Auralic Vega G2 Streamer and DAC Review

[Tks]

View attachment 46626

Always wonder if such overkills are really needed..

For power supply noise and various other parts being isolated, Matrix has a similar approach with their Sabre Dac, and it seems to help quite a bit. Who knows, you'd have to take a unit out of it's enclosure to really see.

 

[Labjr]

But does your LG come in its own aluminium faraday cage?? lol

Does it make a difference?

 

[Veri]

Does it make a difference?

See

For power supply noise and various other parts being isolated, Matrix has a similar approach with their Sabre Dac, and it seems to help quite a bit.

I'd think there are probably cheaper ways (see SONCOZ) but yeah, you're paying for fanciness in this price bracket of course.

 

[Labjr]

Asian companies tend to describe castings as billet just because it's one piece. Not the same.

 

[Frank Dernie]

Asian companies tend to describe castings as billet just because it's one piece. Not the same.

In the UK it would be "machined from solid". Billet is not a term I have seen used, mind you I retired in 2009 so maybe it has been adopted since then - language is fluid and the internet has internationalised terms quite a bit.
Nobody in England would have ever said "right now" instead of "at the moment" but I notice it in US TV programmes and my kids have started saying it.

 

[graz_lag]

But does your LG come in its own aluminium faraday cage?? lol

Not a big deal to make it ...
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Faraday-Cage

 

[stunta]

View attachment 46626

Always wonder if such overkills are really needed..

This has been an audiophile fad for a while now. Somehow the heavier the unit and more aluminum in it, it is supposed to have better sound quality.

At $6K plus, cognitive dissonance will kick one's bottom end so hard, you won't even need a subwoofer.

 

[Ares347]

It is kind of funny the outcry for the channel imbalance on the Freya yet we have the same here and no one is crying "poor QC they suck and dont know audio only marketing."

 

[Cortes]

@Amir,

do you plan the check the headphone jack of this unit?.

 

[Labjr]

In the UK it would be "machined from solid". Billet is not a term I have seen used, mind you I retired in 2009 so maybe it has been adopted since then - language is fluid and the internet has internationalised terms quite a bit.
Nobody in England would have ever said "right now" instead of "at the moment" but I notice it in US TV programmes and my kids have started saying it.

I think the term became popular by reality TV shows where super expensive things such as fancy motorcycle wheels are machined from a solid block of aluminum. Even if Auralic case was done that way, which IMO is not, it's not partitioned inside like the Matrix DACs. So what would be the advantage over a sheet metal enclosure?

 

[Noob]

The Element X being $2999 is even more impressive when compared against things like this that offer the same functionality at over double the price. One could buy two Element-x and a monoprice thx amp for especially demanding headphones with that money. Or one element-x and a Benchmark AHB2 amplifier with $500 left over to pay for two years of Tidal HiFi streaming.

 

[Todesengel]

Nice work Amir! I am truly impressed that there is no ESS hump. Looking forward to the clock review, my prediction is that it is audio jewelry.

 

[Veri]

Looking forward to the clock review, my prediction is that it is audio jewelry.

Likewise. I'd be so surprised if it improved anything.

 

[777]

Jitter ?

 

[martijn86]

Suggest not using "Dynamic" given how much bandwidth you lose.

Suggesting that I hear anything over 13kHz. Take care of your ears kids!

 

[Poseidons Voice]

Thanks for the review Amir. I have the utmost respect for Auralic, they have a good team of engineers. I used to own the original Vega and enjoyed many hundreds of hours of music. Alas the competition from Matrix has completely set a new bar. I auditioned both the X Sabre Pro (MQA) and Element X. The Element X is a tremendous unit. I purchased the X Sabre Pro (MQA) since I had a streamer but could’ve gone with the Element X. And with the new Element i, we have dac+streamer combinations at the most competitive price points.

None of this would’ve been possible without the information garnered from your measurements so thank you once again.

Best,
Anand.

 

[amirm]

Jitter ?

Will be in the clock review....

 

[Blumlein 88]

Not a big deal to make it ...
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Faraday-Cage

View attachment 46663

This reminds me of the new Terminator: Dark Fate movie. (or Enemy of the state) Surely you could have substituted an aluminum foil chip bag.


BTW, testing indicates you'll need two layers for reliable functioning.

https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/terminator-dark-fate-chips/29156/

Side comment: here in the USA if something is CNC machined from a solid block of aluminum we'll call it Billet. It does appear the Auralic qualifies to me.

 

[amirm]

Clock review is out: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/auralic-leo-gx-dac-clock-review.11001/

 

[Noob]

Likewise. I'd be so surprised if it improved anything.

Surprise surprise indeed. But it does make an imperceptibly minor improvement, so not COMPLETE garbage, but definitely at least 99% garbage.