integrate with outside software. Many people enjoy using Roon for its rich metadata and music discovery features, and I am one of them. However, I also enjoy the Conductor app, and I think it's simpler to set up and navigate.

There are many stops along the spectrum of sound. To my ears, the Aurender A30 and A20 are very much linear and neutral sounding. The sound is clear, uncolored, and highly detailed. It's a pleasing, straightforward sound, neither warm nor bassy nor bright. I did my audio testing with the A30, but remember that the A20 has identical sound.

When I first started listening, I was waiting for that immediate "wow" factor. But this is a sound signature that isn't going to grab me immediately. That's a "me" thing, as I'm always going to be wooed by warmth. But while the "wow" didn't come right away, the appreciation built over time. After several hours of listening, I almost felt embarrassed by my initial underwhelm. I very much grew to appreciate the honest, unadulterated sound.

A real highlight for me was listening to Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" on the Focal Stellia headphones with a Black Dragon Premium Cable. Everything about this song sounded just right. You know how sometimes you listen to a song you've known forever and suddenly you like it so much more than you ever remember liking it? That happened, and so I immediately put it on repeat and listened several more times. The music had so much depth to it; Chapman's voice had so much clarity. As amazing as the guitar strums sounded, it was as if the space between each strum had a character all its own, if that makes sense. This was a big part of my experience with these Aurenders - noticing these types of things. This is the difference between "critical listening" and "getting lost in the music" listening. A warmer, lusher sound might have me closing my eyes and daydreaming. The Aurender A30 and A20 have the sort of sound that makes you take notice of everything. If that's your style, the A30 and A20 will appeal to you. 

I went back and listened to "Fast Car" with a different headphone – the Meze Empyrean paired with a Silver Dragon Premium Cable. The Empyrean has a warm and lush sound and a notoriously wide soundstage. The song sounded a little warmer, weightier, and "bigger." The Stellia's soundstage is taller than it is wide, whereas the Empyrean has more width. That being said, the Aurender's clean and detailed sound was very much discernible with both headphones.

Bass on the Aurender A30 and A20 is defined by, well, its definition. It's not overly assertive or rumbly, but it's textured and plenty satisfying. Mids are quite clear, with vocals always feeling front and center. Highs are peppy and detailed, but not shrill. A good test of "shrillness" is the alarm bell sequence at the beginning of Pink Floyd's "Time." If I wince, the sound is too bright. I did not wince here.

Sound summary: Linear, neutral, clean, detailed.

High-quality audio cables are a must for your Aurender. Generally, stock audio cables are manufactured with subpar materials, metals with impurities, poor geometries, and an overabundance of layers to make them look and feel like a fire hose. Inconsistency and lack of quality control in stock cables can lead to poor sound quality and a veiled sound vs. what the musician intended for you to hear. Dragon cables are handcrafted to the highest standards and made to order according to your specific needs. At Moon Audio, we create custom cables using the highest quality UP-OCC silver or copper conductors that can be manufactured. UP-OCC metals are void of impurities and are optimized for signal transfer and sound quality. I recommend these top-of-the-line Dragon cables for your Aurender A30 or A20:

Silver Dragon Sound Signature: The Silver Dragon is Moon Audio's original cable. Silver strands clarify instrument separation, increase the soundstage, and find "hidden" middle and high-frequency sounds. Transients appear more cohesive and the bass tighter for a more controlled sound. The detail and clarity of the Silver Dragon make it a perfect match for classical, jazz and other music genres with many nuanced instruments.

Black Dragon Sound Signature: The Black Dragon is warm and smooth with a musical presentation. Copper strands enhance the body, shape, and immediacy of the music. The detail and expansiveness of the Black Dragon make it a flexible fit where a broad range of musical genres are played. It can also improve bass frequencies on bass-light audio components.

The Aurender A30 and A20 are great options for audiophiles seeking a digital hub that covers both headphone and loudspeaker listening. This is a company that gets it right in all areas: sound quality, hardware, software, and customer service.

Choose the A30 if you are looking for integrated CD ripping functionality that will enable you to digitize your physical collection. Choose the A20 if your music collection is already digitized. Either way, you'll get a preamp, DAC, headphone amplifier, and music streamer in one.

Both Aurenders have a sound signature that is honest, accurate, neutral, and detailed. This makes them great for critical listening and for genres with lots of complexity and nuance. Jazz, classical, acoustic music, and vocal music will shine. At $18,000 for the A30 and $14,000 for the A20, these are definitely investment pieces, but they are built to last. Pair that with the excellent Aurender Conductor App along with remote technical support, and you've got an audiophile win-win.

A30 - In The Box