longsufferingaudiophile

There seems to be a bit of confusion about the Vega G2 which is a DAC but also has an ethernet port and can also function as its own streamer. I have now been running a G2 Aries and G2 Vega for about 2 weeks and I hope to provide some insight for those who are interested in buying the Auralic G2 components. I was originally intending to use the G2 Aries to replace my 1st generation Aries which feeds a Chord Dave. The G2 Vega was meant to be used as a stand alone player for my other system and a replacement for my 1st generation Vega DAC. However, I noticed that when the G2 Aries and G2 Vega were used via their L-link (HDMI), playing high resolution files from a NAS drive was significantly better than using Roon streaming directly to the G2 Vega for the same music. It did not however make any difference if I was to use Roon as my controller fed to the G2 Aries first or directly to the G2 Vega. This was later confirmed by Mr Wang himself that if Roon is being used, then the G2 Aries does not add to the G2 Vega in terms of sound quality. The logic apparently is that Roon then controls the software handling and negates any advantage the G2 Aries has over the built in ethernet streamer in the G2 Vega. Just a quick word. I liked the sound of the combination G2 Aries and G2 Vega so much, I am now using them together. Which leaves my Chord Dave without a streamer for now, so now feeding it via USB. Sound wise, the G2 series outguns the original Vega by a lot. I thought that when the 1st generation Vega was first realeased, it was to me overrated by most reviews. The G2 is a different kettle of fish. It is vastly superior to the original Vega and comes very close to the Chord Dave in terms of retrieving spatial cues especially depth and width of the soundstage. With just casual listening, the difference between the Dave and the original Vega was obvious. Now with the G2 components, I am still deciphering the subtle differences and wondering which I prefer. Can't wait to see what the Leo will add to the mix.

I am planning to use it for a headphone based system. Just thought I would take the opportunity to compare it with a more expensive DAC to see if it could truly punch above its weight. Must say that I am pleasantly surprised as all too often reviewers rave in absolute terms how great a cheaper product performs, but when compared on its own merits to a more expensive piece of equipment it falls short. Never intended to replace my Weiss, but if I had to, I could easily live with the sound of the Vega. In fact, if DSD becomes main stream in the future, I might just do that! The sound of the Vega reminds me of the Krell Cipher traditional CD player as I had a friend lend it to me for a week to do a comparison btw a computer based audio vs a CD player. The Cipher retails for about $12000 and while I can't compare the Vega directly with it, from my re-collection, it had the same liveliness and energy on Redbook CD playback. BTW, I had the Vega clock set to Exact. From my mac, even with 192 kHz files, I had no drop outs at all. Considering this is just a min modified Mac mini, does this mean that there would be no sonic advantage to using a top notch dedicated music server/streamer?

I have now about 100 hours of burn in time with the Vega. I am comparing it to my present DAC which is a Weiss Medea+. The Weiss is fed from a mod Mac Mini by firewire and the Vega is fed by USB by the same Mac. The player is A+ with integer mode enabled. Here are my observations. With 44.1 kHz files, filter 1 sounds better than filter 4 while with higher resolution files, filter 4 sounds better in the context of my system. Compared to the 4.5 x more expensive Weiss, the Weiss produces a deeper soundstage, while the Vega produces a more "in your face" kind of staging. They are both equally 3D like, just that the Weiss is set further back. With the Weiss, the space in which the music is recorded is more apparent than the Vega and voices take on more complexity. However, the Vega has a stronger sense of rhythm and drive, with drums and snares producing greater impact. All in all, they do sound different and its hard to call a clear winner. For large scale classical work, the Weiss portrays a grander image, with various instruments having their own space and the acoustics of the hall is more apparent. The Vega seems just a little simpler. However, the Vega seems to induce a little more "toe-tapping" especially in jazz works. All in all, amazing considering the price difference between the DACs. Interestingly, I preferred A+ over Amarra 2.5 with the Vega, but the Weiss to my ears sounded better with the Amarra.

I have also just acquired the Auralic Vega. Out of curiosity, I made a quick comparision to my present DAC which is a Weiss Medea+. The Vega has not been run in. The Vega is a lot louder than the Weiss, which requires adjustment in the vol of my pre-amp. (I have set both DACs at max volume). The Weiss has significantly better soundstage depth but is actually less wide. Bass may be deeper with the Vega. The sense of space around voices and instruments are better with the Weiss. Will post again once I have the Vega run in properly.