AURENDER

AP20 Caching Music Server/Streamer/ Player

Elegance. Finesse. Resolution. Grace.

If ever Aristotle’s adage: “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is applicable in audio, it applies to AP20. And, given the quality and quantity of parts in this equation, that’s saying a lot.

AP20 delivers unprecedented audio performance from an integrated amplifier. It includes the world’s best Class D amp modules in a dual-mono configuration, an analog R2R relay-based volume control and preamp section, Aurender’s best DAC, a master clock input, a headphone output, a suite of digital and analog inputs and outputs, and the most sophisticated linear power supply block Aurender has ever deployed.
The result? An audio component that paints every musical timbre with full-bodied realism. With a delicate touch that's backed up by enormous headroom for transients and dynamic swings, AP20 drives even the most demanding speaker loads and casts a soundstage that is both expansive and laser-focused. All of this performance, with the heart of an Aurender.
Other integrated amplifier solutions on the market may offer support for app-controlled streaming, but in nearly every case, the user experience, library management, and software playback engine are an afterthought requiring third-party software and hardware to get the job done. In AP20’s case, more than 10 years of industry-leading experience has made Aurender the digital source component of choice in the world’s finest audio systems. Now, that same holistic digital playback engine and user experience is available from an integrated amplifier that completely removes the need for more components and cables.
Just add speakers, and enjoy a premium HiFi experience, without all the HiFi boxes.

KEY FEATURES

Class D UHD amplifier

There are standard Class D amplifier modules and there are modules for high-end Class D. The AP20 uses the best available. The Eigentakt-1ET400A amplifier, designed by the renowned scientist Bruno Putzeys, is free of the digital harshness or coldness that is often said of class D amplifiers. With impressive specification reflected in its exceptional sonic performance, the AP20's dual mono amplifier section represents the very latest in world class D amplifier technology.

Ultra-quiet linear power supply

Most Class D amplifier solutions use so-called switching power supplies because they are efficient, cool running and inexpensive. Unfortunately, these are usually accompanied by noise and distortion in the signal path , resulting in a sonic presentation that lacks the natural analog grace. In typical Aurender fashion, the AP20 uses SIX discrete toroidal transformers to power the CPU, left and right DAC cards, FPGA processor, and power output stages, respectively.

Aurender's best DAC

Aurender designed the AP20 for those who want the simplicity of an all-in-one without sacrificing high levels of resolution, transparency and high-end sound. The premium DAC section of the AP20 is based on the integrated dual mono DAC module AKM4497 and offers full high-resolution PCM, DSD and MQA decoding at the highest level.

Analog volume control

In any system, the quality of the audio presentation is significantly affected by the volume control scheme of the preamplifier. Remarkably, the AP20 features analog domain volume control based on an R2R step attenuator system. Volume control of this quality is extremely unusual in a digital integrated amplifier and is a major reason the AP20 delivers such a natural, open sound.

OCXO clock generation system

The AP20's OCXO-based precision clock generation system includes a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) with a jitter-reducing sub-100fs clock generator to precisely time digital audio data transfers and minimize jitter to completely negligible levels.

Analog pass-through inputs

The AP20 offers a range of analogue inputs including 1x balanced XLR and 2x single ended RCA, making it an ideal solution for integrating external analogue sources into your audio system. Vinyl enthusiasts can connect their phono stage to an available analog input and enjoy pure analog pass-through with no A/D conversion in the signal path.

Digital Connectivity

With a variety of digital inputs, including 1x RCA SPDIF, 1x BNC SPDIF and 2x optical TOSLINK interfaces, the AP20 is well equipped to play back external digital sources such as CD players, media players or TVs via its high-quality internal DAC.

Variable XLR output

The AP20's high quality balanced XLR output allows the user to feed a second system such as a distributed audio installation or subwoofer with line level input.

Master clock input

Although AP20 is equipped with an extremely precise OCXO clock system, jitter can be further minimized by connecting a 10MHz master clock signal generator such as Aurender's MC10.

Superior headphone output

AP20 is not only an excellent amplifier for loudspeaker systems, but also has a headphone output for the quiet sound moments in life.