Just wanted to chime in here that I have several sources for the DS (as per my review on CA) and easily the best source for my ears (and one of the best sounds I’ve ever had in my room) is the Sonore Signature Rendu via I2S (Nordost Silver Screen HDMI). This source was a large leap over the Auralic Aries (although twice the price) in any of its outputs (inc USB with JCAT or TotalDac USB cables), and slightly better than the USB out of the Aurender X100L. It also ever so slightly bested the well tweaked customized dual pc (Client-server WS2012 Audiophile Optimized Jplay setup with JCAT USB card on audiopc). Music server is the what-should-appear-to-be-noisy-and-unfriendly 10 disc Synology DS1513+DX513, running Minimserver w/ BubbleServer (for OH capability). My $.02
ted_b, good to see you here! Right now the Sig Rendu is not in my plan (
), but I had been wondering about the Aries. Do you have an opinion on how the Aries did relative to other more standard sources? A number of us are beta testing the new internal Bridge. It is a leap above the original Bridge which I believe you also heard during your review.
Tony,
Hi. I did not get a chance to use or hear the Bridge product(s).
The Auralic Aries is a very nice sounding renderer, and it’s strengths are its flexibility of output (transformer-coupled digital outs and USB) and its integration to streaming services like Tidal. I am lukewarm on the Lightning app, but got used to it (nothing compares to JRemote, which I am wishing was a true control point, but a major reason JRemote is so good is that it is proprietarily tightly integrated to JRiver…something a generic DLNA cp would not have anyway). Lightning is fine, functional, much faster than earlier versions, and in the world of DLNA/OH control points is pretty good (left handed compliment 
).
The sq from the Aries is clearly better than a stock Mac Mini or even a stock CAPS server, and got better as the beta testing went on. I’m sure Wang Xuanqian and company will consistently improve it over time (their track record of listening to the customers and creating updates/fixes/improvements is quite good). For the money or anywhere near the money demoing it is a no-brainer IMHO.
I depressingly large number of source options are not available to those wanting to run DRC, but I am still working on the assumption any differences in source are dwarfed by the benefits wrought from applying DRC.
Erik,
Hi. I agree…but ARC comes first. (ARC = actual room correction 
). The work that Jeff Hedback did on my room (which was pretty darn good to begin with, prior to his project) was astounding (floating front wall, side and ceiling diffuser HAR slats and cloud, etc). I feel like I’d love to try DRC if only because I’d ask so little of it, the final details. Sure wish it wasn’t largely (except for Miska’s stuff) PCM only…but oh well. Again, who cares what the format is…as long as the music sings.
Edit: maybe a better acronym is PRC, physical room correction…since DRC is “actual” too.
Usually referred to as “room treatment”. What is preventing you from loading a trial copy of Dirac and just for kicks running it on your CAPS?
Yes, was trying to make a slight clever joke (all the while relating DRC and treatment).
Dirac trial is on my to-do, but I have like 8 projects and 4 reviews ahead of it.
The other problem is that my CAPS setup is not conducive, right now, to any modifications. Why? A dual Jplay setup has resulted in my best CAPS (Zuma, the audio or server pc) not having a GUI, an internet connection nor a copy of JRiver, and the front end CAPS Lagoon (that has all those things) is fairly lightweight and has no USB card. So… some work needs to be done to use either (Zuma, more practically) to do more standard stuff like demo new software.
adimon said Hi Wijnand,I wish I had shares, but no nothing like that. I'm a formal beta tester for the PWD and bridge. A few years I tested that much configurations. cabling, computers, powersupply's and fuses, etc, etc. No one would believe that much.Do you have shares in Pink faun?
What makes them so special?
About a year ago I walked in at Pink Fauns. They gave answer on many questions I never found out in the years I tested. I found out the difference in sound, but they could tell why things happen. They follow a complete other path than other manufacturers. The difference they make is big.
So I hope a lot of people will discover this brand. There are a few that heard the equipment and cabling and they are confinced.
The Audiostreamer for example is comparable with the PWT. I never heard a computer streamer on this hi level. Both tested with Pink Fauns I2S cable. With this cable also the PWT operates on a higher level. The new AV streamer is something else there is a big gap between every thing I heard so far. There’s no need to help them sell this equipment. there’s a waiting list. Hope this makes it clear I have no shares. -
The brand needs to stay small to stay on this hi level. Many products are still build by hand. So I could better be quiet.
