Auralic Aries (Hardware) - Impressions and Information

[miguelito]

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

Describe your well-tempered mini please...

[pl_svn]

Describe your well-tempered mini please...

 

dedicated to music playing only

just the OS installed and all unnecessary processes (plus usual Apple stuff) are turned off

only Roon running

 

SSD

Uptone Audio JS-2 and MMK

nothing else plugged in but a Regen to one USB port (followed by an Audiophilleo 1 on battery PS)

Regen too is powered by the JS-2

 

connected via ethernet to a PaulPangAudio switch

NAS connected to the same switch

both NAS and switch powered by an HD-Plex LPS

optical isolation between the PPA switch and router (and everything else on the network)

MC converter too powered by the HD-Plex

 

 

the Aries, as I already wrote, only beats the Mini when powered by the JS-2 and using Regen + Audiophilleo on its USB out (so... using all the tweaks I was using with the Mac. but the latter cost 1/3 )

[pl_svn]

so... not even really "well tempered": just some basic tweaks (and a great LPS)

[Doak]

Put a Wyred Recovery in my system about an hour ago.

Was an early adopter of the Regen and microRendu.

Now making another run at maximizing performance of Auralic Aries after frustration with dual PC HQP/Roon/mRendu setup. Goal is to get the Aries>Lampizator sounding "good enuff" to let go of the complicated crap-ola so I can just relax and listen to music again. Already impressed with what I'm hearing.

[MNG]

Put a Wyred Recovery in my system about an hour ago.

Was an early adopter of the Regen and microRendu.

Now making another run at maximizing performance of Auralic Aries after frustration with dual PC HQP/Roon/mRendu setup. Goal is to get the Aries>Lampizator sounding "good enuff" to let go of the complicated crap-ola so I can just relax and listen to music again. Already impressed with what I'm hearing.

 

I have been very pleasantly surprised by the W4S RUR in my system. It improves over time as well, so you may well be pleased.

[2string1]

Not knowing what the hell I'm talking about,but maybe you people should concentrate on an amp or speakers vs Wyred Recovery or the Regen and microRendu! I'm perfectly happy with my music from a thumb drive or Tidal into my Aries out to my Vega into my Fisher X202 out to my JBL Apollo C51's... Too many Regen's for sale. Why?

[MNG]

Maybe some of us have our amp and speakers sorted and are looking to extract the most from the front end of the chain?

[Doak]

Not knowing what the hell I'm talking about,but maybe you people should concentrate on an amp or speakers vs Wyred Recovery or the Regen and microRendu! I'm perfectly happy with my music from a thumb drive or Tidal into my Aries out to my Vega into my Fisher X202 out to my JBL Apollo C51's... Too many Regen's for sale. Why?

FYI: The speakers/amps/preamp/turntable/phono preamp/cartridge/cables/etc are endgame and "constants"in my system, for the past several years, at least. I am also more than happy with the Lampizator DAC. What I want to and know I can improve is the how it is fed and that's what this is all about.

[2string1]

Maybe for you (: just saying...

[MNG]

Well, granted, you can go to ridiculous levels, which I don't want to do. But I wouldn't believe that a cheap little USB device like the W4S would make any difference in my system, but it does. So I'm keeping it.

 

My problem is that my MBL CD transport sounds better than my Melco NAS via USB which sounds better again than the Aries via any output. In theory, I should be able to get them all sounding the same pretty much and that's what I'm after. With the W4S in line, the Melco is now indistinguishable from the MBL so, for £200, I'm happy.

[2string1]

What matters are your ears not mine... Happy listening...

[dmormerod]

I got my replacement Aries up and running after it got bricked and have been playing with beta6 & Roon.

 

To my ears beta6 sounds a lot deeper and less bright that using Roon. Just curious if others have similar conclusions. Trying to decide if Roon is worth the extra, and at the moment purely based on what I'm hearing I'm thinking no.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pl_svn]

Roon... bright? :0

moving from A+ on a Mac mini to Roon and the Aries I found both (either standalone or combined) to be warm-ish and darker than what I like and was used to

 

to me the Aries (non beta fw) sounds slightly better standalone than as RAAT

but the difference is small and Roon is such a pleasure to use that I subscribed

[mikey8811]

By the way, anyone using an Aries with PS Audio Directstream DAC?

