在2016年AXPONA (Audio Expo North America)北美芝加哥音響展上，AURALiC發表了最新的產品 ALTAIR。 ALTAIR是一部高品質音樂串流DAC (High-Quality Streaming DAC)，可說是該公司代表產品VEGA與ARIES結合的一體機版本。
ALTAIR可說是家庭的音樂中心(Home Music Center)，擁有超過15個輸入，包括了網路串流(NAS網路硬碟, 電腦)、USB、內部硬碟(選配)、uPnP/DLNA媒體伺服器、TIDAL與Qobuz、網路電台、AirPlay、藍芽、Songcast與RoonReady，數位輸入有AES/EBU、同軸、光纖、USB DAC、USB儲存、USB輸出、RJ45 Gigabit網路、802.11b/g/n/ac三頻無線。
AURALiC總裁Xuanqian Wang先生表示經過三年多的研發，AURALiC的Lightning streaming platform串流平臺已經非常成熟與穩定，ALTAIR是產品線的延伸，並非取代VEGA或是ARIES，並且ALTAIR擁有最高的聲音水準。Lightning DS支援TIDA、Qobuz、網路電台，ALTAIR也能使用AirPlay、Songcast與Bluetooth，還有最新的Roon。ALTAIR使用AURALiC 2014年發表的Lightning技術，是業界第一個能支援DXD與四倍DSD(Quad-Rate)的無線網路串流技術，其他還包括許多先進的創新，包括無間段的播放(Gapless Playback)、裝置上的播放清單(On-Device Playlist)與多房播放功能(Multiple-Room functions)。
記憶體播放(Memory Playback)，為Lightning串流技術的最新功能，讓ALTAIR可以先讀取整個曲目到記憶體或是系統的儲存裝置中再進行播放，改善了聲音品質，同時也實現了可不需透過網路就能播放歌曲。目前Lightning DS APP已有iOS版本，Mac與Windows版本正在研發當中，用家也可用第三方的OpenHome或UPnP進行播放。
ALTAIR的外觀尺寸與VEGA DAC相同，包括512×64 pixels OLED的顯示螢幕，前方有耳機輸出孔。訂價為USD 1,899，有銀色與黑色版本可選，預計慕尼黑音響展完開始出貨。
• AURALiC Tesla Platform 獨家Tesla運算中心
ALTAIR is powered by AURALiC’s proprietary Tesla hardware platform that includes a Quad-Core Coretex-A9 processor running at 1GHz, 1GB DDR3 onboard memory and 4GB system storage. The Tesla platform has a calculation ability of 25,000 MIPS, more than enough to decode a vast spectrum of audio formats, including AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WV and WMA.
AURALiC has chosen this platform for its flexibility and long term support consideration. Future features planned include DSD Upsampling, Room Acoustic Treatment and MQA support. All these features can be delivered through automatic online updates without user’s attention.
•Femto Master Clock 雙飛秒時鐘
The dual-frequency Femto Master Clock inside the ALTAIR is specially designed and optimized for its ESS Sabre DAC chip: with one frequency for playing music with a sampling rate which is the multiple of 44.1K, and a second for 48K, making it possible for ALTAIR to be able to lock on with highest clock precision (equal to VEGA’s ‘EXACT’ mode) at all time without dropouts. The Femto Master Clock, which is powered by a 9uV extremely low noise dedicated power supply, has a very low phase noise performance. It not only has a dramatically low phase noise, which is only at -151dBc/Hz level, but also an excellent 100Hz offset noise level which is only -115dBc/Hz. Driven by such a high performance clock, ALTAIR can bring you vivid music with natural detail and solid sound image.
• Linear Power Supply 高品質線性電源
With more and more DACs at this price range starting to use switching power supplies, AURALiC insists on using high performance but costly Purer-Power™ linear power supply technology on ALTAIR. With this technology, the dirty AC power firstly goes into a power purification module, and the DC current and noise from both within and outside audio frequencies can be reduced by as much as 90dB. The purified AC power is then feed to a high quality transformer, with a specialty iron core made to AURALiC’s specifications, and unique wiring to ensure zero vibration and very low noise to avoid impacting the sensitive audio electrical circuit.
