13-Aug-2016, 23:07
(13-Aug-2016, 19:33)sam1000 Wrote: Hi Folks:
I got D200 in a used market couple of months ago and really like the SQ over my NAD M22, which I had in my system for less than 4 months :-) At lower volumes, both units sound alike, but when you crank it up a little, D200 outshines it in all department.
I have no interest in upgrading it to D220 due to unreasonable cost for US customers. I'm thinking about 2 possible options. I can only choose one of them at a time.
Option 1 - Get a companion unit around $4500. All the feedback suggests that D400 is a significant upgrade over D200. I'm scratching my head on this since D200 does such a good job. My speakers are Pioneer S1-ex which have a nominal impedance of 6 ohms per the specs. So, they are not really power hungry.
Option 2 - Get Aurender N100H for around $2300. I have heard/read great things about this unit and how it is a significant upgrade to my existing Squeezebox touch with USB output. I'm not sure about how the SQ compares to AIR3. Since I'm not going to be upgrading to D220, I'll not be in a position to get a new streamer board when it becomes available.
Which option do you think makes sense and why ?
Thanks..
I am in a similar position. I use the Logitech Squeezebox USB output to drive my D400, and it sounds absolutely first rate. I also considered getting an Aurender. The thing that gives me pause is the software. Hardware prowess is one thing, but the most important aspect of a streamer is how good the software is at organizing your collection, retrieving a piece of music, updating to allow new additions etc.
I was badly burned by getting the much lauded Sony HAP-Z1ES streamer, a beautiful 30 pound machine that only Sony can produce. However, its software is absolutely terrible. Adding a CD can take literally hours! Whereas my Logitech Squeezebox can rip through 2 terabytes of music on a hard drive in 30 minutes or so, on the Sony, it can literally take a week! No matter how good the hardware is, if the software is not up to snuff, a streamer IMHO is useless. Now, the real issue is how fast is the Aurender software compared to the Logitech?
