評測 | Aurender A1000 Music Server / Streamer / DAC / Preamp
【全文節錄自「Michael Lavorgna of Twittering Machines」】
他們是怎麼做到“這”個的，為了“那”個？
在評測期間，我時常需要提醒自己我正在撰寫的產品價格。在使用 Aurender A1000 的過程中，我不得不比平常更多地查看這個數字，原因是我一直在想 —— 他們是怎麼做到這個的，為了那個？
我所提到的“這”，指的是 A1000 的所有特點——外觀、建造質量、功能性和音質。而“那”則是價格。Aurender 成立於 2010 年，提供完整的數位產品系列，包括多款串流 DAC，或如 Aurender 所稱之的 —— 類比輸出網路播放器，而在 A1000 之前，這些產品的起價為 6300 美元。
How’d they do this, for that?
At times during a review period, I need to remind myself of how much the thing I’m writing about costs. During my time with the Aurender A1000 I had to check that number more than the norm and the reason being I kept wondering—How’d they do this, for that? The “this” I’m referring to is everything about the A1000—looks, build quality, functionality, and sound quality. The “that” is $3500. Aurender was founded in 2010 and they offer a complete line of digital products including a number of streaming DACs, or as Aurender refers to them—Analog Output Network Players—that before the A1000 started at $6300.
讓我們先來談談功能性，Aurender A1000 可以做到的所有事情。你可以將 A1000 用作一個簡單的網路播放器（以太網輸入，數位音訊輸出），作為串流 DAC（以太網輸入，類比 RCA 輸出），作為 USB DAC（USB 輸入，類比輸出），如果你安裝自己的 2.5 吋 SSD，則可以作為伺服器，還可以作為串流 DAC/前級放大器，使用 A1000 自身的音量控制，最後，它還可以作為數位集線器，將多種輸入和輸出結合在一起，例如來自電視的輸出（HDMI ARC 或光纖），CD 播放機的輸出（同軸），甚至可以讓客人透過藍牙串流他們的智慧型手機音樂。A1000 不支持 WiFi，而我也不支持。
Let’s begin with functionality, all of the things the Aurender A1000 can do. You can use the A1000 as a straight forward network player (Ethernet in, digital audio out), as a streaming DAC (Ethernet in, analog RCA out), as a USB DAC (USB in, analog out), as a server if you install your own 2.5” SSD, as a streaming DAC/Preamp using the A1000’s own volume control, and finally as digital hub where you combine a bunch of ins and outs like the output from your TV (HDMI ARC or Toslink), your CD transport (Coax), and even have guests stream their smartphone-based tunes through it via Bluetooth. The A1000 does not do WiFi. Neither do I.
在商業功能方面，A1000 提供了你對於一個全功能數位串流來源所期待的配置——光纖、同軸、HDMI ARC、USB 和 LAN 輸入，同軸和 USB 數位輸出，以及一對單端類比 RCA 輸出，你可以選擇固定或可變輸出模式。還有一個 USB 埠用於連接 USB 儲存裝置，一個 12V 觸發輸出、一個可安裝 2.5 吋 SSD/HDD 的插槽（容量可達 8TB）、IEC 進口和電源按鈕。
On the business side, the A1000 offers what you’d expect in a full function digital streaming source—Optical, Coax, HDMI ARC, USB, and LAN inputs, Coax and USB digital outputs, and 1 pair of single-ended analog RCA outputs that you can run in Fixed or Variable output mode. There’s also a USB port for attaching USB storage, a 12V Trigger Out, a slot for adding a 2.5″ SSD/HDD drive (up to 8TB), IEC inlet, and power button.
