Auralic Aries (Hardware) - Impressions and Information

[One and a half]

Could someone please post a photo of the rating label for the Aries Linear Power Supply and if possible the end connector.

 

There's bound to be a DIY interest, to start a new thread perhaps, the tinkering has begun..

[One and a half]

No; but its a pretty cheapskate company who doesn't supply batteries for the remote control.

 

The UK has pretty strict electrical safety regulations...

 

(From Amazon's selling rules)

Under the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 it is a criminal offence to place on the market or supply in the UK an appliance which is not fitted with either (i) a UK 3-pin plug, or (ii) a non-UK plug permanently fitted with a UK safety approved conversion plug. It is not enough, for example, to provide a 3-pin plug adapter or to make the origin of the appliance clear on the product detail page. A loose adapter in the box in which the product is supplied is not sufficient. Possible sanctions for breach are fines and/or imprisonment.

 

Yes indeed, further, that's why I requested a few threads back a photo of the rating plate of the Aries PSU, which should have, UL, CSA, CE compliance, voltage tolerances, and output ratings. If you have an ipod, iphone for example the charger has these listed (mind you in very small print) but it does have them. The PSU is assured to safely work in these regions. Where applicable, any of the authorities ratings which apply in one country may be adopted in others without further testing, however some countries insist to test appliances before they can be used. Testing can often be several weeks/months before approval is given.

[One and a half]

If we get a few more similar assessments, I might order one. I want them to improve the software first, though. Maybe the Q3 update will do the trick.

 

If you compare the Aurender, HQPlayer, Audirvana, XX High end, Jriver, Amarra ( ) software development and all those years of experiences under the belt, then Aries needs to be at least equal to any one of those Amarra excepted, since it's not really trying very hard.

This development costs $, does some of the price of the Aries offset the development of the software? Sure it would, but is it enough to sell the Aries by the thousands to recoup software development?

 

One day Aries will charge for upgrades, just at which point is a tough one to forecast.

 

For the moment, I will sit tight with a Mac n' DAC and enjoy the music.

[One and a half]

Is there a compatibility list of supported DACs via the USB connection from the Aries?

 

I want to make sure mine will work so I can play back DSD content. Meitner MA-1 or iFi micro iDSD? Can anyone confirm these work over USB from the Aries, please?

 

I'm still waiting for a compatibility list, and you can ask Aurender the same question.

[One and a half]

Excellent work there Patatorz in working out various combos under controlled conditions and multiple components, the average hobbyist may not have access to.

 

The Aries can shine or it's a brick, interesting.

[One and a half]

Hello, a brick ? Can you tell me more I would have missed the information :-)

 

A brick, that makes up walls of houses, has no sound output, it's passively a dead piece of electronics, rough definition.

[One and a half]

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I understand what is a brick, but could you tell if you read that or it is your own experience. Are we talking about Aries or Aries LE in terms of brick ? Thanks

 

I don't have an Aries, or the LE version, but read the Aries threads to understand what users are experiencing. I can understand when two components do not work, but for a cable to make a difference from nothing to everything is something that cannot be dismissed. It pays to have an EUR10 printer cable on standby then.

[One and a half]

It's all in your head .

 

A reclocker done properly can clean up data signals very well, by re-syncing the waveform in time. This function is in quite a few DACs in the front end that clean up S/PDIF as well as USB.

 

Perhaps you could share how this is not applicable to the Aries output?

[One and a half]

He also has a quibble with the somewhat limited software development, acknowledging that the Aries presents for review as something of a moving target. Assuming future iPhone and Android support and direct HDD connection via USB, we should expect a much more mature and capable product by year's end. The Aries appears to be a product poised for a reviewer's 2nd look at some point down the road.

 

Esau

 

hmmm. More like 2016 in the version called "Taurus". Development will take a while totally dependent on financial support.

[One and a half]

 

In general the weaknesses are (not compared to macbook),

 

Soundstage needs more height and width, It almost stuck between my loudspeakers.

Treble was the weakest part in my system. Aries lacks detail and extension.

Bass, needs more control and articulation, It was not bad with Aries but there is room for improvement

Background needs to be quieter, I heard darker streamers (aurenders are better in this area)

 

That's just me and my system...

 

Thanks for the impression on the sound quality of the Aries. The device may already be gone by now, it's possible to introduce blacker backgrounds, and retrieve the finer details with treatment of AC power and/or the power that feeds the Aries. You may also be hearing the difference between S/PDIF and firewire implementations which could also result in the soundstage height. For your system, aes/ebu is about the best you can connect to the Weiss.

Also a thanks for the comparison with Aurender...X, W or S?

[One and a half]

 

I haven't heard the w, heard s in a different setup but x100 in my system and found it better in terms of background noise. It was also fed directly from the wall.

 

The X100 is better for the wallet too!

[One and a half]

 

Other people who use this dac can play DSD256 but all of them are not using an Aries. My guess would be the problem lies with the dac because Aries shows time elapsing.

 

From my understanding of asynchronous USB audio, if the DAC doesn't receive data, it requests the host to send/repeat the missing data. If the host keeps playing regardless, then the host isn't communicating with the DAC at all, a one way street.

 

Also possible that there's no handshaking to begin with, so the DAC gives up. From what I have seen with HQPlayer and ASIO, if there's a slight hiccup with the config of the ASIO output device, HQPlayer grinds to a halt very quickly and play is stopped until the fault is rectified.

[One and a half]

The latest "must have" fad. Galvanic isolation 'may' give a perceived improvement in certain circumstances and equipment configurations.

 

Galvanic isolation is far from a fad, it had been sought since using USB wholesale. There needed to be a ground loop break for USB , galvanic isolation is the best way. FO can achieve the same ground loop break but of course is not USB protocols. The other issue with FO is the power supplies that drive the FO converters. This never stops does it.

[One and a half]

2 hours ago, mjb said:

Auralic must be very busy, they've been quite quiet lately  Hopefully there will be an announcement (and release) soon, possibly with an Aries v2.

 

With Munich hi end in May it's less than 6 weeks away and eyes are everywhere to spot new devices, and racing against the clock to finish.

 

Auralic aren't the only ones. 

[One and a half]

1 hour ago, FIndingit said:

My Aries is 3,5 years old now and I have doubts it doesn't sound as good as it used to. It is a small computer after all and computers tend to get slow, glitchy and erratic as they age. I need to restart it twice a day, sometime it freezes when my fridge goes on (maybe due to beta firmware ). What is the expected lifespan of CA products like this anyway?

Have the fridge serviced, the starter switch is causing problems, especially if the noise can be heard through the speakers. I would expect CA gear to last at least 15 years, after which all electrolytic caps can be replaced. Semiconductors should last, but optocouplers fail over time. If the temperatures are maintained within limits, gear will last a long time. The way things are going, there will be powerful computers on a USB stick as well as a DAC before long.