Auralic's Next Big Thing

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"AURALiC will present the following new technologies during the Munich show:

Lightning DS v2 for iPad – The v2 of Lightning DS for iPad is a complete new design based on a new structure with much faster running speed and new functions such as vTuner integration, portrait view, mixed local and online playing queue, AURALiC Lightning Server and etc.

Lightning DS for Android Phone – The full function Android version of Lighting DS is finally coming, after a long waiting. This cell phone version of App is not just a smaller screen size of existing software but a complete re-design, for best user experience on smartphone.

Wireless DSD256 streaming – Both ARIES and VEGA are getting new firmware for DSD256 playback support right now. The free new enhancement is available for existing customers. We will demonstrate some stunning original DSD256 recordings streaming wirelessly though ARIES and VEGA.

The next BIG thing – Prepared to be blown off by something new? Come and see us during the show at Atrium 4 2.0G E211."

 

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AURALiC announces ARIES MINI streaming node
A Quad-Rate DSD WiFi streamer for $399/EUR459

Munich HIGHEND show, 14th May 2015 – AURALiC launches ARIES MINI, a new member of its lightning product line. ARIES MINI is a wireless streaming node designed for your existing audio system connection. It enables your home stereo with wireless high-resolution streaming capability at an affordable price.

ARIES MINI shares all existing software and hardware functions of our original popular streaming bridge: ARIES, which launched last year on the HighEnd Munich show. In additional, ARIES MINI has a pair of high quality analog output powered by ESS Sabre DAC chip: ES9018K2M. The built-in storage slot accepts any 2.5-inch hard drive or solid-state drive, which can be used to build your personal music library.

ARIES MINI can stream high-resolution music extremely fast over WiFi signal at virtually any sampling rate, even for the latest Quad-Rate DSD and DXD. It is powered by AURALiC's proprietary Tesla hardware platform including a Quad-Core ARM Coretex-A9 processor running at 1GHz, 512MB DDR3 onboard memory and 4GB internal data storage. The Tesla platform has a calculation ability of 25,000 MIPS, more than enough to decode a vast spectrum of audio formats, including AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WV and WMA.

‘We are trying to create something that is affordable for most music lover, not just audiophile,’ said Xuanqian Wang, the CEO of AURALiC. ‘ARIES MINI is exactly the right product for anyone who is eager to experience the wireless high-resolution streaming technology but don’t want to spend a lot of budget on a dedicate DSD DAC or a NAS drive. It is the real DSD streamer for everyone.’

Through Lightning DS, AURALiC’s control software, ARIES MINI can stream music stored on network attached storage, USB disk and optional internal storage. It also supports TIDAL, Qobuz and WiMP lossless streaming services. The other streaming sources are vTuner Internet Radio, AirPlay from Apple devices and Songcast for Windows and Mac system.

The input of ARIES MINI includes Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac dual-band WiFi, USB input and optional internal storage such as 2.5’ hard disk or solid-state drive. The outputs are USB audio that is compatible with DACs, which do not required drive to work on Mac system. The digital audio outputs include Coaxial and Toslink with maximum supported sampling rate up to 24Bit/192k. The single-ended analog output drive by internal DAC supports all sampling rate up to Quad-Rate DSD and DXD.

The dimension of ARIES MINI is 13.5*13.5*2.8cm (W*D*H), weight at about 800 grams depends on different internal storage options. It is available in two colours: white and black.

AURALiC and its Europe partners are accepting pre-order right now. The company will start shipping these pre-orders by the end of July in Europe first. The Retail price of ARIES MINI is EUR 459 or USD 399 in U.S.

 

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http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/10/auralic-aries-mini-rmaf-2015-minimalism-10-things/

"1) The Aries Mini’s price has been lifted from US$399 to US$549 – the result of accommodating sufficient dealer margin to guarantee its retail store presence (according to a confidential source and NOT AURALiC themselves). Store demos and post-purchase coverage don’t come for free.

2) Softening the potential financial blow to interested parties who didn’t jump in at time of pre-order is a year’s subscription to Tidal Hifi, supplied completely free of charge to Stateside consumers only. Buyers should note that this streaming bonus arrives not in the in the form of a voucher but is activated from within the Lightning DS app used to setup and control the Aries/Mini. Which brings us to…

3) The Android version of the Lightning DS app will see no further development; it’ll remain as is – functional but with questionable stability. “Android is a master of pain – too many versions,” explained a frustrated Wang.

4) Androiders can either console themselves with the newly-added Bluetooth streaming feature (unlikely IMO) or…

5) Wait for the forthcoming browser-based HTML5 replacement that’ll also bring Windows and OS X into the remote control fold.

6) The iPhone remote app is still ‘coming VERY soon’.

7) The linear power supply that ships with Aries will be offered as optional extra to the Aries Mini for US$299.

8) Roon? Wang is still waiting on supply of the RoonSpeakers code. When I later met with Enno Vandermeer and Rob Darling of Roon Labs they explained how the ‘RoonSpeakers’ name was going away but the Linux OS code is almost ready to travel down Interweb wires to third party manufacturers like AURALiC.

9) On manufacturing delays, it seems that a seemingly more relaxed Wang (in Denver at least) has been tearing his hair out. The most recent of which was reportedly attributable to the Chinese government who ordered all factories closed for two weeks in observance of a national holiday.

10) The Aries Mini has already begun shipping to Europe. Australia gets theirs in October, end of, and the USA will be supplied shortly thereafter."