Auralic Aries UPnP Renderer: Double DSD Over Wi-Fi

[ted_b]

I turned off ethernet and went wifi tonight. All sample rates, including DSD128, played flawlessly.

 

Caveat: my wifi router is only one room away, about 25 ft from the Aries. I have not done anything special with it (Uverse Motorola NVG589).

[tboooe]

I turned off ethernet and went wifi tonight. All sample rates, including DSD128, played flawlessly.

 

Caveat: my wifi router is only one room away, about 25 ft from the Aries. I have not done anything special with it (Uverse Motorola NVG589).

Ted_b, what are the specs of that router? Is it wireless g, n, ac? Is there a long delay starting songs, skipping, pausing, etc ?

[ted_b]

As I noted earlier, it's top wifi speed is 802.11n. No delay whatsoever. Nothing different from wired at all.

[Cebolla]

? My first report here on this thread was with the Kinsky app, folks (posts 1218 and several after). As I said then (all of two days ago) it works fine; Kinsky just doesn't have the same search capabilities (as an example) as Lightning app, due to its nature. Lumin works too. I personally like the Lightning app navigation/look&feel better, but as Chris has stated, it is unfair to really compare right now cuz the Lightning app is not yet ready for prime time.

With respect Ted, reporting that the control point app can 'see' the renderer doesn't imply that all the important features are working, especially given the history of these sorts of devices not behaving themselves, such as with stock UPnP media navigation commands or gapless support.

 

The other thing to bear in mind is that the Aries is supposed to work with any control point that supports ohMedia and/or standard UPnP, so a reasonable test with a few of the well known ones would be quite beneficial, especially to those that tend to use the same controller for all their UPnP renderers and may not be that interested (at least for now) in the supplied Lightning app.

[Distinctive]

With respect Ted, reporting that the control point app can 'see' the renderer doesn't imply that all the important features are working, especially given the history of these sorts of devices not behaving themselves, such as with stock UPnP media navigation commands or gapless support.

This basically just means that the renderer 'uPnP discovery' process works as intended.

[andyv]

? My first report here on this thread was with the Kinsky app, folks (posts 1218 and several after). As I said then (all of two days ago) it works fine; Kinsky just doesn't have the same search capabilities (as an example) as Lightning app, due to its nature. Lumin works too. I personally like the Lightning app navigation/look&feel better, but as Chris has stated, it is unfair to really compare right now cuz the Lightning app is not yet ready for prime time.

 

ted_b - you probably already know this, but in case not, Linn have just announced a new control point called Kazoo and matching server called Kazoo server.

 

Both are available here.

[ted_b]

Folks, I will try and look at a few control points, but I am not here to do all this testing on every available apps and things that I would never use going forward. Sorry.

 

My Kinsky reference to "it works" means it works for me, plays music, finds both libraries, manages queues and playlists, and doesn't hiccup anywhere, not simply that it sees the Aries! I've used Kinsky before, and if I thought the Aries/Kinsky combo was unusable I would not have said it works (and this is not just simple "discovery"!!).

 

Have I tried gapless, etc....no those are good suggestions. Feel free to give me a reasonable list of commands or tests and I'll try them...but to assume all I am testing is whether the Aries sees it, wrong!

[Distinctive]

My suggestion related to the Lumin app was more of a tip for controlling the Aries if the Lightning app is barely usable or not available in the Apple store. As a Lumin A1 owner, looking closely at the Aries, this part is also of great interest.

[realhifi]

So this is basically a DS type device without Dac is that correct? Be interesting to know if you can use Linns new Kazoo server to playback streaming services from your computer.

[Distinctive]

So this is basically a DS type device without Dac is that correct? Be interesting to know if you can use Linns new Kazoo server to playback streaming services from your computer.

I just tested the Kazoo server and control point with my Lumin renderer and it works great

[ted_b]

I just tested the Kazoo server and control point with my Lumin renderer and it works great

Not having that luck with Aries yet. I installed both (kazoo server and cp) and one thing is certain..kazoo server doesn't like DSF files. And cp (app) doesn;t see Aries. It may well be user error.

