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Auralic Aries Lightning DS App - very buggy / freezes often


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so i recently got an Auralic Aries and have it setup to play music from my NAS in another room connected via CAT5/6 cable and I noticed the iOS app on my iPad freezes a lot and seems to be kind of slow/buggy. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Is there something I am not doing (outside the instructions from Auralic) or should be doing to make it a smoother working playback experience? I keep reading about having to setup Mimiserver or other server player software in order to use the Aries with my NAS (QNAP and wdmycloud BTW) but I have found it works best so far if i leave the stock settings on the app the way they are and it is basically plug and play.

 

I understand the ios App is the only way to control the Aries (i have an ipad but no iphone) does anyone know if they have a web interface or other desktop app to be released anytime soon? seems quite limiting to force app controlled playback to one device for such a high end player.

 

Also thinking of returning my DAC2DX and looking at some higher end DACs. I think I asked this on another thread but what else is out there that is under the 10K mark USD but has more I/O and as good if not better performance than the benchmark DAC2dx?

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Hello.

 

Couple of things, first being which version of the iPad do you have and how much memory does it have?

 

Second, what kind of wireless network do you have, 802.11n? If 802.11n do you have a 5Ghz band for the 802.11n network?

 

Is your Aries connected via ethernet or is it your NAS, or perhaps both?

 

Regardless you should not find the Lightning DS application slow or sluggish, I have no problem using it either on an iPad 2 or an iPad Mini. Nor should it freeze. That would seem to indicate an issue with the iPad you are using. What do you find slow or causing your iPad to freeze? Scrolling through albums, selecting an album, searching?

 

Once the Aries has been configured with the Lightning DS application, you can control music playback with a variety of software. You could use the Lumin or Linn Kinsky applications on your iPad, or you could use the Kinsky software on a PC or Mac. Perhaps you should try one of those to see if you get better performance?

 

$10k should buy you one heck of a DAC. I think you could search this forum, or many of the online sites and find as many recommendations as there are days in a month. I have a MSB Analog DAC, expensive, but it sounds great, the cost would consume much of that $10k. Others love the Auralic Vega DAC, the Chord Hugo, products from Lampizator, the Ayre QB9, the PS Audio Directstream, etc...

 

As my esteemed colleague "ted_b" would say, " we are living in the golden age...". Ted is, as always correct.

Silver Circle Audio | Roon | Devialet | Synology | Vivid Audio | Stillpoint Aperture | Auralic | DH Labs

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I did the same today, the relatively new feature of going into Wireless Access Point mode when on a new network and not having to locate an ethernet cable is great. I popped it into the new system, configured it for the new wireless network and was up in running in less than 5.

Silver Circle Audio | Roon | Devialet | Synology | Vivid Audio | Stillpoint Aperture | Auralic | DH Labs

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Hi all - thanks for the feedback and I appreciate the helpful tips. To answer your questions - - I have an iPad mini retina and my wireless network is dual band 2.4/5 with AC supplied by fios quantum 150/150 (in theory) through my Asus AC68U as primary and downstream via ethernet cable is the fios supplied router (wifi off) and airport base station. My NAS setup is a QNAP and a WD MyCloud (the latter works pretty flawlessly with no issues on any devices (including aries) but the QNAP is not as PnP as the WD mycloud and most likely is not quite as consistent due to the fact that I am new to NAS in general and there are so many services and settings within the device that I have not gotten around to fully configuring it. my aries ia hardwired to my asus an so is my nas.

 

Regardless, I think that it is possible given the plethora of ethernet connected and a few wireless devices all sharing a network without a managed switch and some "i still rent, therefore my ethernet is ghetto" cable runs in various places that the Aries may take a bit more time to load my library or switch between libraries/streaming etc.

