Auralic Aries G2.1 Music Streamer
Audiophile Music Server
For the Aries G2 Owner:
It is recommended to wait on upgrading. While the G2.1 is a small improvement over the G2, the next version of the Aries is the one worth waiting for. When will that happen? We don’t know for sure.
Reviews
Blog: Simple, Effective & Inexpensive Ways To Improve Your Streaming Experience
IMPORTANT FOR WIFI USE: Choosing a Good Wifi Router – Auralic
Reviews
What’s New for the Aries G2.1?
The G2.1 Series casework now features a double enclosure, or “chassis-within-a-chassis,” where the outer casework is manufactured from high-grade aluminum and an additional internal enclosure is made from copper. These design revisions enhance EMI shielding, providing an audible improvement to performance. A new, sculpted metal base provides a highmass, heavyweight foundation for the G2.1/GX.1 series, bonded to the enhanced four-foot assembly. This substantial base adds overall mass to the product and further builds on AURALiC’s modest elegance and improves the sound of the product overall.
Enhanced Suspension System
The balanced weight distribution design found internally in the original G2/GX layout remains unchanged, but a newly designed suspension spike system further isolates the product from external mechanical vibration. Potentially harmful vibrations are absorbed within the six-coiled-spring, acoustically calibrated core of each foot, with each spring tuned to a different tension point, resulting in greater sound clarity and a more open sound field through vibration damping at separate frequencies, yet again providing for enhanced sonic performance.
While external changes to the series are certainly welcome, internal circuitry modification couldn’t be ignored. For the ARIES G2.1, the USB output has been
transformed into a more universal category of application, allowing for a broad level of compatibility across most manufacturers’ USB inputs. The HDD port, for local hard drive connectivity, has been given a power boost to handle a broad range of USB drives requiring higher power delivery. These optimizations have extended the potential feature sets of the products.
CD Playback and ripping – the latest from Lightning streaming
We couldn’t ignore the importance of additional features offered by the tried and tested Lightning OS, now in its seventh iteration. As requested by our customers, Lighting OS 7.0 will provide CD playback with optional ripping capabilities. Customers can use a CD drive connected via USB to the AURALiC product. Lightning’s CD function will read each disk sector several times to ensure ultimate data accuracy, then save to memory cache prior to playback. This makes for a completely jitter-free CD playback experience, besting other standalone CD players at far higher prices. As for ripping, while you may already have the lion’s share of your CD collection stored on a drive or NAS of some kind, the ability to comfortably add CD albums to your library on occasion will add a welcome utility to your AURALiC setup. This feature will work with any of our ARIES (Not ARIES Mini), ALTAIR and POLARIS variants. Simply connect a CD drive via USB to one of the capable AURALiC products and begin to play back or rip your CDs.
Improved Sonics And Performance
The AURALiC ARIES G2.1 includes all the rock-solid connectivity and one-of-a-kind features found in the original award-winning ARIES, and builds on them by introducing original engineering designs focused on isolation, separation and protection against interference. Not just a big brother to the ARIES, the ARIES G2.1 is an enhanced streaming device endowed with cutting-edge technologies and proprietary innovations. Whether on its own or working in consort with other G Series devices from AURALiC, the ARIES G2.1 is for music lovers who require the most discerning approach to modern streaming.
Lightning Streaming
Like all streaming-capable AURALiC products, the ARIES G2.1’s expansive wireless connectivity options are thanks to its native integration of AURALiC’s custom-built Lightning Streaming technology. Lightning Streaming uses existing Wi-Fi to create a dedicated music streaming network capable of wirelessly delivering the highest resolution musical formats available, up to DSD512 and PCM 32bit/384k. Lightning Streaming brings with it all the features you’ve come to expect from ARUALiC streaming devices too, like Gapless Playback, Memory Caching, Bit-Perfect Multi-Room, and Upsampling. Along with the ARIES G2.1 and the G series of products from AURALiC, we’re also introducing a browser-based interface for configuring Lightning Streaming and its features, allowing universal access for the first time from any smart phone, tablet, or computer. In addition to compatibility with AirPlay, the ARIES G2.1 is a certified Roon Ready endpoint for seamless integration with Roon software, making it one of the most flexible streamers available in hi-fi.
Lightning Link
Lightning Link is a low-jitter, bi-directional 18Gbps coupling that takes advantage of highspeed HDMI-type hardware connectors to provide a superior level of transmission control, making today’s ultra-high resolution digital music shine like never before. Different from the other HDMI based I2S connection, the bi-directional Lightning Link opens the door to jitter-free operation of all the devices in your system. Clocking information from destination devices such as the VEGA G2.1 can drive the ARIES G2.1 timing for perfect data synchronization. Lightning Link also carries system control data for everything from volume control to processor engine setup, allowing all linked AURALiC devices to appear in a single, unified control interface.
