Plus, the Neo 280D does sound very good, particularly for less than 1/10th the cost of the Audio Note DAC 4.1x, and supports high-resolution PCM plus Quad DSD with the personally-preferred Ethernet input limited to 24/192 PCM or Single DSD because of network bandwidth limitations (i.e., speed of file transfer limitations over my LAN). The Audio Note DACs use no oversampling, upsampling, or explicit filtering of analog output signal, relying on vacuum tubes, transformers, and lots of silver wire to produce the most emotionally-engaging music.įor me, that works although, I remain very fond of my Simaudio MOON Neo 280D streaming DAC, which supports USB and Ethernet inputs (the latter by way of the MiND networking module) as well as RCA, COAX, and TOSLINK inputs. Although the main signal-processing chip used in the DAC 4.1X can theoretically accommodate a 24-bit/96kHz PCM signal, Audio Note has optimized all of their DACs for playing CD-resolution, or 16-bit/44.1kHz signals, based on subjective analysis. You see, the N10 has, in addition to a USB output, a more traditional S/PDIF output so that it can be connected to “legacy DACs”, or DACs that have no USB input, one of the limitations of my Audio Note DAC 4.1X Balanced Signature (although I seriously doubt that Peter Qvortrup, the founder of Audio Note UK, would call it a limitation). My interest in the N10 mostly centered on the very fine performance I get from Aurender’s smaller and less costly N100H music streamer, which has more limited fixed drive space (nominally, 2TB compared to 4TB) and its use of a USB interface alone. Aurender currently provides no backup software. You can back the N10 up to any number of data storage devices however, you have to make these backups from the N10 manually. The original files come from downloaded music files and/or from CDs that you have ripped all the way from MP3s to Quadruple DSDs in many formats including WAV, FLAC, ALAC, and AIFF. You copy the music files from a more conventional computer onto the N10. Yes, it’s basically a computer with a bunch of fixed drives, an OS (Operating System), and a user interface provided over your LAN (Local Area Network) through an iPad-specific App. By “clocking out” a “bit perfect” version of your music files, the N10 provides your DAC with the digital information to convert to an analog waveform just exactly as it’s stored on the Aurender’s internal fixed disks. Then it “clocks out” the musical information in “bit-perfect” fashion using an SSD (Solid State Drive) to any compatible DAC that you want. Unlike a streaming DAC, the Aurender stores your music files on its built in fixed drives.
#AUDIO NOTE DAC 2.1 X SIGNATURE FULL#
TO READ THE FULL REVIEW OF THE AUDIO NOTE DAC 2.I had been curious about the Aurender N10 music server for a very long time. Keep in mind if your audio budget is a bit larger, Audio Note offers six models above the 2.1 that (I can only imagine) get better as the price goes up. For those of you in the market for a true high end tubed DAC, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Audio Note 2.1x Signature.
Though it still isn’t vinyl, it’s quite few steps closer. I’ve not heard a better DAC in my system. Here at the end of my time with the Audio Note 2.1x Signature DAC, I’ll have to admit that I’m definitely going to miss this piece when it’s shipped back. Where the Audio Note takes you, is well worth the price of admission. This holds true with the Audio Note 2.1x Signature DAC. I’ve found this to be true time and time again. It’s just that better engineered gear using better quality parts (generally) sounds better. That’s not to say that lesser expensive gear sounds bad. When it comes to ‘refinement’ and audio gear, I’ve learned one thing over the years you get exactly what you paid for. It was a welcomed change over the sound of the typical DAC’s that have passed in front of me over the past few years. The 2.1x Signature DAC retained all of the detail without being overbearing or fatiguing in the least. In turn, they can become aggressive sounding. So many try to overdue the music by bringing too much detail to the forefront. I was simply amazed at how refined this DAC sounded.
Here are a few snippets from a review by Scott Faller, a reviewer from Enjoy The Music. If you are looking to improve the sound of your CD Player, but don’t want the hassle of selling it, the Audio Note DAC may prove to be the perfect solution. This approach offers an utterly musical presentation of digital sources.
The DAC 2.1 x Signature digital to analogue converter uses Audio Note™ 1Xoversampling™ and Direct From Disc™ techniques. We are extremely pleased to announce we have an Audio Note DAC 2.1 x Signature on dem.
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