Auralic Aries

[amabrok]

In my opinion my D400 that is now a D800 does this in the best possible way.

Maybe off topic, but i wonder how ur D400 is now D800? Did you mean to say you traded ur 2xD200 for 2xD250 or u now have 4xD200?

[Mohmm]

Maybe off topic, but i wonder how ur D400 is now D800? Did you mean to say you traded ur 2xD200 for 2xD250 or u now have 4xD200?

Good point: I meant a D250, respectively D800, of course. Thanks for alerting me. I corrected that mistake.

[Music or sound]

Digital music distribution is changing and I am expecting that change of formats and distribution modes will continue (discs vs download and file storage vs online streaming). So a relative cheap outboard unit which can be obsolete in a year or two and can be replaced would make some sense.
So the investment of the AIR (WiFi) board will become obsolete? The Dialog uses USB to connect to D. So several options will compete for that single USB input. What to use the ethernet port for?
One of the digital formats just coming is Meridian's MQA and I don't know whether it will be relevant in the future but Meridian is presenting MQA usage at the CES via Tidal http://www.whathifi.com/news/meridian-ad...oos-system. I don't have any idea how MQA can be incorporated in existing units (software or hardware upgrade?) but Dialog or the next generation could incorporate it but less likely our Ds if that requires more than a firmware upgrade.

[Mikeeo]

Digital music distribution is changing and I am expecting that change of formats and distribution modes will continue (discs vs download and file storage vs online streaming). So a relative cheap outboard unit which can be obsolete in a year or two and can be replaced would make some sense.
So the investment of the AIR (WiFi) board will become obsolete? The Dialog uses USB to connect to D. So several options will compete for that single USB input. What to use the ethernet port for?
One of the digital formats just coming is Meridian's MQA and I don't know whether it will be relevant in the future but Meridian is presenting MQA usage at the CES via Tidal http://www.whathifi.com/news/meridian-ad...oos-system. I don't have any idea how MQA can be incorporated in existing units (software or hardware upgrade?) but Dialog or the next generation could incorporate it but less likely our Ds if that requires more than a firmware upgrade.

To what I read about it, its a software ie it should be able to implement if kindly licensed from Meridian.

/Mike

[MightyMart]

News from Auralic posted on Facebook earlier today promising RoonReady intregration:

"Version 3.0 of Lightning Streaming Platform Firmware is coming, adding MQA and RoonReady. Please visit AURALiC in Venetian Suite 29-122 during the 2016 CES, January 6 – 9. AURALIC North America Inc. and its parent company, AURALIC LIMITED, are pleased to be the first developer of a complete line of high-resolution audio streamers to offer fully implemented capability for two of the industry’s significant new technologies: MQA decoding and the RoonReady integration.

Both these eagerly-awaited technologies will be demonstrated at the 2016 CES, and will be available soon afterwards via online firmware update. MQA decoding will be available for all three AURALiC’s lightning streaming devices: ARIES, ARIES LE and ARIES MINI. The RoonReady capability will initially be available for the ARIES and ARIES LE.

As TIDAL streaming is already integrated into the Lightning DS software platform, all three of AURALiC’s streaming models will be ready to handle TIDAL’s anticipated launch of MQA-encoded music.

During the CES, AURALiC will stream TIDAL and MQA exclusively, and will also be demonstrating the RoonReady capability.
Xuanqian Wang, AURALiC’s president & CEO, pointed out that 'with ARIES and ARIES LE fully decoding MQA music, they bring the MQA technology to any existing DAC on the market. ' (The ARIES MINI has its own built-in DAC.)

'After more than two years developing and refining the Lightning streaming platform, we are building our own eco system, achieving our goal of repositioning Lightning DS from being a hardware control software to a complete music management system, helping people explore their music.'

'Considering that we first demonstrated a prototype of the Lightning streaming at the 2014 CES, we have grown tremendously as THE streaming solution for high-resolution music, making the impossible possible.'

In other important news, AURALiC will make available an iPhone version of its Lighting DS app, with full functionality, soon after CES."

Maybe I should have hold on to my Aries a while longer now that Roon will be available...? I really didn't like the Lightning DS interface. Oh well...

[Giddy707]

Now bear in mind that AIR was developed at a time when it was only compatible with Mac and that, since the very start, Devialet has demonstrated exclusive using Mac.

