Auralic Aries UPnP Renderer: Double DSD Over Wi-Fi

[Jimmypowder]

I never had any piece of digital equipment where coax,optical,aes,etc all sounded the same.

[ted_b]

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.

 

Assuming you put some good thought into this response, why is it at all a joke? The outputs are quite different on ALL digital gear (that I've ever dealt with, especially given the inequality of the cabling). Toslink tends to sound thing with generic cables, and in the case of Aries, it doesn't have the galvanic advantage either (cuz Aries has transformer isolation via AES and coax). But put a great optical cable in there and I'm sure you get great sound....and the all do DoP as well. Good luck finding that elsewhere.

 

The net/net on what I found was that it likely isn't an Aries issue as much as it is my cables. The JCAT USB is a MUCH better and more technically advanced cable than the $2 toslink or the $50 10 yr old Stereovox. I fail to see the joke, seriously.

[ted_b]

I'm beginning to think progress reporting is a bad idea. I should have just committed to review the Aries and gone away with the unit for 60-90 days.

 

For example, those of you who disliked my Kinsky reporting (saying it was just "discovery" and worthless) I asked for a reasonable list of things to test for control points (Kinsky, Lumin, Lightning, etc). So far...nada. So I will assume it ain't that important after all.

[Audio_ELF]

Don't be disheartened Ted... I'm enjoying what you write (well except the bits I specifically criticise).

 

I'll try to remember to write a testing suggestion though tomorrow...

 

Eloise

I'm beginning to think progress reporting is a bad idea. I should have just committed to review the Aries and gone away with the unit for 60-90 days.

 

For example, those of you who disliked my Kinsky reporting (saying it was just "discovery" and worthless) I asked for a reasonable list of things to test for control points (Kinsky, Lumin, Lightning, etc). So far...nada. So I will assume it ain't that important after all.

[ted_b]

Eloise, don't lie. You especially enjoy the bits your criticize.

 

As do I.

[baddog]

I think the progress reporting is great and enjoy it immensely, please continue and don't be discouraged by the occasional negative comments...

 

Other than at some point (no rush) understanding your thoughts in terms of audio quality versus your CAPS setup (again no rush), I would be interested in further details on the Auralic Lightning application, in regards to whatever capabilities it has for sorting and organizing music, building playlists and tagging meta data (if that capability exists). Given that it is in a pre release state I realize that too may take time.

 

Also as I like the capability to separate my DSD files, Redbook, and High resolution files as provided by JRIVER and JRemote, I would be interested in that feature as well. I have tested Minimserver with the Lumin application and do understand how that can be accomplished via their folder view. I was hoping for something one level higher in the hierarchy (if that makes sense). i.e. a main screen where one could choose to view by Artist, Album, Genre, DSD, Redbook, High Resolution...

 

Thanks again!

 

Barr

[baddog]

And a more basic question, where is the on/off switch for the Aires? Specifically I am wonderful the following:

 

I have two mono amps, a preamp and a DAC that are powered by a Silver Circle Audio power conditioner.

 

Typically I leave all of them switched on, and turn the whole system on and off via the power switch on the Silver Circle.

 

Will the Aires work in this scenario, meaning I can set its power switch such that by turning on/off the power fed to it by the Silver Circle it will power on/off?

 

Barr

[baddog]

p.s. I do note that power switch on the external power supply, not sure if the Aires itself has one or not?

 

Boy, it sure looks like I am talking to myself eh?

[ted_b]

As long as you aren't arguing with yourself....

 

The Aries has a soft power button from the remote (i.e when you power it up by either simply plugging in the dc or powering it via the switch on the power supply); the front panel asks that you press the power button on the remote, so doing it via the Silver Circle may not work.

[baddog]

Yeah, arguing with myself would have been a sure sign it was time to cut back on my Internet usage. Thanks for the reply in regards to the remote, that should work out fine (thinking about the usability factor here for the other members in the household, the less buttons to press the better).

[firedog]

Ted-

 

I appreciate and enjoy the reports, but if it is becoming something negative for you, by all means stop and concetrate on your evaluation/review.

 

 

I'm beginning to think progress reporting is a bad idea. I should have just committed to review the Aries and gone away with the unit for 60-90 days.

 

For example, those of you who disliked my Kinsky reporting (saying it was just "discovery" and worthless) I asked for a reasonable list of things to test for control points (Kinsky, Lumin, Lightning, etc). So far...nada. So I will assume it ain't that important after all.

[andyv]

The outputs are quite different on ALL digital gear (that I've ever dealt with, especially given the inequality of the cabling).

 

Do you think that is acceptable? Do you think that digital outputs/inputs shouldsound different? I don't. To me it is a failing, and a serious one. Sure there are reasons why this might be the case, but why not identify the problem and fix it?

[MikeJazz]

Do you think that is acceptable? Do you think that digital outputs/inputs shouldsound different? I don't. To me it is a failing, and a serious one. Sure there are reasons why this might be the case, but why not identify the problem and fix it?

 

This is funny!

