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Copyright©2008-2017AURALICLIMITED(AURALiC)andlicensors.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationincludingbutnotlimitedto,graphics,text,codeorinteractivefeatures,maybereproducedwithouttheexpresswrittenpermissionfromAURALiCoritslicensors.Thecontentofthismanualisprovidedforinformationuseonly,issubjecttochangewithoutnotice,andshouldnotbeconstruedasacommitmentbyAURALiC.AURALiCassumesnoresponsibilityorliabilityforanyerrorsorinaccuraciesthatmayappearinthismanual.AURALiC,inspirethemusic,LightningStreaming,Purer-Power, ORFEO and their graphic logos are trademarks or registered trademarks ofAURALiCintheUnitedStatesand/orothercountries.AURALiC'strademarksmaynotbeusedinconnectionwithanyproductorservicethatisnotAURALiC's,inanymannerthatis likely to cause confusion among customers or in any manner that disparages ordiscreditsAURALiC.AllothertrademarksnotownedbyAURALiCthatappearonthissiteare thepropertyof their respectiveowners,whomayormaynotbeaffiliatedwith,connectedto,orsponsoredbyAURALiC.

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WelcomeSince2014 theAURALiCARIESWirelessStreamingBridgehasbeen the leader in theworldofhigh-resolutionaudiostreaming,anditbecamethepremierchoiceforbridgingthegapbetweenlosslessdigitalmusicsourcesandyourhomeaudiosystem.Now,withcutting-edgetransferprotocols,fasterprocessing,enhancedisolationengineeringandaredesignedchassis,thebrand-newARIESG2StreamingTransporterraisesthestandardforconnectingyourmusicalworld.TheAURALiCARIESG2includesalltherock-solidconnectivityandone-of-a-kindfeaturesfoundintheoriginalaward-winningARIES,andbuildsonthembyintroducingoriginalengineeringdesignsfocusedonisolation,separationandprotectionagainstinterference.Not just a big brother to the ARIES, the ARIES G2 is an enhanced streaming deviceendowedwithcutting-edgetechnologiesandproprietary innovations.WhetheronitsownorworkinginconsortwithotherGSeriesdevicesfromAURALiC,theARIESG2isformusicloverswhorequirethemostdiscerningapproachtomodernstreaming.• LightningStreaming

Like all streaming-capable AURALiC products, the ARIES G2’s expansive wirelessconnectivityoptionsarethankstoitsnativeintegrationofAURALiC’scustom-builtLightningStreamingtechnology.LightningStreamingusesexistingWi-Fitocreateadedicated music streaming network capable of wirelessly delivering the highestresolutionmusicalformatsavailable,uptoDSD512andPCM32bit/384k.LightningStreaming brings with it all the features you’ve come to expect from ARUALiCstreamingdevices too, likeGapless Playback,MemoryCaching, Bit-PerfectMulti-Room,andUpsampling.Alongwith theARIESG2 and theG series of products fromAURALiC,we’re alsointroducingabrowser-based interface forconfiguringLightningStreamingand itsfeatures,allowinguniversalaccessforthefirsttimefromanysmartphone,tablet,orcomputer.In addition to compatibilitywith AirPlay, the ARIES G2 is a certified Roon Readyendpoint forseamless integrationwithRoonsoftware,making itoneof themostflexiblestreamersavailableinhi-fi.

• LightningLink

LightningLinkisalow-jitter,bi-directional18Gbpscouplingthattakesadvantageofhigh-speed HDMI-type hardware connectors to provide a superior level of

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transmission control,making today’s ultra-high resolutiondigitalmusic shine likeneverbefore.DifferentfromtheotherHDMIbasedI2Sconnections,thebi-directionalLightningLinkopensthedoortojitter-freeoperationofallthedevicesinyoursystem.ClockinginformationfromdestinationdevicessuchastheVEGAG2candrivetheARIESG2timing forperfectdatasynchronization.LightningLinkalsocarriessystemcontroldata for everything from volume control to processor engine setup, allowing alllinkedAURALiCdevicestoappearinasingle,unifiedcontrolinterface.

• TeslaG2Platform

TheAURALiCTeslaG2PlatformistherevampedheartoftheARIESG2,anditpacksa processor that’s 50% faster than the TeslaG1 platform,with twice the systemmemory(2GB)anddatastorage(8GB)ofthepreviousgeneration.TeslaG2notonlyhandles themost demanding audio formatswith ease but drives the ARIESG2’ssoftwareprocessingengineanditsadvancedDSPfunctionality,includingupsamplingdutiesandabiggermemorycacheforanexactinglevelofsonicqualityandstability.Asalways,automaticupdateskeeptheARIESG2uptodatewiththelatestfeatureset and support, continually expanding its functionality and ensuring peakperformance.

• DigitalAudioGalvanicIsolation

Physicallyseparatingelectricalcircuitswhileallowingdatatoflowbetweenthem,Digital Audio Galvanic Isolation in the ARIES G2 offers a new level of protectionagainstelectromagnetic interference.Wecreatedtwospecialhigh-speedgalvanicisolatorsandconfiguredthembetweenthreeprimarycircuitsintheARIESG2.Noise-sensitiveFemtoClockanddigitalaudiotransmittersystems,aswellasthecentralprocessing circuit are completely isolated from each other, eliminating jitter andcontributingtoanunparalleledlevelofclarity.

• DualLinearPurer-Power

AURALiC’s Purer-Power technology already re-examined every detail of powerdeliverywithinnovativewiringandcircuitdesignsbasedontheconceptsofisolationandpurification,anditwasakeytothepristineoperationoftheoriginalARIES.Now,theARIESG2takesthatapproachastepfurtherbyusingtwointernalPurer-Powerlinear power supplies, separating and protecting distinct power circuits frominterference.ThefirstPurer-PowersupplyfeedstheARIESG2’sprocessingcircuit,LCDdisplay,andstorage–whetherinternalorattachedviaUSB.ThesecondPurer-PowerpathwayisdedicatedtosensitiveaudiocomponentssuchastheFemtoclock

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andUSBaudiooutput.BothpowersuppliesaregalvanicallyisolatedfromeachothertoensurezeroEMIinterferencebetweenthem.