在這個精美的鋁製外殼內，搭載了 AKM 4490REQ 雙單聲道 DAC 晶片和一個四核心 2.0GHz 的 CPU（ARM Cortex-A55），每個都由自己的低噪聲線性電源供電，以便突顯其亮點。在軟體方面，你可以使用 Aurender 自家的 Conductor 應用程式，支援 iOS 和 Android，還可以使用 Roon、Tidal 或 Spotify Connect，以及 Google Cast 來控制播放。若你選擇 A1000 的內部儲存選項，使用 Conductor 應用程式將能最大化其效能，因為它可以“看到”該內部儲存裝置，並透過應用程式讓你訪問上面的所有音樂。對於 Roon 用戶來說則不然，因為 A1000 並不具備 Roon 伺服器的功能，因此你仍然需要使用外部的 Roon 伺服器。
回到 Aurender 的 Conductor 應用程式和內部儲存，如果你在家中有多個系統想要用同一個應用程式控制，並訪問相同的音樂庫，你需要在 Aurender 的產品系列內進行選擇。另一方面，Roon 允許任何製造商的 Roon Ready 設備共享一個音樂庫。A1000 到達後不久便成為 Roon 認證/準備設備，這使我能夠在 iPhone 或 iPad 上輕鬆幾次點擊將其加入我的網路。由於在 Barn 中總是有兩個系統在運作，這項功能對我來說不僅僅是一個可有可無的選項，也解釋了為什麼在大部分評測期間我都使用 Roon 來控制 Aurender 的播放。
Inside the lovely aluminum chassis resides the AKM 4490REQ Dual-Mono DAC chip and a Quad-core 2.0GHz CPU (ARM Cortex-A55), each powered by their own low-noise linear power supply to hit just the highlights. On the software side, you can use Aurender’s own Conductor app for iOS and Android, Roon, Tidal and/or Spotify Connect, and Google Cast to control playback. To get the most from the A1000’s optional internal storage, if you opt in, is to use the Conductor app since it ‘sees’ that internal storage and makes all the music on it accessible via the app. This is not the case for Roon users, as the A1000 does not double as a Roon Server so you still have to use an external Roon Server.
Getting back to Aurender’s Conductor app and internal storage, if you have more than one system in your home that you want to control using just one app with access to the same music library, you need to stay within the Aurender family of products to do so. Roon, on the other hand, allows any Roon Ready device from any manufacturer to share one music library. Soon after the A1000 arrived it became Roon Certified/Ready which allowed me to add it to my network with a few taps on my iPhone or iPad. Since there are always two systems in play in the Barn, this feature is more than a nice to have option for me and also explains why I used Roon for the majority of the review period to control playback through the Aurender.
withe MC Audiotech Tl-12 and Leben CS600X
我主要將 A1000 用作串流 Roon Ready DAC，其類比輸出連接到幾款綜合放大器之一。我還讓它的同軸輸出將數位音訊發送到 Barn 的 Mola Mola Tambaqui，並且利用它自己的音量控制與 Barn 的 Leben CS600X 的前級輸入進行調整。Barn 裡沒有電視、CD 播放機，也沒有我用來播放音樂的 USB 輸出設備，因此這些優秀的功能並未被使用，這有點可惜，若不是因為 Aurender A1000 作為一個串流 DAC 的價格依然非常划算，那就更遺憾了。真的很划算。
I mainly used the A1000 as a streaming Roon Ready DAC with its analog output feeding one of a few integrated amplifiers. I also let its Coax output send digital audio to the Barn resident Mola Mola Tambaqui, and gave its own volume control a workout with the Barn resident Leben CS600X’s Preamp Input. There is no TV in the Barn, no CD transport, and nothing with a USB output that I use to play music so all of these fine features went unused which is kind of a shame if it weren’t for the fact that the Aurender A1000 is still a screaming deal as just a streaming DAC. A screaming deal.
前面板提供了多個控制按鈕，包括背光的開/關/待機按鈕、輸入選擇、輸出選擇、音量旋鈕、顯示選單按鈕、上一曲按鈕、播放/暫停按鈕，以及下一曲按鈕。雖然這些功能以硬體形式出現無疑是受歡迎的，但我幾乎沒有觸碰它們，因為我大部分時間都是透過軟體來控制 A1000。那個 6.9 吋的彩色 LCD 顯示屏既清晰又色彩豐富，我喜歡看到正在播放的專輯封面藝術。你可以叫我老派又新潮。由於同樣的原因，隨附的遙控器使用得非常少。
The front panel offers a number of controls including a backlit ON/OFF/Standby button, input selection, output selection, a volume knob, Display Menu button, Play Previous button, Play/Pause button, and Play Next button. While these are certainly welcome functions in hardware form, I barely touched ‘em as I spent most of my time controlling the A1000 with software. That 6.9” color LCD display is nice and sharp and colorful and I enjoy seeing the album cover art of what’s in play. Call me old and new fashioned. There’s also an included remote control that saw very little use for the same reason.
