Tim G. has an all-Upscale system in his living room. Read our second story below to learn about the piano.
From Bluesound to Aurender, Tim is one happy customer
The Bluesound Node is one of our favorite streaming DACs and a top seller for good reason. At $750, it brings sound quality, a good app, the right features, and a solid build to customers building a balanced budget system or dipping their toes into the world of streaming.
The Node is a major driver of digital upgrades because it is so often the first proper streaming source for customers who've used only phones or laptops. "If this entry-level streaming DAC sounds so good," goes the reasoning, "imagine the sound of the Aurenders and Lumins."
Tim's Story
Our customer Tim G. had exactly that experience recently. First, his system. He has a Pathos TT Anniversary hybrid integrated amp driving a pair of Focal 1038 Be speakers. His analog source is a Rega Planar 8 with Apheta 3 cartridge and a Sutherland Little Loco MK2 phonostage. Cardas Clear Reflection cables and Solidsteel racks complete this tight, balanced setup.
Tim had chosen the Bluesound Node because, at the time, it was the only streamer that supported Amazon Music. As good as the Node is, it's easily outmatched by the Rega/Sutherland combo. Chris Landfield at Upscale Audio immediately spotted this weak link, and his experienced eye also noted those Focal beryllium tweeters, which are sparkling and detailed, but can get glassy if system matching isn't perfect.
"In all my conversations with Tim," says Chris, "he has always looked for ways of getting more without getting too bright. Aurender was a perfect match for him. Smooth, open, and quiet are the words I use to describe Aurender, and that was a perfect match for his tastes."
After plugging in the A1000, Tim downloaded the Aurender Conductor app and got to work on the migration from Bluesound. He said there was a bit of a learning curve with the app, but eventually he was able to figure everything out. "I’m 63 years old, so if I can, you can."
Without much fuss, he transferred his favorites from Amazon Music to Qobuz, and found all his radio stations. He bypassed the Aurender's volume control so that the Pathos handled all attenuation. (Simply turn an Aurender's volume all the way up to take it out of the signal path.)
Once he got it playing, he wrote to us. "All I can say is, WOW! The Aurender made the Bluesound Node sound like going from AM radio to FM stereo (those of you who are old like me, know what I’m talking about)." Tim is the first to note that there is "certainly nothing wrong with the Node. However, the clarity, dynamic range, and soundstage of the A1000 are amazing. The tonality is smooth, lush, warm, and organic. The soundstage is almost like 3D. It’s balanced, detailed, and articulate."
And here's one of those little touches that endears Aurender to hi-fi fans: "I also love that when you change songs, it fades the previous song into the next."
Aurender's obsessiveness is visible in the three power supplies alone: one for the processing, screen, SSD, and other "dirty" stuff, and two for each channel of the dual-mono DAC circuits.
The A1000
The Aurender A1000 is a streaming DAC with a 2.5-inch SSD slot for music storage. It is built around the beloved AKM 4490REQ chip with its Velvet Sound profile. As you can imagine, "velvet sound" in the wrong hands can be woolly and gooey. Not with Aurender. This obsessive company pays so much attention to power supply design, isolation, component choice, and of course, clean circuit design, that it is able to combine the wonderful weight and texture of Velvet Sound with a clear, detailed openness and spaciousness.
"Is it worth five times the cost of the Bluesound Node streamer?" wonders Tim. "That is up to you to decide, as you know that Upscale has a great return policy if you’re not satisfied. Mine won’t be returned."
Aurender offers a nice screen but caters to audiophiles with a Critical Listening Mode that shuts down everything not essential for music playback.
"Having Silence Is Deafening to Me"
Says Tim G., the customer featured above, "Music is playing from the Aurender A1000 at least 15 hours a day. It gets turned on at 5 am and goes off around 8 pm. Having silence is deafening to me."
Many analog-only listeners use their systems for "critical listening." But once they add a streaming source, they understand the value of high-quality casual listening throughout the day. Tim agrees that the experience isn't about analog versus digital, but "it's whatever people enjoy."
He grew up in the 60s and 70s, and vinyl was all he had. "It is a ritual that is truly enjoyable. From cleaning the vinyl, to putting that stylus on the record, and listening. I also love looking at the lyrics/artwork either on inside cover or the album sleeve. The great thing about streaming is if I just want to hear one or two songs from an album. I wouldn't put an album on a turntable for just that."
Radio Stations
Another huge advantage of a streaming source is high-quality radio. Tim's favorites are the public stations that he supports. WQXR out of NYC for classical music; WRTI from Temple University for jazz and classical; WXPN, University of Pennsylvania’s member-supported music-discovery station for current and indie; and WWFM from his home county, Mercer, NJ, for classical.
Musical Tastes
As with so many of us, Tim listens across a range of genres. From Led Zeppelin/Springsteen to Joni/Tay-Tay to Billie Eilish/RHCP to Alicia Keys/Rihanna to Dave Brubeck/Thelonious Monk to Brahms/VOCES8, he struggled to pick favorites. "I enjoy listening to all of these on the Aurender, and I can hear the differences in the sound, recording quality, and whether it's CD-quality or high-res."
The Piano
The grand piano in Tim's living room is an August Förster 215, and yes, he plays this 7' 2" beauty. "It's one of the few German companies still family owned since 1859. They make only 50 pianos each year. Playing the piano brings a very different joy and certainly does not spoil my enjoyment of playback, especially piano pieces, through spinning vinyl or streaming through the Aurender."