And that Air 2.1.1 (November 2013) had some noise problems with Mac and that Air 2.1.2 (May(?) 2014) has had persistent noise problems with Mac.

And that Air 2.1.2 is operable with ethernet and so independent of local wifi conditions and yet still gets white noise problems.

Sorry for entering this debate, but I really find general and exaggerated claims that AIR (2.1.1 or 2.1.2) is persistently not working with Macs highly inappropriate if not false. I am using AIR with iTunes (any version) as a front end and via ethernet without any problem ever. Even wireless worked flawlessly for 24*44.1 resolution. In my house the signal is not good enough for higher resolutions, but realistically I expected that problem from the beginning and hooked up a cable. (By the way, my OS is still 10.8.5. Usually I hesitate to go with the crowd in quickly upgrading the OS due to potential incompatibilities with some of my apps.)

I see that some of you guys think that iTunes is not good enough for your taste and that your music needs third party players and up-samplers for sounding right. Honestly, I tried most of these programs but none worked without hitch. Either they crashed easily or they did not handle gapless playback. So I returned to the most purist setup, i.e. just using iTunes as a catalog and AIR as a player with no additional software between my music catalog and my enjoyment.

I do use PureMusic when playing to the D via AES/EBU, using the firewire output on my Mac and a Weiss interface. Then PureMusic just serves for switching the Weiss thing to the native resolution without any up-sampling. (This connection still gives a tick better sound than ethernet; much better in any case than the sonically flawed USB technology.)

Also I do not see any good sense in up-sampling my music files on the computer (using the afore-mentioned apps) with its digitally "noisy" environment that can never be fully controlled even when quitting all (?) other processes. In my opinion my D250 that is now a D800 does this in the best possible way. At the end I purchased a D-Premier because of its DSP quality. So why not leave the up-sampling to the D?

OK, I accept that some of us enjoy playing with apps and preferences and settings on their way to musical enjoyment, thereby complicating the pathway of the signal. Sometimes I do so myself. But more often I just prefer to enjoy a flawlessly working system and the music it reproduces.

Just my two Euro cents  ;-)

Totally Agree.  I have spent many hours, trying several apps and always finding some issues.  Eventually I gave up.  Here in lies the gem-iTunes that works.  We may argue about what sounds better till the cow comes home and still will not come to a consensus.
iTunes woks flawlessly from the get go with AIR.  It's user interface and remote app just works well.  For me the adventure of trying out Audirvana, ROON JRiver distract me from enjoying the music itself.  
I am getting a MacMini to dedicate it to playing music, placing it next to my Devialet 800.  The D is the best investment I experience in over 35 years of HiFi.

Just my two CAD cents :-)   

CHEERS and Happy New Year!!

[octaviars]

For us that have an Aries this is something to look forward to.

I have one 2L album that is MQA so I vill test this ASAP when the Aries gets the upgrade.

If only Devialet could get ROON Ready incorperated and maybe MQA that would be wounderful but will not happen I think.

Then came the press release to confirm it: “AURALIC LIMITED, are pleased to be the first developer of a complete line of high-resolution audio streamers to offer fully implemented capability for two of the industry’s significant new technologies: MQA decoding and RoonReady integration.”  At the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, next week AURALiC will be streaming nothing but MQA and Tidal. The wording is sufficiently vague an almost confirms hi-res streaming is coming to Tidal via MQA

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/0...-ces-2016/

[octaviars]

ROON Ready on Aries at CES 2016.

[midi]

ROON Ready on Aries at CES 2016.

No Aries MQA integration:

https://twitter.com/auralicltd/status/68...0870959104

[ciptip]

ROON Ready on Aries at CES 2016.

No Aries MQA integration:

https://twitter.com/auralicltd/status/68...0870959104

Hi there,
I understand the Aries won't do MQA and the Roon-ready feature, well, what's the point if you still need a computer for it.
I'm in need for help though: I received a good offer for an Aries from a dealer; currently I own a sqbox touch (edo, usb)- should I make the change, is it worth to go for the Aries (considering the price, would I sense that difference in SQ?)? I understand the Aries can do a lot more (Dsd, more outputs, etc) but I'm more interested if there's a sensible difference in SQ.
Thanks, Cip