REVIEW: Comparison of 5 High End Digital Music Servers - Aurender N10, CAD CAT server, TotalDac d1-Server, Auralic Aries, Audiophile Vortex Box

[Clive101]

Hello All,

Back again after testing the SOtM tx USBultra with Antipodes CX EX combo.

My view has not changed, I still prefer the CX EX without the SOtm USB ultra.

My chain is separate dedicated mains power into Torus Power supply 16 amp AVR2, Antipodes CX EX with the supplied ethernet cable (Roon as I find this the better sounding software at the moment) via Chord Music USB cable into Mscaler, via Wave Storm Cables into Dave, Dave via Chord Sarum T XLR into Bryston 7B3, Sarum T speaker cable into PMC MB2 SE speakers.
Network, Draytek wireless access point powered by a Paul Hynes as I have a very noisy network, switches are the next rabbit hole !

I found the vocals to be too hot and the base a little more boom with the SOtM although I must admit on other pieces of music without vocals the sound seemed to have more detail but I am unable to tolerate any harshness.

PS Those of you using the CX EX combo need to try the ethernet cables on port 1 input as there is some filtration going on I found I got less network noise with input on 1 output on 2. I checked this on the noisy network and it was a lot closer to the single wireless access I currently use.

 

[bmichels]

Has someone heard the Waversa WCORE v2.

An "all in one box" Intel i3 Quad Core based Linux server for ROON Core server + Audiophile Ethernet switch isolated and filtred and OCXO clocked + SSD storage, all operated on battery for imunity.

I just wonder if the Processeur I3 is powerful enough to corectly run ROON Core server. In the past I have hear noticeable difference between I3 and i7 ROON server !


Also, since there is no USB out, I suppose that the Waversa WCORE connects to the Streaming DAC via Ethernet, and to the network via another Ethernet port, leaving 2 free Ethernet ports available in case we need them ? Is it correct ?


Also, how much does the Waversa WCORE V2 really filter the Ethernet network and imude the DAC from the noise transiting on the Home Ethernet Network.


thanks

 

[bmichels]

I am still hesitating what to ask santa claus an upgrade from my W20 to the W20SE or... to the Taiko Audio SGM Extreme which, for same price range, is offering the ROON experience and is "supposed" to sound even better !

 

[naynay]

PS Those of you using the CX EX combo need to try the ethernet cables on port 1 input as there is some filtration going on I found I got less network noise with input on 1 output on 2. I checked this on the noisy network and it was a lot closer to the single wireless access I currently use.

Antipodes website does state this and the ethernet ports on the back of my units show port 1 as red and port 2 as black red port being filtered.

 

[bmichels]

I am about to upgrade my Aurender W20 Music server for a W20SE or another TOL server like the Taiko Audio SGM Extreme that is also a ROON Server.

but… I start to realize that now I listen more to QOBUZ Streaming than to locally stored music file. QOBUZ Sublime becoming so good, with my Aurender, most of the time I can’t hear a difference between streaming and playing localy stored for the same track. So I start to predict that soon I will listen 99% via streaming.

So, my question become: Does a Super TOL music server also bring sonic advantage when streaming like it does when playing locally stored files ? In other words, based on user’s feedback, the Aurender W20SE sound better than the « old » W20 when playing HD stored files, but… does it also sound better than the « old » W20 when streaming QOBUZ (or tidal) ? Does the Taiko Audio SGM Extreme sound better than the W20 when streaming QOBUZ via ROON ?


So…If I soon go 100% streaming, then I may save the $ of a TOL music server and instead get a TOL « Roon ready » DAC, with ethernet input, and have ROON Server runing on a good NAS on the network. This config removes the USB conversion in the chain, all the chain being Ethernet….

@romaz, since you upgraded your W20 to a Taiko Audio SGM Extreme that you tested against a W20SE, can you tell if, WHEN STREAMING, the Taiko Audio SGM Extreme also sound better than the Aurender ?

Also, If I want only to stream QOBUZ, I wonder il using just the native QOBUZ app running on a PC or a Windows server will be a better option than streaming QOBUZ via ROON ?

 

[romaz]

I briefly owned the Aurender N10. I have never owned the W20 but I have had it in my home for evaluation on several occasions. Recently, I had the opportunity to evaluate the W20SE. The W20SE is a nice improvement over the W20 and sounds very refined but for the price Aurender is asking, it is a bit of a disappointment as even the server I built was better.

