Aurender: $15k’s worth of streaming
What would make a streamer worth $14,995? Aurender’s answer is to make it a multitasker of the highest possible quality. The new A15 is a one-box music streamer plus server, and builds on the A10, which was Aurender’s first ever music server/streamer with a built-in DAC. The A15 brings a fresh design — and useful optional storage expansion, the new model sporting twin 2.5-inch slots for users to add additional HDD or SSD storage drives of up to 8TB each. There’s also onboard Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify Connect and internet radio, making the A15 a combo solution for music fans that listen to both streaming music and locally-stored files amassed during the era of the digital download.
On the front, the A15 features a wide 6.9-inch colour LCD screen to display album artwork, while inside upgrades include a new CPU and a dual-mono AKM4490 MQA-certified DAC that can decode PCM files up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD up to DSD512. There’s an updated dual-mono linear power supply, a double isolated LAN port and an FPGA-based precision clock.
Outputs at the rear include both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA ports.
Crucially, as with other Aurender units, all playback occurs from the internal solid-state cache. As soon as content is added to the queue, it is immediately downloaded locally for playback. Aurender says that caching tracks in this way not only avoids the errors of real-time playback, it minimises electrical and acoustic noise generated from spinning disks, moving heads and motors, while avoiding variable demand on power supplies during playback. Result: improved audio.
With its internal DAC, the A15 can also act as a digital hub for other sources via its optical and coaxial digital inputs, and a USB 2.0 output allows users to send a digital signal to a second system or external DAC. When set to use its variable output, the A15 can perform as a preamplifier straight to power amps, with volume control via front panel, IR remote or Aurender’s app.
The Aurender A15 is available in silver or black finishes, priced in Australia at $14,495. More info: www.synergyaudio.com