[Stevie Alexander Whitton]

Hi Ted-b enjoying logging on here in Scotland every day to read your thoughts,i like others have been on waiting list for Aries months now and this site has kept me going in mean - time,we got to nearly 50 posts with no product in hand so please keep teasing us with your thoughts now we have 2,as for Aries outputs sounding different i think that is normal since the different cables used will have there own sound so you are right

[Jimmypowder]

Do you think that is acceptable? Do you think that digital outputs/inputs shouldsound different? I don't. To me it is a failing, and a serious one. Sure there are reasons why this might be the case, but why not identify the problem and fix it?

 

Hilarious!

[mav52]

Ted-

 

I appreciate and enjoy the reports, but if it is becoming something negative for you, by all means stop and concetrate on your evaluation/review.

 

I got to agree with firedog here, ted just concentrate on the review and forget defending the product, your review will describe your thoughts and experiences

[dr.sah]

and test Aries with lightening app only. forget jriver, kinsky............... just Auralic is important.

[McMaly]

Do you think that is acceptable? Do you think that digital outputs/inputs shouldsound different? I don't. To me it is a failing, and a serious one. Sure there are reasons why this might be the case, but why not identify the problem and fix it?

I am am newbie here, but have been reading this thread for quite some time now.

I am situated in Germany and waiting for my ordered Aries to arrive.

I have been using an Akurate DS 1 for some years now with a Resonessence Concero HD behind.

Lately I am only listening to DSD material from my MacBook pro. (Via the Concero)

The sq is so much better than the Flac stuff from my Netgear NAS.

Since I have been trying lots of different ethernet and USB cables I can assure everybody that the cabling is making a huge difference in sound quality.

 

Greets from Denmark (vacation)

Matthias

[MarkS]

A DIYer in Hong Kong is making and selling this all-in-one optical LAN isloator with internal linear psu :

Ediscreation, The Brand of Handcrafted HiFi Gear.: Fiber box DIY

Neat & tidy. Not expensive.

 

Not trying to high jack this fantastic thread, but what exactly does this fiber box do? Can move to another thread.

[rogerdn]

Audio quality esp compared to a good computer like a mini is my main interest. And their app.

[ted_b]

Since I have been trying lots of different ethernet and USB cables I can assure everybody that the cabling is making a huge difference in sound quality.

 

Greets from Denmark (vacation)

Matthias

 

Matthias,

Welcome to CA. I don't think there are many here that need convincing about cable quality and it's effects......except maybe one or two on this thread.

 

And beyond cable quality, different digital outputs typically always sound different...if your system is up to it. Their topology (especially when you throw in USB to that category) and reasons for existence are quite varied. The differences are often subtle, but not unimportant, and the cause is usually noise or jitter differences, and likely from any combination of cable, source, DAC, cable, proximity to power, cable, etc. I find that there is often one that wins out (especially if one is your only option! Aries is a relatively inexpensive streaming bridge, and there will be a good number of users looking at it who have simple older DACs that may only do toslink, for example). It's great to have this flexibility, and Aries adds to it by trying to isolate all of them from extraneous noise.

[baddog]

Mr. Wang - If you are around, any update in terms of the shipping dates for these? Have they been sent to dealers in the US? Trying to determine if customers should be receiving the Aires shortly.

 

Thanks so much.

 

Barr

[McMaly]

Matthias,

Welcome to CA. I don't think there are many here that need convincing about cable quality and it's effects......except maybe one or two on this thread. .

 

I would be interested in a statement depending the sound quality of the Aries compared to a Mac using Audirvana with the same USB cable and dac installed.

 

Of course while playing the same piece of music with the identical sampling rate.

 

So only the sampling/streaming unit including the software will make the difference.

 

Is someone able and willing to give us a wink.

 

I think that this is something that will not change with future software releases. At least not when using an ethernet connection.

 

Matthias

[MarkyRotterdam]

Mine arrived today! Playing now through USB to the Vega DAC. All sampling rates working just fine. Using Minimserver on my QNAP NAS, everything wired over ethernet (my WiFi router is very old and slow). Sound is already much better than jRiver on my Windows 8 PC. Gapless works just fine. The Lightning app is obviously still in beta-stage, not working as smoothly as it eventually should. Lumin app is good enough for now for browsing my music library.

I will test AES/EBU later on and report on it, although I won't be using it that much, as Vega only accepts DSD/DoP through USB.

[junk]

Hi Marky,

 

Where are you located (continent wise)? Wonder which dealers will get the Aries first the American or European ones.

 

Mine arrived today! Playing now through USB to the Vega DAC. All sampling rates working just fine. Using Minimserver on my QNAP NAS, everything wired over ethernet (my WiFi router is very old and slow). Sound is already much better than jRiver on my Windows 8 PC. Gapless works just fine. The Lightning app is obviously still in beta-stage, not working as smoothly as it eventually should. Lumin app is good enough for now for browsing my music library.

I will test AES/EBU later on and report on it, although I won't be using it that much, as Vega only accepts DSD/DoP through USB.