I have an Auralic Aries Mini and love it I don't think you can get it anymore but the big brother the Aries G1 is around and new about $1500 and used around $1K. Sounds great and the Lightning DS app is a pleasure to use.
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Your best bets in that price range are a used Auralic Aries or a Lumin D1. The Aries Mini was a real bargain but has been discontinued. If you had your own DAC it did everything you would need including the ability to add internal storage. While it did have it's own DAC it was from listening to it in my system only for "emergencies." |
OP didn’t mention whether a DAC is required...or when someone asks about a streamer, do we assume that no DAC, and no HD, is required?
i second the Bluesound Node2 recommendation
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The Music Room is advertising that he has NIB Aries Femto's for $899. From experience the Aries into the MP-D2 via AES/EBU is a great combo. |
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Sonica is an option but not the 205. But in the OP's case won't work as it doesn't output digital only analog. |
Really like the Elac Discovery. Lifetime Roon Essentials included with purchase. Streams Tidal. No complaints about sound quality. I use it feeding a modified LKS 004 and it sounds almost as good as my Modwright Sony HAP-Z1ES (which has more body and better bass).
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The Elac is limited to 30,000 tracks? Not enough for an audiophile maybe?
Bluesound Node, they were $199 at Audio Advisor. |
Piggybacking here: any recommendations with a DAC and no storage? It will feed from an existing NAS (and streaming) into a cambridge audio amp and cd player. I’ve been eyeing the cambridge audio 851N, but can’t quite tell if it’s worth the cash over a sonos or node2.
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I bought a node 2 thinking it would let me try the medium, and serve as a bridge. I don’t see replacing it any time soon unless Bluesound does.... |
I'd say the Node 2. I went back and forth between it and the Aries Mini and chose the Node 2 for my needs. |
Awesome, got one on ebay. Thank you much for the recommendation, saved me a $1,000.
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The Node 2 is dandy, and use a good interconnect! |
While I do not have the node but the upmarket vault I can concur that the better the spdif interconnect I have upgraded to the better the sq. It really does help. |
Anybody try the DH Labs Silver Sonic Air Matrix RCA with the Node 2? I just picked up a used one and will be adding it to a Kimber D60 coax connection too. I can get a full MQA unfold via analog and go digital for other content. I also have a Kimber Silver Streak buried in my man cave somewhere that I’ll A/B with the DH Labs when I find it. |
