Auralic Aries (Hardware) - Impressions and Information

[pl_svn]

... 120pages already?

 

 

sorry: not reading back the whole thread (also 'cause looks things have changed recently and still keep changing)

 

very tempted by the Aries "full" but still wondering if it will sound better than my dedicated Mac mini powered by blah blah blah (all details in my signature)

Roon integration makes it even more tempting, though when I tried Roon (in a Server/Bridge configuration, Bridge only on my dedicated mini, Server on another Mini in the network) I found it not quite on par with A+ for SQ

 

not really interested in the "it's easier" side: just on SQ. advices?

 

thanks

[pl_svn]

yup, called this morning but they don't do that

[pl_svn]

Try another dealer... I bought mine online... I had the possibility to send it back in case I didn't like it.

 

found a good deal online (official price, here, is inflated to 1750€ ) but it will come from Germany, returns accepted though... kind of an headache one wants to go through only as a very last resort :-/

 

 

Are you using any filters or up sampling in A+?

 

x2 to a NOS DAC

 

 

I'm a long time A+ user, headless 2012 MacMini i7, 16Gb RAM, etc, optical S/PDIF to an SSP-800 - in my case, an Aries LE is very noticeably nicer to listen to, much cleaner and more precise. I'm very happy with it.

 

your Mini is running on stock internal SMPS? oh... wait... Aries LE so SMPS too

 

thanks, this helps

[pl_svn]

ok... looks my (price) proposal has been accepted by the seller and... I'll soon be able to answer my own question

 

LOL

 

[pl_svn]

so... got a "femto" Aries a couple of days ago

 

setup was a breeze

only struggled a bit, no idea why, to add my Qobuz account (login/pw was rejected a couple of times then, finally, accepted) and to figure where/how to add my music library on a NAS

 

then, first, I compared it "out of the box, just the way it comes" to my Mac mini setup (see my signature) and found... the Mac mini does sound hands down considerably better!

 

I was doing the Aries no favour at all: stock LPS and a Wireworld Starlight 7 USB cable straight to the DAC

AES-EBU, also with a cheap Wireworld cable, was better but... still far away from the Mini

tried using it as Roon ready device (Roon core only running on the Mac mini) but it didn't help either

 

things changed drastically the instant I added both the Regen and the Audiophilleo to the Aries' USB out: at this point SQ was totally on par with the Mac

I'm quite sure (... or is it just whishful thinking? :nervous: ) it will get even better the instant I'll power the Aries from my JS-2 LPS

 

I'm, though, still finding Aries' sound signature overall "a little" warm-ish and dark-ish (maybe even a tad more using it with Roon)

but the more I listen the more I find it "acceptable". which I'm not sure it is what I want

 

 

so... sound signature (which is only a matter of personal preferences) apart:

a "femto" Aries + Regen + Audiophilleo sounds as good as a Mac mini with all the tweaks in my signature

 

not sure, at this point, if I'm or

 

[pl_svn]

So what dac are you using ?

 

Metrum Hex, as per my signature

[pl_svn]

Were you previously doing any oversampling in A+?

 

yes: x2 with some iZotope adjustments

but this wasn't affecting at all sound signature

 

and A+ was set to Integer mode 2, as mode 1 is definitely too bright for me

[pl_svn]

can play without any oversampling/custom filter from the Mac and sound signature does not change

 

Aries' sound signature is what I'm not (... yet?) fond of

 

 

re SQ instead... I've obviously been comparing the Aries to the setup I know, like and I'm used to, as the goal, purchasing the Aries, was to completely pull computers from my music system

and for this aspect, after the tweaks I mentioned, they are now on par

[pl_svn]

I'm sure a stock Aries beats a stock Mac and, probably, even a dedicated and "lightly" optimised one

it didn't beat, though, a Mac mini as in my signature. and this was by direct comparison: just a matter of switching input on the DAC

 

now that I added a Regen and Audiophilleo on the USB out they are on par, and I'm quite sure the Aries will improve further when I'll start using the JS-2 LPS to power it (this one alone was a dramatic improvement for the Mini)

 

tomorrow I'll know

[pl_svn]

Downside of the iOS apps is the signature isn't displayed

 

... ooops

[pl_svn]

so... this morning, to refresh my memory, I tried once more Aries on stock LPS vs Mac mini on JS-2 LPS

both using USB out + Regen + Audiophilleo (means I couldn't do anymore a direct comparison, having to move the USB cable between the two every time)

 

- Aries streaming from Qobuz -> hhhhhmmmm... well... "ok"

- Aries playing tracks from NAS -> definitely better and, as already reported, on par with the Mac. slightly coloured sound though

- Aries in Roon ready mode (Roon running on the Mini), tracks from NAS -> maybe an infinitesimal tad better than the above

- Mac mini, Roon, tracks from NAS -> it's great to be back home!!! (same SQ, no colour)

- Mac mini, Audirvana (x2 upsampling, custom Izotope settings) -> it's great indeed to be back home, sitting on my favourite armchair and sipping my favourite drink (a great Mojito, 2/3-1/3 white/black rhum, white sugar cane, fresh lime and mint) :)

 

then... I pulled the Mini and I'm now using the JS-2 LPS to power the Aries. all that comes to my mind is... HOLY COW!!! :) :)

(maybe still an infinitesimal little bit of colouration but... nothing that really bothers me)

 

WOW!!!

