Aurender N20 Hardware Manual

N20 Hardware Guide
The following guide is intended as an overview of your Aurender's hardware interface. Detailed installation
information is found in the included (https://aurender.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052012074) and a
comprehensive Conductor App Overview and How-To guides are found here: (https://aurender.zendesk.com/
hc/en-us/categories/360001878173).

Box Contents

• Aurender N20
• AC Power Cord
• Quick Start Guide
Not included: An iOS (iPad or iPhone) or Android device is required to interface with and control your Auren-
der. The Aurender must be connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) via Ethernet (CAT5 or higher) in order to
facilitate communication between your remote device and the Aurender. Please review the "Connect to Local
Area Network (LAN)" section of the included (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SK-anXfEE6sx2JyJ9eU59F6N-
220NaQeh/view?usp=sharing) for more information on network connectivity.

Digital Transport

This model is a high performance digital audio transport. It features digital outputs only - there are no analog
outputs on board this model. Pair this model up with a high performance Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) for
a complete digital front end solution.

DAC Compatibility

AES/EBU and SPDIF outputs & inputs are universally compatible. However, with USB, compatibility between
any two devices is not always guaranteed! Sometimes, special drivers or software provisions must be made
to establish compatibility over USB. DACs that fully adhere to the USB Audio Class 2 (UAC2) protocol will be
supported without issue.
For DSD playback, if the DAC supports the industry standard DoP protocol, then it will be compatible with
Aurender's DSD output. DoP is a lossless, unadulterated transmission of DSD from source to DAC. It is NOT
to be confused with DSD-to-PCM transcoding, which is usually less desirable from an audio performance per-
spective.
On some Aurender models (see "File Type & Resolution Support" comparison table below), "Native" DSD out-
put is available via USB. However, only a very small handful of select DACs support "Native" DSD input FROM
A LINUX BASED SOURCE. Most DACs that report Native DSD input only work with ASIO drivers for Windows
computers. Native DSD compatibility must be detected and enabled on a case-by-case basis.
In general, if a DAC works with a Mac computer without the need for any custom drivers, it will work beautiful-
ly with Aurender servers as well. Consult your DAC manufacturer for confirmation of USB compatibility with a
Linux based sourced component like Aurender.