Auralic Aries UPnP Renderer: Double DSD Over Wi-Fi

[Andrew_WOT]

802.11ac as wi-fi? Is it compatible with g/n or we all need to upgrade to the latest and greatest laptops/routers that support that relatively new standard.

[MikeJazz]

From what I understand it's the USB output of this device (not computer's).

 

And if I understood well, this is a computer - a specialized computer anyway...

therefore the manageability and ability to switch usb on...

[MikeJazz]

If you have a DoP capable DAC, you can use the USB host output on ARIES and stream DSD, DSD128 and DXD though ARIES from your NAS. If this is a legacy DAC, you can use AES/EBU, S/PDIF or TOSLINK from ARIES but DSD, DSD128 and DXD will not be available, we can do down sampling to other sampling rate to make sure the DAC can play it.

 

Lightning is a very strong platform we have been developing for a while. This is not just about file streaming but with a lot of other important features such as Songcast, built-in radio such as Spotify. AURALiC will maintain the platform software and keep adding new function for free, the new functions such as Airplay, DSD upsampling, room acoustic correction and more you can image.

 

And we will bring the best control software with industry's best user experience

 

I guess I must be thickheaded. How does this product improve on say, JRMC or iTunes in terms of functionality?

hopefully it will remove players from the equation AND the sound quality variable of players...

 

I am looking for what there is about it that is exciting people - but I must be missing the boat. It sounds like the key to this is the new 'Lightening App' which appears to be pretty much just a player.

 

Hopefully the App from auralic is not a player app but only a control point....

 

I highlighted above what is exciting me about Auralic's announcement (in short, flexibility in connections and in software).

 

How that player handles metadata and such is what would be important to me.

Hopefully the server, not the app, will serve the metadata. If the control point app is flexible enought, it would use the metadata in a smart way, like Lumin app started to do with MinimServer metadata...

 

And if it runs on all the listed platforms, what capabilities are available on each? For example, can you have a Player under Windows that can stream DSD to a iOS based iPhone? If so, does it transcode to something the iPhone can play? Or are iOS devices just remote control devices?

I expect it to stream only to the attached dac..,but good points...if the control point would stream ALSO to the local iDevice would be soo cool!

 

Too many questions, not enough answers. One big question would be how proprietary this is? Does it only drive Auralic hardware? If I have a USB DAC I really love, can I drive it from a Lightening App on a PC, or do I have to buy an Aries *and* a PC to run it? Or an Aries and a NAS and a platform to run the Lightening App on to control the thing?

 

-Paul

You raise good questions at the right time, hopefully the answers will be good to hear...

It's not clear if the Lightening App can be run without the Aires, like Lumin app can be run outside Lumin...

 

IMHO, it's bold enough to be exciting news...

An platform to incorporate a number of signal processing before music reach our dacs, is very interesting.

If Room Correction is well implemented, it will have major impact...

[Ran]

It works like Bryston's BDP device. It is an interface between your music collection (files) and your DAC (USB, AES, S/PDIF). You don't need a PC to manage your music. No need for any client apps like JRiver, Foobar, etc.... It is like having MPD or any other server based Hi-Res streamer.

[bmoura]

It works like Bryston's BDP device. It is an interface between your music collection (files) and your DAC (USB, AES, S/PDIF). You don't need a PC to manage your music. No need for any client apps like JRiver, Foobar, etc.... It is like having MPD or any other server based Hi-Res streamer.

 

So it takes the need for a computer and software out of the equation? I assume it would work with both Stereo and Multichannel DSD files, right?

[Kal Rubinson]

I assume it would work with both Stereo and Multichannel DSD files, right?

I have learned not to assume anything regarding multichannel.

[bmoura]

I have learned not to assume anything regarding multichannel.

 

That's why I asked!

 

Earlier Auralic products are Stereo only. So it does make you wonder....

[Paul R]

From the impressions I am gathering, it sounds more like a special purpose computer, with an interface that

is accessed from an iOS or other portable device by their "Lightening" app, which I assume reads and displays the metadata and allows other interface operations.

 

It also requires a NAS to store the files, and a standalone computer and software to RIP and edit medtadata on those files.

 

I'm not seeing the advance here guys.

 

But next week, CES, and Chris' reporting doth approach. There may be a delightful surprise waiting there!

 

 

So it takes the need for a computer and software out of the equation? I assume it would work with both Stereo and Multichannel DSD files, right?

[bmoura]

If the product eliminates the need for a computer and software, it would need a screen to navigate through the download files. Similar to the Sony Music Server product. Maybe it's along those lines. I'm standing by for more details....

