Naim NDX vs Auralic Aries into Hugo

"I mentioned that maybe the Aries is voiced to suite the Vega, so we put it in place of the NDX and i have to say i think this gave the best sound".

An interesting post.

I mentioned in another thread that I had had the opportunity to listen to the Auralic Aries (with Vega DAC), and that I was extremely impressed. I run a Linn Klimax Renew and an ND5XS/Hugo at home, and despite not being able to carry out a direct comparison, I came away from the demo with the impression that the Auralic combo was at least a match for either of my own streamers.

I would be interested to hear your view if you get a chance to compare the Auralic combo directly with your own gear.

Hi Hmack

Interesting to know you had a similar outcome. If/when i get around to it i will definitely pop a post up. Its a shame they only come in silver though.

The Vega is a very nice looking piece of kit, i don't quite understand why they would have made Aries not match it. Especially as the rest of the Auralic range matches the Vega.

Hi Graeme, how were you feeding the Hugo.. I have found the NDX to be a 'brighter' source into the Hugo than say the Sonos, i think some  of it it is to do with resolution, but then I have found the SPDIF cable can certainly change the balance of the audio. With the Sonos I always use Toslink.

Hi Simon

I was using my TQ coax cable on both the NDX and Aries. I did try the USB cable that came with the Hugo on the Aries, but this created a lot of sibilance on vocals. Also it was more of a fair comparison to use the same cable on both.

I'm surprised the Sonos is less bright. I am intrigued by this unit but it doesn't do what i need.

Yeah the Sonos is more blurred but less bright.. I put that down to its increased jitter.. And possible use of Toslink. I find the NDX as a tranport is crisper, more detailed, textured and pleasing to the ear.. It can full band the audio to make the balance more bright and an uplifting sound into the Hugo.. It can make imaging and musical phrasing and timing wonderful. Accentuated sibilence is effectively non existent with the NDX.. With the Somos I wouldn't say its accentuated when using the Hugo, but it is more apparent. Complex and busy music sounds more blurred with the Sonos, but sounds layered with the NDX in to the Hugo.. Again I put this down to the more stable source clock of the NDX.

Dear Graeme,

Thank you for an interesting review - context is King.

I too am thinking of an Aries for when my NS01 gives up, I am also toying with making a CAPS server. The benefit of HiFi products is that you can listen to a finished item within your system before making an investment.

M

Hi M

Indeed, and to be honest i think it is the only way to be certain you can achieve the sound you are after.  For instance what i listened too on Tuesday, NDX/Hugo/282/250/Audio Physic, sounded so different from my system it would be impossible to judge if i liked the Hugo sound or not. Did it sound different because of the amp, the speakers or the room. Who knows, but it proves that you need to demo at home in your own system.

Over at Computeraudiophile they have made a server from a beagle unit, about £40, with USB out to a DAC. I had thought about trying this but im beginning to wonder if Hugo does have to much of light touch to partner with anything other than the NDX. Although Simon says the Sonos is a good also.

Graeme

Simon (as ever) talks a whole bunch of sense on this topic.

I'm currently using ND5 XS into Hugo. It sounds good, but I've been wondering about the redundancy of the onboard DAC in the ND5.

Having had some issues with the Naim app, I think that if I moved onwards from this setup I would be looking at a PC-based set-up (optimised for audio as much as I could). I think the flexibilty of the computer-based approach, provided it's combined with the right outboard DAC (and I can't imagine upgrading my Hugo any time soon) is the future direction for me. Enough forum members have adopted a computer-based setup (some misguided souls even use Macs for this purpose) to make me pretty sure it's the way to go.

Nick

I agree with your reasoning, however for me i really don't want to go down the PC/Mac route. I want something simple and with little to no settings that will affect SQ. I would just spend every session adjusting this adjusting that and never getting to sit down and listen and enjoy music. I tried jriver into Hugo and there are endless settings that drove me insane.

Just been scouring the net and come across this "Sonore Signature Series Rendu" it looks interesting.

Graeme

I think the Aries is a very interesting product. I haven't listened so cannot comment on its musical nature but I think this type of product together with an outboard DAC could be the most flexible approach going forward. Probably as future proof as you can get too.

Of course, the end result musically would be the most important element so demo would be essential. 

I would love to hear Aries > Chord QBDxxxx(future version) > Naim Amplifier.

However, if your current system produces wonderful music, it will continue to do so and not stop overnight!

The endless permutations are great but maybe also confusing and easier to make a mistake. Demo esential 

I can't speak for MAC, but getting unmolested audio out of a PC requires very little effort, just the right choices in software as much as anything.  In Windows there is one tick box in the sound device settings that needs to be checked (which it is by default) for audio software to deliver bit-perfect audio.  Beyond that, as an example, getting Qobuz Desktop optimised requires one setting change over the default install, nothing taxing, however the Tidal desktop player, does not offer the required option, so its down to choices of software / service to a large degree.  When people use the term optimise in relation to a PC, it sounds like a big scary world.  In reality apart from just a couple of settings, optimisation of a PC is best achieved by leaving it dedicated to one function, i.e delivering media, and only ever install on it what you need to deliver that, and nothing else.  There's much more you could do, but nothing that's likely to be anything more that very very..very subtle IMO,

Allen thanks for that, the Aurender N100 looks like the kinda thing i'm after. Maybe we are going to start seeing more of these products hitting the market.

My experience with the Auralic Aries last fall was very similar to Foxman50.  I found the iPad software application bland and awkward use.  The presentation in my system seemed light and detailed, rather having weight and body.  But I readily admit that the Aries may work rather nicely for the more technically inclined audiophile with a full, rich sounding systems, especially if hi-resolution audio is a priority. (None of the forgoing describes me, my system, or music preferences.)

As an alternative, the Aurender N100 streamer does appear to be a very promising streaming product with a best class software application.  The developer recently integrated Tidal music service, which should make a very good product even better.  

I don't believe any of these are as featured as the Aries, which has both coax and USB out and does DSD upto 128. 

If i'm going to change i want to make it as future proof as possible, and the Aurender is looking like a possible solution.

Why not just use a computer, Mac or PC?

H.

The Faff factor ? - The move from a Mac based source to a Linn then Naim streamer for me a few years back was prompted by the fiddling about needed to maintain the system. Software players needed updating, stopped working with iTunes, sounded different on each update and generally became a bit of a PITA. I can see the attraction of the off the shelf aggregator / streamer.

Saying that i moved back to the Mac as a (USB) source rather than Network server using Amarra and it's working very well.

You've got a point 

james/nick - Its exactly the faff factor reason i want to keep away from a pc/mac system. However i do wonder if ultimately this really is the only fully flexible way to go. At least if one piece of software doesn't do something then you can just delete it and try another. There you go see faffing around forever, its just not what i want to be doing.

Graeme

In truth, is making a CAPS server only for the very experienced or should the faint-hearted (ie me) be able to give it a go?

Otherwise, I have been considering getting someone to make me an HTPC (Hifidelit and Item Audio produce turnkey HTPCs and music server PCs...)

You could make a 'dedicated' audio computer, but it won't sound any better than a Mac or standard PC.

H

 then why do people bother and why do a number of well respected suppliers sell them?