• DualFemtoClocks

We’veretainedtheuseoftwoFemtoClocksintheARIESG2forincrediblydetailedsignalhandling.ThefirstclockdrasticallyreducesjitteracrosstheAES/EBU,CoaxialandToslinkoutputs.ButtimingissuescanaffectsoundqualityfromoutputviaUSBtoo,sothere’sasecondFemtoClockdedicatedtotheUSBcontrollerintheARIESG2.Nomatterwhichrouteyouchoose,you’llbenefitfromextremelyprecisetimingandlowjitterthankstothesesuper-accurateclocks.

• UnityChassis

TheARIESG2ishousedinacompletelyredesignedenclosure–theUnityChassis.It’smachinedfromasinglebilletofaluminumandspecificallydesignedforthepremiumlineupofAURALiCGSeriesproducts,rightdowntomassbalancingandtheshapeofitsfootspikes.TheUnityChassisexcelsatshieldingtheinnerworkingsoftheARIESG2 from EMI and providing superior dampening and absorption, reflecting theobsessiveattentiontonoisereductionthroughouttheGSeries.

• OptionalInternalStorage

TheARIESG2connectstoallyourfavoritesourcesofhighresolutiondigitalmusic,nomatterwheretheyare.Butifyouprefertostoreyourmusiclocally,there’saninternal drive bay capable of housing any 2.5” HDD/SSD.With an internal driveinstalled the ARIES G2 becomes a powerful and flexible streamingmusic server,readytodeliveranexceptionalaudioexperience.

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Table of Contents

Welcome...................................................................................................................2

DeclarationofConformity.........................................................................................7

Warranty...................................................................................................................8

Unpacking.................................................................................................................8

PlacementandCabling..............................................................................................9Placement.........................................................................................................................9CheckYourACMainsVoltage............................................................................................9Cabling.............................................................................................................................10

FrontPanel..............................................................................................................12

UsingyourARIESG2................................................................................................13WelcomeScreen..............................................................................................................13HomeMenu.....................................................................................................................13NowPlaying.....................................................................................................................14Queue..............................................................................................................................15Library..............................................................................................................................16System.............................................................................................................................20Streamer..........................................................................................................................21Processor.........................................................................................................................23DAC..................................................................................................................................24MasterClock....................................................................................................................24

LightningWebControlInterface..............................................................................24

LightningDSforiOS.................................................................................................25

UsewithOtherSoftware.........................................................................................25

NetworkSetup........................................................................................................26ConnectingtoyournetworkviaEthernet.........................................................................26ConnectingtoyournetworkviaWi-Fi...............................................................................29GettingStartedwithLightningDS.....................................................................................33

Smart-IRRemoteControl........................................................................................35

Maintenance&Service...........................................................................................36

Contact...................................................................................................................37

Specifications..........................................................................................................38

AURALiCProductRegistrationForm........................................................................39

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IMPORTANTSAFETYINSTRUCTIONS

l Allsafetyandoperatinginstructionsmustbereadbeforeactualoperation,andretainedforfuturereference.

l Thisproductshouldbeconnectedonlytothetypeofpowersourceindicatedon

thebackoftheunit.Ifyouarenotsureofthetypeofyourmainspowersupply,pleaseconsultyourdealerorlocalpowercompany.

l TocompletelydisconnectthisproductfromtheACmains,disconnectthepowersupplycordplugfromtheACreceptacle.

l Donotusetheproductnearwater,i.e.nearabathtub,kitchensink,laundrytub,

inawetbasement,nearaswimmingpooletc.l Donot installtheproductnearheatsourcessuchasradiators,heatregisters,

stoves,orotherapparatusthatproduceheat.See“PlacementandCabling”onpage9.

l Donotletobjectsorliquidsfallintotheproduct.Donotexposetheproductto

dripping or splashing. Do not place a vessel containing liquid on top of theproduct.

l Cleanonlywithasoft,drycloth.l Donotattempttoservicethisproductyourself.Openingorremovingcoversmay

expose you to dangerous voltage. Refer all servicing to authorized servicepersonnel.See“Service”onpage36.

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DeclarationofConformity

AURALiC(Beijing)TechnologyCo.,Ltd.

Room101,BuildingNo.17,1AChaoqianRoadBeijing,102200,China

declaresunderoursoleresponsibilityasthemanufactureroftheproduct:

ARIESG2

WirelessStreamingTransporter

iscompliantwithDirective2011/65/EC(RoHS)RestrictiononHazardousSubstances,andisinconformitywiththeprovisionsofthefollowingECDirective,includingallamendments,

andwithnationallegislationimplementingthesedirectives:

2014/35/EULowVoltageDirective(LVD)2014/30/EUElectromagneticCompatibilityDirective(EMC)

2014/53/EURadioandTelecommunicationTerminalEquipment(R&TTE)Directive2012/19/EUWasteofElectricalandElectronicEquipmentDirective

Thefollowingharmonizedstandardswereapplied:

Healthandsafetyoftheuser: EN60065:2002+A1:2006+A11:2008+A2:2010+A12:2011

Electromagneticcompatibility: EN301489-1V1.9.2(2011-09)EN301489-17V2.2.1(2012-09)EN55013:2013EN55020:2007+A11:2011EN61000-3-2:2014ClassAEN61000-3-3:2013EN61000-4-2:2009EN61000-4-3:2006+A1:2008+A2:2010EN61000-4-4:2012EN61000-4-5:2014EN61000-4-6:2014EN61000-4-11:2004

Effectiveuseofthespectrumallocated:

EN300328-V1.9.1(2015-02)EN301893-V1.8.1(2015-03)EN300440-1V.1.6.1(2010-04)EN300440-2V1.4.1(2010-08)

ThisproductthatcarriestheCEMark,whichwasfirstaffixedin2017.

