Auralic Aries (Hardware) - Impressions and Information

[Cornan]

I am trying firmware beta 4.0.6 now.

 

Is it just me or does it sound even cleaner than 4.0.4? The bass has tightened up a notch and everything sounds more open BUT the highs are now more strident than before and there is some treble sibilance that wasn't there with 4.0.4.

 

I think I prefer 4.0.4 overall.

 

I actually prefer 4.0.6 over 4.0.4. Very small but preferable differences sound wise (agree to a tad clearer and more open...but not more stribent hights on my setup). Most important for me is that it is more stabile and respond quicker when using BubbleDS Next>Tidal.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[atletico]

I am trying firmware beta 4.0.6 now.

 

Is it just me or does it sound even cleaner than 4.0.4? The bass has tightened up a notch and everything sounds more open BUT the highs are now more strident than before and there is some treble sibilance that wasn't there with 4.0.4.

 

I think I prefer 4.0.4 overall.

Same experience here... preferred the beta 4.0.4 version.

[markwb]

Has anyone downloaded .6 with a wired connection yet? Scared to!

[MNG]

Has anyone downloaded .6 with a wired connection yet? Scared to!

 

Yes, it worked fine for me.

[wanta911]

I am trying firmware beta 4.0.6 now.

 

Is it just me or does it sound even cleaner than 4.0.4? The bass has tightened up a notch and everything sounds more open BUT the highs are now more strident than before and there is some treble sibilance that wasn't there with 4.0.4.

 

I think I prefer 4.0.4 overall.

 

Aaah....the potential pitfalls of the quest to "improve" the SQ of a playback system. Great recordings sound even better and lesser recordings sound worse. 4.0.6 sounds good to me on my setup but I hope they don't go too much further with getting a cleaner sound. I can imagine that I might not be as impressed if I still owned a couple of previous DACS that exhibited a certain amount of digital glare compared to what I have now.

 

The endless pursuit of cleaner sound is a double edged sword, it's great if your music library consists mainly of audiophile jazz recordings etc. but if you're a big fan of say....70's & 80's rock & popular music then there is definitely a case for a bit of "colour" being a good thing, particularly with some of that typical 80's edgy & thin mastering.

 

Assuming that most people's music collections would be quite varied, I think there is a good case for getting to a point of "good enough". Maybe there is a case for being able to choose your software version based on your setup and library?

[mikey8811]

Maybe there is a case for being able to choose your software version based on your setup and library?

 

Yes, that would be akin to a filter setting I suppose. Or DSP. The much touted but never present HQ Player type upsampling too.

[2string1]

Aaah....the potential pitfalls of the quest to "improve" the SQ of a playback system. Great recordings sound even better and lesser recordings sound worse. 4.0.6 sounds good to me on my setup but I hope they don't go too much further with getting a cleaner sound. I can imagine that I might not be as impressed if I still owned a couple of previous DACS that exhibited a certain amount of digital glare compared to what I have now.

 

The endless pursuit of cleaner sound is a double edged sword, it's great if your music library consists mainly of audiophile jazz recordings etc. but if you're a big fan of say....70's & 80's rock & popular music then there is definitely a case for a bit of "colour" being a good thing, particularly with some of that typical 80's edgy & thin mastering.

 

Assuming that most people's music collections would be quite varied, I think there is a good case for getting to a point of "good enough". Maybe there is a case for being able to choose your software version based on your setup and library?

I agree with all of this...

[erikd]

Hey:-) Got a mail from Auralic europe about my auralic not working with beta firmware. He sayd he should send ups label so i can ship it for factory reset but nothing happens. Tryed to send mail yesterday, anyone experience the same?? Miss my Aries, sounded exellent with new firmware:-)

[Doak]

Yes, that would be akin to a filter setting I suppose. Or DSP. The much touted but never present HQ Player type upsampling too.

Hard to imagine that Auralic "touted HQP type upsampling." Can you provide a pointer to this statement?

The Aries is great and getting even better at what it was designed to do, though it purposely lacks the processing power required to do the heavy lifting required to do serious upsampling.

[MNG]

Hey:-) Got a mail from Auralic europe about my auralic not working with beta firmware. He sayd he should send ups label so i can ship it for factory reset but nothing happens. Tryed to send mail yesterday, anyone experience the same?? Miss my Aries, sounded exellent with new firmware:-)

 

Yes, they will send you an email to print out the shipping documents and arrange a collection.

 

I have asked twice how long I am going to be without my unit. The first request was ignored, the second was answered and all they've told me is that it takes them a couple of hours to fix the unit, so I've no idea what to expect. Quite poor really given that their update bricked the unit. I'm surprised that people seem so laid back about it really.

[erikd]

Thank you for answer. I understand, have to be patient! Will call Norwegian importer tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Yes, they will send you an email to print out the shipping documents and arrange a collection.

 

I have asked twice how long I am going to be without my unit. The first request was ignored, the second was answered and all they've told me is that it takes them a couple of hours to fix the unit, so I've no idea what to expect. Quite poor really given that their update bricked the unit. I'm surprised that people seem so laid back about it really.

[mikey8811]

Can't imagine that Auralic "touted HQP type upsampling." Can you provide a pointer to this statement?

The Aries is great and getting even better at what it was designed to do, though it purposely lacks the processing power required to do the heavy lifting required to do serious upsampling.

 

That was just a tongue in cheek comment on my part.

 

Auralic themselves have alluded to upsampling and DSP functions being added in initial emails to me and I presume to others as I read on this board. As recent as a month ago, they said in an email that they were working on enabling HQ Player NAA with Jussi although I did email Jussi about this and never received a reply.

