AURALiC G3 系列

AURALiC 將在 2024 年帶來全新世代 G3系列串流及解碼產 品，包括純串流播放器 Aries G3及串流解碼器 Vega G3， G3 系列會於美國俄勒岡州人手製造

全新世代 G3 系列均搭載了 AURALiC 獨家開發的全新 Tesla G3 運算平台，採用 64bit 運算架構，處理效能高達上一代 Tesla 平台八倍！內存增加至 4Gb，全新的 Direct Memory Access Technology 技術令線路中的音訊傳輸更直接，令 Tesla G3 運算平台較上一代的訊號延遲及時基誤差大幅降低 90%，未來更將與瑞典 Dirac 合作，提供音訊校正功能

Aries G3 配備全新設計的第二代 Galvanic USB Isolation模組 令線路間干擾降低，全新 Purer-Power 超低噪音電源模組， 提供上一代兩倍的電力供應，4T SSD 版本使用存取速度極 高的 NVMe SSD，減低訊號傳輸誤差，另外亦可透過 USB3.0 接口外接 USB 硬碟。而Aries G3 獨有的Proteus X1 Co-Processor 配合 Xilinx XC7A200T FPGA 晶片，提供前所 未有的超強運算能力

Vega G3 使用了全新的 Fusion DAC 解碼模組、Direct Data Recording 及第二代Galvanic Isolation 電氣隔離技術，時鐘 部分由 G2.1 的 72fs 雙飛時鐘升級至 60fs，大幅降低時基誤 差，提升音樂細節及寧靜度。解碼轉換部分，Vega G3 獨有 的 Proteus X1 Co-Processor 配合Fusion DAC 解碼模組，比 Vega G2.2 的失真及訊噪降低了 30%、動態範圍提升 50%

Technology Story
AURALiC have recently unveiled their latest products, the G3, at the HighEnd Munich exhibition. These new models are built upon a new streaming platform that represents a major technological advancement since the introduction of the first-generation ARIES in 2014. This article aims to provide an overview of the new technologies featured in these products.



ARIES G3 - A New Era for Wireless Streaming
The ARIES G3 goes beyond being just a simple transport or bridge, as it offers multiple inputs and a powerful co- processor that enables it to function as a preamplifier for digital connections. This makes the ARIES G3 an ideal centerpiece for your digital system.

The ARIES G3 have undergone a complete interior redesign, with 90% of the electronic components being brand new. These cutting-edge products boast several new technologies that have been introduced to take their performance to the next level, all enclosed in AURALiC's elegant UnityChassis II enclosure.

New Galvanic USB Isolation
The introduction of the galvanic isolation technology on the USB port in the ARIES G2 was a significant breakthrough for digital audio systems. It successfully addressed the issue of separating the noisy computing circuit from the sensitive audio circuit, resulting in a massive improvement in USB audio system sound quality

Building on this success, AURALIC is proud to introduce the second-generation Galvanic USB in the ARIES G3. This new isolator has improved DAC compatibility, functioning in the same way as a regular USB port with hot plug/unplug support. The signal quality and jitter performance of the 2nd generation Galvanic USB has been further optimized, resulting in noticeable sound quality improvement.

In addition, users can now choose to enable or disable the USB port power supply to the DAC through software, which ensures an even cleaner signal path.

New Purer-Power Design
The ARIES G3 features the Purer-Power low noise power supply with a capacity that is twice that of the previous version, and an even lower noise design. This increased capacity ensures a clean and stable power supply for the high-performance processing platform and music storage options.

All digital audio-related circuits, including the Galvanic USB, have their individual power supplies, maintaining an extremely low noise level of just 0.8 microvolts - an 80% reduction from G2.1 model. Furthermore, the computing circuits, which are less sensitive to noise, benefit from a low noise power supply of just 27 microvolts, a 50-fold improvement from G2.1. This advanced power supply design ensures that the digital audio circuits receive a clean and stable power supply, free from noise and interference, resulting in a superior audio experience for the listener.

NVMe Internal Storage
With the new Tesla G3 processing platform in place, ARIES G3 has upgraded their internal storage from traditional SATA based SSD or HDD to the most advanced NVMe (Non- Volatile Memory Express) SSD storage option. This upgrade offers numerous benefits, including outstanding data transfer speeds and dependability, ensuring a seamless experience for storing and playing digital music.