Comparing to the conventional switching power supply which generates wide-band noise that is hard to eliminate, AURALiC’s discrete component- based power supply feeds the DAC chip’s analog circuit with an astonishing low noise that is below 1uV (1uV = 0.000001V) within the entire audio band, making ALTAIR a perfect tool to re-discover your music with more details in the ‘last bit’ that you may never noticed before.
• Flexible Filter Mode 多種數位濾波模式
ALTAIR has four built-in filter modes which allows its user to customize sound best befitting their personal preference. Those filter modes were developed from AURALiC’s well known Flexible Filter Mode in the VEGA Digital Audio Processor, with each containing several digital filters optimized for a corresponding sampling rate. Flexible Filter Mode was developed under AURALiC’s subjective auditory sense and objective testing data relationship models, to optimize the listening experience for different music and format. The “Precise” mode exhibits perfect in-band ripple and out-band attenuation performance, while the “Smooth” mode is better for overall enjoyment as it has no ‘pre-ringing’ effect. The other two modes, named “Dynamic” and “Balance” are optimized for different music formats as well.
AURALiC ALTAIR 技術規格
‧Frequency Response: 20 – 20KHz, +/- 0.1dB*
‧THD+N: <0.001%, 20Hz-20KHz at 0dBFS
‧Dynamic Range: 121dB, 20Hz-20KHz, A-weighted
‧Streaming Inputs: Network shared folder, USB drive, Internal music storage**, uPnP/DLNA media server, TIDAL and Qobuz streaming, Internet Radio, AirPlay, Bluetooth, Songcast, RoonReady
‧Digital Inputs: 1*AES/EBU, 1*Coaxial, 1*Toslink, 1*USB device to computer, 2*USB host for storage and DAC, 1*RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, 1*802.11b/g/n/ac Tri-Band WiFi
‧Analog Outputs: 1*Balanced XLR (output impedance 10ohm), 1*Single-ended RCA (output impedance 50ohm), 1*6.35mm Headphone jack
‧Supported File Types: AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WV and WMA
‧Supported Digital Formats: All PCM from 44.1KS/s to 384KS/s in 32Bit***, DSD64, DSD128, DSD256***
‧Analog Output Voltage: 2Vrms@0dBFS (RCA); 4Vrms@0dBFS (XLR)
‧Control Software: AURALiC Lightning DS for iOS, AURALiC RC-1 remote control, OpenHome compatible software, uPnP AV compatible software
‧Device Display: 512×64 pixels OLED Display
‧Power Consumption: Sleep: <10W, Playback: 35W at max.
‧Dimensions: 11”W x 9”D x 2.6”H (33cm x 23cm x 6.5cm)
‧Weight: 7.0 pounds (3.2kg)
* Tested under filter mode ‘Precise’ for all sampling rates
** With optional 2.5-inch HDD or SSD installed
*** 352.8KS/s, 384KS/s and DSD through streaming and USB only
*** 32bit through streaming and USB only
All specifications are subject to change without notice.
About AURALiC
Based in Gardenia, CA, and Beijing, China, the U.S subsidiary AURALIC North America Inc. and its parent company, AURALIC LIMITED, are passionately committed to designing, engineering and manufacturing user-friendly audio components that combine modern audio technologies with superior design and functionality, providing music lovers with a new way of conveniently enjoying music. Its growing family of products includes the ARIES, ARIES LE and ARIES MINI Streaming Bridges, VEGA Digital Audio Processor with Class-A preamplification, the 200-Watt MERAK Monoblock Power Amplifier, the TAURUS PRE Balanced Class–A Line Stage Preamplifier, the GEMINI 2000 Headphone Dock, the TAURUS MK II balanced Class-A headphone amplifier and the new Altair Streaming DAC.
