Auralic Aries

Hello @rfnoise 

Just fyi...
Monoprice does have a 30 day return policy on their Monolith branded products.  Also, Duster at Audio Asylum is no audio novice so I find his assessment credible (not to mention my own positive experience as well as others that posted in that thread).   

Before you order, do read the AA thread for discussion about optimum USB cable length (1.5 m, as I recall).

@ghosthouse Hmm... well if the optimal length is 1.5m, this cable is only available in 1m & 2m lengths...


Also, I discovered something interesting in the Lightning DS app...

It was my understanding that the one downside to moving from PC to dedicated streamer was the loss of the PC app’s ability to perform a first unfold of MQA files, which is unfortunate if one doesn’t have an MQA capable dac. Therefore, I’ve been running my Aries in FLAC lossless mode. 
Today, however, I discovered the following information in my device’s settings:

”Decoding Method: AURALiC streaming devices are capable of decoding MQA files using AURALiC’s proprietary resampling and de-blurring method. You can select from the sampling rate settings for the process described here. Please note that this process is not an MQA-created or MQA-licensed process.

Auto: Your streaming device will detect the best decoding sampling rate based on the information in the MQA file. It will also detect the maximum sampling rate of a USB-connected DAC. 
2x Sampling Rate: Your streaming device will always decode MQA files at 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz, depending on the original file’s sampling rate. 
4x Sampling Rate: Your streaming device will always decode MQA files at 176.4 kHz or 192 kHz, depending on the original file’s sampling rate. 
8x Sampling Rate: Your streaming device will always decode MQA files at 352.8 kHz or 384 kHz, depending on the original file’s sampling rate.”

Anyone know what I should make of this?

Again, if I recall correctly, longer is supposedly better than shorter (i.e., 2 meter rather than 1 meter) but do read the Audio Asylum thread as there’s discussion about the optimum length. Personally, I didn’t notice a negative impact on sound quality using a 1.0 meter length.

My Gungnir doesn’t do MQA and I don’t think the Auralic software in use on my Mini has the sort of home grown unfolding capability you mention. Experience with a Dragonfly Red that is MQA capable (headphone listening) didn’t impress me with whatever MQA is supposed to offer. I use the DS Lightning setting consistent with no MQA capability. Things sound great and I’m very satisfied. Consequently, don’t think I can help with your MQA question(s). Sorry.

PS - That might be something to ask the Auralic community about.

Under additional operations in the setup turn MQA pass through off and decoding method to auto. Auralic was one of the original members of the MQA consortium but dropped out after a fall out with the "King" of MQA. Prior to that they had developed their own software version of MQA and that is what is available with Lightning DS if it is still working. Back in the day when I owned a DAC with MQA certification the Auralic software version would trigger the MQA lights on the DAC so it thought it was receiving MQA audio.