Auralic Aries (Hardware) - Impressions and Information

[vlomdmdiv]

4 hours ago, pl_svn said:

Aries "femto" comes with a true Linear Power Supply, not a switching one, and poster I replied to has an Aries femto

 

Thanks all, I'm planning to use my Aries Femto abroad and didn't want to modify my U.S. true LPS. Just need a suitable PS to take 230V at 50Hz.

[vlomdmdiv]

5 hours ago, vlomdmdiv said:

 

10 hours ago, pl_svn said:

Aries "femto" comes with a true Linear Power Supply, not a switching one, and poster I replied to has an Aries femto

 

 

Thanks,

I'm planning to use my U.S. purchased Aries Femto abroad and didn't want to modify or change the pins in the LPS from 120V to 230V. Just need a suitable PS to take 230V at 50Hz. So, I thought that the iFi Audio iPower PS would work. Do you think that the iFi  power supply is compatible with the Aries Femto?

[acaro]

Yes the iFi power supply will work with the Aries. I myself have been using it for the last year.

[pl_svn]

6 hours ago, vlomdmdiv said:

Thanks all, I'm planning to use my Aries Femto abroad and didn't want to modify my U.S. true LPS

 

https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Star-F200-Travel-Converter/dp/B0045RU68U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493372791&sr=8-2&keywords=220%2F120v+transformer

[Blade1001]

6 hours ago, vlomdmdiv said:

 

Thanks all, I'm planning to use my Aries Femto abroad and didn't want to modify my U.S. true LPS. Just need a suitable PS to take 230V at 50Hz.

Could you not just a European version of the Auralic LPS?

 

http://www.iglooaudio.co.uk/auralic-psu.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjw0IvIBRDF0Yzq4qGE4IwBEiQATMQlMeEzj2ShFEE1FMU22tsqWaVnyaDerFE_r0WxNVqRR-IaAlxn8P8HAQ

[memota]

New beta coming next week

[vlomdmdiv]

1 hour ago, acaro said:

Yes the iFi power supply will work with the Aries. I myself have been using it for the last year.

Thanks, are you happy with the sound of the Aries with your power supply?

[vlomdmdiv]

44 minutes ago, Blade1001 said:

Could you not just a European version of the Auralic LPS?

 

http://www.iglooaudio.co.uk/auralic-psu.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjw0IvIBRDF0Yzq4qGE4IwBEiQATMQlMeEzj2ShFEE1FMU22tsqWaVnyaDerFE_r0WxNVqRR-IaAlxn8P8HAQ

 

Thanks Blade. I checked the site but I couldn't tell if the unit was a 230V @ 50Hz unit. I suspect that it might be. There was also a a hefty delivery charge outside of the U.K. I'll think about it some more.

[vlomdmdiv]

1 hour ago, pl_svn said:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Star-F200-Travel-Converter/dp/B0045RU68U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493372791&sr=8-2&keywords=220%2F120v+transformer

 The unit I have is a 120V LPS, so I would need an up-converter to 230V instead. I'll look a little more. Thanks for your input. 

[pl_svn]

4 minutes ago, vlomdmdiv said:

 The unit I have is a 120V LPS, so I would need an up-converter to 230V instead.

 

no: you need a step-down transformer as the one I linked

[Blade1001]

59 minutes ago, vlomdmdiv said:

 

Thanks Blade. I checked the site but I couldn't tell if the unit was a 230V @ 50Hz unit. I suspect that it might be. There was also a a hefty delivery charge outside of the U.K. I'll think about it some more.

Yes, it will be 230V 50Hz, as it will be to UK spec. There will be other UK and European suppliers selling it for sure, the whole of Europe is 230v 50Hz main spec.

[vlomdmdiv]

Thanks!

 

[vlomdmdiv]

2 hours ago, Blade1001 said:

Yes, it will be 230V 50Hz, as it will be to UK spec. There will be other UK and European suppliers selling it for sure, the whole of Europe is 230v 50Hz main spec.

 

Thanks!!

[vlomdmdiv]

3 hours ago, pl_svn said:

 

no: you need a step-down transformer as the one I linked

 

Thanks for the link:)

• 
   

[mikey8811]

Back to the MQA story - I read on the PS Audio Directstream forum that full unfolding at the streamer level is possible.

 

They are apparently working on it on the Bridge II module firmware update in conjunction with a new firmware update for the Directstream DAC FPGA.

 

Wondering if that is similar to the Aries proposed upsampling.

[vlomdmdiv]

On 4/28/2017 at 11:34 PM, mikey8811 said:

Back to the MQA story - I read on the PS Audio Directstream forum that full unfolding at the streamer level is possible.

 

They are apparently working on it on the Bridge II module firmware update in conjunction with a new firmware update for the Directstream DAC FPGA.

 

Wondering if that is similar to the Aries proposed upsampling.

 

It would be good to hear what people say about this. It's good to see that companies are forward-looking and are manufacturing upgradable products. The PS Audio products are not cheap, but there is some nice engineering going on at the company!