我會從聆聽筆記開始，首先觀察到，我非常偏好使用 Leben CS600X 的內建前級放大器來控制音量，而不是繞過它使用 A1000 自身的音量控制。Leben 在輸入端使用了一對 12AU7A 和 12BH7A 真空管，但我會避免對任何帶有真空管的設備進行過於直白的評論，並建議整體的電路設計，包括許多其他因素，如電源，才是 Leben 音色的關鍵。作為比較，當 Aurender 作為前級放大器連接到 Leben 時，音樂聽起來比 Leben 作為完整綜合放大器時更加薄弱、蒼白，從音色上來看，甚至讓我無法在這個模式下聽超過幾首歌曲。我希望自己有更多放大器來和 Aurender 搭配使用，但我並沒有，即使有，任何發現也只限於手邊的放大器，無法得出更廣泛的結論。總之，如果你擁有一台自己喜愛的功率放大器，並考慮用 A1000 來控制它，你的聆聽體驗可能會和我在 Leben 上的結果不同。畢竟，親自體驗和個人偏好無可替代。
I’ll begin the listening notes with the observation that I greatly preferred using the Leben CS600X’s own preamp as opposed to bypassing it and using the A1000’s own to control volume. The Leben employs pairs of 12AU7A and 12BH7A vacuum tubes in the input side but I’ll avoid the obvious observation when it comes to anything with a tube and suggest that the overall circuit design that includes lots of other things like power supplies account for the Leben’s sound. In terms of a comparison, the Aurender acting as preamp into the Leben made music sound thinner and paler, timbrally, than the Leben as full fledged integrated amplifier to such an extent that I didn’t listen to more than few songs in this mode. I wish I had a number of amplifiers to try with the Aurender but I don’t and even if I did, any findings would be limited to the amps on hand as opposed to drawing a more sweeping conclusion. All that to say if you own a power amp you love and are thinking of using an A1000 to control it, your findings may be different from mine with the Leben. Nothing beats direct experience when it comes to experiencing and preference.
Aurender 的 Conductor 應用程式是免費的，雖然我在這次評測期間使用得不多，但它非常先進且使用者友好。它可以檢查大多數甚至所有大多數用戶/擁有者可能希望擁有的功能（有關 Roon 的例外情況除外）。我也很欣賞並享受使用 Tidal Connect，因為這是 Tidal 訂閱的一部分，如果你喜歡發掘新音樂，這個訂閱的費用幾乎微不足道。總而言之，儘管我的偏好使我選擇在 Roon Ready 模式下使用 A1000，但 Conductor 應用程式和 Tidal Connect 確實為其價值主張增添了實際價值（我像避瘟疫一樣避開 Spotify）。
Aurender’s Conductor app is free and while I used it sparingly during this review period it is very sophisticated and user friendly. It will check most if not all of the features most users/owners could wish for (with the exceptions noted above regarding Roon). I also appreciate and enjoy using Tidal Connect as it comes with the price of a Tidal subscription which costs nearly nothing if you add up what you get from it, assuming you enjoy discovering new music. All to say that while my preferences had me using the A1000 in Roon Ready mode, the Conductor app and Tidal Connect add real value to its value proposition (I avoid Spotify like the plague).
with the Gauder Akustik Capello 100 and Luxman L-505Z
受益於 Aurender 在數位領域的表現的系統包括最近評測過的 Luxman L-505Z 綜合放大器驅動 Gauder Akustik Capello 100，以及 Leben CS600X 驅動 Barn 內部的 DeVore O/96，還有這次評測的 MC Audiotech TL-12。所有的連接線材均由 AudioQuest 提供，所有設備都插入PowerQuest PQ707，而 Box Furniture 的 MD3S 架子則優雅地支撐著整個系統。
The systems that benefitted from the Aurender’s way with all things digital included the recently reviewed Luxman L-505Z integrated amp (review) driving the Gauder Akustik Capello 100 (review) and the Leben CS600X driving the Barn resident DeVore O/96 (review) as well as the review pair of MC Audiotech TL-12 (more info). All cabling comes courtesy of AudioQuest as does the PowerQuest PQ707 everything was plugged into while a Box Furniture MD3S rack supported everything in style (see full Barn and system details).