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Warranty AURALiC offers a 90-day factory warranty from the date of purchase that can beextendedtoa3-Yearlimitedwarranty.Thisnon-transferablewarrantyisavailabletotheoriginalownerbycompletingtheproductregistrationformincludingtheoriginalsalesinformationfromyourauthorizedAURALiCdealerwithin30daysfrompurchase.Youcould either activate the device inside Lightning DS software under your AURALiCaccountorfilloutthe‘AURALiCProductRegistrationForm’onpage39andsenditbacktosupport@auralic.comtofinishtheregistration.Warrantycoverage includesallpartsand labor.Warranty isvoid ifdamage isdue toabuse,neglectorunauthorizedmodifications.Costsassociatedwiththereturnofthisproduct are the sole responsibility of the owner. All repair work must be done byAURALiC or by an authorized AURALiC repair agency. Work done by unauthorizedpersonswillvoidanyandallwarrantycoverage.AURALiCproductsareuniquelyidentifiedwithaserialnumber(S/N)printedonthelabelattached under the unit. This number is required to validate your warranty. Pleaseprovideyourserialnumberifserviceisrequired.Beforetheproductcanbereturnedforservice,anRMA(ReturnMaterialAuthorization)number must be issued by AURALiC. Contact your dealer or AURALiC for furtherinformation.UnitswithoutanRMAnumberwillnotbeacceptedforservice.

UnpackingPleasecheckthatthefollowingitemsareinthebox:

l ARIESG2l ACPowerCordl Wi-FiAntennas(2pieces)l User’sGuide

Carefullyunpackeachpiece; if there is anydamage,or if anything ismissing,pleasecontactyourdealerorAURALiC.

ONLYSHIPTHISPRODUCTINITSORIGINALPACKAGING!

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Pleasebesuretoretaintheoriginalshippingcartonandallpackingmaterialsastheyarespeciallydesignedtoprotecttheunitduringtransportationandshipping.

PlacementandCabling

PlacementARIESG2shouldbeplacedonasolidandstablesurfacewithgoodventilation.Donotinstallthisproductnearanyheatsourcessuchasradiatorsorotherproducts(suchasamplifiers)thatproduceheat.Placetheproductsothatitslocationorpositiondoesnotinterferewith itsproperventilation.Forexample, itshouldnotbesituatedonabed,sofa,rug,orsimilarsurfacethatmayblocktheventilationopenings,orplacedinabuilt-ininstallationsuchasabookcaseorcabinetthatmayimpedetheflowofairthroughtheventilationopenings.

VentilationRequirement

ARIESG2dissipatesupto50Wattsofpowerduringnormaloperation.Itshouldbeinstalledinaspacewithatleastoneinchofclearanceabove,behindandonboth sides of its enclosure to provide adequate ventilation. Avoid placing itdirectlyaboveotherequipmentthatproducesheat.

CheckYourACMainsVoltageARIESG2isshippedwithitsmainsvoltagepresetforoperationinthedestinationcountry.Themainsvoltagesetting iswrittenon thebackof theunit,besides thepowercordsocket.Mainsvoltagesettingisnotintendedtobechangedbytheuser.Ifitneedstobechanged,contactyourdealerorAURALiC.The power cord has a three-wire grounding type plug (a plug having a third pin forgrounding).Itwillonlyfitintoagroundedpoweroutlet.Ifyouareunabletoinserttheplug fully into the outlet, contact your dealer or AURALiC. Do not defeat the safetypurposeofthegroundedplug.

ARIESG2MUSTBEUSEDWITHCORRECT

MAINSVOLTAGEANDPROPERLYEARTHED!

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CablingTheI/OportsontherearofARIESG2:

• AES,COAXandTOS

TheAES/EBU,CoaxialandToslinkportsaredrivenbysameFemtoClocksourcebuttheyareindividuallybuffered.Theseportscanbeusedtogether.Select‘ARIESG2DigitalOutputs’astheoutputchannelinsidethedevicemenutoactivethem.ThemaximumsamplingratesupportedbyAES,CoaxialandToslinkis24Bit/192K.

• L-LINK

AURALiC Lightning Link connection. Lightning Link is the preferred connectionmethodifyouuseARIESG2withotherAURALiCproductsthatsupportLightningLink.PleaseuseonlywiththecablethatcomeswithourProcessorandDAC.LightningLinkuseanHDMItypeofphysicalconnectorbut it isneitheranHDMIportnoranI2Soutput.PleasedonotattempttoconnectittoanyHDMIorI2Sdevice.Select‘ARIESG2LightningLink’as theoutputchannel inside thedevicemenu toactive it.ThemaximumsamplingratesupportedbytheARIESG2LightningLinkis32Bit/384KinPCMorDSD512inDSD.

• DAC

USB Audio host output to a compatible DAC. The attached DAC needs to becompatiblewithLinuxwithoutinstallingadditionaldrivers.MostUSBDACsthatdonotrequireadrivertoworkwiththeMacOSXsystemshouldworkwithARIESG2.PleasecheckwithyourDACmanufacturertogetmoreadviceoncompatibility.SelectyourDAC’snameastheoutputchannelinsidethedevicemenutoactiveit.PleaserefertoyourDAC’sspecificationsforthemaximumsamplingrateitsupports.

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• HDD

USBhostportforconnectingUSBremovablestorage.WhenUSBstorageispresent,LightningServerwillreadthecontentontheUSBstorageandscanthemusicfilesautomatically.ThepartitionformatssupportedareFAT32,exFAT,NTFS,EXT-2/3/4andlimitedsupportofAppleHFS+.Themaximumcurrentdrivingabilityofthisportis5V/500mA.AURALiC recommendyouuseUSB storagewithadedicatedpowersupplyforsoundqualityconsiderations.LightningServerwillonlyscanthelargestpartitiononyourUSBstorageformusicdata.

• LAN

GigabitEthernetconnectionforARIESG2.Goto:HomeMenu>Settings>Network>ConnectionType>Wired>JoinNetworktoswitchtoEthernet.

• ATN1andATN2

Wi-Fiantennas forARIESG2.TheWi-FiantennasalsoworkasBluetooth receiverantennas. Go toHomeMenu>Settings>Network>Connection Type>Wireless andselecttheWi-Finetworkyouwanttojoin.

• ACMains

Forthebestsoundquality,wesuggestusingastandalonepowersupplyforARIESG2toisolateitfromotherdigitalsourcecomponentsusingswitchingpowersupplies.ThepowerconsumptionofARIESG2islessthan50WwithinternalstorageandUSBstorageattached.Aheavygaugepowercordisnotrecommendedastheweightofthepowercordconnectormaydamagethepowercordsocketonthebackoftheunit. Please double-check the AC mains voltage on the back of the unit beforeconnectingtothepower.

Pleasemakesuretopoweroffallunitsinyoursystembeforeanycablingjob;failuretofollow this instructionmay result in permanent damage to the device and void anywarranty.

