AURALIC ARIES

The ARIES acts as a "bridge" between music files stored on a network or high-quality online streaming services and the consumer's DAC, enabling DACs for the first time to stream high-resolution music quickly and wirelessly at virtually any sampling rate, including DSD, Double-Rate DSD, and DXD.

The inputs of the ARIES include Dual-Band high-speed WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, and a USB 2.0 port. The outputs are: USB audio host buffered by AURALiC’s patented ActiveUSB™ technology; low jitter digital audio outputs: AES/EBU, Coaxial, and TOSLINK. The USB audio host can deliver PCM from 44.1 to 384 kHz at 16-, 24-, and 32-bit resolutions, as well as DSD and Double-Rate DSD for compatible USB DACs. The other digital outputs are limited to 192 kHz at 24-bit maximum, according to the S/PDIF standard.

The ARIES comes with AURALiC’s Lightning DS app. The app has the capability to fully control the ARIES to explore music libraries on your network-attached storage (NAS), stream high-quality music content from service providers like Qobuz and WiMP, control playback, and select hardware settings such as output channel and WiFi network, etc. The app also supports Songcast, a music distribution service that allows users to map the computer’s sound to any Lightning-equipped system and map sound between different Lightning systems in the house, as well as stream sound via Apple AirPlay.

When considering everything the ARIES can do and the high level of performance it offers, it can be argued that it is one of the best values in all of digital audio today. The ARIES provides instant access to your music library (including all your high-resolution PCM and DSD files), plus the ability to explore streaming content whenever you choose. But above all, the ARIES is a convenient, reliable, and easy-to-use system that imposes virtually no compromises in performance. If that’s not enjoying exceptional sound quality without compromises, then I don’t know what is.

Technical Specifications:

• Type: Wireless streaming bridge
• Supported streaming services: Local uPnP/DLNA library content; online streaming from TIDAL, Qobuz, and WiMP; Internet radio, AirPlay, Songcast, and USB hard drive files.
• Supported file types: AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WV, and WMA.
• Supported sampling rates: PCM: 44.1 kHz – 384 kHz at 16 – 32 bits. DSD, DSD128, DSD256.
• Control software (and devices): AURALiC Lightning DSD software application, AURALiC RC-1 remote control (included), OpenHome-compatible software, uPnP AV software.
• Media server compatibility: Minimserver, Twonky, Asset uPnP, JRiver, DLNA/uPnP-compatible server software.
• Display: 3-inch OLED display, 256 x 64-pixel resolution.
• Digital inputs: Gigabit Ethernet (via RJ45 jack), Dual-Band Wi-Fi connection, USB 2.0 High-Speed for use with external USB music library drives.
• Digital outputs: USB 2.0 High-Speed for connections with compatible DACs (compatible DACs are those that do not require a driver for use with Mac OS X); AES/EBU, Coaxial S/PDIF, and TOSLINK (the latter three outputs are sample-rate limited to 44.1 – 192 kHz for PCM files and to DSD64).
• Dimensions (H × W × D): 7 cm × 25 cm × 20 cm.
• Weight: 0.8 kg.