雖然我已經好幾年沒有對 Aurender 產品進行評測，但 A1000 只用了幾分鐘就讓我感到它在 Barn 裡就像是回到了家。它的製作水準非常高，尤其是考慮到其價格，使用和觀賞都讓人愉悅。如果我們查看 TM 最愛數位產品列表，尋找可比較的產品，在純功能層面上，沒有任何產品能夠符合 A1000 的大多數標準，直到我們找到現在售價 11,995 美元的 Weiss DAC501。這是一個相當大的價格差距。但它的表現如何呢？
While it had been years since I had an Aurender product in for review, it took all of a few minutes for the A1000 to feel right at home in Barn. It is built to a very high standard, especially so considering the price of admission, and is a pleasure to use and see. If we take a look at the TM Favorite Digital list in search of comparable products, there’s nothing that checks most of the A1000’s boxes, on a purely functional level, until we hit the Weiss DAC501 which now costs $11,995. A pretty wide gap, money wise. But how does it play?
美妙地。這就是 Aurender A1000 作為串流 DAC 播放音樂的方式——美妙。它同時具備順滑和精緻的特質，這在這個價位的 DAC 中是罕見的組合。我仍然非常喜愛與 A1000 同價的 Wattson Madison 串流 DAC，而 Wattson 則是一個更簡單的設備，只有以太網輸入和類比 RCA 輸出。就這樣。沒有顯示屏，沒有其他輸入，對於尋找低調解決方案的人來說，它是一款聲音非常出色的串流 DAC。自從 Wattson 離開以來，我已經有太久沒有對它進行深入比較，但我覺得如果你在考慮 Aurender 及其所有提供的功能，我懷疑你真的在意任何微妙的音質差異。我認為你不應該在意，因為 Aurender 是所有來過 Barn 的串流 DAC 中聲音最佳的選擇之一，價格也相對合理。
Beautifully. That’s how the Aurender A1000 as a streaming DAC plays music—beautifully. It is at once smooth and refined which is a rare combination for a DAC at this price point. I remain a big fan of the Wattson Madison Streaming DAC (review) that costs the same as the A1000, the Wattson being a much simpler device with Ethernet in and analog RCA out. That’s it. No screen, no other inputs and it is a very good sounding streaming DAC for those looking for an unobtrusive solution. It’s been too long since the Wattson left for me to dive into a fine grained comparison but my sense is if you’re looking at the Aurender and all of the other things it has to offer, I doubt you really care about any fine grained sonic differences. And I don’t think you should because the Aurender is among the best sounding streaming DACs to have come through the Barn at anywhere near its price.
Kelela 的《In the Blue Light》是在 2024 年 5 月 28 日和 29 日的兩天內，在紐約的藍色音符酒吧錄製的。鋼琴、豎琴、弦樂和其他音色為 Kelela 的聲音提供了支持，這是一張隨性、現場且美妙的專輯。“Raven (Unplugged)”以豎琴的弦音牽動心弦開始，而 Aurender 將所有重要的元素都表現得恰到好處，伴隨著撥弦、閃耀和輕盈的聲音在 Barn 裡迴盪，這得益於 Leben 和 MC Audiotech 揚聲器所組成的驚人組合。整體而言，A1000 絕對與之相得益彰，毫無缺失。我想我們可以談談更昂貴的 DAC 如何更深入地挖掘混音中的微細細節，並且在高音部分或許提供更大的清晰度，但這就像是在看著完美的透藍波浪在無人居住的加勒比白沙海灘上破浪，卻在想 —— 它可以更藍一些。
Kelela’s In the Blue Light was recorded over a two day stint at The Blue Note in NYC on May 28 and May 29, 2024. Piano, harp, strings and other things back up Kelela’s vocals for what is a loose, live, and lovely record. “Raven (Unplugged)” begins with harp strings pulling at heart strings and the Aurender got all of the important bits right with pluck, sparkle, and light bouncing around the barn with real tactile appeal, also thanks to the Leben and MC Audiotech speakers that make for a stunning combo in their own right. As a system, the A1000 absolutely fit right in with not a thing left wanting. I suppose we could talk about how more expensive DACs dig deeper into the mix with more micro-level detail and perhaps greater clarity up top but that’s like looking at perfect see-through azure waves breaking over a deserted white sand Caribbean beach and thinking—it could be bluer.