ALWAYS POWER OFF ARIES G2 BEFORE CABLING!

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FrontPanelThefrontpanelofARIESG2:

• ‘Power’Button

ARIESG2willpowerupautomaticallyafterthemainpoweronthebackoftheunitisswitchedon.Pressthepowerbuttononthefrontpanelbrieflytoputtheunitintosleep mode after it has started. In sleep mode, ARIES G2 will keep most of itsfunctions running, especially the Femto Clock to maximize sound qualityperformance.

• ‘Play/Pause’Button

The Play/Pause button has two functions: in playback mode, this button willplay/pausethecurrenttrack.Whennavigatingmenus,usethisbuttontoconfirmselections.

• ‘M’Button

TheMbuttonhas two functions: inplaybackmode, theMbutton returns to thehomemenu.Whennavigatingmenus,thisbuttonstepsbackwardstothepreviousmenulevel(briefpress),orexitstotheHomeMenu(longpress).

• ‘Up’and‘Down’Buttons

The ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ buttons have two functions: in playbackmode, they adjustvolumeupanddown.Whennavigatingmenus,usethesebuttonstohighlightmenuitems.

• FrontPanelDisplay

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The4-inchhigh-resolutiontruecolordisplayonthefrontpanelgivesyoufullaccesstoARIESG2settingsaswellasdisplayingenrichedmetadata.

• Smart-IRsensor

TheIRremotecontrolsensorishiddenbehindthefrontpaneldisplay.ARIESG2isequippedwithAURALiC’sSmart-IRcontroltechnology.Youcanassignthedevice’sfunctions to any buttons you choose on your IR remote control. Please refer to‘MenuOperation’onpage35fordetailedinstructions.

UsingyourARIESG2

WelcomeScreen

WhentheARIESG2startsup,youaregreetedbytheWelcomeScreen(above),whichdisplaysyourdevicemodel,firmwareversion,thecurrentnetworkconnectiontype,theIPaddressofyourdevice,andtheoutputchannelinuse.Refertopage24fordetailsonaccessingthewebinterfacetosetupyourdeviceusingitsIPaddress.You may press any front panel button (except for the power button) to leave theWelcomeScreenandgototheHomeMenu.Ifyouselectatracktoplayusingcontrolsoftware,ARIESG2willjumptothe‘NowPlaying’screenautomatically.

HomeMenu

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TheHomemenuistherootlevelmenuofyourARIESG2.ThereareeightdestinationsavailablefromtheHomeMenu:

1. ‘NowPlaying’: Displays track information and status, playbackmode (shuffle,repeat)andvolume.

2. ‘Queue’:Showswhat’scurrentlyintheARIESG2queue.Individualtracksinthequeuemaybeselectedforplayback.

3. ‘Library’: Browse/playmusic from your library, and set up ARIES G2’s built-inLightningServer.

4. ‘System’: General hardware-related setup, including network information,outputchannel,displaylanguage,etc.

5. ‘Streamer’:SettingsfortheARIESG2’sstreamingsoftware.6. ‘Processor’:ARIESG2processor settings.Note that if anexternalprocessor is

connected via Lightning Link, theARIESG2processor is disabled, andoptionspresentedhereapplytotheexternalprocessor.

7. ‘DAC’:DisplayssettingsforanyLightningLink-connectedDAC(ifused.)8. ‘MasterClock’:DisplayssettingsforanyLightningLink-connectedMasterClock,

suchastheLEOG2(ifused.)Use the ‘Up’and ‘Down’buttons tohighlightadestination,anduse the ‘Play/Pause’buttontoselectit.Usethe‘M’buttontoreturntotheHomeScreen.

NowPlaying

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Now Playing displays playback status, track progress, playback mode, volume, andmetadata for the current track. To use the front panel buttons on the Now Playingscreen:

1. ‘Play/Pause’button:ToPlayandpausethecurrenttrack2. ‘M’button:ReturntotheHomeScreen3. ‘Up’and‘Down’buttons:Adjustvolumeupanddown

Queue

TheARIESG2playbackQueue is stored in devicememory.Use the ‘Up’ and ‘Down’buttonsonthisscreentohighlightatrack,andusethe‘Play/Pause’toplaytheselectedtrack.Usethe‘M’buttontoreturntotheHomeMenu.

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Library

The Library interface allows users to set up the ARIES G2’s Lightning Server, and tobrowsethemusiclibrarycreatedbytheLightningsoftware.Use‘Up’and‘Down’buttonstohighlightmenuitemsandusethe‘Play/Pause’buttontoselect.Usethe‘M’buttontoquittheLibraryinterface.

1. ‘BrowseLibrary’:BrowseandplaymusicfromtheLightningServerlibrary.Folder

viewofthemusiclibrary:

Use the ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ buttons to highlight an album or a track. Use the‘Play/Pause’buttontoselectthealbumortoplaythetrack.Usethe‘M’button

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toreturntothepreviousview.Whenatrackisselected,apopupwindowwillappear:

Select‘PlayNow’tostopthecurrentlyplayingtrack,removeallpreviouslyaddedtracksinthequeue,andaddalltracksfromthecurrentfolder.Playbackbeginsimmediately.Select‘PlayNext’toaddalltracksfromthecurrentfolder,andplaythemwhenthecurrenttrackends.Select‘PlayLater’toaddalltracksfromthecurrentfoldertotheendoftheexistingqueue.Usethe‘Up’and‘Down’buttontoselecthowyouwantthetrackstobeaddedthenpressthe ‘Play/Pause’buttontoconfirm.Usethe ‘M’buttontoquitthisinterfacewithoutfutureaction.

2. ‘LibrarySetup’:SetupLightningServertocreateamusiclibraryserviceforyour

homenetwork.

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• Status:Reflects thecurrentworkingstatusof theLightningServer system.

Scanningprogressandanypotentialscanningerrorsaredisplayed.• Library Paths: The total number of user-defined music storage locations

recognizedbyLightningServer.IncludesattachedUSBdrives,networksharedfoldersandinternalstorage.

• Library Capacity: Combined disk space of all user-defined music storagelocations.

• TotalTracks:Totalnumberofmusical tracks in themusic storage location.Non-musicfilesandfilesnotrecognizedorsupportedbyLightningServerarenotincluded.

