The Source of Goodness
Upscale will be among the first to get the new Aurender
The A1000 streaming DAC brings Aurender's obsessiveness to a lower price point.
"Implementation, implementation, implmentation."
When it comes to digital sources, Lumin, Aurender, and HiFi Rose all have die-hard fans on the Upscale Audio team. And because these products sit along a design continuum, each appeals to a different consumer. Lumin calls to the "we don't need no screens, just sound quality" crowd, and HiFi Rose draws in the opposite team: people who want a big touchscreen and tons of features to play with.
Aurender sits in between, offering obsessiveness about sound quality (in addition to its build and components, we're thinking about Aurender's 'critical listening feature' that shuts down everything non-essential), but with front controls and a nice screen.
Up to now, the A200 at $6,300 has been the best way to enter Aurender's perfectly rendered world. The A1000 brings much of that quality at a far lower $3,500 price point. You may not get the high-end clock or the supercap power supply, but you still get three toroidal transformers, a dual-mono AKM DAC, and Aurender's superb chassis.
The A1000 houses an expensive power supply with three separate toroidal transformers.
There's a lot of chatter about DAC chips and their effect on the sound, but remember what they say: "Implementation, implementation, implementation." The final sound of a digital source depends on so many factors, including how the chip is actually set up, the quality of the clocking, the tuning of the analog stage, and the overall noise floor of the system. The latter isn't just about those "black backgrounds". By revealing low-level detail, the flow from one musical idea to another gets more natural, something that's impossible to appreciate until you've heard it. The "flow" of a great digital source makes cheaper implementations sound robotic and unengaging.
Upscale Audio will be among the first to get the new Aurender A1000, with deliveries expected in September. We will have a limited quantity, and it'll be first come, first served, so place your order today!
Make Some Noise for Technics
Yes, Technics is now in the house. Best known for its direct-drive turntables, first for DJs and then for hi-fi systems, Technics also continues to make the most beautiful hi-fi. We especially love it in the silver finish, as with the SU-G700M2 integrated amp pictured above.
Under the old-school 'knobs and VU meters' styling is a chassis packed with truly high-tech audio. Most importantly, the SU-G700M2 is a digitally controlled class-D amp, meaning that a digital input stays unconverted all the way to the output stage of the amp, where pulse width modulation is used to create an analog output for your speakers. Technics' JENO Engine (Jitter Elimination and Noise-Shaping Optimization) ensures that the digital signal passes through with minimal losses. The result is a clean, detailed sound that hits all the right notes without coloration.
Then, we have LAPC (Load Adaptive Phase Calibration) for optimum matching to any speaker. LAPC is run on your speakers to measure the frequency amplitude-phase characteristics of the amplifier with the speakers connected, and that correction is applied to the signal, creating an addictive and immersive neutral response.
Stay tuned for more Technics stories as we add more of this great brand to our roster.
New Video: Explore the Aurender A1000
Let Kevin and Jordan take you on a tour of the new Aurender A1000 streaming DAC.