更重要的是，Aurender 把整體畫面呈現得非常到位，提供了音樂上平衡的聲音——這種聲音聽起來像是音樂創作，而不是某種數位重播，後者可能更像是聲音解剖，將各個部分用不自然的光線或邊緣突出。我甚至可以說，A1000 的聲音偏向於更豐富、更充實的風格，這對我來說是非常好的。我足夠年長，記得早期的 CD 播放使音樂聽起來就像是被聚光燈照亮的骷髏，玩著只有金屬製成的音樂，還噴著過多的 Aramis 古龍水。我可以繼續說下去……
Of greater importance is the Aurender gets the big picture right, offering a musically balanced sound—a sound that sounds like music-making as opposed to some digital reproduction that can feel more like a sonic autopsy with various parts highlighted with unnatural light or edge or etch. I would go so far as to say the A1000’s sound leans towards the richer, fuller side which is more than OK by me. I’m old enough to remember early CD replay that made music sound as if it was made by spotlit skeletons who did too much blow playing only things made from metal. While wearing way too much Aramis cologne. I could go on…
我想起了 HTRK 在 2014 年發行的驚艷專輯《Psychic 9-5 Club》，這是在 CAF 2025 的 High Water Sound 房間裡聽到的，讓我陷入了 HTRK 的音樂深淵，至今尚未找到出口。這音樂聽起來就像是在某個只能通過地下隧道進入的潮濕洞穴俱樂部裡播放的，你得穿過隧道，然後又是地下室。就在地下室之下。
I was reminded of HTRK’s 2014 stunner of a record Psychic 9-5 Club at CAF 2025 in the High Water Sound room and it led me down a HTRK rabbit hole and I’ve yet to reach the end. This music sounds like something you might hear playing in some pop up dank cave club you can only access through tunnels under basements under tunnels. Under basements.
來自唱片內頁的說明：
雖然這張專輯瞬間就能認出是 HTRK——Standish 的聲音表達仍然是樂隊音效的核心，而製作通常偏向精簡和富有延遲感——但他們在這一框架內找到足夠的探索空間。2009 年《Marry Me Tonight》中充滿回聲的吉他探索，以及《Work (Work Work)》中的模糊咆哮聲已經不再。取而代之的是柔和、絲滑且光滑的音色。這是 HTRK，但他們的音色已被剝去外衣，焦點放在赤裸的編曲和極簡的音效設計上。
柔和、絲滑且光滑的音色正是通過 Aurender 和 Leben 組合從 DeVore O/96 中所傳出的聲音。這張專輯聽起來仿佛是在一個大型洞穴中錄製的，聲音在遙遠的表面上回蕩，增添了孤獨的氛圍。專輯以強大的電子低音轟隆聲開場，為 Jonnine Standish 的聲音鋪墊基礎，她的聲音在唱與說之間游走，伴隨著各種電子音效在空間中穿梭，Aurender 從低音到高音都保持了良好的節奏，恰到好處的細節、邊緣感、動態的衝擊力和微妙之處更偏向於身體感和重量感，而非極致的解析度。對我來說，這再次展現了音樂上友好的平衡。
From the liner notes:
Though the record is instantly recognizable as HTRK—Standish’s vocal delivery remains central to the band’s sound, while the productions are typically lean and dubby—they’ve found ample room for exploration within this framework. Gone are the reverb-soaked guitar explorations of 2009’s Marry Me Tonight and the fuzzy growls that ran through Work (Work Work). They’ve been replaced with something tender, velvety and polished. This is HTRK, but the flesh has been stripped from their sound, throwing the focus on naked arrangements and minimalist sound design.
Something tender, velvety, and polished is exactly what came out of the DeVore O/96 with the Aurender/Leben combo. This record also sounds as if was recorded in a large cave with sounds plinking off distant surfaces adding to the solitary mood. This album opens with big electronic bass bomb rumbles laying the groundwork for Jonnine Standish’s vocals that exist somewhere between sang and spoken, sprang?, with all manner of electronic sounds scurrying around the place and the Aurender kept pace from bottom to top, with just the right amount of detail, edge, dynamic snap!, and nuance tipping more toward body and weight than ultimate resolution. Again, a musically friendly balance as far as I’m concerned.