• Last Re-scan: Date& time of the last library scan performed by LightningServer.

• RescanAllPaths:Re-scansalluser-definedlibraryfilelocationsforchanges.

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• Additional Operations: Lightning Server operations not listed elsewhere,includingthecreationofmultiplelibrarypaths.

• AlwaysOn:WhenenabledthisfeaturekeepsLightningServerrunningasabackground serviceon your streamingdeviceeven if thedevice is asleep.TurnthefeatureonifyouusetheScheduledRe-Scanfeatureor ifyouuseLightningServertostreamcontenttootherdevicesonyourhomenetwork.Note: when this feature is enabled internal and or attached USB storagedrivesremainactiveandaccessibletoLightningServer.

• ScheduledRe-scan:Turnsonautomaticdailyre-scanningofallmusicstoragelocationsatauser-definedtime.

• IgnorePrefixforAlbum:Whenenabledthissettingignoresspecificwordsinalbumtitlesduringlibraryscans.Changingthissettingpromptsanimmediatere-scanofyourlibrary.

• IgnorePrefixforArtist:Whenenabledthissettingignoresspecificwordsinartistnamesduringlibraryscans.Changingthissettingpromptsanimmediatere-scanofyourlibrary.

• IgnorePrefixforTrack:Whenenabledthissettingignoresspecificwordsintracknamesduringlibraryscans.Changingthissettingpromptsanimmediatere-scanofyourlibrary.

• SmartAlbumTitle:Togglescasesensitivityforthealbumtagfieldassociatedwithtracks.Ifseveraltracksfromthesamealbumaretaggedinconsistentlyin terms of album capitalization the tracks may be shown as being fromdifferentalbums.(Trackstaggedwith“AbbeyRoad”willdisplayasbeingfromadifferentalbumastrackstaggedwith“abbeyroad.”)WhenSmartAlbumTitleisenabledcapitalizationisignoredandsuchtracksaregroupedtogetheranddisplayedasasinglealbumusingthemostfrequently-occurringversionofthealbumname.Note:thisfeaturerequiresacomplexalgorithmthatmaysignificantly reduce the library scanning and indexing speed of LightningServer.

• GroupMulti-Disc Album: Groups/ungroups tracks frommulti-disc albumsintoasinglealbum.WhenenabledLightningServersearchesfortracksthataretaggedwiththesamealbumnamebutwhichresideinfolderswithnamessuch as “CD01” “CD02” etc. (i.e. identical alpha characters followed byconsecutivenumbering) anddisplays them in themusic libraryasa singlealbum.Whendisabledtracksfromeachfolderwilldisplayasseparatealbumswith thesamename.Note: this featurerequiresacomplexalgorithmthatmaysignificantlyreducethelibraryscanningandindexingspeedofLightningServer.

• CUEFileEncoding:Specifiesnon-standardornon-EnglishCUEfileencoding.If your library contains CUE files that do not use standardUTF8 encodingLightning Server needs some help to successfully read metadata such asalbumandtrackinformation.(StandardUTF8-encodedCUEfilesaredetected

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automatically.)Usethisfeaturetospecifytheencodingmethodofnon-UTF8CUEfilespresentinyourlibrary.

• EraseLightningServerIndex:Thisfunctionerasesallexistinglibraryindexesandrebuildsthem.Erasing/rebuildingyourlibraryindexesmayresolvelibraryerrors.Musicfilesthemselvesarenotchangedoraffectedinanyway.

System

TheSystemmenucontainsallinterfaceandhardwarerelatedsettings.Usethe‘Up’and‘Down’buttonstohighlightmenuitemsandusethe‘Play/Pause’buttontoselect.Usethe‘M’buttontoquittheLibraryinterface

1. ‘Network’:Setupyourdevice’snetworkconnection.a. ConnectionType:ChooseEthernetorWi-Fitoconnectyourdevice.

i. Wired:SetupanEthernetconnectionforyourdevice.ii. Wireless:SetupaWi-Ficonnectionforyourdevice.

b. NetworkInformation:ShownetworkconnectioninformationsuchasIPaddress,Wi-Finetwork,etc.

c. Start Wi-Fi Hotspot: Your device will create a Wi-Fi hotspot named'AURALiC-Lightning'. You can use your computer, iPhone or iPad toconnecttothisWi-Finetworkandsetupthedevice’snetworksettings.YoucannotplaymusicwhileinWi-FiHotspotmode.

2. ‘OutputChannel’:Selectfromsignaloutputchannelscurrentlyavailableforyourstreaming device. Analog/digital outputs and USB outputs may not be usedsimultaneouslyastheyutilizeseparateclocksforsignaltiming.

3. ‘DisplaySettings’:Setpreferencesforthefrontpaneldisplay.a. IdleStatus:Selectwhetheryou’dlikethedisplaytoalwaysremainon,or

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toturnoffautomatically.b. DisplayBrightness:Selectthebrightnessofyourdevice'sfrontdisplay.

4. ‘Smart-IR Settings’: Use this feature to assign your device’s functions to anybuttonsyouchooseonyourIRremotecontrol.

5. ‘SetupGuide’:Astep-by-stepguidetohelpyousetupyourstreamingdevice.6. ‘HardwareInformation’:DisplaydevicehardwareinformationsuchasS/Nand

firmwareversion.7. ‘Language’:Selectadifferentinterfacelanguageforyourdevice.8. ‘EraseAllUserSettings’:Eraseallsettingsonyourdevice.Yourdevicewillreboot

automatically when the operation is complete. This operation will not erasemusicdataonyourinternalstorage.

Streamer

TheStreamermenucontainsallstreamingandrenderingrelatedsetupoptions.Usethe‘Up’and‘Down’buttonstohighlightamenuitem,andusethe‘Play/Pause’buttontoselectit.Usethe‘M’buttontoquittheStreamermenu.

1. ‘RoomName’:ThenameofyourLightningStreamingdeviceusedforboththe

deviceitselfandtheLightningServerconfigurationrunningonthedevice.2. ‘EnableVolumeControl’:Allowsvolumecontrolofyourdeviceviasoftwaresuch

asLightningDS.3. ‘Volume Control Type’: Volume changes can be processed by hardware or

softwarebuttherearesomedifferences.Hardwarevolumecontrolisgenerallythebestoptionforsoundqualityandisrecommendedwhenavailable.Softwarevolume control can be useful when connecting to external devices that onlyaccept digital or USB input or that have no volume control function. (Due to

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technicallimitationswhenusingsoftwarevolumecontrolwithDSDformatsthevolumemustbesetat100.)

