Auralic sets to debut the first products in the Lightning series-- the Aries, a device the company describes as a "bridge" between music files on network storage or streaming services and DACs.
It carries a 1GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, 1GB RAM and 4GB storage, allowing it to stream high-resolution music (in formats including AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WV and WMA) quickly and wirelessly at any sampling rate, including DSD, double-rate DSD and DXD.
Inputs include dual-band wifi, ethernet and USB 2.0, while outputs are a USB audio host buffered by Auralic ActiveUSB technology, AES/EBU, coax and Toslink.
The USB audio host delivers PCM signals from 44.1 to 384kHz at 16-, 24- and 32-bit resolution, as well as DSD and double-rate DSD for compatible USB DACs. The other outputs handle signals at 24-bit/192kHz as per the S/PDIF standard.
Support for multiform, whole-house audio with multiple control points and standards such as UPnP and DLNA comes via the OpenHome technology platform.
A Lightning DS app provides control on iDevices (Android and PC versions launching later on 2014). The Aries is also compatible with OpenHome and UPnP AV-based control software such as Linn Kinsky and Bubble DS.
The Aries Streamer Bridge ships from June 2014 in two versions-- Aries LE (standard model with low-phase crystal and standard external PSU) and Aries (with 2 individual Femto clocks, low-noise internal design and Purer-Power 10uV low-noise external linear PSU).
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