ARIES vs mini... Confused

[Paul R]

Uh , it's a mismatch . I stand by it .

 

I have never heard someone like this dude complaining so much on a forum about a piece of electronics .

 

You should be complaining about his quantity of negative posts about the Aries . Get over it and buy something else .

 

And for you to complain about someone being rude after reading your Jplay posts is complete irony .

 

 

Seriously? You want to go there with this being one of the longest posts you have made on the system?

 

So it is a mismatch, that appears to be pretty much what Miguel is saying. Offer up your opinion on what might be a better match.

[miguelito]

The "lack of sibilance" is the strangest part here. My Aries, compared to MBP with Amarra certainly adds, rather than lacks sibilance. The treble is much more extended, yet free of grain. I listen with headphones (HD800), which does not mask anything in the highs.

Yeap, I am surprised as well... Definitely feels "rolled off". Even snare drums lacks "shimmer"...

[miguelito]

I have never heard someone like this dude complaining so much on a forum about a piece of electronics .

 

You should be complaining about his quantity of negative posts about the Aries . Get over it and buy something else.

This is very simple: my mini ($900) sounds better (in my system, to me) than the ARIES ($1600). I am puzzled as to why, especially since on paper ARIES should beat the mini hands down - hence I am asking questions here.

 

Couple of solutions/explanations to my problem:

1- My ARIES is faulty somehow;

2- ARIES does not work as well with the EmmLabs USB implementation as the mini (I was hoping for someone with a Meitner DAC and an ARIES to chip in);

3- People have found that some USB cables just don't work great and I need to try something else.

 

I want to make sure I am not overlooking anything before I get rid of ARIES. There are so many things I like about it (LDS, TIDAL integration) that it would be a shame if I got rid of it without trying all options.

 

As for going with a higher end solution... Maybe but frankly right now I am getting great sound from the mini and my upgrade path would really be a higher end server + higher end DAC.

[jtwrace]

It would be nice if you try the suggestion(s) made too.

[miguelito]

It would be nice if you try the suggestion(s) made too.

I think I tried most things suggested - did I miss anything?

[jtwrace]

I think I tried most things suggested - did I miss anything?

 

Oh, I thought I was still waiting for my suggestion.

[miguelito]

Oh, I thought I was still waiting for my suggestion.

USB stick? I already replied on that.

[miguelito]

This puts me in mind of Miska's NAA. Miguel, ever used HQPlayer?

I downloaded HQPlayer and played with it a little - I should really use that for DSD. But these are all osx players one way or another - I already get great sound from the mac and I presume I'd get greater sound with HQPlayer and DSD files.

 

I want to sort out the ARIES first.

[Jud]

I downloaded HQPlayer and played with it a little - I should really use that for DSD. But these are all osx players one way or another - I already get great sound from the mac and I presume I'd get greater sound with HQPlayer and DSD files.

 

I want to sort out the ARIES first.

 

Right, Miguel - I kind of half glanced at the thread and jotted down a suggestion regarding TotalDAC's server (i.e., configuring an off-the-shelf Cubox or other microcomputer as an NAA ought to give you a very fine server - though not streamer - solution at relatively little expense), which I now understand doesn't help with your primary question.

[Pol]

From my Totaldac D1 server experience, it's high end quality comes from the reclocker side. The CUBOX is the weak point. But vincent is about to use the new CUBOX i4.

 

I'm not sure that this i4 will outperform a strongly modified mini ( MMK, JS2 and SD card)

which is my current reference.

Pol

[miguelito]

From my Totaldac D1 server experience, it's high end quality comes from the reclocker side. The CUBOX is the weak point. But vincent is about to use the new CUBOX i4.

FWIW, my DAC reclocks as well with a (supposedly) very precise clock right next to the discrete DAC circuits:

 

http://www.emmlabs.com/pdf/brochures/XDS1-V2_Brochure.pdf

 

BTW... I am guessing I will end up with a JS-2...

[MikeJazz]

It could be that your second personality has emerged that is pickier about audio quality than your

first personality .

 

Personally , I would take a bong hit of some BC Bud and it will all sound fantastic,particularly

if you are crunching on some chips while listening . ?

 

I was able to share the same opinion from Nuno.

Comparing his mac mini with Aries using usb, the Aries sounded rolled off, comparingly.

 

You are right, we didn't test the effect of BUD and chips...

[miguelito]

I was able to share the same opinion from Nuno.

Comparing his mac mini with Aries using usb, the Aries sounded rolled off, comparingly.

Exactly. Thank you.

 

You are right, we didn't test the effect of BUD and chips...

More of a red burgundy kind of guy myself, but whatevs.

[Audio_ELF]

@miguelito

 

As I read it your "confusion" is becaus most people profess the Aries an improvement over a Mac Mini in terms of sound quality. Could the simple fact be that what many people consider an improvement you actually find to "grate" and so see it as a negative to your ears?

[keeper]

@miguelito

 

As I read it your "confusion" is becaus most people profess the Aries an improvement over a Mac Mini in terms of sound quality. Could the simple fact be that what many people consider an improvement you actually find to "grate" and so see it as a negative to your ears?

