Auralic Aries Mini

[jsjenkins168]

I apologize if these are repeat questions but in my searching I can't seem to find a direct answer so figured it would be best to just ask again:

 

1) Concerning the 1yr Free Tidal subscription, how is this handled if already have a subscription? Is this only valid for newly created accounts, or can an additional free year be appended to an existing account? If the latter, is there a time limit on when it can be applied?

 

2) Has there been any word on when the web-based config interface will be released? Really struggling here having to borrow iPads.. I am still shocked they can sell this product and have it REQUIRE an Ipad right now.

 

Thanks!

[baddog]

bruny -

 

Launch the Auralic Lightning DS application. Then do the following:

 

Click cogwheel at bottom left of screen for settings.

 

Choose your Aries in the selection box on right side ( Currently Available)

 

Scroll down and you will see "DAC Settings"

 

Choose "Filter Mode"

 

You can then select your filter, Precise, Dynamic, Balance or Smooth.

 

That's all you need to do!

 

Barr

[baddog]

@jsjenkins168.

 

I suspect you would want to cancel your existing subscription and start a new Tidal subscription. You need to contact Auralic to activate the new subscription. I suspect there is no mechanical manner to append to an existing account. I don't know what would happen if you cancel your current subscription and start a new one with the same username via the Aries Tidal offer. Perhaps it would retain any playlists, favorites, et al. You are perhaps going into unexplored territory.

 

Are you struggling with the configuration of the product or the day to day usage?

 

Barr

[austinpop]

No need to cancel Tidal. There are instructions on the Auralic support site. You email them some info and they email back a code you enter into your (existing) Tidal account.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[jsjenkins168]

@baddog, Thanks for the clarification. It sounds like given how unpolished this Tidal subscription process currently is (no surprise) it might just be easier to have them sign me up as a new account. Not a big deal in my case, I was just curious if they had an official stance on existing Tidal subscribers.

 

I've owned an Aries for a few months now but anytime I made changes (to my home network for example) and needed to re-configure its required borrowing iPads from others which is just a big pain (as others can probably attest to). I thought surely by the time I got the Aries Mini they'd have resolved the runtime issue with the Android app only to discover they completely ditched it, in favor of a web-based config interface which apparently has no scheduled release date? As a software developer I just find this lack of software support inexcusable. Hell even if they had a CLI I could access to configure things manually I'd be happy. Anyway, ranting over.. :-) I'll just continue to borrow iPads for the time being.

 

@austinpop, do you know if when they do this does it append an extra year to your current subscription, or simply replace the remainder of your subscription period with 1 complete year?

[baddog]

No need to cancel Tidal. There are instructions on the Auralic support site. You email them some info and they email back a code you enter into your (existing) Tidal account.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app

 

@austinpop - Hey, thanks for clarifying that, that is certainly a much better solution.

 

@jskenkins168 - see austinpop's post, looks like there is an easy way to extend your subscription for a year.

 

As to the iPad issue, concur that is problematic. At this point a CLI interface doesn't sound too crazy does it?

[badlyread]

I'd actually be keen to buy an SSD drive to install into the Mini.

 

I have a 1Tb HDD installed in my Mini (3 months now) and it has been brilliant. 20 000 tracks were installed via my network. The Mini is shown on my iMac and it is just a case of dragging folders to the Mini (clear instructions given in the Auralic Support section). DO NOT copy over your entire collection at once. It will only take a small meta data glitch to stop the transfer. Do it in small batches (500 - 1000 tracks) and all will be fine.

 

Once done, sit back and enjoy!

[issambres]

Hi,

 

I have a Mini since a month now and very happy with it.

I am using a Sinology NAS connected in SMB and Lightning Server. I have quite a small library, but I have a problem exposed to Chris from Auralic, where I can't find a solution:

- I reached a certain amount of music: 2668 songs in lightning server

Since then, each album I add is not recognized and listed...

I did hard reset, rescan...nothing work.

If I withdraw an album which was recognized, number of songs decreased ( normal ) and if I add a new album ( not recognized previously ), number of songs stay the same ( not normal )

 

Any idea ?

