Aurender
High End Zone is Southwest New Mexico's premier Home Theater and High-End Audio dealer. We want to be your one stop shop for all your audio and home theater needs. Many of us now have a digital library of music or a desire to make the transition. We explored this arena for awhile and settled on the best by becoming dealers for Aurender.
Ever since we got our demo N10 installed we actually listen to our system much more often, thanks to the convenience of the system. It takes all of one minute to find an album, pick out a track and have it playing. In almost no time we are tapping our toes and dancing about, enjoying the music of our lives.
Aurender really is the most supported server company we have worked with and witnessed in the industry. We had major issues with other server companies before we signed with Aurender.
Aurender has always been very prompt to reply to any and all of our concerns, they keep up with updating their software in line with any iOS updates so as to have the least user downtime as possible. Other server companies have left their users with reduced functionality for long periods of time and we have heard some stories and had to support some of our clients through the slog before switching to Aurender.
Aurender thrives with an overall team of 30 great people, including 12 or so that are dedicated software / hardware / production engineers working to serve their almost exclusive line of servers. Aurender’s team is here to serve all their clients with the best digital musical experience possible. The Aurender engineers can often apply a software patch to correct any issue between your Aurender and your particular DAC- they go the full distance for our clients.
Aurender really is a great company and we trust that they will be around serving the audiophile community long into the future, adapting and paving the way for your musical airwaves to be filled with nothing more and nothing less than the unique soundstages your favorite musicians created!
Please explore the different Aurender models below, perhaps check out some of the award winning systems we have shown, and reach out to us by email or phone at 1.575.535.2280.
We look forward to supporting your musical collection and streaming desires  Aurender currently has ten main models that they give full details about on their website. We highlight our top picks below. While reviewing them, keep in mind that all Aurender servers provide real-time playback via the internal SSD caching drive, NOT from spinning HDDs. And, comprehensive system control is from the award-wining Aurender Conductor App that assures easy access and swift browsing of your file-based or streaming music, handling even the largest of libraries with agility and finesse. |
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Since its launch in 2013, the Aurender W20 has occupied the enviable position of “the music server others are judged against”. Revised and refined in 2019, the new W20SE (Special Edition) raises the bar again in build quality and audio fidelity.
W20SE is the music server of choice for the finest audio systems in the world. Designed to be used with high-performance digital-to-analog converters, the Aurender W20SE is one of the few music servers to provide support for external word clocks used in professional audio and recording studios. Additionally, a dual-wire mode AES/EBU used by some reference grade digital-to-analog converters to allow separate transmission of left and right channels for better fidelity. However, even without using an external word clock input or dual AES/EBU outputs, W20SE’s battery power supply provides a dramatically lower noise floor for a totally silent background. With a 4TB internal SSD and a 1TB SSD caching drive for playback, the W20SE is the ideal solution for even the most extensive high-resolution music collections.
To view the full features and specifications, please visit Aurender's W20SE page. Briefly, the W20SE is a Caching Music Server and Streamer which includes: MQA Core-Decoder / 4TB SSD Storage with 1 TB SSD Caching / Battery Operated Power Supply for Audio Full-Linear Power Supply for CPU / Double-Isolated LAN and Audio USB Port / Dual-AES/EBU up to 24-Bit 384kHz, Coaxial, BNC and Optical Outputs / Word Clock Input. |
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"Overall, the updates to the W20SE are significant. But it speaks volumes about the rightness of the original W20’s fundamental design that this new flagship is based on the same technologies and architecture." "It was easy to identify the sonic differences between the W20 and W20SE; I had both in my rack at the same time and was able to make direct comparisons. Moreover, I was so familiar with the sound of the system with the W20 that the improvements in the SE were readily apparent." "The SE is more analog-like overall, with greater dimensionality and space between instruments. Instrumental images are more solid, tangible, and three-dimensional, with a greater impression of body. These images are presented in a much larger and more expansive soundstage, with spatial cues such as hall reverberation better resolved. Although the soundstage is larger, the overall perspective is a bit more present and immediate, not in a forward-sounding way but rather by virtue of the greater tangibility of instrumental images." "I also heard a warmer, richer, and more densely colored bass. The tonal balance is identical to that of the original W20, but the SE has greater definition, body, and textural complexity." |
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Robert Harley's review ends with this "Conclusion": "The Aurender W20SE is a significant advance over what was already a reference-quality music server. It’s not only better sounding, but much more capable in its handling of DSD. Most important, PCM upsampling vaults the SE’s performance into another league. This feature alone is, in my view, worth the price of the upgrade from the W20." "As I wrote in my original review, Aurender’s Conductor app is outstanding. A music server’s music-management app is a vital part of the product; it’s the interface between you and your music and makes the difference between constant frustration and delighted satisfaction." |
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While the W20SE is optimized to pair with a high end DAC, like the Ypsilon DAC 1000, Aurender also created a few server / streamers built as full MQA Decoder DACs.
