Post by Bigman80 on Aug 5, 2021 15:45:59 GMT
I am going to start this review with a quote:
“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” ~ Henry Ford
I like that quote, but for the purposes of this review it should read: "Quality means doing it right, WHERE no one is looking.”
That's because what Auralic have done with the Aries G2 is all under the hood. The rest is....well, I'll explain.
This Aries G2 was kindly loaned to me by member bigbird, who had it delivered to me prior to shipping it to Oz, so I could have a look at it and see if I liked it. So, big thanks to Karl
The Aries arrived in a huge cardboard box and was encompassed with some serious looking packaging. @inside was an IEC lead, USB and a couple of antennae for Wi-Fi use. I ignored all of those and connected it up to the system using my Acoustic Revive PC Triple C Coax cable, CAT7 Ethernet cable and a Shielded mains cable. All standard fare in my system.
For critical listening, all tracks were copied onto the Auralic's internal storage.
The front panel has a very simple look. Four buttons to the right of the display allow for navigation of the menu and allow you to play tracks etc. In fact, during the setup of this unit I discovered that the buttons weren't just for show, they were essential. More on that later.
The aesthetics of the device are pretty plain, but it really appeals to me. I don't need flash casework pushing prices up, so it was absolutely A-Ok. The screen was well lit (thank god) and although the menus were using a micro font, it was still pin sharp and easy to read.
The unit itself was heavy. 7kgs heavy and felt rock solid. There was a reassuring weight about it, and it felt "premium"
I must say, it looked the business on the rack. Time to play some tracks.
SETUP:
Being a used unit, it didn't come with any instructions. Bugger. I downloaded the manual and installed the USB drive I keep my backup library on. I then switched the unit on and waited while the screen loaded and in a few seconds, we were on.
According to the manual, I should download the Lightening App. Off to the Google Play Store I went, only to find that it wasn't there. A quick search and I discovered the app was exclusive to iOS. Well, this is not a great start.
Reading the manual, it suggested that I could connect to the unit via the private Wi-Fi network it has. It said to find it and login in. It will allow temporary access to log in, and I can set it up from there. Excellent. Found the network and......... Access denied.
I must admit, I was regretting taking out of the box at this point. I persevered for 15 minutes by trying different laptops, devices etc, but no, I couldn't get in. I thought, OK... I'll get in via the laptop using the IP address. No. Not possible as the device was not on my network. Checked the cable, and it was in properly, and it was.
At this point, the only thing I could do was reset the unit via the buttons on the front panel. So there I am, bum in the air on my hands and knees, trying to use the buttons to reset the unit. Finally, I managed.
While it reset itself to factory settings, I messaged Karl and told him I already hated this device. Lol.
I sat and read the manual further, and discovered that you have to tell the G2 that you want it to use the wired connection for the network. Again, I get on my hands and knees and start navigating my way through the menus with the buttons and voilà!, there we go..."wired connection enabled"
FINALLY!
So I went back through the menus, again...via the buttons, and tried to find the music stored on the SSD. It's not there.
Exasperated at this point, I sat in the (not)listening chair, drank my tea, and practised my technique for avoiding spontaneous combustion. I was very unimpressed at this point.
I picked up the laptop and typed in the IP address and finally, I got in to the unit. Surprisingly, you cannot use that method to play music, select files etc. It is only for setting the units preferences. I was happy to overlook the lack of Android app until this moment. That now meant that unless I wanted to scroll through the library using the buttons on the front panel, I had to use a universal app.
In my humble opinion, for a £3.5k device to not have an app for Android users, I find it scandalous. According to the online blurb, the "lightening App" gives access to features, settings and almost full control of every aspect of the unit. If I were to buy this device, I wouldn't have any of that because I can't get the app. Shocking. Hans Beekhuyzen recommends buying an iPad for use with the G2. Isn't it expensive enough?
Battling on with the setup, I realised that the G2 has to be told everything you want it to do. For instance, it doesn't just recognise when you plug a USB device into it. You have to tell it to find it. Then, when it's found it, you have to tell it to mount it.
