Aurender N20
N20
Ultra High-Performance Digital Output Network Transport
2 x Slots for 2.5" HDD or SSD Drive (user installable)
USB, AES/EBU, Coaxial, BNC, Optical Outputs, and Word Clock Input
N20
Flagship pedigree - make no compromise.
Ultra High-Performance Digital Output Network Transport with USB, AES/EBU, Coaxial, BNC, Optical Outputs and Word Clock Input, 2X User-Installable storage slots.
The New Aspiration
“The Aurender N20 hits the bullseye with simplicity, stability, speed, and sound quality. The product is as simple as possible, but no simpler”, said AudiophileStyle.com and we couldn’t agree more.
N20 sits in the enviable “sweet spot” of cost vs. performance in the middle of Aurender's range of digital source components. Equally at home in a cost-no-object system or as the cornerstone of a more modest system, N20 is designed to be connected to the world's best high-quality DACs. the N20 features ultra high-end SPDIF (Coaxial, BNC, Optical) and AES/EBU outputs in addition to an isolated USB Audio output. The SPDIF digital output suite is controlled by a precise OCXO clock for long-term jitter reduction, achieving the perfect marriage of low noise and low jitter. A word clock or master clock input is also provided for users who wish to sync with an external clock. High-resolution file support for all major codecs goes to the extreme limits, and on-the-fly DSD-to-PCM conversion by FPGA is available for SPDIF outputs. N20 is equipped with two user-installable storage bays, allowing the user to select the drive type and capacity to meet their own needs. The handsome machined aluminum front panel features a large 8.8” full-color IPS LCD display that reproduces the album art, artist name and song title.
A true overachiever, the N20 fully embodies the virtues of high-end audio performance and user-friendliness expected from Aurender.
Key Features
Flagship DNA in a Single Chassis Component
Although N30SA plays in a league of its own when it comes to resolution, timbral saturation, and lowering the noise-floor by physically separating the audio outputs into a separate chassis, N20 includes very nearly the same hardware features and benefits in a single chassis. For many music lovers and audiophiles, N20 is the promised land.
Clock Input
N20, N30SA, W20, and W20SE all feature a unique Clock Input for connectivity with an external Master Clock such as MC20. A superior Master Clock can make a good system sound uncannily realistic, giving a new literal meaning to "High Fidelity."
8.8" Front Panel Display
An impressive 8.8” full-color IPS LCD display reproduces the album art, artist name and song title in utter elegance.
PCM Upsampling
N20 is capable of upsampling any lower resolution content up to 176.4/192kHz for better performance with some DACs. Upsampling effects only the system’s SPDIF digital outputs. USB is always bit-perfect with no digital signal processing.
Linear Power Supply with Integrated UPS
Clean power is the single most important factor in enjoying your favorite music with the highest fidelity from a digital source component. N20's unique hybrid power supply, on which the flagship N30SA is based, delivers a pure DC current to flawlessly power the digital audio output board, while a separate linear power supply chain feeds clean power to the non-audio adjacent components of the machine.
OCXO Clock Controlled Outputs
Aurender's Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator (OCXO) clocks are unique in a category that has historically treated superior SPDIF and AES/EBU audio outputs as an afterthought. Unlike USB, where the DAC's clock matters most, SPDIF and AES/EBU data streams are only as good as the transport clocks that govern them. N30SA, N20, and W20SE all employ exceptionally accurate and stable OCXO clocks for a smooth, saturated, and laser-focused audio presentation.
User-Installable Storage Options
N20 is built with two trays for user-installable storage. Need a lot of capacity? Load up to 2 8TB SSDs! Not into storing files and prefer to stream? Leave them empty, and don't pay for storage capacity you won't use.
Physical Specifications
| Dimensions | 16.9"W x 14"W x 4.4"H (3.9"H) |
|---|---|
| Weight | 29.8 lb |
| Material | Machined Aluminum Chassis |
| Front Panel Display | 8.8" 1920 x 480 Wide IPS Color LCD |
Technical Specifications
| Power Supply | 1x50W (CPU), 2x35W (4 cores) for Digital Output Board |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Low Power Quad Core |
| RAM | 8GB |
|
Library Storage Capacity |
2X 2.5" Compartments (User-Installable Storage) |
| SSD for System & Cache | 480GB NVME |
| Data USB Ports | 2X USB 3.0 (Rear) |
| Software Suite | Aurender Conductor |
| Ethernet Port | Double-Isolated Gigabit LAN |
| Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) | Yes (Super Capacitors) |
| Power Consumption | Play (40W), Peak (70W), Standby (3.5W) |
| CD Ripping Capability | N/A |
Audio Specifications
| Analog Outputs | N/A |
|---|---|
| DAC Chipset | N/A |
| Audio Word Clock | OCXO |
| Analog Outputs Supported Format | N/A |
| Digital Outputs | USB Audio (Dedicated), AES/EBU (OCXO Controlled), BNC Coax SPDIF (OCXO Controlled), RCA Coax SPDIF (OCXO Controlled), Optical/TosLink SPDIF (OCXO Controlled) |
| USB Output Supported Format | Up To 32-bit / 384kHz, DSD128 (DoP), DSD512 (Native) |
| SPDIF & AES/EBU Output Supported Format | PCM: Up to 32-bit / 192 kHz; DSD: Up to DSD64 via DoP |
| Digital Inputs | N/A |
| Headphone Section | N/A |
| Master Clock Input | Coaxial BNC 75Ω - 10MHz, 12.8MHz, 44.1-48kHz (multiples from 1-512x) |
| MQA Support | MQA Core-Decoder Upgrade Available |
| Compatible Formats | DSD (DSF, DFF), WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, M4A, APE and others |
| DSD-to-PCM Conversion | DSD64/128/256/512 to 88.2/176.4kHz |