At the top of these models is the A30 that also includes integrated CD ripping!!! 
A30 is the flagship model from Aurender’s range of analog output digital music players.
A30 provides everything one needs to create, store, manage, edit, and play hi-res file content in one compact audio source component. Equipped with a professional grade slot-loading CD ripping drive and 10 TB of internal storage, A30 is your answer for archiving your entire CD collection. Advanced library organization including metadata editing, content collection and deletion is possible right from your control tablet.
A30 employs a reference-grade dual-mono DAC with full MQA Decoder technology to enable you to play MQA audio files and streams equal to the original master recording. With support for digital files up to PCM 768kHz, DSD 512, and integrated access to Qobuz and TIDAL hi-res subscription streaming services, your music library has no limits. 
For the head-fi enthusiast, A30’s balanced operation headphone output is designed to compete with the best stand-alone headphone amps and DACs. With three different output connector options, A30 delivers the best performance from your headphones.
For full details and specifications, please reach out to us or visit Aurender's A30 page. 
As with all Aurender servers, real-time playback is via the internal SSD caching drive, NOT from spinning HDDs. Comprehensive system control is from our award-wining Aurender Conductor App that assures easy access and swift browsing of your file-based or streaming music, handling even the largest of libraries with agility and finesse.
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Next in the line up of DAC built Aurenders is the A10 which has Balanced Analog outputs and was part of our award winning system at the inaugural LA Audio Show 2017. High End Zone received a "Gold Show Award" and the "Best Sound" of show from part-time audiophile for our two channel room. We paired the W20 with the Ypsilon DAC 100, while we used the A10's own DAC. These were then all passed through a Ypsilon PST 100 MK II, a pair of Ypsilon Aelius II monoblocks, and a pair of Perfect8 Point MK III loudspeakers. The sound was sublime! Rafe Arnot who gave us the Best Sound" of show, shares that "this combination had soulful musicality, an ability to handle huge dynamic swings with ease, and aurally convinced with its impression of limitless headroom to the scale, depth, and impact of the sound."
Please feel free to enjoy our Trade Shows page to learn more about our rooms if you did not attend them live. 
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A10 is an exceptionally high value music player with a superior built-in digital-to-analog converter. The full-decoder MQA DAC has a rich, organic sound that is extremely competitive sonically against stand-alone DACs costing as much or even far more than the A10 itself! With a 4TB internal hard disk drive and 120GB solid-state drive cache for playback and control by Aurender Conductor, the A10 is the perfect one-box solution for those replacing high-end CD players or just seeking performance and simplicity. 
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With Aurender, there are a lot of options AND with ALL of them you will be getting high quality music delivery with ease. Here is a flow chart that could help you decide which one is right for you. |
Let's continue exploring the different models - or perhaps you would like to reach out to us to discuss your systems needs and wants, if so please do so through either email or phone at 575.535.2280 - thank you.
