DerekR

For those of us who have playlists. Credit to Auralic for clearly stating on the App Store that the update to LDS 4.0 would erase any saved playlists. Instead of just updating I sat and thought - primarily about the time it took me to put together those playlists. Unlike other Linux-based apps, LDS is proprietary so it's not easy to go into it and copy the playlist folder to a backup location. A serious shortcoming in my humble opinion. Requests to add a playlist export feature have so far fallen on deaf Auralic ears - here's hoping its on the to-do list. Here's a (fairly obvious) workaround. Ensure you have two devices with LDS loaded and upgrade one - in this case the iPad - then, using the iDevice with the older app, load the Aries with each playlist in turn and save each to the iPad with the new app before updating the second device with the older app. Please, Auralic - continue in future to warn when updates will erase playlists. And thanks again for the warning - would have been p1ssed if I'd simply updated and subsequently lost those playlists.

Have I missed the playlist export, import feature? Or am I a voice in the wilderness asking for the ability to export my playlists so as to replace them when they're wiped out by Lightning upgrades? Please, Xuanqian, soon......

Like groovybassist I would not call it 'whining' if a firmware update breaks a previously working device. And I happen to prefer the sound of USB to SPDIF on my DAC so why should I switch to an inferior converter? That said, I lodged a ticket with Auralic last night and within minutes had a response. I offered to act as guinea-pig for the kernel fix and two hours later my firmware updated. I then tried a number of things Xuanqian requested to test the stability of the new kernel and all worked well. That is outstanding service.

I, too, run a Metrum DAC and can no longer connect to the HiFace USB board in the DAC. And like michaelg, I added the driver to an Alix running Voyage MPD quite easily and it worked flawlessly with the same DAC I'm using now. Was not difficult to do at all, so I hope it was just an oversight with 2.6. When I bought my Aries I had to wait for Auralic to implement the HiFace driver and it then worked fine with the Metrum until 2.6. I have no interest in rolling back to 2.5 when it was working before and, as Bloodwound implies above, the driver is part of the 3.14 kernel. Please re-add or turn back on the driver, Mr Wang, and please don't make us HiFace users wait as long as last time - after all it was working fine in 2.5 and you should not break fixes you've already implemented... :-) You should, in fact, strive to keep happy those customers you've accommodated before. It's Linux so should be easy to fix as Bloodwound sez.

I managed to get Voyage Mubox for the Pi working with the Soekris DAM1021 R2R ladder DAC. Had to disable the device tree and add drivers to be loaded in /etc/modules. With some refinements from Punky re buffer sizing and reclocking the B+ I'm using it plays fine. Punky has posted the steps on his site. Would be interested in knowing if it can play DSD without skipping on a Pi 2 - I don't have a Pi 2 yet. The B+ skips with DSD but plays everything else fine. Anyone tried the Pi 2? Voyage on the Pi sounds very good with the Soekris DAC - probably due in large part to the direct i2s connection as well as the reclocking in the Soekris DAC. Definitely worth a try, it might surprise you. And that's not to mention the Soekris' ability to load filters - it's like going to a dealer and being able to listen to a dozen different DACs - from the comfort of your listening chair at home and without being 'under the gun'.

I had emailed Auralic re the order of the songs in my playlists getting scrambled after updating to a different firmware version and rescanning the Minimserver library after adding new files to the library. They replied this was a Minimserver issue. I have now updated Minimserver to 0.83 and the Aries firmware to 1.11. In an effort to return the playlists to their original order I thought I would try reordering my playlists via the Edit option in LDS rather than deleting them and re-entering them. However, when I select Edit and drag a song to a new position it simply returns to its original position in the playlist. Anyone else had this issue? I have sent feedback to Auralic.

FWIW, I own a respected CD transport and I prefer the sound from the Aries. Wonder if, like analog vs digital or tubes vs solid state, we are moving into the CD vs files era?! CD has been around long enough now to foster diehard adherents.

I have a static IP address on the NAS where the library is located so have not had the 'disappearing playlist' problem but I would really appreciate an explanation and possible fix for the scrambled playlist issue. An explanation as to why the playlists scramble would, if it is a Minimserver issue as Auralic support maintain, allow an approach to Simon armed with some kind of information rather than '...hey, this doesn't work and Auralic say its your fault...' Over to you Xuanqian.....

Auralic support say this is in the works.

If it helps -'I was not using a USB disk. Have not tried it as I'm using a NAS. I am using the USB out with the Hiface driver if that's in any way helpful. It has not happened since that one time four or so days ago. I did think that the "Auralic" light had not gone as dim as it usually does when sleep mode is invoked from the remote. This was just before the stuck start mode.

Yes, happened to me as well. Also left it on for some time wondering if it might be updating. Eventually power cycled it and it came up as normal. But does leave a little niggling worry as it's never happened before. On another topic - who knows if it's firmware or app related - all my playlists have been scrambled as well. Before the 'Aries Starting' issue so I don't think the two issues are connected. Posted on the software forum but apparently no one has had this happen - or so I assume due to the lack of response. Auralic support blame Minimserver, claiming it occurs when you rescan the NAS after adding new music and stating they informed Simon at Minim 'months ago' about the issue. When I asked what exactly the issue was they said it 'would take too long to explain'. An admittedly brief look on the Minim forums turns up no mention of this issue. Odd, as I'd have thought scrambled playlists would be a bit of a problem for lots of Aries or Minim users.

Apologies if this has been covered already but I don't recall it being mentioned. Am using a Synology NAS running Minimserver. Aries is up to date on firmware and LDS is on 1.6. Having entered a number of playlists they are suddenly scrambled - the original order of the songs is now changed. I contacted Auralic support who were very prompt in replying - impressive - and they conclude this is a Minimserver issue. Apparently whenever you rescan the library after, for example, adding a few albums, the playlists will scramble. I've had a quick look at the Minim forums and can't find a reference to this problem hence my asking here - surely it would be a major strike against using Minimserver? Any suggestions? Don't feel like re-entering multiple long playlists every time I add to my library.

Thanks, Wang, appreciated.

@Wang Xuanqian - can you confirm that V1.8 includes the driver for the older M2Tech USB interfaces as found on some DACs like the Metrum Hex? If it does not can you give an idea of when it will be included?

Barr, yes I could use the coax on the Metrum in the meantime if I have to. I have a DIY ESS 9018K2M which I could also use instead of the Metrum. Off topic and some may take exception but I find SPDIF inputs 'dull' compared to USB and distinctly lagging behind I2S. To me, Auralic would have a benchmark product if they married the Aries to the Vega in one chassis - foregoing all outputs and connecting to the Vega via I2S. Also, and more on topic, if one is using an asynchronous USB DAC, then is the Femto clock in the Aries of any significance? My understanding is that asynchronous DACs usually have a crystal that clocks the data in - rendering the Femto clock in the Aries superfluous. Guess that's where the Vega comes in! So, to come full circle, imagine an Aries and Vega in one chassis without all the USB, AES and SPDIF circuitry and using I2S as the link between transport and DAC. Both clocked via a Femto clock.