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Auralic Aries Mini

badlyread

badlyread

pfm Member
Hi People

I believe that I'm due my pre-ordered black version next week. Getting fairly excited (sad really considering my age) to hear what this little box can do. DAC and Mac Mini sold so this had better live up to my expectations!

Anyone else got one coming? So little in the ether at the moment.....

Neil
 
I have also pre-ordered an Aries Mini. My local dealer should receive his first shipment today so I also expect to receive mine next week. Also in Black.

Right now I am using a Windows 7 pc to stream Tidal to my dac with assynchron USB. I expect the mini to be at least as good soundquality-wise through my USB dac as my pc. The best thing should be the better controlinterface of the mini and that I no longer have to listen to the loud fans on the pc.

I am 41 years old and I'm also very much looking forward to getting the mini.....I always say that the best birthday or/and Christmas gifts you receive are the ones you have bought for your selve (and also the most expensive).

I dont expect to use the dac in the mini because I already have a very good dac.

The Aries Mini costs the same as the new Bluesound 2 streamer and other "low end" streamer solutions such as the Sonos connect etc. The Aries mini is however the only streamer with a digital USB 2.0 output. Therefore its the only one who in reality is a substitute for at Mac Mini or Windows based pc streamer.

Because I have a very good USB Dac I dont really need the more expensive streamer like the Auralic Aries with its Femto clocks and linier powersupply (at least I would not expect a significant difference in soundquality between those two when using an external Assynchron USB reclocker as I have in my dac).
 
I am daily searching the internet for reviews of the Aries Mini. So far I have only read one review. The problem with this review is that it compares the soundquality of an Aries mini using its onboard dac with an Auralic Aries with linier powersuply and femtoclocks using an Auralic Vega Dac.

Why not compare the Aries mini and its big brother when both are playing through the Vega Dac via USB. That would be an interesting test/review considering the price difference of the Mini and its 2-3 times as expensive big brother.

A comparison with the Aries LE version would also be interesting.
 
Jackimvestor said:
I have also pre-ordered an Aries Mini. My local dealer should receive his first shipment today so I also expect to receive mine next week. Also in Black.
Click to expand...

Just to give everyone an update.

I spoke to the German distributor and they are still waiting for stock to arrive at the end of October, possibly from the 21st. If dealers are receiving stock before this date, I can only assume they are outside the EU distribution network; based in the U.S., China, elsewhere or simply mistaken.

Regards,
Peter
 
As a resullt of this thread, I spent the better part of the morning reading through just about as many Auralic Mini related sites as Google could muster. The price, especially in the US, is right as is the size.

Am concerned about the user interface and its limitations with respect to its reliance solely on an iPad. I reckon at some point Auralic will come out with Android capabilities.

Then I read where folks are contemplating bypassing the internal DAC in favor of their existing "superior" USB DAC, which is more than fine, than I have to ask why purchase the Aries Mini? - unless the plan is to have it be the "fallback" DAC when the "superior" one breaks down.

With the internal DAC out of the equation, what does the Auralic Mini bring to the table which sets it apart?
 
Streaming capabilities? Tidal integration? No fiddly set-up of computer. Mainly.

In Denmark it has been available for Pre-order for a Month or so at a discount. Delivery date: Unknown (to me).

Specs:
Streaming Services
Local uPnP/DLNA library content
TIDAL, Qobuz and WiMP online streaming
Internet Radio
AirPlay and Songcast
USB hard drive files
Optional internal HDD/SSD
Supported File Types
AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC,
MP3, OGG, WAV, WV and WMA

Sampling Rates
PCM in 44.1Khz – 384Khz at 16 – 32bits
DSD64, DSD128, DSD256

Control Software
AURALiC Lightning DS
OpenHome compatible software

Media Server Compatibility
Minimserver, Twonky, Asset UPnP, JRiver
DLNA/uPNP compatible server software

Input
RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
Dual-Band WiFi connection
USB 2.0 High-Speed for external disk

Output
USB 2.0 High-Speed for compatible DAC**
Coaxial, TOSLINK***
Power Consumption
Playback: 10W at max.