 

Thanks

[deuch]

Hi,

 

I have a Mini since a month now and very happy with it.

I am using a Sinology NAS connected in SMB and Lightning Server. I have quite a small library, but I have a problem exposed to Chris from Auralic, where I can't find a solution:

- I reached a certain amount of music: 2668 songs in lightning server

Since then, each album I add is not recognized and listed...

I did hard reset, rescan...nothing work.

If I withdraw an album which was recognized, number of songs decreased ( normal ) and if I add a new album ( not recognized previously ), number of songs stay the same ( not normal )

 

Any idea ?

 

Thanks

 

Are you sure your metadata and covers are ok ? A friend of mine has more than 5000 tracks without issue with his mini. I've more than 6000 tracks with my Aries too without issue. And i'm using a NAS. Didi you check the permissions of the file on the NAS ? Maybe you've copied them with a different user seated in the Aries to connect to SMB to the NAS (i've already have this kind of issue due to an error i've made)

 

Try to put permission (temporary) to everyone to check if it's OK (like a good old chmod -R 777 )

[issambres]

???? thanks, I don't understand why, but when I use an admin account everything is fine!!

 

I created a media user for the auralic and for some reason, it had permission to the Music folder of my Nas, but not on some folder inside!!!

 

 

Envoyé de mon SM-G920F en utilisant Tapatalk

[deuch]

???? thanks, I don't understand why, but when I use an admin account everything is fine!!

 

I created a media user for the auralic and for some reason, it had permission to the Music folder of my Nas, but not on some folder inside!!!

 

 

Envoyé de mon SM-G920F en utilisant Tapatalk

 

Check if you are not using the admin account when you put some files to the NAS from your computer. I imagine that you are using an dedicated account for the Aries (like music or anything you want) ? If you copy music with the admin account and the aries is connected with the music account, it's possible that the aries can scan the file with the admin account permission.

[Gary Pearce]

Yep, nice and warm for sure!

I'd probably win the 'most unusual Aries Mini listening environment' award, I have to have quality wherever I am when it comes to music listening.

This little box is quite a find, airplay/Bluetooth, network streaming and local library replay all in one.

One thing though, my WD drive is NTFS formatted - should it be fat32?

This maybe why the Mini doesn't recognize it.

Any ideas people?

[baddog]

Well according to Auralic NTFS is supported:

 

Lightning Server can read FAT32, NTFS, exFAT, ext2/3/4 and HFS (no matter if they are non-journaled or journaled) partition formats.

 

 

What music file types/partition formats does Lightning Server support? – AURALIC LIMITED

[baddog]

Also maybe this tidbit from the readme file on the Aries Mini helps:

 

To add/edit or remove music files from USB drive, please use the folder named 'USB'. This folder is not accessible when Lightning Server is not set in USB mode.

 

 

To add/edit or remove music files from internal storage, please use the folder named 'HDD'. This folder will not show up when Lightning Server could not detect a valid internal storage.

 

Thus I believe at the root of your NTFS drive all your music needs to be under a folder at the root level called "USB"

 

Barr

[Gary Pearce]

Thanks Barr, that looks like the culprit then.

An easy fix!

 

Cheers,

 

Gary

[austinpop]

Anyone following the saga of MQA support on the Aries, LE, and Mini? Apparently they delayed release of MQA support at the last minute during CES, and issued a statement on their Facebook page.

 

I didn't buy the Mini for its MQA support, but am hoping it will work both with its internal DAC as well as downstream DACs.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[digitalzed]

Anyone following the saga of MQA support on the Aries, LE, and Mini? Apparently they delayed release of MQA support at the last minute during CES, and issued a statement on their Facebook page.

 

I didn't buy the Mini for its MQA support, but am hoping it will work both with its internal DAC as well as downstream DACs.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app

Did I miss something in that TAS article that isn't just regurgitated marketing hype from MQA? I have nothing against the technology but they took a big hit in my mind on the way they handled this rollout, or didn't handle the rollout.