[Doak]

On 4/28/2017 at 3:34 PM, mikey8811 said:

Back to the MQA story - I read on the PS Audio Directstream forum that full unfolding at the streamer level is possible.

 

They are apparently working on it on the Bridge II module firmware update in conjunction with a new firmware update for the Directstream DAC FPGA.

 

Wondering if that is similar to the Aries proposed upsampling.

Do you know if PSA is developing their own SW to process MQA?

Mr. Wang has stated emphatically Auralic's position on using MQA's technology.

[mikey8811]

1 hour ago, Doak said:

Do you know if PSA is developing their own SW to process MQA?

Mr. Wang has stated emphatically Auralic's position on using MQA's technology.

From the thread, according to Ted Smith:

 

" MQA plans to have the bridge do a full decode (including probably their customized “prewarping” for the DS FPGA.)  It’s my understanding that I’ve given them enough info so that they can do what they want without restricting the kinds of changes I’ve been making to the FPGA.  They think of having the bridge doing the decode to be like hardware doing the decode.  It’s my guess that since there’s no chance for someone to snag the decoded MQA as PCM that they’re happy.  (Of course I could have misunderstood Bob.)  They will be checking that the bridge module works properly vis-a-vie MQA and that the DS w/ bridge and an MQA input get’s the quality they expect of a full decoder.  We’ll make sure that none of that gets in the way of our expected sound quality when playing non-MQA via the bridge."

 

The Bridge is the I2S connected ethernet module in the Directstream and so would be an Aries equivalent.

 

I guess MQA is working with some manufacturers on full software decoding, just not Auralic.

 

 

[Doak]

Mr. Wang has stated in this thread that Auralic Company WILL NOT work with MQA to implement MQA decoding in their products. 

[mikey8811]

Yes, I realise that.

 

As I said, I was wondering if the Aries proposed upsampling does the same job.

 

I have a Direct Stream DAC so if the Aries unwrapping works fully then maybe I'll have full MQA.

[pl_svn]

still having the static noise issue on 5.0 betas 

(goes away as soon as I revert to 4.1.0)

 

all I have been told is it may be due to using an "unqualified power supply" so I tried pulling Vinnie Rossi's Mini Pure-DC-4EVR and using Aries' stock LPS: static noise still there. reported and never heard back

 

if, as I am fearing, this won't be taken care of... my Aries will become unusable as soon as 5.0 is pushed to everyone (since there's no way to opt-out of automatic updates) 

[atletico]

43 minutes ago, pl_svn said:

still having the static noise issue on 5.0 betas 

(goes away as soon as I revert to 4.1.0)

 

all I have been told is it may be due to using an "unqualified power supply" so I tried pulling Vinnie Rossi's Mini Pure-DC-4EVR and using Aries' stock LPS: static noise still there. reported and never heard back

 

if, as I am fearing, this won't be taken care of... my Aries will become unusable as soon as 5.0 is pushed to everyone (since there's no way to opt-out of automatic updates) 

And still I prefer the overall sound from v. 4.1.0. with my Aries femto clock.. More weight in the overall presentation, the bass notes goes deeper and better dynamics are the issues that keep me rolling back to v. 4.1.0 after doing som test with different settings in 5.0 beta 2.  Can´t say i have noticed any static noise..?

Waiting now for doing some testing with the new announced beta  5.0 this week and are curious if there will be any notable changes in SQ.  

[pl_svn]

still having the static noise issue on 5.0 beta4

[Duke40]

On 01/05/2017 at 7:20 PM, pl_svn said:

still having the static noise issue on 5.0 betas 

(goes away as soon as I revert to 4.1.0)

 

all I have been told is it may be due to using an "unqualified power supply" so I tried pulling Vinnie Rossi's Mini Pure-DC-4EVR and using Aries' stock LPS: static noise still there. reported and never heard back

<snip>

 

No upsampling enabled 

I also have VR Mini Pure DC 4EVR powering my Auralic Aries (plus another VR Mini powering my Auralic Gemini 2000).
Best they have ever sounded, superb and ...  no static.
Just providing another data point as far as "unqualified power supply" goes, no problem.

This is for the 5.0.4 and 5.0.2 beta.

 

Upsampling enabled    

When the 5 Beta was initially released, I thought I heard some static when trying upsampling 44.1k to 88.2 khz,

via the Lightning DS webpage.  

 

I have just now re-enabled upsampling again to see if I can also re-create static ... and I can,

even on 5.0.4 Beta.   So now I have same problem as you, I think.

 

tldr;  are you getting static if you do not tell the Aries to upsample ?

[pl_svn]

with my Aries static is there always, as soon as it boots after a fw update: no need to play anything :-/

when something is playing can barely hear it but it's there

never tried upsampling

 

it's a constant "trrr-trrr-trrr-trrr" pattern that repeats every 5-6 seconds

 

I also tried, as Chris from Auralic support suggested, using the stock LPS and I have static with it either so... it's not the PS

(btw: Vinnie Rossi's Mini, with its 2.5A continuous 5A max, is way over specced than stock PS)

 

as soon as I revert to 4.1.0 goes immediately away