Auralic G2 Range

[octaviars]

Just as high-end streamers started fitting into something the size of a cigarette packet (or so we were told) - it seems like it's all 'gone a bit Naim' ......

It never really happened though did it!  OK, there was the microRendu (which is indeed tiny) that was supposed to be a match for the Aurender N10 and similar, but then you need to add a decent LPSU, maybe a Mutec or similar, and now you also need to add the IsoRegen, which also needs it's own LPSU.  So it's more like 3 fag packets and a coupe of cigar cases....    Then of course the Mutec needs the Ref 10 reference clock, oh, and the much larger sMS-200 is better than the mR cigarette packet super streamer anyway, especially in you add the also much larger tX-USB Ultra, sCLK-EX, USB to AES converter, a reference clock and 4 LPSU's......

So it depends on you perspective.  If neat and tidy is the aim, then AIR or the forthcoming giant killer Devialet OS board will be impossible to beat.

The original Aries was pioneering but as octaviars eludes to above, just a little bit disappointing sound quality wise, although later models were better.  For me the only real considerations are sound quality and functionality, it will be interesting to find out just how well this new range performs.  It might just save me from ending up with a sMS-200Ultra, tX-USB Ultra, sCLK-EX, USB to AES converter, a reference clock and 4 LPSU's......

I agree with you a lot, you start of with something small and ends up with a lot of boxes to get the most out of the little box.

If a Aries G2 is really good then you have it all in one box perhaps no need for the extern clock as I see that is something when you run the whole stack of G2 equipment but how knows this is a changeing world of streaming.

If the new streamerboard/Roon or what will come out of that makes good music that will be the simplest solution I think. If Roon get this right a can see my self run a system with Roon ROCK on a NUC and streaming to my Devialet, main thing is that I loose HQ Player but perhaps I can live with that....