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Aurender A20 Music Server, Streamer & DAC
The Aurender A20 is for listeners who want high-end digital performance without the clutter. A purpose-built machine that merges reference-level DAC, precision streamer, SSD-based server, and preamplifier into one intelligent, impeccably designed chassis. Whether building your dream system or simplifying an overbuilt front end, the A20 delivers world-class audio with extraordinary ease.
Aurender developed the A20 by drawing directly from its flagship A30. It features the same dual-mono AKM 4497 DAC chipsets, the same analog output stage, and the same transparent, natural sound. The difference? A streamlined design with no CD ripping or library management. Instead, the A20 gives you two open storage bays for user-installed SSDs or HDDs. If you’re all-in on streaming or already have your library curated, this is the more focused and flexible path forward.
Aurender’s Best Built-In DAC
The A20 shares its audio engine with the A30, using the same AKM 4497 chipsets in a true dual-mono configuration. With native DSD512 and PCM 768kHz decoding, this DAC is designed to extract nuance, space, and texture from every digital format. Each DAC channel is fed by its own toroidal transformer to ensure clarity and channel separation, with no crossover or smearing.
Upsampling Without Overcomplication
Users can choose to upsample PCM signals up to 768kHz, or keep it bit-perfect with the default setting. This adds subtle refinement, allowing listeners to tailor playback to taste without sacrificing accuracy.
Linear Power Supply With Super Capacitor UPS
A20’s four-toroid linear power system isolates server, digital, and analog sections, each with clean, consistent current. This low-noise foundation dramatically reduces grain and improves dynamics. The internal super capacitor-based UPS protects the unit from abrupt shutdowns and keeps system operations stable during brief outages.
FPGA-Controlled Clocking
Timing is everything in digital audio. The A20’s FPGA-based clocking system holds jitter under 100 femtoseconds, preserving timing precision and eliminating smear. The result is sound with more air, clearer textures, and spatial realism that doesn’t collapse when the mix gets complicated.
Use It As a DAC, Preamp, or Both
Balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) outputs with selectable voltage make the A20 equally suited for connection to an integrated amplifier or directly to a power amplifier. The internal volume control operates at the DAC level and preserves resolution across the gain range.
Multiple Digital Inputs
The A20 functions as a standalone DAC for your existing digital sources. It includes four digital inputs: RCA, BNC, and two optical. Connect your CD transport, media box, or smart TV and benefit from the A20’s superior clocking and digital-to-analog conversion.
Serious Headphone Listening
A 1/4” front-panel headphone jack gives you access to the same DAC and output stage that feeds the main system. Whether you use it for private listening or as a primary headphone rig, the A20’s headphone section is far from an afterthought.
Modular Storage, Streamlined Playback
Two 2.5” internal bays accept user-installed SSDs or HDDs, allowing up to 16TB of onboard music storage. Or leave them empty and stream exclusively. The A20 supports TIDAL, Qobuz, internet radio, and NAS playback, all managed through the Aurender Conductor app, widely regarded as one of the most intuitive in high-end digital.
Every Analog Output Series server streams and converts in one box. Here is what each step up the line adds.
Choose the A30 if ripping CDs into built-in storage matters most; the A1 15th Anniversary is built around the conversion stage itself. Browse the line in Aurender Analog Output Servers or everything from Aurender.
We’re a real hi-fi store, with a real building and a real human named Mike who actually answers the phone. We’ve worked with Aurender for years because their gear does what few others can: it combines technical elegance with musical honesty. The A20 doesn’t just consolidate your front end. It elevates it.
If you’re curious about the A20, how it compares to the A30, or whether it makes sense in your system, reach out. We can walk you through it, help with installation, and make sure your digital front end sounds like it should: effortless and alive.
The Aurender A20 connects to your network over wired Ethernet. If there is no network port near your rack, the NETGEAR EX6120 WiFi Range Extender plugs into a nearby outlet, joins the WiFi network you already have, and gives the Aurender A20 a wired port to connect to.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 16.9″W x 14″D x 4.4″H (3.9″H without feet) |
| Weight | 31.3 lb |
| Material | Machined Aluminum Chassis |
| Front Panel Display | 8.8″ 1920 x 480 Wide IPS Color LCD |
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Power Supply | Full Linear, 1x50W (CPU), 2x25W (DAC L&R), 1x35W (FPGA and Headphone) |
| CPU | Intel Low Power Quad Core |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Library Storage Capacity | 2 x 2.5″ Compartments (User-Installable Storage) |
| SSD for System and Cache | 480GB NVMe |
| Data USB Ports | 2 x USB 3.0 (Rear) |
| Software Suite | Aurender Conductor |
| Ethernet Port | Double-Isolated Gigabit LAN |
| Uninterruptible Power Supply | Yes (Super Capacitors) |
| Power Consumption | Play 47W, Peak 80W, Standby 6W |
| CD Ripping Capability | N/A |
Not only is the A20's streaming the best digital source I have used, but I also have little desire to opt for a source that when played presents approximately 50% of tunes I don't want to hear and would likely skip. In this age of synchronicity of all things digital, I want a simple and powerful source.
,Dagogo · September 2023
Color
Mike, the owner of The Listening Room, personally replies to every enquiry.
