Auralic ARIES G2.2 User manual

ARIES G2.2
Streaming Transporter
User’s Guide

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Copyright © 2008-2023 AURALIC LIMITED (AURALiC) and licensors.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication including but not limited to, graphics, text,
code or interactive features, may be reproduced without the express written permission
from AURALiC or its licensors. The content of this manual is provided for information use
only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment
by AURALiC. AURALiC assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies
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are the property of their respective owners, who may or may not be affiliated with,
connected to, or sponsored by AURALiC.

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Welcome
Congratulations on your purchase of the AURALiC ARIES G2.2 wireless streaming
transporter. Please take some time to read through this manual which provides a
comprehensive, thorough overview of the products features and functions.
Our award-winning ARIES products have led the world of high-resolution streaming since
their introduction in 2014 and have become the premier choice for high-performance
music enthusiasts worldwide. The ARIES G2.2 is the culmination of nearly 10 years of
research and development. As we continually pioneer technologies to improve our
hardware designs and software platform, each product release keeps us solidly at the
forefront of streaming technology. The G2.2 release of the ARIES has seen a complete
hardware upgrade, including a significant increase in processing power, which will
provide the ability to accommodate future streaming features and keep you on the
cutting edge of technology for years to come.
Providing endless avenues for musical exploration, the ARIES G2.2 has the flexibility to
connect music stored locally, or from online services. Our advanced Lightning Streaming
Platform lets you take advantage of features like On-Device Playlists, Memory Caching,
Gapless Playback, and Bit-Perfect Multi-Room functionality. It also offers advanced
features like resampling, parametric EQ, and virtual speaker placement, essential tools
to sculpt and refine your listening environment.
Based on the values of choice, natural sound, and reliability, our philosophy is a
fundamental part of every product we design. To fully incorporate our philosophy into
our products, we created the Lightning Streaming Platform as our unique ecosystem.
This platform allows you to choose from an extensive variety of streaming services. It
also provides the freedom to choose from various software options to control your
music. Sonically, we engineer both our software and hardware to ensure a neutral and
natural sound giving you the ability to tailor your musical taste through speaker choice
and room setup. With complete control over our ecosystem, we can quickly and easily
adapt to developments in music streaming technology.
Keeping your ARIES G2.2 current is easy with our over-the-air software updates. We
regularly add new features and services, allowing you to relax and enjoy state-of-the-art
streaming music. When connected to the internet, your ARIES G2.2 will automatically
download and install new updates as we release them, ensuring you always have the
latest software.
Welcome to the AURALiC community. We sincerely hope the ARIES G2.2 gives you years
of listening pleasure.

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Table of Contents
Welcome ................................................................................................................... 2
Understanding the Technology .................................................................................. 5
Network Requirements ............................................................................................. 6
Warranty ................................................................................................................... 7
Unpacking ................................................................................................................. 9
Placement and Cabling .............................................................................................. 9
Placement ......................................................................................................................... 9
Check Your AC Mains Voltage .......................................................................................... 10
Fuse Specification ............................................................................................................ 10
Cabling ............................................................................................................................ 11
Front Panel .............................................................................................................. 14
Power Management ................................................................................................ 15
Power On/Off .................................................................................................................. 15
Standby ........................................................................................................................... 15
Sleep ............................................................................................................................... 15
Force Off .......................................................................................................................... 15
Connect ARIES G2.2 to a Home Network .................................................................. 16
Use Lightning DS Setup Guide .......................................................................................... 16
Use Lightning Web Control Interface ................................................................................ 18
Use Front Panel Control ................................................................................................... 21
Setup Music Library and Streaming Service .............................................................. 24
Setup Lightning Server ..................................................................................................... 24
Use Other UPnP/DLNA Media Server ............................................................................... 25
Add Streaming Service in Lightning DS ............................................................................. 26
Display and Operation ............................................................................................. 28
Welcome Screen .............................................................................................................. 28
Main Menu ...................................................................................................................... 28
Playing ............................................................................................................................. 30
Queue .............................................................................................................................. 30
Library ............................................................................................................................. 31
System ............................................................................................................................. 31
Streamer .......................................................................................................................... 32
Processor ......................................................................................................................... 33
DAC and Master Clock ..................................................................................................... 33
Lightning Web Control Interface .............................................................................. 35
Smart-IR Remote Control ......................................................................................... 37