By the way I brought my direct stream to pink faun this weekend. They realy liked it. I never expected that because they hated the sound of the PWD. They liked the DS that much, maybe they are going to contact the Importer to see if there’s room for another dealer. No shares in PS audio
I’ll add that if you are using the Aries make sure to try different cable brands (and if you have the Aries with the LPS different power cords) I was very surprised how a WireWorld Platinum 7 USB out performed my AudioQuest Diamond USB… The WireWorld sounds very unlike the reviews I’ve read. I think that there is a lot of difference between how these cables interact between different components, and that a review or another persons opinion is almost worthless unless the exact same equipment is being used.
Just a reflection. I remember the DirectStream initially being touted as the arrival of the source agnostic DAC. So here we are discussing literally hundreds of options and configurations to feed bits to the DS that allegedly all sound different, and the search for the holy source grail has continued unabatedly.
Of course, this is all good because an audiophile’s worse nightmare is running out of new things to try to get better sound :)…
There is no source agnostic DAC, and the DS joins that club. No news here. Source/DAC/system/room synergy is not something that can be willed or marketed away.
Philosophically, the bits are bits doctrine is still very appealing. I still don’t really understand problems with jitter and noise in an asynchronous design (no desire to take time away from listening to music trying to figure this out). Hell, I could not even explain to my 11 year old what jitter and noise are!
I believe in fact the DS to be source “agnostic”. The differences you may hear with varying sources is due to different types of electrical noise by the source injected into the digital input and how it effects the DS circuitry. For this reason I find the purist sound to be available with the optical input - though it does limit your playable format options.
For me, the definition of being “source agnostic” would be for the DAC to be immune to this electrical noise injected, and sound the same with high and low noise source. This appears not to be the case.
Pink Faun just offered to send me their I2S Bridge (Multi Channel), for a shootout against Lynx card with return option. Too good to pass up. I will be comparing Lynx AES/EBU against I2S on MCH. I can then compare I2S from the MCH server, against USB from the 2 channel CAPS 3.0 server on 2 channel material, or even install I2S card in my CAPS 3.0. I’ll report how it all pans out.
I’m very much looking forward to that one, Erik. And make sure you choose decent HDMI cables (my Nordost Silver Screen, albeit stiff as hell, is quite in another league compared to Monoprice, BlueJeans, etc).
Ted, I’m going to do a “proof of concept” first before sinking a lot of money into HDMI cables. My assumption is if the I2S card does not beat the lynx with a decent HDMI cable, getting a top notch cable won’t swing the balance. So if the card turns out to be a keeper, I’ll go cable shopping. I realized I still have an old CAPS 2.0 sitting around. I’ll install the I2S card in the CAPS 2.0 first to compare against CAPS 3.0 with USB, before doing surgery on my MCH server and install the card for shootout against Lynx. Should be fun. I could end up consolidating to a single server is the card is really that good.
edorr said Ted, I'm going to do a "proof of concept" first before sinking a lot of money into HDMI cables. My assumption is if the I2S card does not beat the lynx with a decent HDMI cable, getting a top notch cable won't swing the balance. So if the card turns out to be a keeper, I'll go cable shopping. I realized I still have an old CAPS 2.0 sitting around. I'll install the I2S card in the CAPS 2.0 first to compare against CAPS 3.0 with USB, before doing surgery on my MCH server and install the card for shootout against Lynx. Should be fun. I could end up consolidating to a single server is the card is really that good.The HDMI cables made the difference for me. I tested a monster cable 1M against a Kimber HD19, against a stock cable 1M, PSA AC12 1M and a Pink faun IL2. My findings were the monster was much to bright and tin. The Kimber was pretty good, but there was not enough rest. The stock cable was the wurst. The PSA AC12 was pretty good even better dan the Kimber, but there was no magic. The Pink Faun made the difference. It has stronger and deeper bass, more tight and there's the magic. The Pink Faun was a clear winner on 3 different installations. Actually it's not usable for HDMI it's I2S only.
Maybe you could try a cable to hear the difference yourself.
edorr said Pink Faun just offered to send me their I2S Bridge (Multi Channel), for a shootout against Lynx card with return option. Too good to pass up. I will be comparing Lynx AES/EBU against I2S on MCH. I can then compare I2S from the MCH server, against USB from the 2 channel CAPS 3.0 server on 2 channel material, or even install I2S card in my CAPS 3.0. I'll report how it all pans out.Please ask them for the Kernel stream driver as well.
I have a chance to try an Empirical Off-Ramp 5 on my Mac Mini and DS.
Does the OR5 work via I2s with my Ds and… is it worthy?