A100 is a budget-friendly follow up to the popular Aurender A10. A music player with a high performance MQA enabled digital-to-analog converter, 2TB of internal hard disk drive and one 120GB solid-state drive cache for playback, the A100 is the perfect solution for those replacing CD players or seeking one-box simplicity.  |
The last three models I want to give some page time here include the ACS10, the ACS100, and the N20. |
The main difference of this server/ streamer DAC from the A10 is primarily that the A100 has only Unbalanced Analog outputs which necessitates a Single Stereo Design DAC chipset whereas the A10 delivers Balanced Audio Outputs via a Dual-Mono Design with Dual-Mono Linear Power Supplies. The A100 continues to produce quality sound, just not quite at the level of the A10 - perhaps the A100 is perfect for a smaller room system. |
The ACS10 and the ACS100 are like the little sister and baby brother of the flagship A30. While being a part of the same branch of the Aurender family, they all are quality CD rippers with Aurender created software with advanced library organization including metadata editing, content collection and deletion made possible right from your control tablet. However, each of these CD rippers have unique qualities and perform at different levels.
As a recap, the A30, as highlighted above, is a DAC, a CD ripper, a Server and a Streamer all in one - an amazing piece of technology and such a gift to your music library.
All three of these CD- rippers feature a built-in super capacitor-based uninterruptible power supply. This prevents disc and operating system corruption in the event of an abrupt power outage by safely shutting down the system.
The ACS10 and the ASC100 are also great tools and work well in tandem with other pieces of equipment, they need an external DAC - which could be another Aurender or the amazing Ypsilon DAC 1000
The ACS10 comes configured with either an 8TB or a 12TB HDD, RAID1, drive for your library storage and has the wonderful Aurender server streamer features such as playback through SSD and Full Linear Power Supply.  The ASC100 does have the same SSD playback drive and main memory as the ACS10, but is half the size due to some unique qualities the Aurender team put into place with their "Small Wonder." Aurender housed the power supply outside and gives the user the option to add their own choice of storage drive. While it may be small, it is a wonder that the ACS100 can function in Central Server Mode which supports multiple Aurender players to access content from a primary source, creating a high-performance Aurender ecosystem.  Last, and certainly not the least, we have the N20. Aurender fills in the gap in both performance and price between the N10 and flagship W20SE. The new model N20 is an upgraded-in-every-way N10. 
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The brand new linear power supply for N20 utilizes 2 transformers, 4 cores, large audio-grade capacitors, and isolated grounding! It is extremely sophisticated and dead quiet! A power supply this good contributes immediately audible improvements to any audio component.
Grounding for the SPDIF outputs is now isolated by a separate transformer for an even lower noise floor on AES/EBU, Coax RCA & BNC, and Toslink outputs compared to N10.
At T.H.E. Show Newport 2016, an Aurender W20 music server coupled with Ypsilon electronics (including the world premiere of the Aelius II monoblocks), loomed together with Verastarr Grand Illusion cables, delivered days of glorious music through Acoustic Zen Maestro speakers. We were ready for Press Day and appreciated the reviews we received of our room, some of which are here: "This room was my show favorite." - Don Schaulis, Stereo Times
"Many aspects of the Acoustic Zen/Aurender/Ypsilon system from High End Zone of New Mexico were exemplary. On my 24/192 file of Mason Bates' "Alternative Energy," found on the recent SF Symphony SACD Mason Bates: Works for Orchestra, I actually heard greater depth than on my reference system."
If you did not make it to our room, please enjoy a virtual listen by watching this AV Showrooms video. And, if you are ready to dive into the digital music realms with Aurender, John Stancavage's review of our room for Part-Time Audiophile will give you lots of good information. He shares that our "sound was very clean, dynamic and liquid. Even though it was digital, it seemed to have the depth and texture of analog, without the extra warmth or pops and clicks." |
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Feel free to call us at 1.575.535.2280 or email us day or night.
High End Zone strives to provide quality gear at exceptional prices to all of our customers. Because we are a small company and we have a wide range of experience being both the client and the dealer, we choose to meet our clients with respect, share our knowledge, and provide reasonable recommendations to meet our client's needs.
Thank you for visiting our website. We hope that you can enjoy it's simplicity. Here are a few of the fine product lines that High End Zone has to offer you:
~ Aurender ~ Acoustic Zen ~ Acoustic Sciences Corporation ASC Tube Traps ~ B.M.C. ~ Front Row ~ KEF ~ Perfect8 ~ REL Acoustics ~ Screen Excellence ~ Starke Sound ~ Synergistic Research ~ Trinnov ~ Verastarr ~ WireWorld ~ Visit our About Us & Our Lines page to learn more.
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