[jtwrace]

So it takes the need for a computer and software out of the equation?

 

Why would one NOT do this then?

[wappinghigh]

I have learned not to assume anything regarding multichannel.

LOL! +1. Me too....

[wappinghigh]

I'm looking forward to the release, testing and review of this product: for the following reason. Versatility.

 

If it promises what the rumours are leading us to believe, then it's versatility that is the strength in this product.

 

If it allows uPnP streaming to pretty much any DAC and *any* file that is compatible with that DAC all from the one uPnP libray using the one control point, then this is one step further along towards the ideal HiRez multiroom setup.. It should also give us new uses and ways to use our older residual DAC's....without having to churn them over or throw them out. Lets hope it becomes more than vapourware..

[MikeJazz]

From the impressions I am gathering, it sounds more like a special purpose computer, with an interface that

is accessed from an iOS or other portable device by their "Lightening" app, which I assume reads and displays the metadata and allows other interface operations.

 

It also requires a NAS to store the files, and a standalone computer and software to RIP and edit medtadata on those files.

 

I'm not seeing the advance here guys.

 

But next week, CES, and Chris' reporting doth approach. There may be a delightful surprise waiting there!

 

how many Network players Can you count on the market which can output both in USB and spdif? Im not aware...if you ask Jesus from Sonore he will tell you that it is two separated products and that joining does not make sense...

 

Also I am not aware of a network player that was designed in a modular fashion to incorporate DSD up sampling and room correction, although in the future...

 

I am looking Forward that the expectation can be met, also to increase competition in this niche of "audiophile" streamers...

[Paul R]

Gosh Mike -I would say that a Mac Mini running JRMC does all that and a bit more. As well as handling video and multichannel. And it streams around very well too. Oh, and has a very good remote application in JRemote. And runs on Windows, Macs, and Linux.

 

... You see why I am a little puzzled over the excitement? I freely admit I might be being a luddite dunderhead though.

 

-Paul

 

 

how many Network players Can you count on the market which can output both in USB and spdif? Im not aware...if you ask Jesus from Sonore he will tell you that it is two separated products and that joining does not make sense...

 

Also I am not aware of a network player that was designed in a modular fashion to incorporate DSD up sampling and room correction, although in the future...

 

I am looking Forward that the expectation can be met, also to increase competition in this niche of "audiophile" streamers...

[MikeJazz]

Gosh Mike -I would say that a Mac Mini running JRMC does all that and a bit more. As well as handling video and multichannel. And it streams around very well too. Oh, and has a very good remote application in JRemote. And runs on Windows, Macs, and Linux.

 

... You see why I am a little puzzled over the excitement? I freely admit I might be being a luddite dunderhead though.

 

-Paul

 

Paul, I have experience with both a network player from linn, and the Jriver on windows.

For me, linn solved the basics long time (for example, gapless) and works much better on playlist management....even if Jriver is full of bells and whistles...

 

Clear two camps...one prefer to tweak a computer as a source, the other prefer the "fit and forget" of a network player...I am on the later and was never excited with a computer or Mac as a source...but not saying that I will not be, someday. in this topic there are no definitive solutions....

 

Ps, still find Jriver useful to edit and manage metadata...but that is all...

[jtwrace]

If this can up sample PCM to 2xDSD and play all music direct from my NAS, I don't see how this would be a bad thing. I already use a MBAir to rip and tag.

 

Taking any piece of the puzzle out of the chain cannot be a bad thing sonically. I'm very interested in seeing what this is really about.

 

I was getting ready to buy a new Mac Mini anyway so this would be ideal.

[One and a half]

There's a cusp of development for a non computer to play files over Ethernet to a DAC.

 

I don't think the device has the grunt to perform say PCM2DSDx2, but give it time. Even though a MacMini has a very small footprint as far as noise is concerned, it still has to contend with an OS, and by its very nature is inherently noisy with processes that don't involve audio, like accounts, displays, screen savers, spotlight and facebook.

 

If you take out all that rubbish, then you are left with barebones. Superdad has shown that noise is reduced substantially using an SDCard, so if you build a player from scratch it doesn't need an OS. Less processes, less electrical activity, less noise, simple equations.

 

If it wasn't for metadata and file management, you wouldn't need a computer at all.

 

There are going to be a lot of these newer appliance type setups coming on stream, and all the better, can't wait!

[Paul R]

The device will have an OS, though I do not know what that OS will be. The Bryston, for example, runs Linux. Music Vault, I think, runs Windows.

