Auralic Aries (Hardware) - Impressions and Information

[mikey8811]

14 hours ago, deuch said:

Same thoughts here. I would like to be able to match all the input signal of my DAC with downsampling to the right signal. It misses me the downsampling of DSD128 and higher.

 

for the upsampling, i don't care

 

i've tested some albums in MQA with upsampling (24/88) and it sounds more artificial than the 24/44.1 PCM file. I uses the precise mode (don't sure it affects MQA decoding but it seems).

 

Same things with PCM upsampling, it sounds more digital and without soul.

When you tested MQA files were they from Tidal?

 

Apparently, Tidal already does the first unfold up to 24/96, so I am unsure if it is the Aries that is doing the upsampling. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

Also, I tested some Tidal MQA albums and the quality varies with source material. For the material I listened to, MQA sounded like EQ pretty much blown up for presence and I can't really say I preferred it to the same FLAC files I had of the same material.

[mikey8811]

On 30/05/2017 at 1:34 PM, mikey8811 said:

 

It was said in an email reply to me to. G1 is the lower model and so on.

 

I think if you are in the market for a streamer,you will be spoilt for choice later this year. There is now the SOtM SMS-200 Ultra (also rumoured to be coming in a larger form factor incorporating all the separate box tweaks), Sonore ultraRendu (maybe you don't need the ISO Regen for this),ELAC Discovery Q in the pipeline.

 

For slightly less than the G2 you can also get the dCS Network Bridge.

 

I hope there is a suitable one box solution that doesn't require any external USB, galvanic and/or ethernet  isolation, linear or battery power supply, etc.

 

Add to that list of streamers the Bricasti M5 that is mentioned in another thread - also competitively priced.

 

I wonder how these alternatives are with firmware updates that improve sonics at no additional cost to the user. Auralic have been decent with these.

[mikey8811]

2 hours ago, deuch said:

Yes i've made some testing from Tidal.

 

Tidal does not do the first unfold, the stream is 24/44.1 or 24/48. Normally the streamer unfold from this stream. It's what the Aries does. With the firmware 4.1, MQA was played as 24/44.1 or 24/48 (pass-through in fact).

 

 

I thought that was the case initially but then I read this article on Audiostream which says it does do the first unfold

 

https://www.audiostream.com/content/against-mqa-unfolded

[mikey8811]

Hi

 

I don't seem to be able to access the web app for Lightning DS anymore.

 

Has anyone experienced this?

 

The Aries is playing though and its IP address is the same.

[mikey8811]

3 hours ago, Cornan said:

 

I would double check the ip-address using a app on the iOS tablet like for example "Fing". Sometimes when I restart my Aries Mini the ip-address changes from 192.168.0.11 to 192.168.0.10+1 and requires me to open the web interface from 192.168.0.10. I always use Fing to check.

Thanks for that.

 

Strangely the IP address changed. It is the first time it has changed. But I did switch from wireless to wired and back so maybe that is why.

[mikey8811]

There is a new firmware again.

 

This time it seems to be quite unstable. In fact with the last 2 updates, I have had repeated slowness with scanning of the library. The web app also occasionally says the device is offline when I am in fact still playing music through the Aries.

 

I have reported the issue to Auralic. Mr Wang replied to say there will be no fix as they cannot reproduce the problem on their end.

 

I do recall guys here having similar issues with slow scanning, so please report.

 

If Auralic does not wish to fix it, I guess it is time to move on to another streamer with all the alternatives available.

 

 

[mikey8811]

21 minutes ago, Doak said:

NO FIX!!

I have the same problem and it is HORRIBLE.

My Aries was tied up for hours on end yesterday trying to rescan a 5TB library. 

If this doesn't get any better I may have to get find a "solution" besides Auralic. 

As it is, I have put a hold on recommending them for installation in systems.

Same here.

 

Do write and let them know. He recommended I go off the beta programme and back to 4.1 as he says beta 5 will be around for a long while

[mikey8811]

11 minutes ago, FIndingit said:

Beta 5 is no more. It's final.

Don't think so.

 

This is the reply I got:

 

"the problem may related to slow network connection. We have done a lot of test recently and the result is if in normal condition, the server scan speed is on par of version 4.x.

 

The 5.0 version will not deliver to all ARIES customer but will stay in Beta program for a long time, you can opt out the beta version and stay at 4.1 if current one does not work well in your environment..."