 

Interested in hearing about experiences.

 

Thanks

[mikey8811]

Also, just tried the Aries with SPDIF coaxial output. I preferred it to USB. There is more presence and bloom with a cleaner more open sound as well. Instrumental lines are more precise and clear but not at the expense of musicality. Soundstage depth improved and layering of instruments too. USB sounded more veiled, opaque and dirty even with a W4S Recovery. Granted different cables - Cardas Clear Hi Speed for USB and KCI Pegasus for coaxial. YMMV

[Cebolla]

By the way, anyone using an Aries with PS Audio Directstream DAC?

 

Interested in hearing about experiences.

 

Thanks

A comparison of the PS Audio Directstream DAC being used with its own directly connected (I2S) UPnP/DLNA supporting network audio player card, the PS Bridge II, vs it being used as an external DAC to the Aries would certainly be very interesting.

 

Another comparison of interest would be an Aries + VEGA DAC vs an ALTAIR (essentialy an Aries internally connected to a VEGA).

[mikey8811]

A comparison of the PS Audio Directstream DAC being used with its own directly connected (I2S) UPnP/DLNA supporting network audio player card, the PS Bridge II, vs it being used as an external DAC to the Aries would certainly be very interesting.

 

Another comparison of interest would be an Aries + VEGA DAC vs an ALTAIR (essentialy an Aries internally connected to a VEGA).

 

Indeed - has anyone done this here? I would have thought that would be a natural move for DS owners - the Bridge 2 looks like a slot in microRendu and eliminates need for 1. Power supply 2. USB and associated shenanigans.

 

May need optical isolation from router though or not?

[sebassie]

My Aries returned from Beijing after the wired brick 2 weeks ago. Running 4.0beta6. Great sound!

[miguelito]

the Aries, as I already wrote, only beats the Mini when powered by the JS-2 and using Regen + Audiophilleo on its USB out (so... using all the tweaks I was using with the Mac. but the latter cost 1/3 )

Did you find USB->Audiophileo better than the built-in SPDIF? I have found the AES output on the Aries better than the USB (but this was a while back when I didn't have the Regen or RUR).

[pl_svn]

I found USB + Audiophilleo better, by far, than AES-EBU

 

even though my DAC has both RCA and BNC coax... I only have a Kimber BNC cable (for the Audiophilleo) and the Aries uses instead RCA so... no: haven't tried

[mikey8811]

Try the BNC with a BNC to RCA adapter and let us know what you find.

 

I found USB + Audiophilleo better, by far, than AES-EBU

 

even though my DAC has both RCA and BNC coax... I only have a Kimber BNC cable (for the Audiophilleo) and the Aries uses instead RCA so... no: haven't tried

[pl_svn]

ok: will do once my Aries, stuck in Dubai since last Thursday , is back

[pl_svn]

got my Aries back this morning

 

looks it is running fw 4.0.6b and, when trying to set it up again (from scratch), couldn't get its wi-fi hotspot to show long enough to connect to it from my iPad :-/

 

is this a result of the new function (the one that bricked it when first introduced by 4.0.5b) that automatically switches to wired connection if an ethernet cable is plugged in?

 

 

 

apart from this... struggling to re-accostumate my ears to it: way, way, way darker than what I remembered

[hornytoad]

got my Aries back this morning

 

looks it is running fw 4.0.6b and, when trying to set it up again (from scratch), couldn't get its wi-fi hotspot to show long enough to connect to it from my iPad :-/

 

is this a result of the new function (the one that bricked it when first introduced by 4.0.5b) that automatically switches to wired connection if an ethernet cable is plugged in?

 

 

 

apart from this... struggling to re-accostumate my ears to it: way, way, way darker than what I remembered

 

Memory can be a fickle thing .

[pl_svn]

LOL: it is indeed

 

though...