 

Not many devices run without an OS these days, and trying to minimize MacOS or Linux has a very arguable effect on sound quality. In fact, Windows optimizations today may not be worth the trouble in terms of audio quality. It's arguable, like I said.

 

Setting up a Mac Mini to play music is not precisely pull it out of the box, plug it in and start playing. But one can be playing music about 20 mins after you open the box, and it is pretty much a one time exercise too. I have not looked at the screen of our Music machines in quite some time now. Certainly not an every week thing.

 

I hope to be wrong on this, as I really like the Naim stuff, but I don't like the Kinsky interface nearly as much as JRemote.

[Ran]

The device will have an OS, though I do not know what that OS will be. The Bryston, for example, runs Linux. Music Vault, I think, runs Windows.

 

Not many devices run without an OS these days, and trying to minimize MacOS or Linux has a very arguable effect on sound quality. In fact, Windows optimizations today may not be worth the trouble in terms of audio quality. It's arguable, like I said.

 

Setting up a Mac Mini to play music is not precisely pull it out of the box, plug it in and start playing. But one can be playing music about 20 mins after you open the box, and it is pretty much a one time exercise too. I have not looked at the screen of our Music machines in quite some time now. Certainly not an every week thing.

 

I hope to be wrong on this, as I really like the Naim stuff, but I don't like the Kinsky interface nearly as much as JRemote.

 

 

A desktop PC that runs office and games is not a dedicated embedded device that was designed from the ground up to serve audio files. Having a OSX with JRIver is nice and easy but it is far from competing with anything dedicated. My opinion is that we are looking at the quality of the sound and being an "audiophile", I don't believe easy is relevant to the quest.

[gumby]

It is interesting that you mention the exaSound e28 because there is no mention whatever of whether the "Aries" can support more than stereo.

 

I agree. I just purchased an e28 and installed it in a home theatre arrangement one floor above the location of my NAS. I am using JRiver on one of C.A.P.S 3 Zuma computers I learned about here. I do not have Ethernet cable between the two floors. The two floors are networked over the home's wiring using NETGEAR "home plugs." The system typically functions at around 60Mbps. It takes about 90 minutes for JRiver to import a 600 GB library over this connection and I am experiencing dropouts playing multichannel dsf files. These are 8GB files with a data rate of close to 20Mbps. It was good enough for hi-res stereo but I don't think it is going to cut it for MCH and I would not want to rely on a wireless bridge either. I have plans to open up some walls and run CAT 5e or 6, but in the meantime I will be putting and external hard drive in with computer.

[wappinghigh]

^ I've got an e28 as well and am very interested how this device will work with the e28. But it will come down to driver support I feel. If it runs Linux.. I'm not aware exasound have released Linux drivers. Anyway as far as streaming multichannel DSD and PCM files around an Ethernet network goes, there are *No* problems if it's a gigabit network. THe network isn't the problem... I proved this a while back with my Oppo105 which I assume has a very low powered chip and very little RAM. The files will stream fine..So it all depends how Auralic implements their hardware. Let's hope it's a real life fully tested solution and it's not left up to us computeraudiophiles to test a beta style product..

[wappinghigh]

You see it's actually very tricky to get this uPnP streaming stuff "just right"..always works, Gapless. Right software library set up and easy to use control point, with drivers that work with all the DAC's etc etc.. It's why companies like Sonos don't want to go there....and particularly with HiRez and DSD. Look at the development that has gone into the Olive One for example.. The R&D is obviously *very* costly and unless a field of patient dedicated boffins like the users of this website are prepared to test companies devices in the field for them, things come unstuck very quickly and deficits are soon found out... that's why we need Chris to get his hands on one and really put it thru it's paces.. As I said, here's hoping it delivers.

[jcbenten]

 

I'm not seeing the advance here guys.

 

But next week, CES, and Chris' reporting doth approach. There may be a delightful surprise waiting there!

 

I am missing something also. To me this looks like an SBT with 2x DSD capability. I am thinking I should have bought a couple more when they were under $300.

[Audio_ELF]

I am missing something also. To me this looks like an SBT with 2x DSD capability. I am thinking I should have bought a couple more when they were under $300.

Actually it's like a Linn DS (they use the same OpenHome extensions on UPnP) or LUMIN which adds support for DSD (and DSDx2) but has no inbuilt DAC.

 

I look forward to them feeding their development back into the OpenHome platform...

 

Eloise

[PhilipAC]

For me, the quality of the music software will be key. IMHO, Audirvana+ is the best sounding software, and unless this machine, or any other, has software as good it is a non-runner.