 

It was just wishful thinking on my part since you commented that it was the HQ Player upsampling that was the game changer in your comparison against the microRendu.

[pl_svn]

Yes, they will send you an email to print out the shipping documents and arrange a collection.

 

I have asked twice how long I am going to be without my unit. The first request was ignored, the second was answered and all they've told me is that it takes them a couple of hours to fix the unit, so I've no idea what to expect. Quite poor really given that their update bricked the unit. I'm surprised that people seem so laid back about it really.

 

shipped mine on Monday 18 and according to UPS tracking it's been *finally* delivered to Auralic this morning

we'll see how long it will take to be back

 

laid back? seriously considering selling my Aries once it comes back: after one week with just my *well tempered* Mac mini I'm seriously questioning if it was worth the investment :-/

I might probably get the same SQ by just spending time killing all unnecessary processes on the Mac

 

I'm more and more convinced a powerful machine doing some very light work sounds at least on par (if not better) than a "just powerful enough" one

[erikd]

Will test out my macbook retina with audiravana and compare self! God damned , hate to wait so long! Did you send to China??

 

 

 

 

shipped mine on Monday 18 and according to UPS tracking it's been *finally* delivered to Auralic this morning

we'll see how long it will take to be back

 

laid back? seriously considering selling my Aries once it comes back: after one week with just my *well tempered* Mac mini I'm seriously questioning if it was worth the investment :-/

I might probably get the same SQ by just spending time killing all unnecessary processes on the Mac

 

I'm more and more convinced a powerful machine doing some very light work sounds at least on par (if not better) than a "just powerful enough" one

[Doak]

That was just a tongue in cheek comment on my part.

 

Auralic themselves have alluded to upsampling and DSP functions being added in initial emails to me and I presume to others as I read on this board. As recent as a month ago, they said in an email that they were working on enabling HQ Player NAA with Jussi although I did email Jussi about this and never received a reply.

 

It was just wishful thinking on my part since you commented that it was the HQ Player upsampling that was the game changer in your comparison against the microRendu.

 

Listening to Aries with newest firmware now for first time. Sounding very, very good.

 

FYI: Think I've "run the course" on HQPlayer/Roon/Fidelizer Pro/dual computer setup/optical network iso, etc...

I've found myself back to "dicking with computers/network" way too much (again) and spending less time relaxing and listening to music. This is PRECISELY the reason I acquired the Aries more than a year ago. With the way my system is sounding using the Aries, and the problems I've had with the (overly) complicated alternative it looks like I'm heading back to the Auralic fold.

 

EVERY time I plug the Aries back into the system it comes up playing music IMMEDIATELY.

The "alternative system" is a constant bother. A dozen things must be just right to get music out of it.

Then I've suffered lots of drop-out even failure to play even when everything appears to be "just right."

This kind of frustration and (IMO) foolishness is not what this wonderful avocation is all about - not for me anyway.

I am - first and foremost - a music lover. Some people really do enjoy messing with computer stuff - not my thing,, well only if I'm getting paid well to do it. ;-)

[MNG]

I've had a couple of things delivered (W4S RUR, Sbooster Ultra power supply and a power cable) which I was hoping would improve the SQ of the Aries and now I cannot test them effectively, which is why I am a bit frustrated by it all. The timing couldn't have been worse for me.

 

I have been considering the Microrendu as a possibility.

 

Interesting post from Doak though to remind me of my initial objectives!

[pl_svn]

Will test out my macbook retina with audiravana and compare self! God damned , hate to wait so long! Did you send to China??

 

yes: back to the factory in Bejing

 

mind, though, that I'm sure the Aries as it comes out of the box outperforms a "shared general use" computer

it's a dedicated and well tempered one it doesn't (if not by a small margin that can be overcome )

[erikd]

Have the Sbooster ultra power with filter and its a BIG update!! Plays bigger

 

 

 

 

I've had a couple of things delivered (W4S RUR, Sbooster Ultra power supply and a power cable) which I was hoping would improve the SQ of the Aries and now I cannot test them effectively, which is why I am a bit frustrated by it all. The timing couldn't have been worse for me.

 

I have been considering the Microrendu as a possibility.

 

Interesting post from Doak though to remind me of my initial objectives!

[MNG]

Have the Sbooster ultra power with filter and its a BIG update!! Plays bigger

 

On the one hand, that is good to know as I had hoped it would. On the other, it is frustrating! I heard the new firmware briefly before the unit fried and I definitely thought I heard an improvement, and that was before I even knew there had been any changes. It seemed quite distinct.

[MNG]

I've received an email saying that my Aries has been fixed and shipped back to me. I shipped it to Auralic on 20th so that's just a week turnaround. I may not be without it for as long as I feared, which is good news.

 

I suppose that total timescales will be dependent upon UPS and location.

[pl_svn]

mine too has been shipped back this morning

[sebassie]

Mine has been repaired and is on it's way back. However there seem to be some customs problems in Hongkong. Expected turnaround 2 weeks.

[pl_svn]

Mine has been repaired and is on it's way back. However there seem to be some customs problems in Hongkong. Expected turnaround 3 weeks.

 

seen those alerts, on the way to China, here in Milan, then in Poland, Hong Kong and once more in Bejing before final delivery :-/

though it actually took one week total to be delivered nonetheless

 

think it's like when you connect a (new) device to a Windows computer: you're immediately warned about everything being wrong then... the system catches up

[pedroromao]

Mine seems FAST! Sent it this monday mid afternoon from Lisbon and this morning it was already in Beijing!

[pl_svn]

you know we all hate you, right?