Home Computer Audio Asylum

Music servers and other computer based digital audio technologies.

RE: "enough already"

The Bryston looks similar to some of the custom music server builds I've seen. Bryston focused on the quality of the SPDIF and AES/EBU outputs whereas many custom designs like CAPSv3 are focused on the quality of the USB output. I believe you can get the same or better SQ with your own build for less money, but you'll have to take the time to do it, and it will be hard to match Bryston's convenience and system integration features such as front panel display, IR remote, trigger inputs/outputs, RS232 control, and web interface. So I don't think it's a bad deal at all. The Bryston will be for people who want a well integrated, well packaged, turnkey solution. A DIY computer based music server will be for people who enjoy the process of building, configuring, learning, and tweaking as much as the final result. I don't see why there needs to be a pissing contest between people who have taken one approach vs. another.

The Auralic Aries is a bit of a different animal. It is a streaming audio renderer and is designed specifically to receive audio streams over the network and output them to a DAC, with only the minimum hardware necessary to do that. It doesn't have internal storage for your music, it doesn't support attached storage, it doesn't access a remote filesystem, it doesn't manage or index a music library. Because it is more limited in function, and the hardware design is more narrowly focused, there is the potential for it to be a better sounding streamer than a custom DIY computer used as a streamer. But I think it's too soon to say whether it's going to deliver.


This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Amplified Parts  


Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?
Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
  Remember my Moniker & Password  (What's this?)    Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:
Message:   (Posts are subject to Content Rules)
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:  Automagically notify you when someone responds.