AURALiC Announces New ALTAIR G1.1 and ARIES G1.1 Music Streamers

Originating in Beijing, China, AURALiC is the company that managed to make innovative digital and analog components for the home networking aficionados - and not for cheap. The company builds products that make listening to digital streaming and high-resolution music a fun hobby, particularly for those who want all the options. AURALiC now announced updated ARIES G1.1 and ALTAIR G1.1 music streamers, improving on existing models by adding Apple AirPlay 2. For the price of these audio components you can buy an expanded configuration of a Mac Studio, plus a great quality audio interface and DAC for music listening. But that wouldn't be the same... Some users don't want to compromise on their hi-fi living room systems, where these hardware streamers (basically a computer with dedicated audio circuits and expensive power supplies) are a better match with the furniture. They also make things more complicated than they need to be - because it's fun.

AURALiC products can still be conveniently controlled from an iPhone or iPad using the company's own Lightning DS control software. AURALiC supports exclusively Apple’s iOS infrastructure and devices for control because of its stability, wide availability and universal integration, all important factors in network-based music streaming. Other than control, users can pick and choose their integration.

AURALiC is among the few companies that still design and manufactures dedicated players for the digital streaming age, and in that category it is considered one of the best, particularly for the number of built-in options - as they state, "Engineered to exacting standards," (of which, there are so many of them...) The new devices, the ARIES G1.1 and ALTAIR G1.1 are very similar units that excel at providing the best source for high-resolution music streaming. For the uninitiated in AURALiC, the company divides its networked products starting with streaming transport only (ARIES), streamer with built-in DAC (VEGA), and all-in-one DAC/Streamer/Server (ALTAIR).

Designed and consistently updated in-house, these systems all use AURALiC's Lightning streaming platform that is unique in the industry since its release in 2014. As AURALiC explains, Lightning streaming allows users to explore the advantages of home networking, wired via Ethernet, or wirelessly, via Wi-Fi. Assuming the user has a properly setup home network in place (and the considerations are numerous, requiring first and foremost that users are comfortable at tweaking their home routers), AURALiC's proprietary Lightning technology over Ethernet or Wi-Fi is capable of supporting streaming of high resolution audio in PCM and DSD format between two or more AURALiC devices.

These designs also include several unique features in this hardware category, such as memory cache - needed to buffer the heavier loads of streaming up to PCM @384kHz and DSD512 in wired or wireless modes - and even CD playback and ripping. The Lightning DS iOS app provides native integration with high-resolution streaming services like Amazon Music, Qobuz, and HighResAudio, as well as other lossless services such as TIDAL, KKBox, and NetEase. AURALiC’s Lightning streaming platform also supports TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and acts as a Roon Ready endpoint allowing users the freedom to access and control their music however you like. The G1.1 updates bring two new features common to both models. The ARIES G1.1 and ALTAIR G1.1 now feature the high-mass base from the more expensive G2.1 series products. This is a satin silver base plate that improves the overall aesthetic and provides extra vibration damping for better sonic performance. Both units also now support AirPlay 2, further expanding the streaming options for the latest wireless standard over Wi-Fi. 

The ARIES G1.1 Wireless Streaming Transporter is a high-performance music streaming home audio system that can be connected to an external DAC and basically streams the music wirelessly. With the G1.1 update, users can purchase an internal storage option to store their favorite music inside the device - particularly if they still have a valuable library of high-res PCM or DSD digital files.
The ALTAIR G1.1 Digital Audio Streamer, with its robust Wi-Fi connectivity and analog output, is a clean one-box solution for all digital music needs. Users can connect the ALTAIR G1.1 to an amplifier or powered speakers and enjoy a world of music streaming options. The ALTAIR G1.1 has an improved Femto clock, providing an even higher level of precision for the integrated DAC. It also has a more powerful built-in headphone amplifier, making the headphone listening experience even better.

“With these updates, our G1.1 Series products will continue to lead their categories in technology and functionality, providing the best streaming experience in their market sector,” says Xuanqian Wang, co-founder and CEO.

Founded in 2009 by Xuanqian Wang and Yuan Wang, AURALiC has steadily grown and now has an additional office in Portland, Oregon, as well as specialized staff across North America and Europe. 
www.auralic.com