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Lightning DS ............................................................................................................ 38
Main Interface ................................................................................................................. 38
Album Information .......................................................................................................... 39
Playback Control .............................................................................................................. 40
Queue Interface ............................................................................................................... 41
Side Menu ....................................................................................................................... 42
Use with Other Software ......................................................................................... 44
Device Activation and Deactivation ......................................................................... 45
Cleaning .................................................................................................................. 46
Support & Contact ................................................................................................... 47
Specifications .......................................................................................................... 48
AURALiC Product Registration Form ........................................................................ 49

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Understanding the Technology
AURALiC streaming devices have the ability to work with different technologies and
control software. The most common way to operate your new streamer is in Lightning
mode. This is when you take full advantage of our Lightning Streaming Platform by
controlling it with our iOS App Lightning DS or another OpenHome protocol based
control software. When operating in Lightning mode, there are three fundamental
elements to the system: Renderer, Server, and Controller. The Renderer is the physical
device that plays the music, e.g. ARIES G2.2. The Server provides the music library. When
playing files stored locally on your network, the server can be our Lightning Server or
any other DLNA-based server. If you use an internet streaming service like Qobuz, Tidal,
or Amazon Music, that platform acts as the server as well.
The Controller is the software you use to browse and select music. With AURALiC
products, you have the freedom to choose from a number of different Controller
options. When operating in Lightning mode, you can use our Lightning DS App or any
OpenHome protocol based software such as BubbleUPnP or Kazoo as your controller.
Operating in this mode allows the Renderer to fetch the music data directly from the
Server without passing through the Controller. Since Lightning mode is an integral part
of our system, it allows us to apply some advanced technologies, like our memory cache,
to optimize the sound quality. This feature preloads the music data from the server into
the Renderer’s memory, allowing it to be played bit-perfect from the most pristine
environment possible.
Your AURALiC streamer can also work in many ways other than Lightning mode. If you
prefer the Roon ecosystem, the ARIES G2.2 will operate seamlessly as a certified
RoonReady endpoint. It also works directly with TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, and
provides the option of an AirPlay or Bluetooth connection. Each of these systems has its
own specific operating environment, which requires us to bypass our memory cache
system. Some of the other processing features available via Lightning mode may be
disabled as well. Your ARIES G2.2 will sound slightly different when using these software
options, but not necessarily worse. Each of these systems uses its own technology to
optimize for sound quality.

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Network Requirements
Our Lightning streaming technology utilizes SSDP (Simple Service Discovery Protocol), a
network package that facilitates communication between Lightning DS and your
streaming device. However, poorly designed routers and network switches often
mishandle SSDP, causing issues. We have encountered WiFi routers that fail to broadcast
SSDP messages effectively between Ethernet and WiFi connected devices or within the
same WiFi network. If you are using a low-cost WiFi router provided by your ISP, it is
likely to be insufficient for this task, resulting in difficulties finding the streaming
device within Lightning DS or experiencing significant delays in device detection.
The ability to stream Netflix or play Pandora on your smart speaker does not necessarily
guarantee that your router can handle specific multicasting (SSDP) messages without
dropouts or block certain (IGMP/ICMP) data packets that AURALiC Lightning devices rely
on for optimal performance. In many cases, lower-performing routers provided by your
Internet Service Provider may struggle with this type of traffic due to their firmware
limitations. Additionally, a weak WiFi connection can also impact the transmission of
these UDP discovery data packets, even if your other data connections appear to be
functioning as they should.
We recommend upgrading to a high-performance aftermarket router manufactured by
reputable brands like Netgear, ASUS, or Linksys to resolve these issues and ensure the
best streaming experience.
It's worth noting that some enterprise-level network routers and switches implement
additional security measures that require specific configuration to enable SSDP
messages, those security measures may also block IGMP/ICMP messages which are
essential for your AURALiC devices to join your network properly. If you are using this
type of equipment, we advise consulting an IT professional for assistance in setting up
the firewall policy correctly.

