A20 Quick Start Guide

The following guide is intended as an overview of your Aurender's hardware interface. Detailed installation information is found in the included Quick Start Guide and a comprehensive Conductor App Overview and How-To guides are found in the Aurender Knowledge Base.

 

Box Contents

• Aurender A20

• Handheld remote control

• AC Power Cord

• Quick Start Guide

Not included: An iOS (iPad or iPhone) or Android device is required to interface with and control your Aurender. 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 Quick Start Guide for more information on network connectivity.

 

Front Panel

 

1. On/Off

With the AC switch on the rear in the ON position, simply press and release the front panel On/Off button to turn the Aurender on or off. The surrounding LED light will pulse while the unit is starting up or shutting down, and it will stop pulsing when fully turned on or off. Pressing and holding the On/Off button will trigger a forced shut down and this should be avoided. More information on proper shut down procedure is found here: What is the proper way to shut down my Aurender?

2. 8.8" Wide Front LCD Display

Front panel display preferences can be adjusted in the Conductor app in the "Front Display" section of the Settings menu. The display will automatically go dim after no playback or other activity has occurred for a period of 3 minutes.

3. Volume Knob

Manually adjust the DAC-level volume control. A30 Volume control can be configured or disabled in the Advanced 2 section of the Settings Menu in the Conductor app.

4. Headphone Jack

1/4" unbalanced headphone output

5. Output Selection

Press the button to toggle outputs: LINE OUT (rear XLR & RCA outputs), HEADPHONE.

6. Input Selection

Press and release the button to toggle inputs: A20 INTERNAL PLAYER, COAXIAL 1, COAXIAL 2, OPTICAL 1, OPTICAL 2.

7. IR Receiver eye

IR signal from the included remote control are received by the IR receiver eye.

8. Display Menu

Press the Display Menu button to cycle through various display options including Song Information, Ripping Menu, and Playlist Menu. Playlists may be selected and played using the four buttons on the right side of the front panel display. Use the Previous (9) and Next (11) buttons to scroll between playlists. Use the Play/Pause (10) button to select a playlist. After the playlist is selected, press the Play/Pause button again to start playback.

9. Previous track

Press to skip to the previous track.

10. Play/Pause

Press to start or stop playback. Press and hold for 8 seconds to manually engage Remote Support mode for technical support. More info on Remote Support mode here: How can I contact Aurender Technical Support?

11. Play Next

Press to skip to the next track.

 

Rear Panel

 

1. Analog Audio Output – XLR Right

2. Analog Audio Output – RCA Right

3. Digital Audio Input – Optical SPDIF 1

4. Digital Audio Input – Optical SPDIF 2

5. Digital Audio Input – Coaxial SPDIF 1 (RCA)

6. Digital Audio Input – Coaxial SPDIF 2 (BNC)

The Digital Audio Inputs is compatible with Analog outputs only.

7. Analog Audio Output – XLR Left

8. Analog Audio Output – RCA Left

9. Earth/Ground Terminal

Optionally connect to an external ground.

10-11. USB 3.0 Data Port

These USB data ports can be used to copy files from USB memory devices or for connectivity with compatible external control devices (eg. dCS USB-to-RS232 dongle, MSB Prol25-to-Clock module, Constellation preamps, etc.). For best audio performance, these ports should not be used as USB audio outputs.

12. Double Isolated Gigabit Ethernet Port

This model uses 2 transformers in the Ethernet port circuit for superior noise filtration without detrimental signal loss.

The Aurender must be connected to your Local Area Network via Ethernet (CAT5 or higher). In case there is no Ethernet connection available in the location where your Aurender is to be installed, please see the following support article for other options: What if I do not have an Ethernet/LAN connection in my listening room?

13. Dedicated proprietary USB Audio Class 2.0 Output

Aurender's filtered and isolated USB port is designed to connect to asynchronous USB DACs. Use a USB 2.0 certified A/B cable to connect with a compatible USB DAC.