 

I don't get what they mean by a slow connection. I can stream 1080p material on the same network without any issues. The initial versions of Beta 5 were fine as far as scanning speed goes.

 

I guess at the end of the day if the Aries doesn't "work well in [my] environment", I shall just have to get another streamer that does.

 

[mikey8811]

I think Auralic has seriously screwed up this time.

 

It did the entire scan in a few hours.

 

Today I turned it on and started playing music. After one track, the music stopped. Lightning DS was still on but the Aries was totally unresponsive. Going to Settings, everything was greyed out.

 

I did a reboot of the Aries and it started playing again.

 

I wish they would check this stuff before an update.

 

I am shopping for another streamer.

[mikey8811]

2 minutes ago, Doak said:

My Aries has been effectively "knee-capped." Can't get it to work at all now. Spending a lot of time wrestling with it.

Right now is is trying to scan a 250GB SSD that usually takes less than 1 minute. It's been scanning for over 10 at this point and then I'll see if I can get it to play.

LDS has not been able to find the Aries at all this morning. I t is not showing up in scan SW I use either.

 

I gave my last feedback to Auralic. They seem intent on not producing a fix but asked me again to leave the beta programme and downgrade to 4.1 since it doesn't work in my environment.

 

It would be interesting to see if they say the same to you when you write to them.

 

Which Lampi are you upgrading to? The Golden Gate or the Atlantic?

[mikey8811]

1 hour ago, miguelito said:

So no 5.0 for Aries (yet)? This is what the above seems to indicate - might be out of date.

 

Miguelito, you did the right thing and moved on to the uRendu....

[mikey8811]

Me too. I have a Femto Aries that I am happy to sell.

 

Most of the time is now spent restarting the Aries and rescanning rather than playing music.

 

The library is empty even when you can still play music from an existing playlist. It then drops out halfway and then even the Aries is not found and requires a reboot again.

 

When you rescan the full library on the web app, the Lightning DS controller still says your library is empty. You need to refresh the cache and when you do that, it intialises the library again. My iPhone gets super hot when it does that and the battery just runs down tremendously. It can't be that good for the phone.

 

At this rate it seems to be a liability and I don't want to have to replace my iPhone too.

 

There doesn't seem much point in giving feedback because Auralic just says they cannot reproduce the issue on their end and blames it on the network. I do not know what network they run but mine is fine with everything until this firmware came along.

 

It's sad because the sound quality is decent when it actually works.

 

I just hope the ultraRendu and these other streamers get launched soon.

 

[mikey8811]

1 hour ago, Doak said:

Is this with the latest 5.0 firmware (which is still beta for Aries) or something else? 

It's the latest 5.0 firmware still beta

[mikey8811]

10 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I have had great success with v5.0. 

Would you like to buy another Aries?

 

I guess Auralic will jeep you as a customer and lose my patronage.

[mikey8811]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

I've used every Auralic digital product the company has ever produced. I

 

For me, the only Auralic product that I would buy and have bought is a streamer. I wouldn't buy their DAC's or amps - there are just better products out there.

 

And now since their streamer (in this current firmware incarnation) no longer works well in my setup, I don't think I will be buying any Auralic products period.

 

I generally do not jump onto the latest fad nor catch the upgrade bug easily. However, this time round the serious malfunctioning of the Aries firmware in my system and their nonchalance about it has tested my patience.

 

By the way, I notice from your profile that you use a microRendu yourself and not an Auralic streamer. Nor do you use any of Auralic's other products.

[mikey8811]

6 hours ago, Frankie61 said:

Well .... i still don't think that it's a Auralic problem.

I had a Mini a Aries "femto" and now a Polaris ....... NO problems with any of them ! 

Could it be "the pilot"  ;-)   

No need for any slurs. I can understand you being a fanboy but please think before posting. The simple fact in my case is it doesn't work. All along, there was nothing that needed fiddling with after the initial setup and the Aries worked decently until this beta firmware came along - no "piloting" needed. Computer and device firmware and software updates, whatever - they just work, and yes even in beta they do not fail to this degree. PS Audio does it all the time to their Direct Stream DAC and it always works glitch free - whether you like the sound or not is another thing.

 

I was just voicing my frustration as others have here with this latest beta firmware and am not a lone voice. But 'nuff said lest it descends into a flamefest. I'm outta here as soon as I get a new streamer.

[mikey8811]

3 hours ago, Hauser said:

That seems strange; my Aries changed from Beta to full ver.5 on June 7th.  I'd be surprised anyone was still on Beta firmware.