4. ‘DelayTime’:SomeexternalDACsneedalittleextratimetolockontoaninputsignaldeliveredatanewsamplingrate(i.e.differentfromtheprevioustrack.)ThissettinginstructsyourstreamingdevicetopausebrieflybeforeplayingmusicatadifferentsamplingratetolettheDACadjust.Withoutturningthissettingonit’spossibletomissthefirstfewmomentsofatrackwhensamplingrateschange.

5. ‘Available InputMethods’: Enable or disable particular virtual input channel.Disableunusedinputmethodmayimproveoverallsoundquality.

6. ‘MQAPass-through’:WhenenabledthissettingwillpasstheoriginalmusicsignalthroughyourstreamingdevicewithoutmakinganychangesallowinganexternalDACtouseitsowndecodingfunctions.UsethisoptionwhenconnectedtoanMQA-enabledDACforexample.(Youmayalsoneedtodisablethevolumecontrolfunctionofyourstreamingdeviceorsetthevolumeto100toensurefull-levelpass-throughofthesignal.)

7. ‘DecodingMethod’:AURALiCstreamingdevicesarecapableofdecodingMQAfilesusingAURALiC’sproprietary resamplingandde-blurringmethod.You canselectfromthesamplingratesettingsfortheprocessdescribedhere.PleasenotethatthisprocessisnotanMQA-createdorMQA-licensedprocess.

a. ‘Auto’:YourstreamingdevicewilldetectthebestdecodingsamplingratebasedontheinformationintheMQAfile.ItwillalsodetectthemaximumsamplingrateofaUSB-connectedDAC.

b. ‘2xSamplingRate’:YourstreamingdevicewillalwaysdecodeMQAfilesat88.2kHzor96kHzdependingontheoriginalfile’ssamplingrate."

c. ‘4xSamplingRate’:YourstreamingdevicewillalwaysdecodeMQAfilesat176.4kHzor192kHzdependingontheoriginalfile’ssamplingrate."

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d. ‘8xSamplingRate’:YourstreamingdevicewillalwaysdecodeMQAfilesat352.8kHzor384kHzdependingontheoriginalfile’ssamplingrate."

Processor

TheprocessormenushowsallDSPplug-inoptions.IfanexternalprocessorisconnectedviaLightningLink,theARIESG2softwareprocessorisdisabled,andoptionsshownhereapplytotheexternalprocessor.Usethe‘Up’and‘Down’buttonstohighlightamenuitem, and use the ‘Play/Pause’ button to select it. Use the ‘M’ button to quit theStreamermenu.

1. ‘PCMAutoDetect’:WhenthisfeatureisenabledyourAURALiCstreamingdeviceautomaticallydetectsthemaximumsamplingratesupportedbyUSB-connectedDACsandensurescompatibilitybyresampling thesignalonlywhen it ismorethantheDACcanhandle.Forexample,whenplaying384KHzmusicwithaDACthat supports a 384KHz sampling rate the signal is delivered to the DACunchanged.However,ifyourDACcanonlysupportratesup192KHzyourAURALiCdevicewould resample that 384KHzmusic to 176.4KHz. The result is a signalthat’salwayscompatiblewithyourDACandthebestsoundqualitypossiblefromyoursystem.

2. ‘ConvertDSDtoPCM’:YourstreamingdevicewillconvertDSDsignalstoPCM.UsethisoptionforexternalDACsthatdonotsupporttheDSDformat.(DuetotechnicallimitationsonlyDSD64musiccanbeconvertedtoPCM.)

3. ‘DoPMarker’:ChoosesbetweenDSD-over-PCMmarkers.(EarlyversionsofDoPenabledtheuseof0xAAwhilemostdevicesnowaccept0x05/FA.)

4. ‘FilterMode’:Theresamplerhasfourbuilt-infiltermodeseachemployingfivedigital filters optimized for corresponding sampling rates. Developed using a

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combination of objective data models and subjective testing these modesoptimizesonicqualityforvaryingmusictypesandformats.

a. ‘Precise’:Atraditional filterdesignusingasinglefilteralgorithmforallsampling rates. Precise mode provides the most exacting sonicrepresentationofsourcematerial.

b. ‘Dynamic’: With the same pass-band and stop-band performance asPrecisemodebutprovidinglessgroupdelay.Dynamicmodeistheidealbalancebetweenmeasurableprecisionandsubjectivequality.

c. ‘Balance’:Balancemodeisdesignedtoachieveminimumpre�echoandringingeffects.Slowroll-off filtersshowmoderatepass-bandandstop-bandperformance;however,groupdelayisminimized.

d. ‘Smooth’: Smooth mode scored highest on subjective listening testsduring development. All filters in thismode areminimum phase typewhichmeansthereisnopre-echoatall.Smoothmodefiltersaredesignedwithverysmallgroupdelaytoeliminateringingaswell.

DACWhenconnectingtheVEGAG2totheARIESG2usingLightningLink,DACinformationand settings are accessible via the ‘DAC’menu.Use the ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ buttons tohighlightthe‘DAC’menu,andusethe‘Play/Pause’buttontoselectit.Usethe‘M’buttontoquittheDACmenu.

MasterClockWhenconnectingtheLEOG2totheARIESG2andtheVEGAG2usingLightningLink,masterclockinformationandsettingsareavailableviathe‘MasterClock’menu.Usethe‘Up’and‘Down’buttonstohighlightthe‘MasterClock’menu,andusethe‘Play/Pause’buttontoselectit.Usethe‘M’buttontoquittheMasterClockmenu.

LightningWebControlInterfaceThe Lightning web control interface is an easy way to access hardware settings forAURALiC devices including the ARIES G2 using any laptop, smartphone, or desktopcomputer.Putthedevice’sIPaddressintotheaddressbarofacompatiblewebbrowser(GoogleChrome&Safariarerecommended)toaccesstheLightningWebInterface.YourARIESG2IPaddressisvisibleontheWelcomeScreen(see“UsingyourARIESG2.”)

