AURENDER N20 Music Server – The Absolute Sound review

Within the last decade, we’ve seen the emergence of a market for a new type of high-end audio component: the digital-music server/streamer. Integrating the functions of a computer, music server, network bridge, and Internet gateway, the server/streamer provides the flexibility of listening to music files from a disc drive (spinning or solid-state) as well as from high-quality music-streaming services such as Tidal and Qobuz. Aurender has a been one of the pioneers and innovators in this market for some time, and as we shall see, the N20 represents a fresh, formidable, and innovative offering.

Summing up, I loved the musical experiences conjured up the by the Aurender N20. It presented the music with very high accuracy and precision, complete with the requisite muscle and horsepower to provide superb rendition of dynamic contrasts and shadings, but could temper and punctuate those dynamics with the delicate articulation of instruments and voices. The overall presentation was exceptionally uncolored and tonally accurate, yet rich with natural timbral warmth, three-dimensional weight and body, and fine gradations of instrumental or vocal textures. All this goodness was presented with clean, quiet, and very black backgrounds, refined, stable, and precise imaging, expansive soundstaging, and most importantly, nuanced, refined, and relaxed naturalness. 

Bringing it home, the Aurender N20 is one of a handful of the best-designed, best-integrated, best-engineered, and, most importantly, best-sounding audio components I have ever had the pleasure to use and experience. As such, it constitutes an innovative new benchmark in digital music server/streamers. Highest possible recommendation—the Aurender N20 is a veritable home run.

… Stephen Scharf, May 20th, 2022

Link to product: Aurender N20
Link to review: The Absolute Sound