Thanks to the Direct Memory Access (DMA) technology, NVMe storage offers significantly faster transfer speeds and lower latency than traditional storage options, resulting in improved performance and faster access to stored music. Compared to the G2.1 model, the ARIES G3 now offers a copying speed that is ten times faster when transferring music from Ethernet to the internal storage.

ARIES G3 can be fitted with factory pre-installed 4TB NVMe storage as an option. However, customers can also request larger storage options as a special-order request.

USB 3.0 External Storage
The addition of USB 3.0 external storage ports on the ARIES G3 significantly increases copying speeds and facilitates effortless transfer of high-resolution audio files. The USB 3.0 port provides 1.5 amps of power, triple the power capacity of G2.1. The added power capacity also allows for a wider range of external storage options, including larger capacity drives that may require more power.

Support of LEO GX.1
For the most discerning listeners, ARIES G3 now offers the ability to connect to our LEO GX.1 Reference Master Clock through Lightning Link, allowing for even greater levels of accuracy and improved sound quality of digital outputs.

Proteus X1 Co-Processor
Proteus X1 co-processor is built around a Xilinx XC7A200T FPGA chip with over 200,000 logic cells and 740 DSP slices. This chip shares the Tesla G3 system memory, enabling powerful data processing capabilities. With advanced processing techniques, Proteus X1 elevates the listening experience. Sub optimal and early digital recordings can benefit from Proteus X1's impressive processing power. The optimization process removes harshness and potentially improves the experience of listening to an inferior recording. Music gains substance, space, and extra dynamic range as a result.

Dual 60fs Femto Clock
ARIES G3 aims to be the best possible digital audio source, achieved by the implementation of a dual 60fs Femto clocks - one for 44.1x and another for 48x sampling rate frequencies. These audio-optimized clocks have extremely low close-in phase noise and can greatly enhance sound quality, setting a new standard for signal timing. For the ultimate performance, adding LEO GX.1 will deliver a true state-of-the-art digital source experience.

VEGA G3 - Streaming DAC
Introducing the VEGA G3 streaming DAC, our latest innovation in delivering an unparalleled musical experience. Building upon the advanced features of the VEGA G2.2, the VEGA G3 integrates a range of state-of-the-art technologies that surpass expectations. The VEGA G3 streaming DAC is not just a product, but a testament to our unwavering dedication to providing the most captivating and immersive musical experience ever imagined.

Fusion DAC
When it comes to audio digital-to-analog converters (DACs), there are two primary designs: discrete ladder DAC and Delta-Sigma DAC. The popular discrete ladder DAC design allows designers to use different components for various parts of the circuit, providing greater flexibility in tailoring the sound signature. However, the discrete ladder DACs can suffer from non-linearities caused by precision mismatches in the resistor values. Uneven temperature changes also play a significant role in introducing non-linearity to the system. This can lead to distortion and reduced overall performance.

Delta-Sigma DACs are known for their high accuracy and resolution, which is achieved through precise manufacturing processes. These DACs also offer a high dynamic range and low noise and distortion level, making them well-suited for high quality music playback applications. However, Delta-Sigma DACs are often integrated with complicated digital circuits like Phase Lock Loop (PLL), digital filter, and oversampling circuits, which can make them less customizable for designers. This can limit their suitability for high-end applications where customization and flexibility are important.

AURALiC's Fusion DAC design in the VEGA G3 products is a pioneering technology that combines the best features of discrete ladder and Delta-Sigma DAC designs. This innovative approach uses a high performance, manufacturer DAC chip as a basis for modification. Most of the DAC chips’ functions, such as PLL, digital filter, and oversampling circuits are bypassed, and instead AURALiC's proprietary clock reconstruction, digital filter, and oversampling technologies are deployed. This unique approach ensures that only the precise switching network inside a DAC chip is used for the final digital-to-analog conversion stage, resulting in exceptional sound quality. This Fusion DAC design facilitates a unique level of customization and flexibility, providing users with the ability to fine-tune and optimize the DAC to their individual preferences. Overall, AURALiC’s proprietary implementation of this unique, in- house developed technology represents a significant advancement in DAC design, offering exceptional performance and unparalleled sound quality.