[davide256]

JRiver is configured as a DLNA server, and Aries (and Kinsky GUI) see it as such. No issues.

Ted, I'd be curious what you think comparing Twonky or Minimserver vs Jriver with the Aries. It would be nice if the Aries CPU horsepower made it indifferent to media server software for fidelity

[ted_b]

Ted, I'd be curious what you think comparing Twonky or Minimserver vs Jriver with the Aries. It would be nice if the Aries CPU horsepower made it indifferent to media server software for fidelity

 

Yes, as I stated earlier (and I got some flack for saying it) I thought JRIver would sound better than Minimserver. Now that I have both libraries populated on Aries (Jriver was problematic but Auralic fixed it) I can do some a/b'ing. They use different paths; JRIver is loaded on one of my CAPs pc's and accesses the NAS as a normal file server, while Minimserver is loaded directly on the NAS. All three (NAS, pc, Aries wired) use the same switch (which is gigabit and uses a nice linear power supply). Aries wireless of course goes through the router.

[Distinctive]

Not having that luck with Aries yet. I installed both (kazoo server and cp) and one thing is certain..kazoo server doesn't like DSF files. And cp (app) doesn;t see Aries. It may well be user error.

I take for granted that you have set the path to your music library via the Kazoo config application.

[ted_b]

I take for granted that you have set the path to your music library via the Kazoo config application.

 

Konfig? Yes, that''s where I found it doesn't recognize DSF files.

[toast]

Ted, what are the USB ports, 2.0 or 3.0? If it's 3.0 then not only will it be backward compatible with 2.0 but 3.0 is also much faster.

[ted_b]

Ted, what are the USB ports, 2.0 or 3.0? If it's 3.0 then not only will it be backward compatible with 2.0 but 3.0 is also much faster.

 

The specs are available (Jason showed them early on); they are USB 2.0

http://www.auralic.com/download/ARIES%20specification.pdf

[toast]

I thought I remembered reading somewhere it was USB 2.0 but forgot where I saw that.

[Emcee]

I'm still a bit confused as to what the Aries can/can't do. Besides its looks in what ways does it differ from/improve on the SB Touch?

 

To me the Touch's strongest selling point remains its user-friendly software which allows, amongst other things, for random play by genres.

[ted_b]

I'm still a bit confused as to what the Aries can/can't do. Besides its looks in what ways does it differ from/improve on the SB Touch?

 

To me the Touch's strongest selling point remains its user-friendly software which allows, amongst other things, for random play by genres.

 

Think of the Aries as an SB Touch on steroids! Along with possessing a much better build quality, better clocks, etc it also pushes much higher sample rates (including up to 384k and DSD128), is an open renderer (any DLNA and/or OpenHome server; the SB products only talk to LMS), does much wider bandwidth WiFi (up to 802.11AC) and can stream lossless services like Qobuz and Wimp. But the better build quality represents the biggest difference...better sound quality.

 

Also, the Aries is a bridge product, with high quality USB output as well as transformer isolated AES, SPDIF and toslink, whereas the Touch is often used as a low-end DAC also.. Unlike the SB Touch, it is meant to be seen as the audiophile middle man between a DLNA server and a DAC.

 

Many, if not all of the control points (remote control GUIs) can do genre-based browsing, and all do random or shuffle.

[Emcee]

Think of the Aries as an SB Touch on steroids! Along with possessing a much better build quality, better clocks, etc it also pushes much higher sample rates (including up to 384k and DSD128), is an open renderer (any DLNA and/or OpenHome server; the SB products only talk to LMS), does much wider bandwidth WiFi (up to 802.11AC) and can stream lossless services like Qobuz and Wimp. But the better build quality represents the biggest difference...better sound quality.