Tesla G2 Platform
The AURALiC Tesla G2 Platform is the revamped heart of the ARIES G2.1, and it packs a processor that’s 50% faster than the Tesla G1 platform, with twice the system memory (2GB) and data storage (8GB) of the previous generation. Tesla G2.1 not only handles the most demanding audio formats with ease but drives the ARIES G2.1’s software processing engine and its advanced DSP functionality, including upsampling duties and a bigger Memory Cache for an exacting level of sonic quality and stability. As always, automatic updates keep the ARIES G2.1 up to date with the latest feature set and support, continually expanding its functionality and ensuring peak performance.
Digital Audio Galvanic Isolation
Physically separating electrical circuits while allowing data to flow between them, Digital Audio Galvanic Isolation in the ARIES G2 offers a new level of protection against electromagnetic interference. We created two special high-speed galvanic isolators and configured them between three primary circuits in the ARIES G2. Noise-sensitive Femto Clock and digital audio transmitter systems, as well as the central processing circuit are completely isolated from each other, eliminating jitter and contributing to an unparalleled level of clarity.
Dual Linear Purer-Power
AURALiC’s Purer-Power technology already re-examined every detail of power delivery with innovative wiring and circuit designs based on the concepts of isolation and purification, and
it was a key to the pristine operation of the original ARIES. Now, the ARIES G2.1 takes that approach a step further by using two internal Purer-Power linear power supplies, separating and protecting distinct power circuits from interference. The first Purer-Power supply feeds the ARIES G2.1’s processing circuit, LCD display, and storage – whether internal or attached via USB. The second Purer-Power pathway is dedicated to sensitive audio components such as the Femto clock and USB audio output. Both power supplies are galvanically isolated from each other to ensure zero EMI interference between them.
Dual Femto Clocks
We’ve retained the use of two Femto clocks in the ARIES G2.1 for incredibly detailed signal handling. The first clock drastically reduces jitter across the AES/EBU, Coaxial and Toslink outputs. But timing issues can affect sound quality from output via USB too, so there’s a second Femto clock dedicated to the USB controller in the ARIES G2.1. No matter which route you choose, you’ll benefit from extremely precise timing and low jitter thanks to these superaccurate clocks.
Unity Chassis
The ARIES G2.1 is housed in a completely redesigned enclosure – the Unity Chassis. It’s machined from a single billet of aluminum and specifically designed for the premium lineup of AURALiC G Series products, right down to mass balancing and the shape of its foot spikes. The Unity Chassis excels at shielding the inner workings of the ARIES G2.1 from EMI and providing superior dampening and absorption, reflecting the obsessive attention to noise reduction throughout the G Series.
Optional Internal Storage
The ARIES G2.1 connects to all your favorite sources of high resolution digital music, no matter where they are. But if you prefer to store your music locally, there’s an internal drive bay capable of housing any 2.5” HDD/SSD. With an internal drive installed the ARIES G2.1 becomes a powerful and flexible streaming music server, ready to deliver an exceptional audio experience.
kerrin pease –
This streamer is high quality throughout.
Very low noise, and works extremely well over wireless as well as wired. Stream from a NAS, from a hard drive via USB. Quality output including DSD.
Highly recommended.
Gary Cole –
The Aries G2 to me has a much more “organic” or analog sound. The soundstage is much larger than the original Aries. Also the noise floor seems lower. I am very happy with this new product from Auralic!
Matthew –
Beautiful product—sleek, modern industrial design & solid as a block! This is my first Auralic product and I’m happy so far.
Set up has been mostly plug & play. Thinking there could be improvement with how the manual is written, how some features and set up are described. Auralic’s Lightning DS software & app is mostly seamless and straightforward. If stumped, you can fall back on Auralic’s online community for answers which is nice.
Previously streaming from a laptop, sound quality has improved quite noticeably. Sound stage, cohesiveness of music’s presentation, texture and tone, additional detail & bass frequency have all improved noticeably. There’s definitely less “edge” or sharpness to the sound vs. computer streaming. Presentation is absolutely more “easeful” as I’ve heard some say.
Quality addition to my set up, happy customer here.
Vince Ferguson –
Fantastic product tgat us very well made. Sound out of the Box was Extremely good and each day sound makes gains in clarity. Auralic has engineered a fine piece of technology here. I also want to thank Mike Garner the owner of Tweek Geek For his recommendation and outstanding customer interface.
luu jimmy –
Fantastic product this is my first Auralic Aries G2.1 easy setup Organic High Quality Soundstage Iadd up to my Grimm CC! mk 2 Clock to Kalista Dreamplay dac come out sound so good Remember to Change Fuse from G2.1 1A t Orange Fuse or Blue
Dave –
Rock solid and it sounds really nice
john mccarty –
I’m very happy with my purchase. First impression is my amazement regarding build quality. Pictures do it no justice. Secondly, I need a network player/streamer to be user friendly. The Auralic doesn’t disappoint in this category either. If I can figure it out…anyone can. Most importantly..how does it sound ??? It sounds fantastic. Extremely low floor noise, detailed,dynamic and very non fatiguing. The Aries 2.1 is at the very top of my budget, and I feel like I’m overachieving at this price point. Highly recommended.
Dan Lavender –
This was the final piece to a digital system that sounds fantastic feeding a Chord Dave. Tweek Geek was so easy to work with in ultimately finding the right piece!