Direct Data Recording
VEGA G3 are equipped with AURALiC's proprietary Direct Data Recording (DDR) technology. Unlike traditional DACs that rely on a Phase Lock Loop (PLL) circuit to reconstruct the incoming clock signal, our DDR technology avoids using a PLL circuit as it cannot fully remove the distortion and jitter present in the original clock signal. Instead, we record the audio data directly into the Tesla G3 processing platform's system memory in binary format, bypassing the original clock signal entirely.

Next, a series of advanced digital filters and oversampling algorithms process the audio data, optimizing it for the best possible performance. To power the DAC operation and time the Tesla G3's data output to the DAC chip, a dual 60fs Femto Clocks - one for 44.1x and another for 48x sampling frequencies - acts as a master clock, independent of the input audio signal.

As a result of these cutting-edge technologies, the VEGA G3 is immune to the input signal's distortion and jitter, delivering the highest level of sound quality possible. The result is an unparalleled listening experience, with stunning detail, clarity, and precision that is free from any distortion or jitter.

Passive Analog Volume Control
Analog volume control is widely regarded as the superior approach for achieving high-performance audio playback. Whilst digital volume control can accurately reduce the signal level, it cannot reduce the noise floor level of the output signal. As a result, when using digital volume control to attenuate the signal by a large amount, the system's dynamic range is inevitably heavily compromised. Analog volume control, however, can reduce both the signal level and noise floor, whilst retaining the system's dynamic range.

The VEGA G3 features a true analog ladder resistor volume control that delivers exceptional and noise-free control without introducing any distortion. This volume control system includes eight coil-latch relays that remain inactive when not in operation, consuming no power and emitting no EMI noise. Once the system is adjusted, it remains electronically invisible, thereby further enhancing the already outstanding audio performance of the VEGA G3.

Analog Preamplifier
The VEGA G3 maintain the successful analog preamplifier function from the original VEGA G2.1. This feature has been enhanced in the new design, with the output level increased from 4.4Vrms to 6Vrms to meet the demands of even the most power-hungry amplifiers. Additionally, the ORFEO Class-A output modules ensure that the balanced output can drive loads well below 600ohm with minimal degradation in performance.

If desired, users can disable the preamplifier function through software, with the option to reduce the output level to 2Vrms, allowing for the use of external preamplifiers. In addition, a convenient home theater bypass mode is available for analog input channels.

Galvanic Isolation
Modern high-end DACs are capable of providing exceptional dynamic range that can reveal minute details in the original recording. However, achieving such a dynamic range requires extremely clean clocks, power supplies, and signal feeding into the DAC. To ensure that no noise can be coupled into the DAC circuit, the VEGA G3 is equipped with high-speed galvanic isolators that are strategically positioned between the Tesla G3 processing platform and the ultra-sensitive audio circuit. These isolators provide physical separation and protection against interference for the DAC whilst enabling data transfer.

Proteus X1 Co-Processor
The Proteus X1 in the VEGA G3 is an advanced technology built around a Xilinx XC7A200T FPGA chip, featuring over 200,000 logic cells and 740 DSP slices. This chip shares the Tesla G3's 4GB DDR4 system memory, allowing for powerful data processing capabilities. Unlike in the ARIES G3, the Proteus in the VEGA G3 exclusively processes the signal with advanced digital filter and oversampling, ensuring that all input signals work at the DAC's optimal sampling frequency.

The algorithm running inside Proteus X1 of VEGA G3 is specially optimized processing music signal from online sources, whether it is through the built-in streamer or the digital inputs. This optimization significantly improves the listening experience for music that may not be available in highest resolution format.

Better DAC, Higher Performance
The VEGA G3 incorporates the same Fusion DAC design as the VEGA 2.2, but with an important upgrade: a final output switch network for analog conversion at an even higher level of precision. This advancement results in a significant 30% reduction in distortion and noise and a 50% improvement in dynamic range, making the VEGA G3 an exceptional choice for even the most discerning listeners seeking unparalleled audio performance.

Pure DAC Mode
Pure DAC mode in the VEGA G3 allows for an optimized signal path by disabling the streaming capabilities of the device. This feature is especially beneficial for users who prefer to rely on other methods for streaming their audio content. With Pure DAC mode, the VEGA G3 provides the cleanest possible signal path, resulting in a high-quality audio playback experience.