Auralic Aries Mini

[Iansr]

Like deuch said: LDS will work, but you might run into performance issues. These were reported a while back, and although LDS was improved a bit on this matter, still users reported slower performance especially while scrolling through album covers.

 

I don't know your local (second hand) market, but last month I upgraded my iPad 3 to an iPad Air (Air 1 not Air 2) for € 49,--. Well worth the investment!

Interesting. Did you sell and buy privately or did you part ex it with a dealer?

[JohanS]

I sold and bought privately. The price difference of € 50 is not unique based on second hand market prices in the Netherlands. However, one thing I must admit: I was very lucky to buy an (almost) new second hand iPad Air. You know the story...?

 

Old lady, really likes and collects everything about Koala bears (not real ones of course :-)). Books, statues, plaquettes, flags, ... She has an amazing collection from all over the world nicely displayed all over her living room (and probably elsewhere too). She buys all this stuff through the internet. So one day she decides to have an iPad to surf the internet on her couch for Koala bears, but she couldn't get the right 'touch'. Thus, she returned to her home PC with twenty-something inch display. And put the iPad back in the box - unscratched. I factory reset it to get rid of the Koala's and was ready to go!

 

Now, sorry for the Off Topic, but I really felt like Alice in Wonderland :-)

[JohanS]

HD Info

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21568[/ATTACH]

Thanks a lot. I checked: Samsung SSD 2.5 SATA will fit (850 EVO, 850 PRO). The sweet spot is 512 GB drive, it costs less per Gb: € 0,32.

[mikey8811]

I mentioned that above. It works great into my Vega and other dacs. No complaints whatsoever. Compared to my ARIES with the UpTone Audio JS-2 and using the stock AURALiC LPS on the MINI is quite scary to be honest. Given the cost difference it makes me sad.

 

Hi jtwrace, I remember you from Audio Asylum and Audiogon.

 

I am considering an Aries or Aries Mini as a Squeezebox Touch replacement. If you were a newbie like me, would you go for the Mini?

 

I currently use the Squeezebox Touch as a player into an external DAC, with a Macbook running Logitech Media Server, with my music stored on about 5 WD My Book 2 TB drives attached to the Macbook, all in another room from where my 2 channel setup is.

 

Will the Aries or Aries Mini work for me in the same way but with less buffering and dropouts and less noise on Hi Res material?

 

Thanks

[jtwrace]

Hi jtwrace, I remember you from Audio Asylum and Audiogon.

 

I am considering an Aries or Aries Mini as a Squeezebox Touch replacement. If you were a newbie like me, would you go for the Mini?

 

I currently use the Squeezebox Touch as a player into an external DAC, with a Macbook running Logitech Media Server, with my music stored on about 5 WD My Book 2 TB drives attached to the Macbook, all in another room from where my 2 channel setup is.

 

Will the Aries or Aries Mini work for me in the same way but with less buffering and dropouts and less noise on Hi Res material?

 

Thanks

 

There are no dropouts with the ARIES or ARIES MINI if you have a stable network. That is very important and most people's issues are directly related to their network. If you have 10TB of music I'd recommend some sort of storage solution such as a NAS. This way you can wirelessly stream the music to the ARIES/MINI and rid yourself of using the computer. If you external dac is really good you could probably just go with the MINI. It all depends on budget though. Money no object, go for the ARIES. Save a few bucks go with the MINI and upgrade the to the LPS later on if you feel the need.

[Emcee]

Funny I never had any buffering or dropout issues with the Touch. No noise either using an ethernet connection.

 

I have a few questions regarding the Mini:

Hooked up to a good DAC does it sound (much)better than the Touch?

Is it available and in stock yet and if so where?

LPS is Linear Power Supply, what is LDS?

Sorry if these questions have been answered already.

[jtwrace]

LPS is Linear Power Supply, what is LDS?

Sorry if these questions have been answered already.

 

Answers to these are only the last few pages.

 

LDS = Lightning DS is the control point software from AURALiC.

[Emcee]

Answers to these are only the last few pages.

 

LDS = Lightning DS is the control point software from AURALiC.

 

Of course. Thank you.

[mikey8811]

Answers to these are only the last few pages.

 

LDS = Lightning DS is the control point software from AURALiC.

 

Actually, I went through all pages and there isn't a comparison with the Squeezebox Touch. One would be helpful if possible.

[mikey8811]

Funny I never had any buffering or dropout issues with the Touch. No noise either using an ethernet connection.

 

 

OK I am using Wifi and not Ethernet. So does the Aries Mini also have dropout problems with Wifi? This happens after playing a lot. There will be constant rebuffering until the network connection is reset and router and Squeezebox Touch are rebooted.

 

The noise is apparent on quiet passages on Hi Res material and in between tracks if you catch my drift. It appears as a tape hiss like sound. Very notably on the Charlie Haden and Jim Hall recording and Charlie Haden and Gonzalo Rubalcaba's Tokyo Adagio.