 

Also, the Aries is a bridge product, with high quality USB output as well as transformer isolated AES, SPDIF and toslink, whereas the Touch is often used as a low-end DAC also.. Unlike the SB Touch, it is meant to be seen as the audiophile middle man between a DLNA server and a DAC.

 

Many, if not all of the control points (remote control GUIs) can do genre-based browsing, and all do random or shuffle.

 

I kind of took it for granted that it would(should) sound better. The 384k and DSD are nice but I'm not on that bandwagon yet. My aging ears can't seem to be able to discern anything above 24/96. The higher bandwith is nice too but I never had any issues with the Touch (wired or wireless)

 

My very limited experience with an Oppo and DLNA has been less than positive for music. For video files - no problem. I scroll down my small list until I reach the desired movie and hit play.

 

For music it was so tedious that I quickly gave up and returned to my Touch and its familiar LMS. I'm keeping an open mind however hoping it's just a question of getting used to it - sort of like switching from PC to Mac.

 

I realize the Touch is getting long in the tooth and possibly the bottleneck in my system - no matter what DAC is downstream. I just don't want to invest $$$ and end up complicating things unnecessarily for that last iota of performance. Not sure if there's a trial period on the Aries - if so I might be tempted to give it a try.

[ted_b]

Latest updated findings:

* Eloise and others were right! I could not discern a sonic difference between using the Synology-based Minimserver library/DLNA server to the CAPS-based JRIver DLNA server (also uses Synology for file library). If there was a difference it would not be consistent with fairly blind testing (i.e I would switch back and forth enough to forget which is which).

* The differences in digital outputs (USB, coax, toslink) is, however, not at all difficult to discern. The variables in this test are too numerous to really reach any good conclusion. We are dealing with three different Aries outputs, three different Hugo inputs, and finally three VERY different levels of quality in cabling. For coax I use the 1.2M Stereovox HDxV, with supplied rca adapters at each end; with toslink I am using the Chord Hugo-supplied generic black optical cable. In any case, the USB (using JCAT USB cable into Audioquest usb-to-micro adapter into Hugo micro USB input) is my favorite input, with better air, timbre, image specificity and density, and dynamics. Noise floor seems equal across all three (toslink is naturally isolated and coax is transformer isolated). These sonic differences are not subtle but also not deal breakers. All three sonic presentations are non-fatiguing and of high audio quality. USB just has more "there" there.

[andyv]

Latest updated findings:

* Eloise and others were right! I could not discern a sonic difference between using the Synology-based Minimserver library/DLNA server to the CAPS-based JRIver DLNA server (also uses Synology for file library). If there was a difference it would not be consistent with fairly blind testing (i.e I would switch back and forth enough to forget which is which).

* The differences in digital outputs (USB, coax, toslink) is, however, not at all difficult to discern. The variables in this test are too numerous to really reach any good conclusion. We are dealing with three different Aries outputs, three different Hugo inputs, and finally three VERY different levels of quality in cabling. For coax I use the 1.2M Stereovox HDxV, with supplied rca adapters at each end; with toslink I am using the Chord Hugo-supplied generic black optical cable. In any case, the USB (using JCAT USB cable into Audioquest usb-to-micro adapter into Hugo micro USB input) is my favorite input, with better air, timbre, image specificity and density, and dynamics. Noise floor seems equal across all three (toslink is naturally isolated and coax is transformer isolated). These sonic differences are not subtle but also not deal breakers. All three sonic presentations are non-fatiguing and of high audio quality. USB just has more "there" there.

 

The Aries is £1500 in the U.K. and it's outputs sound different, and the differences are "not subtle"?!! What a joke! Back to the drawing board guys.

[Gordian]

Never had a dac with the same sound via Toslink, Coax and USB, and I owned quite a few

[The Computer Audiophile]

The Aries is £1500 in the U.K. and it's outputs sound different, and the differences are "not subtle"?!! What a joke! Back to the drawing board guys.

Do you understand the differences between and pros & cons of each interface type?