 

I have found that when using playback from one library and without switching modes so to speak it is pretty flawless in operation. Not to mention it sounds great too supplying both my benchmark dac2x or parasound halo 2.1 via wyrewold starlight usb cable. One thing I believe I may have figured out is that I have many tracks that show up in my library (it is admittedly badly organized) and not tagged (?) in anyway so I do not know what file type I might be attempting playback of unless I remember what it is, That can cause the benchmark to give me a "no go" signal and perhaps some files the Aries has issues with distributing in one mode or another.

 

Another thing I figured out is that in uPNP mode and this was not glaringly clear to me in the instructions (probably just didnt catch it) that only my library is available from network attached devices and it has to be manually switched over the openhome ds in order to utilize tidal, airplay etc. once I realized that things were going a bit smoother.

 

i do find that when switching services (streaming vs file playback) it can take a few seconds and does sometimes require restart on the ipad app due to freeze but it is not a common occurrence and considering the job it is doing I would say better than expected compared to other media players I have used.

 

I think I could benefit greatly and the aries would be much happier (as well as the rest of my setup) if I had a more organized folder setup in my various libraries and had things a bit cleaner so to speak in terms of DSD vs FLAC etc. that is a priority on my "to do list" that I just have not been able to spend much time on. One reason I picked the aries is while demoing it I liked the ease of use factor and multitude of options in terms of what can be played back.

 

While I do wish it was not limited to the iOS application for the capabilities limited to lightning DS I am also realizing (thanks to folks in this thread and around the site BTW) that once set up it is fairly easy to control somewhat during normal playback from itunes or other music supported player. I have historically not liked iTunes due to restrictions on file playback and other reasons after years of experience in that ecosystem but I have not yet found a universal media playing application that is easy enough to use without a boat load of configurations for the average non technical/stupidly busy with work all the time type of person like myself. and rather stupid when it comes to mastering various technologies that I am currently using and expecting to work out of the box when I hit play :)

 

I don't want anyone to think for a second that I would give the device a negative review as it has been a great addition to my setup that filled a "hole" which was bothering me for quite some time. That hole being a network player where I do not have to grab my computer or by physically conencted to my setup while playing hi res music from NAS or other source on my two channel setup. THe only device I had before to accomplish this (with somewhat limited file playback) was my UD7007 which by far outplays anything I have hooked up to my system when it comes to a hard disk or supported file type but the GUI is a bit of a PITA and it is not really geared for playback of network files in my opinion.

 

I am not a common user of forums at least not until recently and I really have had a great experience at AVS and I find this site to be equally as helpful and users just as happy to help out people that could use it like myself. Point being, if i am breaking forum etiquette so to speak please let me know as although I read the guidelines and try to post appropriately I am sure there may be things I miss. for example if the "hyperbole of" my "title is a tad strong" i would be happy to change it - I was not under the impression it would be viewed as a review or anything close to it but as a constant user of online forums and other sources like this site which hold a wealth of information once you spend a little time digging, I can certainly appreciate that it could paint a rather negative impression by title, and interpreted that way by some passerby who are evaluating their next hi fi purchase.

 

Long story short i am still figuring it out in terms of how best get the music from hard drives/streamers to speakers in the most efficient and pleasant way possible which has been a bit trickier than I remember in the two channel arena when all your sources are digital.....not that i miss my avr as i haven't even plugged the thing in for days (once or twice for a movie with the wife). It has been since college (over ten years) since I had a two channel setup with no AVR as the central control so to speak and while the times have changed and technology too, overall it is certainly improved to say the least. although I still think I had it "good" with my old marantz integrated amp infinity alpha 50 towers in college when everyone else was moving to surround sound for their music (my setup was deemed superior even for movies!)

 

Sorry for the length of the post but I hope that clears this thread up a bit and please feel free to let me know if I should clean up the title or anyone has any tips about how to get my setup more easily available to the aries or in my music libraries in general as I know it is not optimal.

 

the golden age...all things considered, it sure is

 

thanks - TP

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Are the issues only related to using the Lightning DS app in (standard) UPnP mode?