 

I guess once you've made your mind up nothing will change, I'd guess to busy trying to find an explanation for the sound and issue where really its just a perspective.

At a minute level how can you say what is better if you can't scientifically prove it?

 

I'd leave it for a few weeks then re listen, if it still sounds worse then sell it and use the mac.

[miguelito]

As I read it your "confusion" is becaus most people profess the Aries an improvement over a Mac Mini in terms of sound quality. Could the simple fact be that what many people consider an improvement you actually find to "grate" and so see it as a negative to your ears?

ARIES is perfect on paper. Every tweak one could think of: LPS, no fan, no extra processes, no HD, is implemented in what I would call minimally perfect way. Yet I cannot make it sound "right" in my system, to my ears. That's the source of my confusion (read frustration).

 

Additionally, I really like LDS - this is a big selling point for me.

 

I listen to live music, I listen to people speaking, I hear the body, tonality, and sibilance of the voice. To my ears the presentation from the mini is closer to that than the one from ARIES. That's the long and the short of it.

 

It could be that my amp and speakers are all rolled off and thus the mini being more "gritty" is compensating for this. I don't know if this is true or not (I suspect not). I assume that's what you meant by "grate" (I didn't understand).

[miguelito]

I guess once you've made your mind up nothing will change, I'd guess to busy trying to find an explanation for the sound and issue where really its just a perspective.

I have not made up my mind, but it does feel a little bit like the end of the road...

 

At a minute level how can you say what is better if you can't scientifically prove it?

I think most people that are into this hobby and listen to live music do have an objective sense of what sounds closer to reality. I think this is an objective assessment, but of course there's more to the music reproduced than the ARIES: amp, speakers, room, etc.

 

I'd leave it for a few weeks then re listen, if it still sounds worse then sell it and use the mac.

Will do the same. Thx.

[Jimmypowder]

I have not made up my mind, but it does feel a little bit like the end of the road...

 

 

I think most people that are into this hobby and listen to live music do have an objective sense of what sounds closer to reality. I think this is an objective assessment, but of course there's more to the music reproduced than the ARIES: amp, speakers, room, etc.

 

 

Will do the same. Thx.

An objective assessment!!!??????? LOL .Man go smoke a joint ,do us a favor ,please return the Aries and END THIS THREAD!

[MikeJazz]

I guess once you've made your mind up nothing will change, I'd guess to busy trying to find an explanation for the sound and issue where really its just a perspective.

At a minute level how can you say what is better if you can't scientifically prove it?

 

I'd leave it for a few weeks then re listen, if it still sounds worse then sell it and use the mac.

 

I would just try to give feedback to Mr Wang and check if there is something to be improved at the USB connection...They might the reason for the roll-off or send a new unit and check the previous one.

 

Also, if someone has a nice DAC with good USB/SPDIF entries of comparable performance, one could test and check for relative performance between Aries USB and SPDIF...

 

When I (finally) receive my geek pulse xfi, I will make some comparisons...

[Jimmypowder]

The Doors - The End (original) - YouTube

[MikeJazz]

The Doors - The End (original) - YouTube

 

It ain't over till the fat lady sings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[miguelito]

An objective assessment!!!??????? LOL .Man go smoke a joint ,do us a favor ,please return the Aries and END THIS THREAD!

Why do you care? You could unsubscribe from this thread and forget it exists.

[miguelito]

Also, if someone has a nice DAC with good USB/SPDIF entries of comparable performance, one could test and check for relative performance between Aries USB and SPDIF...

I did actually, and I found SPDIF was better. But as I mentioned elsewhere, I have a fair amount of DSD files and my DAC does not do DoP over SPDIF or AES.

 

Mr. Wang did say something about my question regarding USB on the Aries (Hardware) thread a while back:

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/auralic-aries-hardware-impressions-and-information-21261/index43.html#post368962

 

PS1: I keep calling him Mr. Wang. I am sorry... I mean Mr. Xuanqian.

 

PS2: Jimmypowder was actually nice on that thread. I miss that Jimmy.

[jtwrace]

PS1: I keep calling him Mr. Wang. I am sorry... I mean Mr. Xuanqian.

 

The former is correct.

[miguelito]

I did actually, and I found SPDIF was better. But as I mentioned elsewhere, I have a fair amount of DSD files and my DAC does not do DoP over SPDIF or AES.

 

Mr. Wang did say something about my question regarding USB on the Aries (Hardware) thread a while back:

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f22-networking-networked-audio-and-streaming/auralic-aries-hardware-impressions-and-information-21261/index43.html#post368962

 

PS1: I keep calling him Mr. Wang. I am sorry... I mean Mr. Xuanqian.

 

PS2: Jimmypowder was actually nice on that thread. I miss that Jimmy.

Also, I did not understand Mr. Xuanqian's comment: I am saying that the USB output sounds to me softer (more rolled off) than the SPDIF. I would expect jitter and noise in general to give higher "sparkle" at the top, not lower.