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ScreenshotoftheLightningwebcontrolinterface

DescriptionsforeachsettingaccessibleviatheLightningwebcontrolinterfacearevisiblewithintheinterfaceitself.

LightningDSforiOSLightningDSisafreemusiccontrolappdevelopedbyAURALiCforiOS.Itiscompatiblewith iPad, iPhone, andeven the latest generationof iPod touch, and is available fordownload from theAppStore.Auser’s guide for LightningDSmaybe foundonoursupportwebsite:support.auralic.com

UsewithOtherSoftwareTheARIESG2iscompatiblewithotherOpenHome-basedcontrolsoftware(althoughnotwithUPnP-based software such as JRiverMedia Center.) Some functionalitymay belimitedwhenusing3rdpartycontrolsoftware.Thefollowingsoftwaremaybeused:

• BubbleUPnP• BubbleDS• LinnKazoo• Lumin

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TheARIESG2isalsoaRoonReadyendpoint,andmaybesetupasazoneorasanoutput.(Note:ARIESG2cannotactasaRoonCoreorRoonserver—aseparateRoonserverisrequiredonyourhomenetworktouseRoon.)

NetworkSetupTherearethreemethodsforconnectingyourARIESG2toyourhomenetwork:usingthefrontpaneldisplay,usingtheLightningwebcontrolinterface,orusingtheLightningDSapp.

Beforesetup,pleasemakesurethatICMPandIGMPareenabledonyourrouter(enabling the ‘ping’ command), so that the ARIES G2 can successfully test networkconnectivity.

Untilitisconfiguredforyournetwork,theARIESG2displaysthefollowingwhenit

ispoweredon:

‘Wi-FiHotspot’indicatesthattheARIESG2isbroadcastingaWi-Fisignalusedforsettingupthedeviceonyourhomenetwork.MakesureyouhavepluggedanetworkEthernetcableintothebackoftheARIESG2.

ConnectingtoyournetworkviaEthernet

• UsetheARIESG2HomeMenu

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Pressthe‘M’buttononthefrontpaneltoactivatetheHomeMenu.Usethe‘Up’and‘Down’buttonstoselect‘System’(theonlyoptionavailable.)Select‘Network’>‘ConnectionType’>‘Wired’>‘JoinNetwork’.YourARIESG2willdisplayaloadingsymbolwhileitattemptstoestablishanetworkconnection.Whentheconnection issuccessfultheHomeMenuisdisplayed,nowwiththeARIESG2’sIPaddressshowninsteadofthe‘Wi-FiHotspot’informationasbefore.

• UsingtheLightningwebcontrolinterface:On your computer ormobile device, aWi-Fi network called ‘AURALiC-Lightning’should be available in your network settings. Join this network to establish atemporary connection with your ARIES G2. (This is an open network without apassword,butitisonlyatemporarynetwork,anditwillbedisabledonceyourARIESG2hasconnectedtoyourhomenetwork.)Onceconnectedto ‘AURALiC-Lightning’,openawebbrowserandenter ’10.5.5.1’intotheaddressbar.TheLightningwebcontrolinterfaceisnowavailable:

Select ‘HardwareSetup’ fromthe leftmenu,andclick thebluegear iconnext to‘NetworkConfiguration’:

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Select‘ConnectasWired’,then‘Join’inthepopupwindow.If you are using a browser on a small-screen device such as a smartphone, thisinterfaceisslightlydifferent.Selectthemenuicon(upperrightnexttothegearicon),thenselect‘HardwareSetup’:

Left:webinterfaceonsmartphoneRight:Sidemenuactivated

YourARIESG2willdisplayaloadingsymbolwhileitattemptstoestablishanetworkconnection.Whentheconnection issuccessfultheHomeMenuisdisplayed,now

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withtheARIESG2’sIPaddressshowninsteadofthe‘Wi-FiHotspot’informationasbefore.

ConnectingtoyournetworkviaWi-Fi

• UsingtheARIESG2HomeMenu

Pressthe‘M’buttononthefrontpaneltoactivatetheHomeMenu.Usethe‘Up’and‘Down’buttonstoselect‘System’(theonlyoptionavailable.)Select‘Network’>‘ConnectionType’>‘Wireless’.YourARIESG2willdisplayaloadingsymbolwhileitsearchesforlocalWi-Finetworks.

Thenetworklistrefreshesevery10seconds,sowaitafewmomentsifyourWi-Finetworkisn’timmediatelyvisible.SelecttheWi-Finetworkyouwouldliketousefromthelist,then‘NetworkPassword’,andenterthenetworkpassword:

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Usethe‘Up’and‘Down’buttonstoselectcharacters,andthe‘Play/Pause’buttonto confirm your input. (Toggle capital/lowercase/special characters on/off using‘ABC’, ‘abc’, and ‘#+-‘.) Select ‘Next’ when the password is entered, then ‘JoinNetwork’.YourARIESG2willdisplaya loadingsymbolwhile itattemptstoestablishaWi-Ficonnection.Whentheconnection issuccessfultheHomeMenuisdisplayed,nowwiththeARIESG2’sIPaddressshowninsteadofthe‘Wi-FiHotspot’informationasbefore.IfyourWi-Finetworkisnotvisible(hiddenSSID),you’llneedtoselect‘Other…’whentheWi-Fi list is shown, andmanually enter theWi-Fi network name, encryptionmethod,andnetworkpassword(ifneeded.)

• UsethelightningwebcontrolinterfaceOn your computer ormobile device, aWi-Fi network called ‘AURALiC-Lightning’should be available in your network settings. Join this network to establish atemporary connection with your ARIES G2. (This is an open network without apassword,butitisonlyatemporarynetwork,anditwillbedisabledonceyourARIESG2hasconnectedtoyourhomenetwork.)Onceconnectedto‘AURALiC-Lightning’,openawebbrowserandenter‘10.5.5.1’intotheaddressbar.TheLightningwebcontrolinterfaceisnowavailable:

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Select ‘HardwareSetup’ fromthe leftmenu,andclick thebluegear iconnext to‘NetworkConfiguration’:

Select‘ConnectasWireless’toseealistofavailableWi-Finetworks.Thenetworklistrefreshesevery10seconds,sowaitafewmomentsifyourWi-Finetworkisn’timmediatelyvisible.