The problem with the W20SE is transients sound soft and slow and lacks the immediacy and liveliness that I crave, whether it be playback from local files or streaming from either Qobuz or Tidal. The SGM Extreme is at a whole other level.

It is better than anything else I have experienced including my own best effort by a very significant margin. At its asking price, it is surprising for me to say this, but I find it to be a bargain. Its balance of qualities is unparalleled and performs exquisitely with both local file playback and streaming from Qobuz/Tidal.

 

[TheAttorney]

The SGM Extreme is at a whole other level.
It is better than anything else I have experienced including my own best effort by a very significant margin. At its asking price, it is surprising for me to say this, but I find it to be a bargain. Its balance of qualities is unparalleled and performs exquisitely with both local file playback and streaming from Qobuz/Tidal.

It's good to see you return to the thread that you started so long ago .
Presumably for just a brief visit to confirm what will most likely be your final server - well, at least for a while.

It's a shame the Extreme is so big and heavy. And I read that it consumes about 330W of power. Do you know what it consumes on standby?

I understand there may be a cut down Extreme in the future, with single processor board (instead of 2), with half the RAM and reduced power supplies. But in the same huge enclosure so that users can upgrade to the full Extreme in the future. Will be interesting to find how much SQ is lost by the cut-down version.

 

[romaz]

It's good to see you return to the thread that you started so long ago .
Presumably for just a brief visit to confirm what will most likely be your final server - well, at least for a while.

It's a shame the Extreme is so big and heavy. And I read that it consumes about 330W of power. Do you know what it consumes on standby?

I understand there may be a cut down Extreme in the future, with single processor board (instead of 2), with half the RAM and reduced power supplies. But in the same huge enclosure so that users can upgrade to the full Extreme in the future. Will be interesting to find how much SQ is lost by the cut-down version.

If I could build a server like this, I would but it's simply not possible. Even if I spent the money to design a chassis large enough to hold the motherboard used and spent even more money to devise a way to adequately cool it passively and then spent even more money to power it properly, there are simply too many other things that are proprietary that Emile infused into this machine that I simply could not replicate and so this is a machine, as I see it, that can only be equaled or surpassed by Emile himself. According to Emile, some improvements are inevitable (which I cannot discuss) but they will take place within the confines of the Extreme that is being sold today. Also, the Extreme has 4 free PCIe slots should the owner wish to tailor the Extreme further to personal tastes. This is as future proof a music server as I am aware of.

The Extreme is big and heavy and that is a downside but given that every square inch inside the Extreme is used up, I don't see a way to compact it. Emile does have a lower cost server in the works with a single CPU and half the RAM that should probably still outperform everything else out there but according to Emile, the 2nd CPU is adding quite a bit to the performance of the Extreme and so it will be a matter of "you get what you pay for." The good news is that this entry level Extreme can be upgraded to full Extreme status given that the enclosure will be the same.

The Extreme consumes only 60 watts during playback and while idle. It runs quite cool, cooler than my own high power build. It is only if you elect to use HQP and upsample to DSD512 (or higher) that you will consume >300 watts. I have verified this. I keep my Extreme on 24/7 and it has proven to be very stable.

 

[jp11801]

Hi I know it's not an elite streamer but has anyone heard the Waversa wstreamer? I'm running a nuc 8i3 cased in an fan less akasa Turing case. I am reading the placing a streamer I between the roon server nuc and my yggy dac will yield improvement.

 

[F208Frank]

Antipodes website does state this and the ethernet ports on the back of my units show port 1 as red and port 2 as black red port being filtered.

So I'm confused do we use input 1 or input 2 for best performance?

 

[deuter]

All, What is the current favourite in terms of performance streamers.
Does SOTM SMS 200 Ultra Neo take the cake?

 

[kennyb123]

All, What is the current favourite in terms of performance streamers.
Does SOTM SMS 200 Ultra Neo take the cake?

Do you mean takes the cake in the Neo’s price range?

 

[deuter]

Do you mean takes the cake in the Neo’s price range?

Yes or in a lower price bracket performs as fine as the NEO.

 

[kennyb123]

Yes or in a lower price bracket performs as fine as the NEO.

I think that the NEO would be a really good choice mostly because SOtM has been really good about offering upgrades to the sMS-200.

The power supply matters a great deal with this so be sure to use a good one with this.

 

[deuter]

I think that the NEO would be a really good choice mostly because SOtM has been really good about offering upgrades to the sMS-200.

The power supply matters a great deal with this so be sure to use a good one with this.

What is the decent budget power supply.