So I did, and eventually I managed to get it to load the USB drive up, and I could play a track, as long as I got off my arse and did it via the buttons on the front panel. Which I did. Nothing. No sound.....nothing.
My fault, it was still reading the USB drive.
Whilst I waited, I downloaded Bubble UPnP's app to see if I could get it to work with the G2. It found it within seconds, and I could then browse the library from my phone. Now we were getting somewhere.
I noticed it had read a few albums, so I attempted to play one. MUSIC!
The Listening:
If you could quantify how frustrated I was with the G2 prior to getting to work, you could now use that measurement to quantify how flabbergasted I was.
The first track I played was from Baden Powell's "Solitude" album.
Straight out the gate, I was puzzled. There was a hiss, like tape hiss. I have listened to this album loads lately, and I haven't noticed it. The guitar was bigger, more linear sounding. Less bottom end weight, but more detail. The separation was immense, and listening to the intricacy on full display was a moment of wonder. The best way to describe it is like Baden had put down his usual guitar (that I was used to) and picked up something significantly better.
Wondering if the Hiss was a noise from the G2, I put on a masterful recording: Tears for Fears - Woman in Chains.
Again, in an effort to remain measured, I can only say that this track was completely unrecognisable to me. The separation between channels was epic. The way the electronic notes moved around the soundstage was faster, wider, and deeper. The bass had remarkable clarity and texture. No hiss....it was definitely on the previous track and I can only surmise that I wasn't hearing it as clearly. The sound coming from the speakers did so without any sense of belonging to one particular speaker. Totally detached from either one.
I flew through about 4 or 5 albums before having to break for the night, but I left the G2 on, in an attempt to let it warm up thoroughly and also finish importing the library.
The next day, I seemed to be ploughing through material, witnessing the Soekris 1421 just get better and better. As we know, a streamer doesn't have a character of its own. What it does is allow the character of the DAC shine through, and I am more convinced than ever about the 1421's credentials as being neutral and Transparent.
I managed to find my way down towards a file I have, called Duke Ellington & John Coltrane.
This is a masterpiece of Jazz, and one of my favourite albums. I usually listen to the vinyl version I have, but I wanted to see what happened here. For the whole album, I sat there, fixated on an element of replay I haven't got from digital equipment before. On one of the tracks, there were no other musicians playing, just DE & JC, and for a few seconds, it sounded like I had two soundstage sized humans playing where my speakers stood. The 3D imagery and the space around the musicians was so freakishly realistic, that it rendered an image, so convincing that I played that simple passage about 20 times to confirm the happenings in my mind.
Totally unreal.
Conclusion:
I wanted to put the G2 back in the box when I first tried to get it working. The current interface and access to controls for the Android users amongst us, made it a horribly frustrating experience. I hated having to almost get a qualification in Auralic system operation, just to get it to work. I think other devices have mastered this.
The N15D from NovaFidelity is the simplest and easiest system I have ever used, and Volumio is also far, far simpler to navigate. I presume this lack of intelligent interface is due to Auralic using their own software and the boffins presuming that even the simplest of minds can figure it out.
Thankfully, I did figure it out and in truth, once mastered, it all made a lot more sense. However, this system is going to come unstuck with those of a certain vintage who don't have the necessary skills. For instance, if you're asking what "mounting a drive" means, or wondering what an IP address is, I'd consider buying one of these very carefully.
That said, when I did get it going, the effect it had on the Soekris cannot be understated. The lift in performance was beyond what I deemed would be credible, so have in a way tried to simplify it to a degree. The truth is, it made the Soekris sound like a much more expensive DAC. It gave digital replay credibility as a potential primary source, which it hasn't been in my system. Vinyl has ruled the roost here for nearly 7 years, but the combination of G2 and Soekris put the cat amongst the pigeons.
When something is as good as this is, I find it very easy to forgive the issues I had with the setup, the lack of an Android app, and would even consider buying an iPad to use with one. It really is a special bit of kit and I am seriously going to miss it.