14. User-Installable Storage Slots

The A20 is supplied 2 bays for user-installable storage. The unit does not include built-in storage. If it is your intent to import and store digital audio files on the A20, you will need to install the appropriate hard drive(s)/SSD(s) first. Please refer to the “SSD/HDD Installation Guide”

15. AC Power Switch

Press the top of the rocker switch to turn AC power on, press the bottom to turn it off. The rear panel power switch should be used to turn the unit off only after the unit has been shut down via the front panel On/Off button or via the app. The front panel On/Off button LED light will pulse while the unit shuts down. Once it is dimly lit after shut down procedure is complete, it is safe to flip the rear panel AC power switch to the "off" position. More information on proper shut down procedure is found here: What is the proper way to shut down my Aurender?

Because A20 has UPS circuitry inside, it will take some time for the unit to be drained of power after the power switch turned off.

16. AC Power Socket

Connect an IEC AC Power cord to a grounded power source/outlet.

 

Remote Control

 

File Type & Resolution Support

View a comparison table of file type and sample rate support by model and output/input here

 

MQA (Master Quality Authenticated)

MQA is an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of the studio. The master MQA file is fully authenticated and is small enough to stream, while also being backward compatible, so you can play MQA music on any device.

MQA technology is licensed by labels, music services, and hardware manufacturers worldwide.

Visit mqa.co.uk for more information.*

The Aurender A20 includes Full Decoder MQA technology, and is a fully compliant MQA end-to-end solution enabling you to play back MQA audio files and streams, delivering the sound of the original master recording.This method of decoding delivers the highest possible sound quality available from MQA.

The Aurender Conductor App will indicate that “MQA” or “MQA Studio” content is being played back. A green or blue dot next to the MQA logo indicate that the unit is decoding and playing an MQA stream or file, and denotes provenance to ensure that the sound is identical to that of the source material. The blue dot indicates it is playing an MQA Studio file, which has either been approved in the studio by the artist/producer or has been verified by the copyright owner.

The A20’s front panel also uses text indicators to display MQA playback and the respective sampling rate of the file or stream being played. ‘MQA’ or ‘MQA Studio’ indicates that the unit is decoding and playing an MQA stream or file, and denotes provenance to ensure that the sound is identical to that of the source material. ‘‘MQA Studio’ indicates it is playing an MQA Studio file, which has either been approved in the studio by the artist/producer or has been verified by the copyright owner.

*MQA and the Sound Wave Device are registered trade marks of MQA Limited © 2016

 

Positioning

• Place your device on a flat and stable surface.

• Keep away from heat sources, such as radiators.

• Do not stack other products on top of the Aurender.

• Allow space around the device for ventilation.

• Do not place inside an enclosed cabinet without ventilation.

 

Precautions & Safeguards

Please read the following instructions carefully before setting up the Aurender Music Player.

• The super-capacitor power cache acts as an uninterruptible power supply. In case of any sudden power failures, the Aurender A30 will power itself down safely. Even so, proper shut down procedure should be observed to turn off your A30 whenever possible.

• All devices should be turned off before making any power cables or analog/digital interconnections.

• Only plug your Aurender into grounded plugs and grounded sockets.

• Do not drop the device to avoid internal damage.

• Do not disassemble the device. Doing so may cause inadvertent damage that would not be covered under warranty.

• Keep magnetic materials away from Aurender. Hard drives and other internal electronics are subject to damage from magnetic interference.

• Do not expose device to oil, dust, water, high humidity, or smoke.

• Keep ventilation openings free from obstruction.

• When cleaning, use a soft, dry cloth. If stains remain, lightly dampen the cloth with water and gently wipe the unit with minimal pressure. Ensure any residual moisture is promptly wiped away to prevent water spots.

• All servicing must be performed by an authorized dealer or distributor. Otherwise, the warranty will be voided.

• Unplug power cord during severe lightning storms (after shutting down properly).

• Please note that hard drives can break down. Do not consider your Aurender the "Master" copy of your precious music library! Rather, maintain a separate master copy and consider your Aurender as a secondary backup copy. It is important to back up your music collection periodically to a separate memory device. In the event of drive failure, Aurender is not responsible for any loss of data. The drive manufacturer will only replace faulty drives under warranty and do not compensate for any loss of data.