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Warranty
AURALiC offers a 1-Year factory limited warranty from the date of purchase as a general.
For devices originally sold and used in EUC or UK, AURALiC offers a 2-Year factory limited
warranty from the date of purchase.
The warranty will be extended to three years if the original owner completes the product
registration within 30 days from purchase. You could either activate the device inside
Lightning DS software under your AURALiC account or fill out the ‘AURALiC Product
Registration Form’ on page 49 and send it back to [email protected] to finish the
registration. This extended warranty is nontransferable and for the original owner only.
We recommend registering your device using Lightning DS as it provides the easiest way
to complete the registration process. AURALiC values your privacy and does not collect
any personal sensitive data during the registration process. To register your device, you
will need to provide a valid email address, your name, and the country you are living in.
For detailed instructions on how to activate and deactivate your device, please refer to
the 'Device Activation and Deactivation' on page 45.
Warranty coverage includes all parts and labor. Warranty is void if damage is due to
abuse, neglect or unauthorized modifications. Costs associated with the return of this
product are the sole responsibility of the owner. All repair work must be carried out by
AURALiC or by an authorized AURALiC repair agency. Work done by unauthorized
persons will void any and all warranty coverage.
AURALiC products are uniquely identified with a serial number (S/N) printed on the label
attached under the unit. This number is required to validate your warranty. Please
provide your serial number if service is required.
Before the product can be returned for service, an RMA (Return Material Authorization)
number must be issued by AURALiC. Contact your dealer or AURALiC for further
information. Units without an RMA number will not be accepted for service.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
l All safety and operating instructions must be read before actual operation, and
retained for future reference.
l This product should be connected only to the type of power source indicated on
the back of the unit. If you are not sure of the type of your mains power supply,
please consult your dealer or local power company.
l To completely disconnect this product from the AC mains, disconnect the power
supply cord plug from the AC receptacle.
l Do not use the product near water, i.e. near a bathtub, kitchen sink, laundry tub,
in a wet basement, near a swimming pool etc.
l Do not install the product near heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus that produce heat. See “Placement and Cabling” on
page 9.
l Do not let objects or liquids fall into the product. Do not expose the product to
dripping or splashing. Do not place a vessel containing liquid on top of the
product.
l Clean only with a soft, dry cloth.
l Do not attempt to service this product yourself. Opening or removing covers may
expose you to dangerous voltage. Refer all servicing to authorized service
personnel. See ‘Support & Contact’ on page 47.

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Unpacking
Please check that the following items are in the box:
l ARIES G2.2
l AC Power Cord
l Wi-Fi Antennas (2 pieces)
l User’s Guide
Carefully unpack the box. If anything is missing or damaged, please notify your AURALiC
dealer as soon as possible. Once you have inspected everything, return all the packing
materials to the box, and store it in a safe place. You will want to retain the box and
packaging as they are specially designed to protect the unit during transportation and
shipping.
ONLY SHIP THIS PRODUCT IN ITS ORIGINAL PACKAGING!
Placement and Cabling
Placement
ARIES G2.2 should be placed on a solid and stable surface with good ventilation. Do not
install this product near any heat source, such as a radiator or wood stove, or directly
above an amplifier that creates significant heat.
Ventilation Requirement
ARIES G2.2 dissipates up to 50 Watts of power during normal operation.
It should be installed in a space with at least one inch of clearance
above, behind and on both sides of its enclosure to provide adequate
ventilation. Avoid placing it directly above other equipment that
produces heat.
Due to the distinctive foot damper design of the ARIES G2.2, it is essential to avoid
placing any objects on top of the device. The springs within the chassis foot damper are

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precisely calibrated according to the weight of the ARIES G2.2. Adding extra weight to
the unit will compress the springs, leading to a significant impact on the damper
performance and potentially compromising the sound quality. It is crucial to refrain from
placing additional weight on the machine to ensure optimal performance and preserve
the integrity of the sound quality.
ARIES G2.2 chassis foot damper system
Check Your AC Mains Voltage
ARIES G2.2 is shipped with its mains voltage preset for operation in the destination
country. The mains voltage setting is written on the back of the unit, besides the power
cord socket. There is a jumper inside the machine to set the mains voltage between 110-
120V and 220-240V. If it needs to be changed, contact us to obtain additional
information.
The power cord has a three-wire grounding type plug (a plug having a third pin for
grounding). It will only fit into a grounded power outlet. If you are unable to insert the
plug fully into the outlet, contact your dealer or AURALiC. Do not defeat the safety
purpose of the grounded plug.
ARIES G2.2 MUST BE USED WITH THE CORRECT
MAINS VOLTAGE AND PROPERLY EARTHED!
Fuse Specification
The fuse used inside ARIES G2.2 is one single T1A/250V (1A slow blow) with size of
5*20mm. The fuse is located inside the fuse box at the IEC AC power socket:

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It is crucial to replace a fuse with the same rating when necessary. Failure to do so can
lead to serious hazards, including but not limited to electric shock, fire, and explosion.
ONLY REPLACE FUSE WITH THE SAME RATING!
Cabling
The I/O ports on the rear of ARIES G2.2:
• IEC Power Socket and Main Switch
Power cable connection. Double-check the AC MAIN voltage rating directly below
the power socket before connecting to your wall outlet. Please do not use heavy
aftermarket power cables without proper support. Excessive cable weight may
damage the power cord socket.
The toggle power switch cuts off all power to the unit when the side labeled ‘O’ is
toggled and connects power to the unit when the side labeled ‘I’ is toggled. Please
make sure to power off all units in your system before changing any cables. Failure
to do this may result in permanent damage to your streamer and void any warranty.

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ALWAYS POWER OFF ARIES G2.2 BEFORE CABLING!
• ATN1 and ATN2
These are the connections for the two Wi-Fi antennas that are included in the box
with the ARIES G2.2. These antennas also provide access to the Bluetooth connection.
Once the antennas are installed, you will be able to join your home wireless network.
We always recommend wireless network as a preferred connection if your network
infrastructures meet requirements mentioned at the beginning of this user’s guide.
• LAN
This Gigabit Ethernet connection is supplied in case you would like to connect the
ARIES G2.2 to a wired network.
• HDD
This USB 3.0 port is for connecting removable USB storage devices. When you
connect a USB drive to this port, the internal Lightning Server will read the content
on the drive and index the music files automatically. This connection provides 1.5
amps of power, allowing for a wide range of external storage options. Our platform
supports drives formatted as FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, Linux Ext2/3/4, HFS+, and APFS
(Apple File System).
• AES, COAX and TOS
The AES/EBU, Coaxial, and Toslink output ports are used to connect to a DAC with a
matching input. These are all driven by the same Femto Clock source, but they are
individually buffered so they can be used together. Select ‘Digital Outputs’ as the
output channel inside the device menu to activate them. The maximum sampling
rate supported by AES, Coaxial, and Toslink is 24bit/192kHz PCM or DSD64 (DoP).
• DAC
The USB Audio Host port features our 2nd generation galvanic isolation with
improved DAC compatibility and further optimized noise isolation and jitter
performance. Once connected, select your DAC’s name as the output channel inside
the device menu to enable it. Please refer to your DAC’s specifications for the
maximum sampling rate it supports.

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• L-LINK
Lightning Link is the preferred connection method if you use the ARIES G2.2 with
other AURALiC products that support Lightning Link. The ARIES G2.2 has two
Lightning Link connections labeled VEGA and LEO. The VEGA connection is used to
send the output data stream to our VEGA DAC or SIRIUS processor. The connection
labeled LEO is for communication with our LEO GX.1 Reference Master Clock, which
is used together with the MCK-IN clock input connection.
When using ARIES, VEGA and LEO together, please always connect your LEO directly
to the VEGA in order to take full advantage of its performance.
Lightning Link uses an HDMI connector, but it is neither an HDMI port nor an I2S
output. Please do not attempt to connect it to any HDMI or I2S device. Select
‘Lightning Link’ as the output channel inside the device menu to activate it. The
maximum sampling rate supported by Lightning Link is 32Bit/384kHz PCM or DSD512.
• MCK IN
Clock signal input for AURALiC LEO Reference Master Clock. Adding LEO to your
ARIES G2.2 will boost digital output performance; this however will not affect the
USB output. MCK IN is not compatible with other clock product, such as a 10M
reference clock.
Note: ARIES G2.2 can only work with LEO version 2.1 and above. You can check your
LEO’s version at its front display when powered up. Please contact AURALiC to have
your LEO updated if you have an earlier one.

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Front Panel
The front panel of ARIES G2.2:
• ‘Power’ Button
The ‘Power’ button controls the power status of your ARIES G2.2. Please refer to
Power Management’ on page 15 for detailed information.
• ‘Play’ Button
The ‘Play’ button has two functions: in ‘Playing’ interface, this button will play/pause
the current track. When navigating menus, use this button to confirm selections.
• ‘M’ Button
The ‘M’ button has two functions: in ‘Playing’ interface, the ‘M’ button returns to
the home menu. When navigating menus, this button steps backwards to the
previous menu level (brief press) or exits to the Home Menu (long press).
• ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ Buttons
The ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ buttons have two functions: in ‘Playing’ interface, they adjust
volume up and down. When navigating menus, use these buttons to highlight menu
items.
• Front Panel Display
The 4-inch high-resolution true color display on the front panel gives you full access
to ARIES G2.2 settings as well as displaying enriched metadata.