[pl_svn]

Amazing how it all comes together after a couple of mojito's, lol!

 

 

 

[pl_svn]

just given 4.0b3 a try and immediately reverted to 3.3: attempting to play hi-res (tried a 24-96 track) results in static noise only :-/

[pl_svn]

... hhhmmm... no, I didn't

(Auralic says one should never do it because of the femto clocks taking a long time to "catch up again" after turning the Aries off)

 

does doing it fix the static noise issue?

[pl_svn]

beta4 is now available (haven't tried it yet):

 

Fixes since Version 4.0.Beta3:

 

- Fix the issue that play 24bit WAV or AIF file will result in random white noise.

- Fix the issue that m3u type of radio station wont play.

- Fix the issue that software volume control (even at 100) generate pop noise when playback queue switch between PCM and DSD files.

 

 

Known Issues:

 

- Left and right channel may swap on particular USB DAC.

- High resolution file may not play on particular USB DAC.

- DSD to PCM resampler (disable DSD over PCM option) has not yet been added in current firmware.

 

 

re the static noise issue... I got in contact with support and it looks to be a known issue with the Audiophilleo :-/

[pl_svn]

ok: 4.0 4beta also solved the hi-res tracks playing as static noise only

 

unfortunately I don't find it any brighter (which I would have loved: my only gripe moving from A+ to an Aries is it sounds *slightly* darker/warmer) than 3.3

maybe just a bit... "edgy" ("digital"), which before wasn't in the slightest

 

and... does it sound "Dramatically" better than 3.3? No! Not to my ears/on my system

In a blind test I wouldn't pick any difference for sure

[pl_svn]

hi Wang

 

no, I tried fw 4beta using Lightning DS (I did read about new engine only being available this way )

though I must say my Aries is already playing at its best thanks to powering it from a JS-2 LPS (and this alone made a dramatic difference indeed compared to stock LPS) and adding a Regen + Audiophilleo to the USB out

 

but you're right: usually I use the Aries as RAAT and, this way, it does not sound at its best

anything you can do about this, please?

 

cheers

[pl_svn]

Enable Beta Testing for Lightning Device – AURALIC LIMITED

 

http://support.auralic.com/hc/en-us/articles/221252547-Beta-Firmware-Release-Notice

[pl_svn]

There is nothing we can do for Roon (and other inputs) because they are based on live stream. Roon has been designed for better music management and discovery, but the playback structure is not ideal for audiophile at least right now, that's also why a lot of people need to add HQP.

 

 

ok, then I'll keep pestering the guys at Roon Labs

Roon is still very young (even younger than Lightning DS) and I do indeed believe/hope it will get better with time

 

 

LDS is improving, a lot of changes are on the way but they are not that fast. We are not Google or Microsoft with unlimited resources, for example we are working on new iPad version to match current iPhone interface features and that will take a couple of months. Anyway, it is just a matter of time to catch up.

 

and... is there at least a beta available yet for Mac OS?

 

 

[pl_svn]

ok, got it

 

thank for your time here, Wang, and even more for all you are doing "out there"

 

[pl_svn]

Anybody else wants to share how they mount their Aries or mRendu?

 

just on three Vibrapod cones, on top of the JS-2

[pl_svn]

there are also four "recesses" with some rubber inside underneath

I believe the screws holding it together are there

[pl_svn]

Notice I play my Aries with LCD screen off...sounds cleaner.

 

... and you still have to peel off the protective sheet

[pl_svn]

What I fear about mounting the Aries directly on top of the JS-2 is the effect of the substantial transformer in the LPS. It would be interesting to know if, by raising the Aries 6-8 inches above the JS-2 (even on the same Vibrapod cones), you hear any difference in the sound.

 

won't tinker with it 'till I have an LPS-1: at the moment I have to power my Regen from its stock SMPS, since the JS-2 is now in use by both the Mac mini and Aries and I only have a spare 12v rail on the HD-Plex

[pl_svn]

Can someone answer this question in layman terms? Aries into Vega

 

you can't! (right now. I believe upsampling will come to the Aries but it's not there yet)

 

at present you can only do it using other sw players (Audirvana... HQPlayer...)