Dimension
Appox. 5.3″W x 5.3″D x 1.1″H (13.5cm x 13.5cm x 2.8cm)
 
Rosewind,

Thanks for that. While I'm not sold on the unit as streaming services not that important to me and I don't find computer setup terribly fiddly, I can see how this can be attractive to a sizable segment of the audio market.

Auralic is definitely on to something here at the price point.
 
josh said:
Apparently the software only works with Apple devices, not Android. Can anyone confirm?
Click to expand...

Jackimvestor said:
Yes, can only control the mini with an Apple Ipad.

No Iphone control either.
Click to expand...

davidavdavid said:
....Am concerned about the user interface and its limitations with respect to its reliance solely on an iPad. I reckon at some point Auralic will come out with Android capabilities.
Click to expand...

The iPad version of iOS Lightning DS has been totally rewritten recently and is supposed to be a big improvement over the rather sluggish original. No doubt there will be several updates coming to iron out the bugs.

The new iPhone version of iOS Lightning DS is said to be due for release soon.
I've read it was shown in beta form at the recent RMAF show in Denver.

Aural say they spent some time developing an Android version of Lightning DS, which was released in V1.0 form earlier this year, but they have now done a U-turn and pulled all development for Android, on the basis that it's a p*g to work with in terms of multiple compatibilities, for hundreds of different devices.

As a relatively small company, I suspect Auralic have decided to put their valuable resources into more fruitful areas, rather than sink money into endlessly chasing Android development.
They aren't the first company to avoid Android support, on the basis that it's more hassle than is worth for their particular company.



 
Davidavdavid....

What streamer could I buy instead of the Aries mini?

I buy the Aries Mini (and not its bigbrother with femtoclocks and linier powersupply) because the Aries mini has a 2.0 USB digital output and therefore I can use my very good assynchron USB reclocker in my DAC and dont need the femtoclocks etc. (I would not expect a significant decrease in soundquality using the mini instead of its bigbrother because of this).

I now of no other streamer (that is so inexpensive) which has a 2.0 USB digital output. The other digital inputs in my dac does not have an assynchron reclocker.

The advantage of the Aries mini is that you get a streamer and Dac that can do almost everything at such a low price.....
 
I will take a Macmini or Vortex box any day of the week.:rolleyes:
You don't even need to buy a vortex box if you are doing it on the cheap.
You just download bung it on a disc and convert any old computer you have thats doing nothing.
 
Initial delivery went to Scandinavia and Germany so Mini will most probably not be arriving until early November. Really annoyed as I have the week off and wanted to get some serious listening done :rolleyes:
 
FL390 said:
Install a HDD (up to 2TB) or a SSD and it becomes a self contained music storage solution too.
Click to expand...

That's very cool, I didn't know it had that feature. If one was to do that, would you still be able to stream the contents of the drive to say, a Sonos speaker elsewhere in the house, like one could do with a Synology NAS drive say?

If so, then it would save money on a dedicated NAS drive as well.
 
badlyread said:
Initial delivery went to Scandinavia and Germany so Mini will most probably not be arriving until early November. Really annoyed as I have the week off and wanted to get some serious listening done :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I live in Scandinavia and no Mini has arrived here yet....

The shop expects to receive the Mini this week but the shipment time from China to Europe depends on a lot of things....

But nice to know that the factory in China is in full production so its just a matter of time now.
 
Igloo Audio managed to get me a white one that arrived this morning (many thanks Peter).

Set up via iPad was easy. Currently giving Tidal a trial (a month free) and it sounds really, really good. I want to install an internal HDD but need Lightning DS v2.3 which should be available next week. Unable to access my files as I'm making copies at the moment but cannot imagine there will be any issues.

The wait after the delays appears to be very worth it.
 
Hi Badlyread.

Congratulations in receiving one.....they are in short supply....

The importer in Norway just recieved 15 Mini's, and then it has to be sent to the shop in Denmark and then send to me.....So one more week of waiting time for me....

You say it sounds really good....what are you comparing it to? and are you using the onboard dac or an external one?

Are you using a liniar power supply (LPS) or the standard one?
 
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