Desotti

Thanks for the information JDOz, we do share the same experiences: after some time playing the dropouts cease completely, but all I have to do is listen thru another input to the drop-outs start all over again when USB is selected. Another issue that I noticed since yesterday is that when playing DSF files in DSD (DSD64 showing on Vega's display) if I select any track manually during play the very first beginning os that track does not get reproduced, even with the DAC delay feature enabled, but if I set the Aries to convert DSD to PCM then the track is reproduced correctly, but obviously the sound quality isn't exactly the same. I tried that with several DSF recordings with same results... very annoying.

Wilcox, before the Vega/Aries combo I was using a SBT with my Audia Flight CD/DAC through its SPDIF input and I was happy with the results, but when I tried the SBT with EDO and a Wavelenght Wavelink HS USB/SPDIF interface I immediately noticed an improvement in sound quality. I believe that's not the case with Aries because it is an audiophile oriented product from start and the SBT is not (the RCA connector itself is not audiophile grade in the SBT for example), so the Aries SPDIF connection should provide excelent results to the 24/192 PCM limit, but for higher sampling rates and DSD the USB connection is the only way to go. About my previous posts, I forgot to mention that both Aries and Vega were in standby mode and playing for only about 30 minutes when I start testing the exact clock mode and noticed the dropouts. Both devices stayed on since then and I tested the USB connection again a few minutes ago in exact mode, but this time the dropouts did not happen... I was wondering if the Aries internal clock stays active during standby in the same way as the Vega's clock, because I can't think of any other logical explanation for the dropouts abscence than insuficient time for the Aries's clock temperature to stabilize.

My Vega also plays in exact mode with the SBT and my CD player used as transport, so there's no aparent reason for the Aries not to play the same way other than high jitter through USB. I didn't even mention that I use a QRT complete power purifier/distribution system, so there's absolutely not a chance that the problem with my Aries is power related.

I'm using an Aries and an Vega for about a month now I and must say I'm pretty disappointed with the Aries because I have absolutely no doubt that it's USB output is plenty jittery, the dropouts with Vega's exact mode clock has nothing to do with electrical problems or any other kind of interference. And that's why: Before owning the Aries I used a Squeezebox Touch with asynchronous USB enabled by EDO and as I still got it around I decided to test it with the Vega today. The results? No dropouts at all with Vega's clock in exact mode, even playing 24/192 FLAC files: Even my CD player (Audia Flight CD One) played flawlessly through Vega's coaxial input and the same exact mode enabled. I believe AURALiC owe us an explanation about how a several years old US$ 299 little black box with no native digital USB output support from factory could outperform the Aries so easily in USB's jitter rejection... Cheers.