Auralic Aries (Hardware) - Impressions and Information

[pl_svn]

I have exactly the same here. Ethernet connected Aries updated to 4.0 and then 4.0.0 (the latter one has fixed the Roon volume control).

 

huh? 4.0.0? :-0

 

looks my Aries too is now on 4.0.0 but did it all on its own

I was, instead, prompted for (and asked if I wanted to) install 4.0: this is the way I'd like updates to happen! :angry:

[pl_svn]

the Aries has a 4GB "HD"

but I believe caching happens in RAM instead

 

 

 

 

Edit: oops, been slow

[pl_svn]

I understand the convenience and Roon is great indeed (paid for a lifetime subscribtion and using it most of the time)

though the Aries sounds sensibly better standalone, using Lightning DS, than as "Roon device"

 

 

not to mention only streaming service available in Roon is Tidal which... sorry: during my trial I spent 98% of the time skipping through stuff I didn't like

[pl_svn]

To me, the Aries is lacking a degree of transparency and subtlety and replaces that with a bit of bloated bass.

 

exactly all the other way around here

[pl_svn]

we were comparing the Aries used as RoonReady device vs. standalone (using Lightning DS), I believe

or, at least, that's what I was comparing

[pl_svn]

hi all

 

lately I'm keeping an eye on a new "soon-ish" available Vinnie Rossi's PS based on his Lio Ultracaps technology

with a max output of 12v/2.5A looks an ideal match for the Aries too

wandering if it may bring even further, than the JS-2 I'm currently powering it from, Arie's SQ

 

thoughts?

[pl_svn]

Elijha Audio still makes on custom order its great Isolate CU and recently introduced the Konvertible Lite

The first one has no 5v bus wire at all, the latter has ground and 5v wires separate from data ones. 5v wire can be connected or disconnected

 

I'm using both: Isolate from Aries to USB Regen and a very short Konvertible from Regen to DAC (my DAC doesn't need 5v bus at all)

[pl_svn]

you can find out by masking the 5v pin of a plain USB cable (pinout is easy to find on the net)

[pl_svn]

@Hauser had something similar happen to my Aries a couple weeks ago: playback suddenly stopped and Aries vanished from my network. Tried resetting (one... two... three times...) and it was always starting up with the WiFi icon but I could not connect from my iPad :-/

 

Unplugging the power cord, leaving it unplugged for a while then restarting solved the issue and, as in your case, everything was automagically back as usual :-|

[pl_svn]

Yes: during Lightning DS beta I reported that my Aries (femto) was *sometimes* stopping playback after first track of an album

It happens when I start playback, from Qobuz streaming, using the small "play" icon on album's cover

 

I was told it's an Aries firmware issue, not Lightning DS'

[pl_svn]

are you turning your Aries off and on?

are you on latest firmware (4.1)?

[pl_svn]

only happened once, here, after the reboot that followed fw 4.1 update

 

tried contacting Aralic support?

[pl_svn]

I found the Sbooster to be an improvement over the Aries power supply. I can't comment on the others that you mention, but the Sbooster has had some very positive feedback.

just to be sure: are you talking about an Aries, Aries LE or Aries Mini?

 

no idea about the SBooster but tried and found, with my Aries, that:

- HDPlex 100w was better than stock LPS

- UpTone's JS-2 was wow!

- Vinnie Rossi's Mini-Pure-4evr blows even the UpTone away

[pl_svn]

In Lightning DS go to "Settings (clogwheel)/Lightning Device/Output" and pick the Metrum

[pl_svn]

1. yes

2. plays up to DSD-256 (if I'm not mistaken). my DAC only does up to DSD-128 and I never had an issue with these. but never tried Iso: all my DSD files are dsf

3. yes (for local files. obviously not not for streaming services). jfyi: search is very powerful and fast

[pl_svn]

Could one of the owners here measure if Plus is the inner contact, or the outer contact?

I've been using an UpTone Audio JS-2 with my Aries so... definitely center positive

[pl_svn]

Could you elaborate on the sonic differences?

same as when you replaced Aries' stock LPS with the JS-2: darker background, more air, better focus/soundstage etc

you get some more of that all when moving from the JS-2 to the Mini-PureDC

 

now... $1000 more? no, but if you have something else that would benefit from being powered by the JS-2 (I'm now using it for both a Mac mini and a 2Qute, the latter was previously powered by the HD-Plex)... imho worth it

and I believe Vinnie has a 30 days return policy (check about this)

[pl_svn]

29 minutes ago, FIndingit said:

12v dc in

 

current generation runs just fine off of a 12v PS: it just needs 1.5A instead of 1.0

in fact I'm powering my femto Aries from a 12v Vinnie Rossi ultracapacitors LPS  

[pl_svn]

54 minutes ago, Leeuwarden said:

Any interesting changes?

 

who knows? latest beta they care to mention and write about, on Auralic support site, still is 4.1.0 

[pl_svn]

wait guys: my Aries doesn't see anymore the NAS share where all my music files are

as soon as I hit "Rescan" it just unmounts it 

 

contacted support and waiting for a a reply

[pl_svn]

11 minutes ago, sebassie said:

My music is on a NAS running minimserver. So far no problems.

 

so... you're not accessing it as an SMB share from the Aries, which is what brings up the issue I have

[pl_svn]

... and on fw 5.0beta-1 my Aries was also abruptly stopping playback after a while, when used as RoonReady output device, and vanishing from the network :-/

 

I'm back to *non beta* fw 4.1.0 and won't move from here 

also back to non beta Lightning DS

 

still can't access the NAS share anymore 

[pl_svn]

at least on 4.1.0 I can still use it as RoonReady device (playback is again flawless) and for streaming Qobuz

 

as soon as I get confirmation SMB is working again I'll *maybe* re-try a beta. *MAYBE*!!!

[pl_svn]

8 minutes ago, Anthro said:

It is called a beta for a reason. Do not try this beta if you can't live with the possibility of losing a stable audio platform.

 

darling... I have no problem living with it

even though... I'm really astonished they released even just a beta with such a big bug in such a basic function 

 

and I just though it would be wise to alert others about it

[pl_svn]

3 hours ago, Anthro said:

You missed that one big bug a few beta's back that accidentally bricked Aries units that updated through ethernet cable instead of WiFi?

 

No, I didn't: my Aries took a trip to China and back last year