Congratulations on the purchase, Karl. You are going to love it.
“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” ~ Henry Ford
I like that quote, but for the purposes of this review it should read: "Quality means doing it right, WHERE no one is looking.”
That's because what Auralic have done with the Aries G2 is all under the hood. The rest is....well, I'll explain.
This Aries G2 was kindly loaned to me by member bigbird, who had it delivered to me prior to shipping it to Oz, so I could have a look at it and see if I liked it. So, big thanks to Karl
The Aries arrived in a huge cardboard box and was encompassed with some serious looking packaging. @inside was an IEC lead, USB and a couple of antennae for Wi-Fi use. I ignored all of those and connected it up to the system using my Acoustic Revive PC Triple C Coax cable, CAT7 Ethernet cable and a Shielded mains cable. All standard fare in my system.
For critical listening, all tracks were copied onto the Auralic's internal storage.
The front panel has a very simple look. Four buttons to the right of the display allow for navigation of the menu and allow you to play tracks etc. In fact, during the setup of this unit I discovered that the buttons weren't just for show, they were essential. More on that later.
The aesthetics of the device are pretty plain, but it really appeals to me. I don't need flash casework pushing prices up, so it was absolutely A-Ok. The screen was well lit (thank god) and although the menus were using a micro font, it was still pin sharp and easy to read.
The unit itself was heavy. 7kgs heavy and felt rock solid. There was a reassuring weight about it, and it felt "premium"
I must say, it looked the business on the rack. Time to play some tracks.
SETUP:
Being a used unit, it didn't come with any instructions. Bugger. I downloaded the manual and installed the USB drive I keep my backup library on. I then switched the unit on and waited while the screen loaded and in a few seconds, we were on.
According to the manual, I should download the Lightening App. Off to the Google Play Store I went, only to find that it wasn't there. A quick search and I discovered the app was exclusive to iOS. Well, this is not a great start.
Reading the manual, it suggested that I could connect to the unit via the private Wi-Fi network it has. It said to find it and login in. It will allow temporary access to log in, and I can set it up from there. Excellent. Found the network and......... Access denied.
I must admit, I was regretting taking out of the box at this point. I persevered for 15 minutes by trying different laptops, devices etc, but no, I couldn't get in. I thought, OK... I'll get in via the laptop using the IP address. No. Not possible as the device was not on my network. Checked the cable, and it was in properly, and it was.
At this point, the only thing I could do was reset the unit via the buttons on the front panel. So there I am, bum in the air on my hands and knees, trying to use the buttons to reset the unit. Finally, I managed.
While it reset itself to factory settings, I messaged Karl and told him I already hated this device. Lol.
I sat and read the manual further, and discovered that you have to tell the G2 that you want it to use the wired connection for the network. Again, I get on my hands and knees and start navigating my way through the menus with the buttons and voilà!, there we go..."wired connection enabled"
FINALLY!
So I went back through the menus, again...via the buttons, and tried to find the music stored on the SSD. It's not there.
Exasperated at this point, I sat in the (not)listening chair, drank my tea, and practised my technique for avoiding spontaneous combustion. I was very unimpressed at this point.
I picked up the laptop and typed in the IP address and finally, I got in to the unit. Surprisingly, you cannot use that method to play music, select files etc. It is only for setting the units preferences. I was happy to overlook the lack of Android app until this moment. That now meant that unless I wanted to scroll through the library using the buttons on the front panel, I had to use a universal app.
In my humble opinion, for a £3.5k device to not have an app for Android users, I find it scandalous. According to the online blurb, the "lightening App" gives access to features, settings and almost full control of every aspect of the unit. If I were to buy this device, I wouldn't have any of that because I can't get the app. Shocking. Hans Beekhuyzen recommends buying an iPad for use with the G2. Isn't it expensive enough?
Battling on with the setup, I realised that the G2 has to be told everything you want it to do. For instance, it doesn't just recognise when you plug a USB device into it. You have to tell it to find it. Then, when it's found it, you have to tell it to mount it.
