See:
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It would be great if all the sound relevant features could also be an option for the pure streamer, so one doesnāt have to take (and pay) functional features (like hard disk) just because of aiming for best sound quality. Do you think you will make the streamer upgradable e.g. to the better output stage if thatās the SQ difference?
Thanks Elk. Iām curious if it will be HQPlayer compatible.
Doubtful (but hopeful) if that feature would be forthcoming, but it would be a key purchasing point for some. PS Audio may have their own internal DSP onboard.
There are a couple of Signalyst HQ Player compatible options I was looking at, both in server, and streamer packages.
With the Stella Strata not being Roon Ready, I was worried about the new streamers. Itās great they are going to have this feature. I am glad Team PSA understands the marketplace.
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Please donāt : itās software is awfully bas, only working on iOs, and the sound is not even better that a pot set.
Iāve just bought one anddonāt know what to do with it. Nobody would buy it.
I had an Auralic Polaris and it sounded excellent. Only problem was it fried itself during the first week. Had to sent it back. I thought the software was OK.
My auralic aries G2.1 is a piece of crap, even after having had the power supply upgraded. There isnāt even an HDMI output.
Very cheap components, not even a remote. One of my worse Hi-Fi purchase.4
100% chinese stuff.
Well, different people, different experiences. For me, I love my Aries G2, I think it has great build quality, sound quality and software that I find pretty good and is regularly upgraded. Looks like it was different for you.
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Agreed. Different strokes for different folks. My Auralic G1 smoked the PS Audio Bridge II as a roon endpoint. No contest
I bought it used and sold it for.more than I bought it 1.5 years later. The fact that PS audio is going down a similar path is evidence in itself the value of a separate rendering device. The only reason I sold it is because my new MBL Noble 31 Dac has an outstanding built in Roon Card with separate power supplies and isolation.
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My experience matches up with yours.
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I liked my G1 so much I bought a second when I found a great deal on an almost new one at TMR. The Aries Mini with a LPS beat the Bridge and they are both tech from the same time frame. Were the Bridge II card put in a separate enclosure with the option of external power it would sound much better. PSA were just one of many companies to use the Conversdigital board in a similar fashion. Stream Unlimited now makes a far more advanced card that can be used in a similar manner.
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Must be system related Jack. 
Not at all. The G2.1 has very low end chinese power supply, just have a look. The software is opposite to Roon : Roon gives too many data, Lightning DS is too simple. Iād love to fancy my Aries G2.1 butā¦ System related : I hear that too often (not from @aangen) but for all stuff not sounding well, the reason canāt be āsystem relatedā.
Iāve heard the Grimm MU1 : it is way better and by a hudge margin.
@jack_nessuno I think youāre fighting a losing battle trashing Auralic hardware and Lightning. It has a lot of fans here, everywhere really, their streaming software is possibly the best along with Roon, and has been for years. Iāve had three. They developed an Android app years ago, but did not issue it because Android can be a real pain. Auralic started by making amplifiers, very good ones, but their streamers are so popular they just focus on that. I think they stopped the Aries Mini because it is just too good for the price. Still have one.
Given the Grimm is about 3 or 4 times the price of the 2.1, I would expect it to be better.
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V1 of Octave streamer software is going to lack many features. Paul agreed with this ages ago. I would expect PS Audio to hold some features back for later release. It it were not released until their full feature list were implemented, I reckon it might take another 2 or 3 years.
This is quite normal. Innuos are releasing their streamer software tomorrow, itās taken them 4 years on top of 10+ years developing server software. They have admitted they are holding back features just to get it out, in use and de-bugged.
There was much written from all parties for the fact that now still quite nothing is known a few months before release. I meanwhile try to do as those who ignore everything until release day (even if this makes half of all forum activity redundant). Not always easy
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@stevensegal I donāt mind loosing battle telling my opinion and my opinion is that the Auralic G2.1 is worth nothing. Mine is in Germany, Iāve heard one in France, and I donāt want to receive one. The Aurender streaming software in by far much better than the Auralic. Roon managed to adapt their software to Android. Auralic diidnāt. This is quite funny : " I think they stopped the Aries Mini because it is just too good for the price." : The solution is quite simple : increase the price. The Grimm MU1 is twice the price of the 2.1. I should have saved money and bought a Grimm MU1 as I wonāt listen to it. Itās a bad euipment. I can post pictures of the original power supply and of an improved one. Aualic doesnāt focul to streamers, just consider the almost no upgrade between G2 and G2.1. Youāll can check how it is badly built. Iāve never thought āthe most expensive the betterā. It should be but is not always. I think there are more expensive DAC than the PS-Audio but to my hears, they donāt are better. Some are but you have to put a lot of money
For me personally, I am only interested in Roon Ready. I am trying to keep the next generation of my main rig down to a minimum of little black boxes and LPS. The neat and tidy side of me cringes every time I open my media console.
Less is more!
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Another very happy G1 user here. Use WiFi only, and I like their Lightning app. Only wish is for I2S. May replace with new PS Audio streamer, may not.
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Happy G2 user. I2S solved with Matrix Spdif.
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