 

Martin.

That 5.0 is still a beta according to Mr Wang. They only changed the name. It will be a beta for a long time to come.

[mikey8811]

3 minutes ago, Doak said:

Just took a look at my Web page settings and realized that the filter mode choices have vanished. Re-sampling and other choices are still there, but no filter modes.

That's AOK with me. I have NO reason to use anything but the "Precise" mode. IMO the others degraded the sound.

They were still there over the weekend.

 

I remember trying the different modes out and still preferred Precise. Dynamic was second.

 

Haven't the time to try today to see if they are still there.

[mikey8811]

20 hours ago, Doak said:

Very good to know.

Now, does that make sense though??

 

I don't re-sample. At least not actively.

 

My DAC tops out at 352.8 kHz and the 384 kHz band is automatically downsampled to 192 kHz - I don't know why?

 

The filter controls have always appeared from the first day of this firmware. They are still there today.

[mikey8811]

1 hour ago, MNG said:

Anyway, I used it again recently in my main system and was impressed with the changes to both the sound quality and the app. It is much improved. I particularly like the way that you can control the music on the iPhone or iPad from the lock screen, even using the hardware volume control for casual listening. All very good, and the app seems to have taken a few cues from Roon, so it is all looking very much better.

 

MNG, have you compared the updated Aries with the current beta firmware to the mRendu with LPS 1? Not many people have done this. They mostly just migrated from the Aries to a Sonore or SoTM product. I was considering doing so too with the network problems from the updates but this seems to have been resolved - maybe I speak too soon. To be fair to Auralic, I have been happy with the sound quality which has improved with the firmware updates. To their credit, they have offered the updates for free, like PS Audio do, unlike Sonore who make you purchase a SD card.

[mikey8811]

1 hour ago, MNG said:

 

I haven't made a proper comparison, no, but my general reaction would be that there isn't a lot in it. 

 

 

When you say there isn't a lot in it, do you mean that the difference between the updated Aries and the microRendu with LPS1 is marginal?

[mikey8811]

Does anyone have the problem of not being able to play DSD from an Aries with Firmware 5.1 to a PS Audio Direct Stream DAC with Huron?

 

It comes out as white noise. I cannot enable or disable the DoP on the iOS Lightning DS. Going back does not save or change the settings.

 

On the web app, I cannot disable "Convert DSD to PCM". I slide the switch but it turns it back on.

[mikey8811]

9 hours ago, mikey8811 said:

Does anyone have the problem of not being able to play DSD from an Aries with Firmware 5.1 to a PS Audio Direct Stream DAC with Huron?

 

It comes out as white noise. I cannot enable or disable the DoP on the iOS Lightning DS. Going back does not save or change the settings.

 

On the web app, I cannot disable "Convert DSD to PCM". I slide the switch but it turns it back on.

Things got even worse - the whole library is gone now.

 

I cleared the cache and have been trying to rescan - twice now but it has not completed. On the 2nd attempt, the web interface said the device was offline when all I did was turn the display off. I went to check - seems the scan caused the Aries to turn itself off even when the power was still on. Bizarre!

[mikey8811]

Hi

I have a big problem with Firmware 5.1 beta 3 as follows

 

Essentially, in the web app, the Library Setup page disappears after selecting the options to Consolidate Titles & Smart Title Names

 

Basically, it started when my playlist and queue tracks began to play randomly rather than in the set sequence. There were also tracks that when I selected to play said they were no longer available. There are multiple entries from the same album under the Artist view on the iOS app. So I chose what I think now to be “Consolidate Titles” and 'Smart Title Names" - I say this because my Library Setup display on the web app has blanked out and I cannot see what the exact term are. They are “on/off” switches at the bottom of the Library Setup page and when selected, they prompt that it doesn’t affect your files but changes the library index.

I selected or turned the above on. My Library Setup page in the web app just became a white page. The iOS app settings for Music Library shows the Lightning Server name but it is grayed out. I cannot do anything there.

 

What is happening and how do I fix it?

 

I basically want to have one entry per album, not multiple ones some of which do not play. I also want my playlists to play in sequence as they used to and not randomly. Please help.

[mikey8811]

On 12/13/2018 at 2:12 AM, Doak said:

Dusting off my calibrated mic to make use of  parametric  EQ feature.  

 

This is only for the Aries G1 and G2 and NOT the Aries Femto right?