 

Also, with the Touch I was using the wall wart power supply.

[jtwrace]

Actually, I went through all pages and there isn't a comparison with the Squeezebox Touch. One would be helpful if possible.

 

Right. There isn't and can't be as only two people have them now.

[JohanS]

Right. There isn't and can't be as only two people have them now.

Those two people will probably be Xuanqian Wang and Jason

[jtwrace]

Those two people will probably be Xuanqian Wang and Jason

 

And now Chris C.

[Leeuwarden]

Those two people will probably be Xuanqian Wang and Jason

 

Make that three people...

[JohanS]

Nonetheless, to be of some help:

@emcee: no stock yet. Auralic scheduled first delivery to Germany, Norway and UK late October. During RMAF Auralic said US would see first deliveries as well in October. Wide availability: from November onwards.

 

@mikey8811: I own a Squeezebox Duet and Original. I got my father a SB Touch some years ago. It's nice equipment but now near the end of its lifetime. Logitech anounced it in 2009. 6 years forward in - what basically is - IT, is a giant leap. More processing power, memory to cache songs (data), improved WiFi, etc. The Aries Mini supports more audio formats and the DAC will do a far better job to convert the digital bits into analoque pulses.

 

The hiss you are talking about could stem from all kind of things (supply, grounding, rca interlink, ..., the SB Touch itself). And I do concurr with Jason: if you have 10 Tb of music please get yourself a NAS, a good router and an Aries Mini of course. Don't forget the iPad!

[mikey8811]

Nonetheless, to be of some help:

@emcee: no stock yet. Auralic scheduled first delivery to Germany, Norway and UK late October. During RMAF Auralic said US would see first deliveries as well in October. Wide availability: from November onwards.

 

@mikey8811: I own a Squeezebox Duet and Original. I got my father a SB Touch some years ago. It's nice equipment but now near the end of its lifetime. Logitech anounced it in 2009. 6 years forward in - what basically is - IT, is a giant leap. More processing power, memory to cache songs (data), improved WiFi, etc. The Aries Mini supports more audio formats and the DAC will do a far better job to convert the digital bits into analoque pulses.

 

The hiss you are talking about could stem from all kind of things (supply, grounding, rca interlink, ..., the SB Touch itself). And I do concurr with Jason: if you have 10 Tb of music please get yourself a NAS, a good router and an Aries Mini of course. Don't forget the iPad!

 

Thanks Johan.

 

So to sum up, you think I may not have the rebuffering issue with the Mini because of the improvements you mentioned? Have you or anyone else experienced rebuffering with the larger Aries?

 

The noise may still be a problem?

 

Thanks

[jtwrace]

Thanks Johan.

 

So to sum up, you think I may not have the rebuffering issue with the Mini because of the improvements you mentioned? Have you or anyone else experienced rebuffering with the larger Aries?

 

The noise may still be a problem?

 

Thanks

 

I don't have those issues with my ARIES or ARIES MINI.

[mikey8811]

BTW Jtwrace, do you still have your Cary SLP 05?

[jtwrace]

BTW Jtwrace, do you still have your Cary SLP 05?

 

Not for 8 years maybe.

[davide256]

Thanks Johan.

 

So to sum up, you think I may not have the rebuffering issue with the Mini because of the improvements you mentioned? Have you or anyone else experienced rebuffering with the larger Aries?

 

The noise may still be a problem?

 

Thanks

 

I suggest you bone up on the wifi speed support differences of the Touch and the Aries. Anything will buffer if your network speed sucks

[jtwrace]

I suggest you bone up on the wifi speed support differences of the Touch and the Aries. Anything will buffer if your network speed sucks

 

This is 100% true and why I mentioned in my above post that one's network has to be very good for these devices to work well. Nothing special but people think that if they can surf the net then the ARIES will work fine. That might be the case most of the time but it doesn't take much so careful setup to the network speed and coverage will solve most issues of that kind.

[mikey8811]

I suggest you bone up on the wifi speed support differences of the Touch and the Aries. Anything will buffer if your network speed sucks

 

What specs should I look out for for both devices?

[jtwrace]

What specs should I look out for for both devices?

 

It's not really about specs - it's more about coverage of the area and making sure the transfer speed is there once setup. Most routers will work today and there are many that people use successfully. Of course the latest technology is great but as long as it has 'ac" capability and the placement of it isn't too far and not too many walls between it and the ARIES you should be fine.

[davide256]

I suggest you educate yourself on the different wifi protocols and their speeds. You may find that you need a wifi router upgrade if the fastest your router supports

is 802.11b

[JohanS]

What specs should I look out for for both devices?

Your good old SB Touch is 802.11b/g, Mini can do 802.11n and ac. Without all bogus: wireless transmission is a factor 5 -10 faster with the Mini, an appropriate router and, like Jason says, good coverage. Is your house relative distant to other houses or nearby?

- You should take care of handpicking the wireless channels when other networks are nearby.

- Automatic is the mode to go if you have little to no wireless networks in the vicinity.