It's possible that Auralic haven't being paying that much attention to it, as most if not all Aries users will be using the OpenHome Media mode and therefore have less incentive to correct any problems with the UPnP mode.

 

I've yet to see any Aries + Lightning DS users ask why the standard UPnP mode is there in the first place, given that they only use the streamer and app in OpenHome Media mode.

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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Are the issues only related to using the Lightning DS app in (standard) UPnP mode?

It's possible that Auralic haven't being paying that much attention to it, as most if not all Aries users will be using the OpenHome Media mode and therefore have less incentive to correct any problems with the UPnP mode.

 

I've yet to see any Aries + Lightning DS users ask why the standard UPnP mode is there in the first place, given that they only use the streamer and app in OpenHome Media mode.

 

Some owners of the Aries use uPnP mode so they can stream to their Aries from JRIVER. The latest firmware release for the Aries fixed an issue in the prior release that broke uPnP mode from working with JRIVER.

Silver Circle Audio | Roon | Devialet | Synology | Vivid Audio | Stillpoint Aperture | Auralic | DH Labs

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Hello TP and welcome! Very interesting details on your system. And yes, using OpenHome is the preferred mode, unless you have some compelling need to use uPnP. I see mention of the fact of using iTunes with the Aries, is that correct? If yes, I assume you are leveraging Airplay on the Aries?

 

To another comment you made. Organization of music files and meta data. Yes, as many others will attest to, this becomes much more important once one moves out of the iTunes universe ( as iTunes handles much of this seamlessly for the formats it supports, however some of that meta data is not portable to other music server ).

 

I use a tool called Yate to manage the meta data in my music files/albums. It works across all file formats and can manage album artwork, multi-disc sets, and much more. You can try an evaluation copy here.

 

While it can take a significant amount of time in the beginning, once you get all the meta data correct it should make everything a lot easier to navigate and provide a more seamless experience, regardless of which music server or control software you use.

 

BTW, for those times you wish to control playback from a Mac for example, and don't need to use those features of the Aries only available from the Lightning DS application ( i.e. Airplay, Songcast, Tidal, etc), the Linn Kinsky application is fairly straight forward and easy enough for non technical users.

Silver Circle Audio | Roon | Devialet | Synology | Vivid Audio | Stillpoint Aperture | Auralic | DH Labs

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Some owners of the Aries use uPnP mode so they can stream to their Aries from JRIVER. The latest firmware release for the Aries fixed an issue in the prior release that broke uPnP mode from working with JRIVER.
Ok good point, or at least the general notion that it allows the Aries to be used with a favoured standard UPnP control point, like the one built into JRiver.

 

So has anyone found any use for the Lightning DS app itself supporting standard UPnP?

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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LDS in UPnP mode seems to be a "don't care" scenario from what I can see unless you are tied to JRiver for other uses/clients. In that case, LDS still provides the Aries configuration features - you can't configure/update the Aries from the JRiver iOS control point app.

 

Minimserver is free and runs on everything otherwise.

 

JRiver is great for HD video (blu-ray rips) and has a very nice 10-foot GUI if you connect the server computer to your TV instead of using an iPad control point. Aside from the availability of lower cost, lower-fi clients that also do video (Id) and a nice iOS control point, I don't see much advantage to using it in a music-only scenario for DLNA.

Rig 1: CM9s2, CM8s2, CMC, VTF-15H, Emotiva XMC-1, XPA-5, Aries Deluxe via S/PDIF

Rig 2: Sennheiser HD650, Woo WA-2, PS Audio Power Plant Premier, Sony HAP-Z1ES

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Hi khollister,

 

Apart from you seeming to imply that industry standard UPnP is exclusively the of domain JRiver, I can certainly see your point. So the LDS supports standard UPnP in order to have the ability to control UPnP/DLNA supporting streamers other than the Aries, such as the full blown JRiver running on a computer for playback, being used as a UPnP renderer/client or the cut down version of it in the Id that you mentioned. Of course there are very many other (ie non JRiver) UPnP/DLNA supporting streamers out there, which includes software that can used as a UPnP renderers and therefore not just purpose built boxes, too many devices to mention.

