Auralic Aries Mini Question

[Gary.D.Olson]

I'm attempting to simplify our 2-channel audio system as my wife finds it more trouble to use than it's worth. The Auralic Aries Mini might be the perfect solution. I'd connect it to an Emotiva DC-1 dac doubling as preamp and send the signal via balanced cables to a pair of JBL LSR308 powered monitors. UI would be an iPad Air 2. Nice & clean. The question is where to store our 1.2 TB flac library. I prefer avoiding network streaming.

 

Option 1: Install a 2.5" 2TB hdd inside the Mini

 

Option 2: Directly connect a powered external USB hdd

 

Option 2: Directly connect via ethernet a WD My Book Live NAS

 

The difference in cost is negligible. Which option would yield the best sound quality?

 

As always, much obliged.

 

 

Gary

[Axiom05]

Option 1 would be my choice, less boxes and less connections.

 

 

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[Axiom05]

One question: how fast is your library growing, how long will 2TB last you?

 

 

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[MarkS]

Why not a NAS that can be anywhere (out of sight), but would require an Ethernet cable?

[Axiom05]

I'm attempting to simplify our 2-channel audio system as my wife finds it more trouble to use than it's worth. The Auralic Aries Mini might be the perfect solution. I'd connect it to an Emotiva DC-1 dac doubling as preamp and send the signal via balanced cables to a pair of JBL LSR308 powered monitors. UI would be an iPad Air 2. Nice & clean. The question is where to store our 1.2 TB flac library. I prefer avoiding network streaming.

 

Option 1: Install a 2.5" 2TB hdd inside the Mini

 

Option 2: Directly connect a powered external USB hdd

 

Option 2: Directly connect via ethernet a WD My Book Live NAS

 

The difference in cost is negligible. Which option would yield the best sound quality?

 

As always, much obliged.

 

 

Gary

 

Gary, I am assuming that you know that the Aries must still be networked in order to load music onto the internal HD and for making back ups? I agree that a NAS is overall the best, most versatile option.

 

 

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[Gary.D.Olson]

Gary, I am assuming that you know that the Aries must still be networked in order to load music onto the internal HD and for making back ups? I agree that a NAS is overall the best, most versatile option.

 

Our library grows slowly, and it's photos that take up 1.2TB, not music. Music only takes up 724GB so 2TB should last a long time. The 2TB limit really only applies to option 1. The other 2 options open me up to much larger drives in which case 3TB would be the minimum.

 

I'll be connecting it to the network, but only for communication with the iPad Air 2 and firmware updates. I'd rather avoid streaming through a router, both to escape the occasional dropout, and to maintain the goal of a single-room self-sufficient system simple enough for my wife to setup in case I'm called to the pearly gates. I'm 55 but one never knows, right?

 

Backup and music loading can be accomplished via portable 2TB USB drive. The library is also backed up on our HTPC and office PC (off-site).

 

Pardon my ignorance with networks. If a NAS such as WD's My Book Live is connected directly to the Aries via ethernet, does the Aries truly get a direct signal, or is the signal sent to the router before the Aries gets it?

[Axiom05]

If the Aries has two network connections then it should just act like a local switch. Files from your WD NAS will not go through your router but go direct to Aries. Check Auralic's support pages to confirm acceptable connection options.

 

 

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