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Wi-FinetworklistonLightningwebcontrolinterface

Selectthenetworkyou’dliketousewithyourARIESG2andselect‘Next’(oncethebuttonhasturnedblue.)Providethenetworkpasswordinthepopupwindowtheappears,andselect‘Join’onthefollowingwindow.IfyourWi-Finetworkisnotvisible(hiddenSSID),you’llneedtoselect‘Other…’whentheWi-Fi list is shown, andmanually enter theWi-Fi network name, encryptionmethod,andnetworkpassword(ifneeded.)If you are using a browser on a small-screen device such as a smartphone, thisinterfaceisslightlydifferent.Selectthemenuicon(upperrightnexttothegearicon),thenselect‘HardwareSetup’:

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Left:webinterfaceonsmartphoneRight:Sidemenuactivated

YourARIESG2willdisplaya loadingsymbolwhile itattemptstoestablishaWi-Ficonnection.Whentheconnection issuccessfultheHomeMenuisdisplayed,nowwiththeARIESG2’sIPaddressshowninsteadofthe‘Wi-FiHotspot’informationasbefore.

GettingStartedwithLightningDSWhenfirstlaunchingtheLightningDSapponyouriOSdevice,youarepromptedtoselectyour language. Lightning DS then displays the End User License Agreement (EULA.)Pleasereadthisagreementcarefullyandselect ‘Agree’. Ifyoudonotagreewith theEULA,pleasereturnyourunittothesellerimmediately.

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Left:LanguageselectioninterfaceRight:EULAinterface

IfnodevicehasbeensetupforusewithLightningDS,theappprovidestheopportunitytosetoneupnow.Select‘SetupLightningDevice’>‘AddExistingDevice’:

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LightningDSsearchesforanddisplaysavailablestreamingdevicesonyournetwork.SelectARIESG2,andselect‘Next’:

Left:LightningDSsearchingfordeviceRight:selecteddevicewithinformation

LightningDSisnowconnectedtoandabletocontrolyourARIESG2.Ifyouwouldliketoaddamusiclibrarynowyoucanchoose‘AddMusicLibrary’andfollowthesetupguidethatappears.Youcanalsoskipthesetupguidebyselecting‘IwillSetUpLater’,andLightningDSwillcontinuetoitsmaininterface.

Smart-IRRemoteControlSmart-IRRemoteControlletsyourAURALiCdevicemapitsfunctionalityontoanyremoteyou’dlike.Justletthedeviceknowwhichremoteyouprefer,andallofitsoperations(play/pause,volumecontrol,trackselect,etc.)canbeassignedtobuttonsjustthewayyoulikethem.ToconfigureSmart-IRControl,select ‘System’>‘Smart-IRSettings’ fromtheARIESG2HomeMenu.

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TheSmart-IRsettingsmenushowsalistofcontrolsthatcanbemappedtoanybuttononyourownremotecontrol.Followthemenuguidetocompleteyourremotecontrolsetup.Please note that when learning new remote buttons, the ARIES G2 distinguishesbetween ‘short’pressesand ‘long’presses (pressandhold.)WesuggestpressingthedesiredbuttonthewayyouwanttouseitseveraltimeswhentheARIESG2islearningaboutanewbutton.

Maintenance&ServiceARIESG2doesnotrequireregularmaintenancefornormaluse.However,thereareafewthingsthatwillhelptokeepitingoodoperatingandcosmeticcondition:

CleaningOnlycleantheenclosurewithasoft,drycloth.ExtendedNon-useDisconnectARIESG2frommainspowerwhenitwillbeleftunattendedorunusedforanextendedperiod.

IfyourARIESG2encountersaproblem,contactyourdealerorAURALiC.Donotvoidthewarrantybyallowingunauthorizedpersonneltoattempttorepair.Donotattempttoservicetheproductyourself,anyunauthorizedrepairofthedevicewillvoidthewarranty.

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BeforeARIESG2canbereturnedforservice,anRMA(ReturnMaterialAuthorization)number must be issued by AURALiC. Contact your dealer or AURALiC for furtherinformation.

ContactIfyouhaveanyquestions,pleasefeelfreetocontactourtechnicalsupportdepartment:AURALiCNorthAmericaInc.711DawsonDriveNewarkDE19713,UnitedStatesEmail:support@auralic.comTEL:+1(302)314-5555Youmayalsofindusefulinformationthroughourknowledgecenterandcommunity:KnowledgeCenter:support.auralic.comCommunity:community.auralic.com

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Specifications

StreamingFileFormats Lossless:AIFF,ALAC,APE,DIFF,DSF,FLAC,OGG,WAVandWVLossy:AAC,MP3,MQAandWMA

SamplingRatesPCM:44.1KHzto384KHzin32Bit*DSD:DSD64(2.8224MHz),DSD128(5.6448MHz),DSD256(11.2896MHz),DSD512(22.57892MHz)**

ControlSoftware

AURALiCLightningDSforiOSAURALiCLightningDSforwebinterface(devicesettingsonly)OpenHomecompatiblecontrolsoftware(BubbleUPnP,Kazoo)Roon(RoonCorerequiredseparately)

StreamingInputs

Networksharedfolder,USBDrive,InternalMusicStorage***,UPnP/DLNAMediaServer,nativeTIDALandQobuzSublime+streaming,InternetRadio,AirPlay,Bluetooth,Songcast,RoonReady

AudioOutputsAURALiCLightningLinkDigitalOutputs:AES/EBU,Coaxial,ToslinkUSBOutput:USBHosttocompatibleDAC****

Network Wired:GigabitEthernetWireless:802.11b/g/n/acTri-BandWi-Fi

PowerConsumption Sleep:<10WPlayback:50Watmax.

Dimensions-WxDxH 13.4x12.6x3.2in.(34cmx32cmx8cm)

Weight 15.9lbs.(7.2kg)

ProductFinishing Precision-machinedextrusionaluminumcaseinmatteblack

*352.8KS/sand384KS/sand32bitaresupportedthroughLightningLinkandUSBOutputonly**By'DoPV1.1'ornativeDSDprotocol***WithinternalSSD/HDDinstalled****'CompatibleDAC'meansaDACnotrequiringadriverforLinuxsystems

Allspecificationsaresubjecttochangewithoutnotice.

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