 

Incidentally, JRiver's UPnP control point is bundled into the JMC application itself, so is actually running on the computer. There's currently no such thing as a JRiver iOS UPnP control point app, so I'm assuming you're referring to its remote control app, JRemote. It is a subtle difference, but being 'just' a remote control means that the main device, ie JRiver, must always be 'switched on' in order for JRemote to be able to do anything, including controlling UPnP/DLNA supporting streamers.

 

John

We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.

-- Jo Cox

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I noticed the iOS app on my iPad freezes a lot and seems to be kind of slow/buggy. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Yes. The solution for me was to buy an Apple Airport Extreme. My old wireless config included a dual band wireless lan (2,4/5) and a wireless lan repeater. Under those circumstances Aries found my wireless lan three times in the setup dialog for the available wireless connections. App handling felt very slow and buggy. It's much better now. The software is still buggy for me but useable overall. Here are some examples.

 

- It crashes sometimes in the settings dialog after I have changed something there

 

- I hear popping noises on starting new tracks that remind me on good old vinyl days

 

- Airplay does not work when Aries is connected via USB to my DAC (scrambled sound)

 

I use the DAC from Accuphase DP-720 which I see two times in the settings dialog when connected via usb. Makes no sense to have it two times there but doesn't do any harm it seems.

 

best regards from a beta user

Auralic Aries -> iFi iUSBPower -> Accuphase DP-720 -> Accuphase E-600 -> B&W 802 Diamond

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Hi khollister,

 

Apart from you seeming to imply that industry standard UPnP is exclusively the of domain JRiver, I can certainly see your point. So the LDS supports standard UPnP in order to have the ability to control UPnP/DLNA supporting streamers other than the Aries, such as the full blown JRiver running on a computer for playback, being used as a UPnP renderer/client or the cut down version of it in the Id that you mentioned. Of course there are very many other (ie non JRiver) UPnP/DLNA supporting streamers out there, which includes software that can used as a UPnP renderers and therefore not just purpose built boxes, too many devices to mention.

 

Incidentally, JRiver's UPnP control point is bundled into the JMC application itself, so is actually running on the computer. There's currently no such thing as a JRiver iOS UPnP control point app, so I'm assuming you're referring to its remote control app, JRemote. It is a subtle difference, but being 'just' a remote control means that the main device, ie JRiver, must always be 'switched on' in order for JRemote to be able to do anything, including controlling UPnP/DLNA supporting streamers.

 

John

 

I assumed the OP was inquiring for use with the Aries.

 

I realize the JRiver app isn't technically a DLNA control point, but it kinda functions as one with JRiver, so ...

Rig 1: CM9s2, CM8s2, CMC, VTF-15H, Emotiva XMC-1, XPA-5, Aries Deluxe via S/PDIF

Rig 2: Sennheiser HD650, Woo WA-2, PS Audio Power Plant Premier, Sony HAP-Z1ES

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While it can take a significant amount of time in the beginning, once you get all the meta data correct it should make everything a lot easier to navigate and provide a more seamless experience, regardless of which music server or control software you use.

 

BTW, for those times you wish to control playback from a Mac for example, and don't need to use those features of the Aries only available from the Lightning DS application ( i.e. Airplay, Songcast, Tidal, etc), the Linn Kinsky application is fairly straight forward and easy enough for non technical users.

 

in regards to the above mention of metadata can someone explain why this is important to manage accurately for a media player like the Aries? I assume because it includes things like genres etc. that will allow you to filter through your music in different ways than simply artist/track/album? If anyone can shed some light on why it is important and how it makes it easier to playback music than without?

 

as for playback from a mac, are you saying I would not use the lightning ds app but use Linn Kinsky or similar to playback music from the aires? if so what method would i use? Is it fairly plug n play and I will see the option of the Aries in the volume bar of the mac or within the player itself if connected to my network?

