Digital Sources: Astell&Kern AK100 & AK240, Pono Music PonoPlayer portable players.
Headphones: Audeze LCD-X, AudioQuest NightHawk, Ultimate Ears 18 Pro.—John Atkinson
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state integrated amplifier with built-in CD player, DAC, FM tuner, and Bluetooth receiver. Digital inputs: TosLink (up to 24-bit/192kHz), USB Type A (MP3, WMA, FLAC up to 24/96k, WAV up to 16/44.1k), USB Type B (up to 24/192k). Digital filter: proprietary, third-order. Analog line output: 1 RCA. Output power: 125Wpc at 8 ohms (21dBW). Frequency response: 20Hz–25kHz, ±0.5dB. No other specifications given.
Dimensions: 10.8" (278mm) W by 3.9" (100mm) H by 10.8" (278mm) D. Weight: 16.5 lbs (7.5kg).
Serial number of unit reviewed:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Acoustic Research AR-M2 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). Source materials were WAV and AIFF test-tone files, as well as DSD64 and DSD128 files of test tones prepared for me by Malcolm Hawksford. The AR-M2's battery was fully charged at the start of the testing.
The maximum output level was 1.89V from the line output jack and 3.71V from the headphone jack, both with the volume set to its maximum. The output impedance was 100 ohms from the line-out jack and 10 ohms from the headphone jack, both…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 turntables; Abis SA-1.2, EMT 997 tonearms; EMT OFD 25 & OFD 15 & TSD 15 pickup heads; Denon DL-103, Miyajima Premium BE Mono II cartridges.
Digital Sources: Halide Designs DAC HD USB D/A converter; Apple iMac G5 computer running Audirvana Plus 1.5.12; Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Hommage T2 step-up transformer, Shindo Laboratory Aurieges Equalizer Amplifier phono preamplifier & Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Laboratory Corton-Charlemagne monoblocks.
…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed a full set of measurements on the April Music Aura Note V2 using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). I looked first at the behavior of the digital inputs, using either S/PDIF data sourced from the Audio Precision via an optical link, or USB data from my MacBook Pro running on battery power. To avoid overloading the April's power-amplifier section, I examined the signals at its line-output jacks without any load attached to the speaker terminals. (Plugging headphones into the headphone jack mutes both the speaker and…
Retailer Audio Den (pictured above, 2845 Middle Country Rd, Lake Grove, NY 11755) is holding an open house Thursday, March 31, from 6pm–pm, to preview the iconic Technics SL-1200GAE turntable. Representatives from Technics will be hand and attendees can enter a raffle to win an Okki Nokki record cleaning machine. More details from Audio Den: (631) 585-5600.
Graham Nash, digging the DeVore Gibbon X speakers at the 2016 CES. (Photo: Jon Iverson)
Saturday April 2, from 11am–7pm, Whetstone Audio (2401 E. 6th St #1001, Austin, TX 78702) are presenting John DeVore of DeVore Fidelity and Mike Pranka of Well Tempered Lab playing the new Gibbon X loudspeakers and Royale 400 turntable. There'll be food, drinks, and a Rega RP1 turntable for a lucky winner! Please RSVP: (512) 477-8503 or brian@whetstoneaudio.com.
When I reviewed the Antipodes DX Reference in October 2015, that $7500 media server made musical mincemeat of my regular computer audio setup: a headless 2.7GHz i7 Mac mini fitted with 8GB of RAM and Pure Music and Audirvana apps. Coincident with the publication of that review, Aurender launched its N10 music server ($7999) at the 2015 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. I had been impressed with Aurender's Flow USB headphone amplifier when I reviewed it in June 2015, so I asked for an N10.
On the Outside
Designed in California and manufactured in South Korea, Aurender's N10 is a smart-looking…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Media Server running Linux. Formats supported: WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, M4A, MP3, APE, DSF, DFF. Internal storage: 4TB (two 2TB hard disks) plus 240GB solid-state cache drive. Resolution and sample rates supported: PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD64, DSD128. Inputs: Ethernet, two USB Type A. Outputs: USB Class 2.0 (Type A jack), AES/EBU (XLR), S/PDIF (coaxial RCA and BNC), TosLink optical.
Dimensions: 16.77" (430mm) W by 3.24" (83mm) H by 13.77" (353mm) D. Weight: approximately 26 lbs (11kg).
Finishes: Silver, black.
Serial number of unit…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Apple 2.7GHz i7 Mac mini running OS 10.10.3, iTunes 12, Pure Music 2.0, Audirvana Plus 1.5.10; Antipodes DX Reference music server; iPad mini running Aurender Conductor app for N10, iPeng 8 for Antipodes DX; PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream D/A processor; AudioQuest JitterBug USB noise filter; UpTone Audio USB Regen.
Preamplifier: Ayre KX-R Twenty.
Power Amplifiers: Vandersteen M7-HPA monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Vandersteen Model 7 Mk.II.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Coffee (USB) & Vodka (Ethernet), Kimber Kable Orchid (…