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Power Management
ARIES G2.2 is equipped with advanced power management system which allows true
on/off, low power standby and sleep mode.
Power On/Off
The AC power to your ARIES G2.2 can be controlled using the toggle switch located on
the back of the device. This switch directly manages the flow of AC power to the unit.
We recommend completely switching off the device using the toggle switch if you do
not plan to use it for an extended period, such as during a vacation trip.
Standby
Once the toggle switch is set at ‘I’ position, your ARIES G2.2 will enter standby mode
automatically. The standby mode uses very little power as most of the circuits inside the
machine are powered off. In standby mode, your machine is off from network and will
not react to any programmed IR remote control command.
To wake the machine from standby mode, press the ‘Power’ button briefly on the front
panel. Within a few seconds, the front display will illuminate, and your ARIES G2.2 will
begin the boot-up process.
Sleep
Sleep mode allows most circuits inside your ARIES G2.2 to remain powered on while
staying connected to your home network. In this mode, the device will appear in
Lightning DS as a device under sleep mode.
To wake the machine from sleep mode, you have multiple options. You can use Lightning
DS app, utilize a programmed IR remote control, or simply press the ‘Power’ button
briefly on the front panel.
Force Off
In the rare event that your ARIES G2.2 becomes unresponsive or fails to start, you can
perform a force off operation by pressing and holding the ‘Power’ button for 7 seconds.
This action will reset the system put the ARIES G2.2 back into standby mode. To restart
the device, simply press the ‘Power’ button briefly once again, and it will begin the boot-
up process.

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Connect ARIES G2.2 to a Home Network
Connecting your ARIES G2.2 to your home network is a relatively easy process. There are
three different methods you can use for setup: Lightning DS setup guide, Lightning web
control interface, or device front panel control.
Before proceeding with the setup of your ARIES G2.2, it’s important to ensure that ICMP
(Internet Control Message Protocol) and IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol)
packets are not being blocked on your router/firewall/switch. Your ARIES G2.2 will not
be able to join home network if ICMP/IGMP is disabled.
Use Lightning DS Setup Guide
Lightning DS is the control software that AURALiC created to use with its streaming
devices. You can install Lightning DS on any iPad or iPhone running iOS 11 or above.
Lightning DS can also be installed on any Mac computer with Apple Silicon processor.
To begin, download Lightning DS from the Apple App Store. Once it is installed and you
open the App, a window will pop up with this message:
Please make sure you choose ‘Allow’. Lightning DS will not be able to connect to your
ARIES G2.2 if you choose ‘Don’t Allow’ option.
Next, you will be prompted to select your language. Once you have selected your
language preference, Lightning DS will display the End User License Agreement (EULA.)
Please read this agreement carefully and select ‘Agree’. If you do not agree with the
EULA, please return your unit to the seller immediately.

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At the welcome screen, choose ‘Setup Lightning Device’ option then select ‘Setup New
Device’ to start a step-by-step setup guide. It will lead you to configure your ARIES
G2.2 to join your home network.

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Use Lightning Web Control Interface
All AURALiC streaming devices come with an HTML5-based hardware control interface,
allowing you to configure the device to connect to your home network. To begin using
the web control interface, follow these steps:
Connect the power cord to your ARIES G2.2, switch on the main power by putting toggle
switch to the ‘I’ position, press the ‘Power’ button on the front panel to start up the
device.
The ARIES G2.2’s front display should light up after a couple of seconds and you will see
an AURALiC logo on the display indicating the device is starting up. If this is a brand-new
device, you will need to select the device language. Once the device has fully started,
you will see the ‘Welcome’ screen, which displays basic information about your device:
Once you see the interface and verify that the second line displays ‘Wi-Fi Hotspot:
10.5.5.1’, you can proceed with joining an open WiFi network called ‘AURALiC-Lightning’
on any computer or mobile device.
Please note that your computer or mobile device might issue a warning stating that the
network is not password protected or lacks internet connectivity. This is perfectly normal
as the Wi-Fi hotspot is temporary and intended solely for the initial device setup process.
Once connected to ‘AURALiC-Lightning’, open a web browser, and enter ’10.5.5.1’ into
the address bar. The Lightning web control interface is now available: