System information

multi-million dollar computers in enterprise datacenters come with that level of service without hefty service
agreements costing tens of thousands of dollars per year. Nonetheless, this remote support feature built into
all Aurender servers is very valuable. It's one feature that really separates the Aurender servers from a Mac
OS X or Windows based music server maintained by the end user. Another software feature that increases
the Aurender value proposition for many users is the ability of the servers to run for months without user
intervention required. There are no security vulnerability patches that must be installed immediately and there
is no fear of impending doom such as that associated with Microsoft's end of support for Windows XP on April
8, 2014. After this date Microsoft will no longer release updates for Windows XP. There is speculation that
malware creators are holding back a barrage of viruses and exploits until Microsoft's support ends. After April
8 it may be game on for hackers and end users may be SOL. On the other hand April 8th may come and go
just like Y2K without any major issues for those who have prepared and even those who called the Y2K bluff
like Italy and Paraguay back in the day. For some music lovers the thought of updating a music server or
even reading about potential issues, however real or benign, is enough to sway them toward a canned server
like the W20. The Aurender W20 works like a toaster. When bread is placed in a toaster, the user will have
toasted bread in a matter of minutes. Period. When music is placed on the W20, the user will have music at
the ready day or night for months on end. Period.
Aurender users without issues or the need for more features can simply keep on keepin' on. Why fix what's
not broken? Users in need of features like DSD support can easily upgrade the Aurender software by tapping
the upgrade button within the iPad application. When DSD support was ready, it was made available for free
to all Aurender users. This update included support for DoP version 1.2, DSF and DFF files, sample rates
through DSD128 (5.6MHz) via USB output, and rates through DSD64 (2.8MHz) on other outputs.
Some DSD fans have ISO images of SACD discs in their collections. The W20 won't play ISO images due to
issues with metadata and caching, however the Aurender software has a built-in ISO to DSF converter. Once
the ISO image is converted to individual DSD files the ISO image is deleted from the hard drive. Users
seeking DSD to PCM conversion for playback through DACs such as the Berkeley Audio Design Alpha series
currently need to convert theirDSD files to PCM one time before copying them to the W20. The W20 and all
Aurender servers support PCM bit depths up through 24 bits and sample rates up through 192 kHz.
The Aurender iPad application is currently the only method of remotely controlling playback. The Aurender
team is currently working on an Android version of its application. Testing is being done on the Samsung
Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and a few other tablets. The team has been hesitant to release an Android version due
to the fragmentation in the Android market. The number of Android devices with varying levels of
performance, screen sizes, and versions of the operating system can be a nightmare for app developers
seeking to create the smoothest of end user experiences. At CES this year Harry Lee, creator of Aurender and
now Director of parent company TVLogic's SmartAudio Division, was working out details for a power search
feature available only on 64 bit iPads. Users with more powerful 64 bit iPads will eventually see this feature
while those with lesser capable units will continue using the very good standard search feature.
A number of important items I look for in an iPad application are speed, stability, capability without too much
complexity, and a visual aesthetic that serves the end user by increasing functionality.
Speed is critical. Like many users my patience wears thin if an application pauses for a couple seconds
between finger taps or has a slow search speed. The Aurender iPad application is very fast. It's search speed
is more like an online filter that dwindles down the results as the user types a search term. I've never had to
type in an album name or band name and had to tap the actual Search button in order to view results. The
results are immediately available as one types. I currently have 4,503 albums consisting of 56,441 tracks
stored on the W20. Whether I'm searching albums or the entire database of tracks the search results are
immediate as I type. The same cannot be said for most iPad applications in use by high end audio
manufacturers.
Stability is critical. Without stability nothing else matters. An app that crashes or doesn't function
deterministically will only increase user frustration and possible embarrassment. In high end audio circles
there is nothing worse than giving a demonstration to friends or family with equipment that doesn't work.
Most of us have been in that situation. "Hey check out my new system. Oh wait, something isn't right. It
should be working. I just had it playing music before you arrived, honestly." Official release versions (non-
beta) of the Aurender iPad application are rock solid. If a feature decreases stability of the app during beta
testing the Aurender team will perfect the feature before release or the team won't release it to the public.