在以串流 DAC 模式運行 A1000 時，透過 Conductor 應用程式可以訪問兩個值得一提的附加功能 —— 數位濾波器選項和關鍵聆聽模式。我發現數位濾波器之間的差異從微妙到幾乎無法辨別，這取決於正在播放的音樂以及我關注的程度。如上方截圖所示，關鍵聆聽模式在使用 Roon 時不可用，因此我選擇使用 Tidal 來檢查其優勢，我認為這裡的改進是微妙但值得的清晰度提升，但並不是特別顯著或戲劇性的。總的來說，我將這些視為可有可無的功能。
There are two additional features when running the A1000 in streaming DAC mode, accessed via the Conductor app, that are worth a mention—Digital Filter options and Critical Listening Mode. I found the differences between digital filters ran from subtle to indistinguishable depending on the music in play as well as how closely I paid attention. As you can see in the above screenshot, Critical Listening Mode is not available when using Roon so I went with Tidal to check its benefits and I would call the improvement here to be a subtle but worthwhile increase in clarity but not huge or dramatic. All told, I view these as nice to have features.
將 Mola Mola Tambaqui 加入系統後，討論音樂的更高解析度變得幾乎太簡單了。Tambaqui 是一款解析度極高的 DAC，但它仍然不會失去音樂的本質，將它加入到 Leben 和 MC Audiotech 的系統中，帶來了更多的光線、細節和控制力。另一方面，我更喜歡將 A1000 作為網路播放器，而不是使用 Tambaqui 內部的串流功能，但重要的重點不是顯而易見的——添加一個外部 13,500 美元的 DAC 會提供更好的性能 —— 而是 A1000 能夠以網路播放器的身份進行這樣的升級 —— 以乙太網進行輸入，數位音頻輸出。這真是太棒了。
Adding the Mola Mola Tambaqui (review) to the mix made it almost too easy to talk about greater resolution in the service of music. The Tambaqui is a highly resolving DAC that nonetheless doesn’t loose track of the meat and adding it into the Leben/MC Audiotech system brought out more light, detail, and grip. On the other hand, I preferred the A1000 as network player to the Tambaqui’s own internal streamer but the important takeaway is not the obvious—adding an external $13.5k DAC offers better performance—but rather that the A1000 can roll with this kind of upgrade acting as just a network player—Ethernet in, digital audio out. Nice.
Aurender A1000 於十一月底來到 Barn，在它兩個多月的停留期間，大部分時間都在 B 面播放音樂。日復一日，週復一週，我很快就擺脫了評測者的模式 —— 一旦我設置好，就忘了它 —— 進入了“我該播放什麼下一首”的樂趣中。誰知道在過去的 14 年裡我評測了多少 DAC、串流播放器和串流 DAC。我早已失去計數，但我知道我對數位回放的喜好，所以當 A1000 抵達後不久，我就知道我喜歡它。這種與音樂的連結發生在它與不同系統合作時，以及我要求它播放的音樂類型上，毫不例外。
The Aurender A1000 arrived in Barn at the end of November and during its 2+ month Barn visit it played music on the B-Side for most of that time. Days and days and weeks on end and I very quickly got over reviewer mode—once I set it, I forgot it—and fell into “What should I play next” fun. Who knows how many DACs , streamers, and streaming DACs I’ve reviewed over the last 14 years. I lost count many moons ago but I think a lot sums it up nicely so I know what I like when it comes to digital replay and I knew I liked the A1000 soon after it arrived. And this connection through to the music occurred regardless of the systems it got to play with and the music I asked it to play.
在我使用 Aurender A1000 的過程中，最重要的問題是——他們是如何做到這樣，卻只要這個價格？Aurender 是如何將如此多的功能包裝在這麼精美的外觀中，並且聽起來如此出色的？我最好的猜測是經驗，而我們則是受益者。我認為 Aurender A1000 是一個很好的選擇，不僅僅是好的，而是非常好的串流 DAC 解決方案。它所提供的所有附加功能都是額外的驚喜。太棒了！
The most important question that came up during my time with the Aurender A1000 was—how’d they do this, for that? How did Aurender pack so much functionality into such a lovely package and make it sound so damn good? My best guess is experience and we are the beneficiaries of those chops. I see the Aurender A1000 as a great choice, not good, great mind you, for a streaming DAC solution. All of the extras it has to offer are icing on the cake. Bravo!