So I did, and eventually I managed to get it to load the USB drive up, and I could play a track, as long as I got off my arse and did it via the buttons on the front panel. Which I did. Nothing. No sound.....nothing.
My fault, it was still reading the USB drive.
Whilst I waited, I downloaded Bubble UPnP's app to see if I could get it to work with the G2. It found it within seconds, and I could then browse the library from my phone. Now we were getting somewhere.
I noticed it had read a few albums, so I attempted to play one. MUSIC!
The Listening:
If you could quantify how frustrated I was with the G2 prior to getting to work, you could now use that measurement to quantify how flabbergasted I was.
The first track I played was from Baden Powell's "Solitude" album.
Straight out the gate, I was puzzled. There was a hiss, like tape hiss. I have listened to this album loads lately, and I haven't noticed it. The guitar was bigger, more linear sounding. Less bottom end weight, but more detail. The separation was immense, and listening to the intricacy on full display was a moment of wonder. The best way to describe it is like Baden had put down his usual guitar (that I was used to) and picked up something significantly better.
Wondering if the Hiss was a noise from the G2, I put on a masterful recording: Tears for Fears - Woman in Chains.
Again, in an effort to remain measured, I can only say that this track was completely unrecognisable to me. The separation between channels was epic. The way the electronic notes moved around the soundstage was faster, wider, and deeper. The bass had remarkable clarity and texture. No hiss....it was definitely on the previous track and I can only surmise that I wasn't hearing it as clearly. The sound coming from the speakers did so without any sense of belonging to one particular speaker. Totally detached from either one.
I flew through about 4 or 5 albums before having to break for the night, but I left the G2 on, in an attempt to let it warm up thoroughly and also finish importing the library.
The next day, I seemed to be ploughing through material, witnessing the Soekris 1421 just get better and better. As we know, a streamer doesn't have a character of its own. What it does is allow the character of the DAC shine through, and I am more convinced than ever about the 1421's credentials as being neutral and Transparent.
I managed to find my way down towards a file I have, called Duke Ellington & John Coltrane.
This is a masterpiece of Jazz, and one of my favourite albums. I usually listen to the vinyl version I have, but I wanted to see what happened here. For the whole album, I sat there, fixated on an element of replay I haven't got from digital equipment before. On one of the tracks, there were no other musicians playing, just DE & JC, and for a few seconds, it sounded like I had two soundstage sized humans playing where my speakers stood. The 3D imagery and the space around the musicians was so freakishly realistic, that it rendered an image, so convincing that I played that simple passage about 20 times to confirm the happenings in my mind.
Totally unreal.
Conclusion:
I wanted to put the G2 back in the box when I first tried to get it working. The current interface and access to controls for the Android users amongst us, made it a horribly frustrating experience. I hated having to almost get a qualification in Auralic system operation, just to get it to work. I think other devices have mastered this.
The N15D from NovaFidelity is the simplest and easiest system I have ever used, and Volumio is also far, far simpler to navigate. I presume this lack of intelligent interface is due to Auralic using their own software and the boffins presuming that even the simplest of minds can figure it out.
Thankfully, I did figure it out and in truth, once mastered, it all made a lot more sense. However, this system is going to come unstuck with those of a certain vintage who don't have the necessary skills. For instance, if you're asking what "mounting a drive" means, or wondering what an IP address is, I'd consider buying one of these very carefully.
That said, when I did get it going, the effect it had on the Soekris cannot be understated. The lift in performance was beyond what I deemed would be credible, so have in a way tried to simplify it to a degree. The truth is, it made the Soekris sound like a much more expensive DAC. It gave digital replay credibility as a potential primary source, which it hasn't been in my system. Vinyl has ruled the roost here for nearly 7 years, but the combination of G2 and Soekris put the cat amongst the pigeons.
When something is as good as this is, I find it very easy to forgive the issues I had with the setup, the lack of an Android app, and would even consider buying an iPad to use with one. It really is a special bit of kit and I am seriously going to miss it.
Congratulations on the purchase, Karl. You are going to love it.