[austinpop]

I'm holding judgement until I hear it. Until then, it's all words anyway.

 

For me, I'm most intrigued by the possibility of streaming of hi-Rez music. For file based playback, I am very skeptical.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile mobile app

[Buffalo]

Folks,

First post and potentially a stupid one, so apologies in advance.

I set up my Mini today and have been listening via Tidal. I notice at the top of the Lightning DS app that it tells you the the source of your music/track, ie Tidal and the bit rate. Everything I am listening to is showing at 320kbps, despite fact that my Tidal app is set up with HiFi Lossless mode.

So I'm not sure if I'm listening in lossless or not when using Lightning DS.

Could anyone one with Tidal lossless just check what the DS app is telling them regarding the streaming rate ?

Apologies, computer audio is very new to me !

 

Many thanks, Steve

[baddog]

Steve - So playing the album "Archive Series Volume 1 by Dave Holland Quintet on Tidal.

 

On the Lightning DS application on top under the name of the track playing back I see :

 

Tidal 44.1Khz 16bit and the Kbps varies between 459Kbps and 597Kbps.

 

New Coldplay album reads "Tidal 44.1Khz, 16bit, and varies between 1.2Mbps and 1.071Mpbs

 

Tanita Tikaram album Ancient Heart, shows Tidal 44.1Khz, 16bit, 696kbps - 1.018Mbps

 

 

Running this on an iPad Mini.

 

Barr

[Buffalo]

Steve - So playing the album "Archive Series Volume 1 by Dave Holland Quintet on Tidal.

 

On the Lightning DS application on top under the name of the track playing back I see :

 

Tidal 44.1Khz 16bit and the Kbps varies between 459Kbps and 597Kbps.

 

New Coldplay album reads "Tidal 44.1Khz, 16bit, and varies between 1.2Mbps and 1.071Mpbs

 

Tanita Tikaram album Ancient Heart, shows Tidal 44.1Khz, 16bit, 696kbps - 1.018Mbps

 

 

Running this on an iPad Mini.

 

Barr

 

Many thanks for this Barr.

 

I have tried all 3 albums and all of them still showing as 320 KBPS.

I only upgraded from trial Premium to trial HiFi today, after I'd set up Lightning DS. Perhaps I need to reload DS for the upgrade to take effect ? Trying to avoid this as I had major sagas trying to connect my router to DS

 

Any thoughts much appreciated.

 

Cheers, Steve

[baddog]

Hello Steve - perhaps this might work. First log into Tidal from a Mac or PC or whatever with your trial HIFI account.

 

One logged in look to the upper left corner, it should show TIDAL on top, underneath that your account name and under that it should say Tidal HiFi.

 

If you use Google Chrome as the browser, after logging in you can playback one of these tracks and see if it indicates HiFi playback ( this wont work in other browsers such as Safari.

 

Once you have validated those two items then try the following in Lightning DS.

 

Sign out of your Tidal account.

 

Quit Lightning DS.

 

Re launch Lightning DS, and sign in to your Tidal account again and see if it works.

 

Let me know how you fair.

 

Barr

[RolandGo]

UPnP is still broken with firmware version 3.0. Jriver stops playing just like with the other firmware versions.

[Buffalo]

Hello Steve - perhaps this might work. First log into Tidal from a Mac or PC or whatever with your trial HIFI account.

 

One logged in look to the upper left corner, it should show TIDAL on top, underneath that your account name and under that it should say Tidal HiFi.

 

If you use Google Chrome as the browser, after logging in you can playback one of these tracks and see if it indicates HiFi playback ( this wont work in other browsers such as Safari.

 

Once you have validated those two items then try the following in Lightning DS.

 

Sign out of your Tidal account.

 

Quit Lightning DS.

 

Re launch Lightning DS, and sign in to your Tidal account again and see if it works.

 

Let me know how you fair.

 

Barr

 

Sorted, thanks Barr. A quick reinstall of DS and all is good and lossless !

[baddog]

Steve - glad to hear it is all sorted out. Enjoy!

 

Barr