 

Sorry if these are fairly basic questions but I have been able to use airplay streaming spotify, iTunes without the use of my ipad or the ds app but I cannot get Tidal to do this. Also I am still getting crashes when following the standard procedures of playback over network from my NAS or streaming tidal using lightning ds. It still crashes (always giving it plenty of time to boot up and read disks and have tired restarts, etc.) from time to time and exits out of the OR I get noise and distortion such as described as another user above during playback. it is a bit concerning so if anyone has a good guess as to why the noise would be occurring let me know what to try because that sounds like potentially equipment damaging.

 

I assume it is most likely due to my network being somewhat custom config without much advanced networking tweaks - I ahve Fios Quantum with enough bandwidth to supply a small apartment building so that should not be an issue. however, if anyone is familiar with fios they have a hard on for making people use their routers to try and shove their streaming and other network services down your throat to curb people from using netflix and the like. i circumvented my fios router successfully (was not as easy I thought it would be!) and use my asus ac68u as primary and right now i have a airport time capsule in bridge mode hard wired to the asus via cat 6 cable with the aires downstream from the ABS via cat 6 cable as well. I have also used the aries in front of the airport base station and hardwired to my asus router. both ways i get similar results. perhaps there are settings in my router that would help with LAN playback? Majority of what i listen to doesn't come from outside my LAN so I have tried using static ip addresses or adaptive QoS type features with no avail.

 

I am far from a network guru but I think I understand more of it than the average person. I just want to playback music from local hard drives via the network OR via usb connection without noise, freezing and wiht the best possible playback quality. what would give me that ability? I am happy to switch things around to achieve it.

 

thanks in advance !!!

 

Tim

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Hi Tim -

 

First of all you don't to do anything with the meta data in your files, if they show up to your satisfaction in the Lightning DS application ( or other control point such as the one by Lumin, or the Linn Kinsky, etc...), i.e. by album, by artist.

 

As to genre, the Lightning DS applications is able to sort albums by genre based upon the meta data within the music files. Below is a screenshot of the meta tags in one album for example. In this case the album has been tagged with a genre of "Rock" but as you can see I can change the meta data (tag) if desired. Depending on the source of your music files, they may or may not have genre information.

 

 

aaasample.jpg

 

 

As for music playback I am just saying that one has options when using the Aries, if you have an iPad than the Lightning DS application is a great option. If your iPad is all the way on the other side of the house, and your Mac or PC is in front on you, then you could control the music playback with something such as the Linn Kinsky application. It is easy to setup and you merely choose the Aries, and the music library. So very plug and play after you setup the first time.

 

If you enjoy accessing the Aries via Airplay, than no reason you shouldn't continue to do so. As to the errors and noise you are getting from time to time either via your NAS or Tidal, you may find a quicker resolution by either contacting your dealer, or Auralic support. I have not had these issues. Every now and than the Lightning DS application will quit on me, but usually after I make a change in the settings.

 

Noise and/or distortion when playing back via a NAS, sounds like a bandwidth problem, but hard to say for certain.

 

As to FIOS, yes it is a pain to disable their router/wireless device and use a different device. I did so for a friend, disabling the wireless network in the Fios device, and then connecting an Apple Extreme to it via ethernet and setting the Airport to Bridge mode so there would not be any issues with NAT. Much greater wireless performance by not using the FIOS for wireless as many of the older models do not support 802.11n, nor have the capability to create a separate 5Ghz named 802.11n network.

 

So even with the Aries connected via ethernet to the Asus, and the NAS connected via ethernet to the Asus, and an iPad connected via wireless to the 802.11n network provided by the Asus you are experiencing these issues?

 

Assigning a static address was wise, it doesn't appear to be anything you haven't tried doing from a network perspective.

Silver Circle Audio | Roon | Devialet | Synology | Vivid Audio | Stillpoint Aperture | Auralic | DH Labs

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