I’m trialling a dCS Network Bridge against an AURALiC ARIES G2.1 prior to purchase of one or the other.
I have a Vitus RI-101 MKII with DAC and streaming module and Magico A3s.
The Network Bridge shades the Auralic both using SPDIF, however I can’t get the AES (single) to work on the dCS - if I use AES on the Auralic, it shades the dCS using SPDIF, however, I’d like to do an apples for apples comparison and get the AES on the dCS to work.
Mosaic seems to be of no help, as is my dCS dealer (they always used SPDIF).
I have a Network Bridge connected to a Vivaldi Dac. Actually there is nothing you can do on the NB. If you connect AES cable, it should work, it was on the Vivaldi I had to setup things to get double AES working.
May be you should remove the RCA cable when you want to use AES on the NB ?
Soon, there will be someone more qualified helping you, for sure.
Hi Chris, have you tried downloading the Network Bridge app? there might be some settings on there that once adjusted will make it work. I know i used this app to set up the NWB when i had one.
Leo
Hi Malcolm!
Actually, it is wise to set up the dCS Network Bridge via the Mosaic app to fit your DAC of choice. Right out of the box the NWB has a standard setting so you will need to change some parameters so it fits your Vitus DAC-module. On page 12 in your NWB manual there is a table with various settings. On the DAC side it is important to know if you use single or dual AES and if the DAC does DoP. In the table, various NWB settings are also outlined.
Good luck
Göran
Does the connected AES input appear in the display for your Vitus integrated? The Vitus has a provision for inputs to be disabled so I would start by checking that this has not been set ( on purpose or by accident) for AES.
You can use either of the AES outputs on the network bridge and whilst it is unlikely that one would fail, both failing would be a long shot indeed. As this appears to be a loan item from your dealer did he also give you the user manual? You may need to check the NB settings so that they match the Vitus streaming board capabilities. The settings that you suggest would not be correct as e.g. you would need the DSD Downsampling to on as the Vitus does not cater for DSD. Of course with only one AES output you cannot play 352.8 files so downsampling would need to be set if you have material to play of this resolution. Note that if your dealer has not changed the settings the NB ships with downsampling preset to 96K so you may want to change this to 192K.
Malcolm, basically the AES output should work without you needing to fuss around too much. It sounds like the demonstrator that you may have is a faulty unit - maybe that’s why your dealer always used S/Pdif?
As I believe that the Network Bridge is superior ( just enter Auralic in the search option above to get other member’s opinions) I would ask your dealer to either get their sample fixed or obtain another so that you can try again before committing yourself. That may add a little time before you can make a move but surely that is preferable to being stuck long term with the wrong choice?
I had a similar experience when testing a Network Bridge against an Aries G2.1 in the autumn. In my case, the Bridge point-blank refused to output at 192/24 through S/PDIF to my active speakers, whereas the G2.1 had no difficulty in doing so via either S/PDIF or USB-Audio.
I tried ringing dCS on a couple of occasions to discuss the issue, but despite the UK being out of lockdown at that point nobody ever picked up the phone. I discussed the issue with Geoff Martin, the designer of my speakers – the Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 90s – and he thought it might be something to do with the dual AES settings, but no matter how I toggled them the NB wouldn’t output above 96/24.
My overall impression of the Network Bridge was that it was rather a fussy piece of kit that felt quite old-fashioned in the way it did things, and especially in its software interface. I also thought the G2.1 was slightly superior sonically, but I would have liked to have heard the NB at its full resolution.
In the final event, I didn’t buy either unit and decided to stick with my Aries Femto until Auralic release the G3. However, I wouldn’t mind demoing a Vivaldi transport at some point, though files are starting to take over from CDs in my listening.
Anyone who wants to read my detailed impressions of the listening test – undertaken over a couple of weeks – can do so at the Steve Hoffman forum.
Read your review - same issues as me - even though I expected the dCS to smash the Auralic, I “wanted” to buy the dCS, however, in my system the SQ is close that if I am forced to use SPDIF with the dCS as opposed to AES with the Auralic , I may have to get the Auralic.
I use the AES output. Given that there are two sockets, have you tried both? Because I am only using one, I assume it needs to be AES 1 that is connected. As my dac only goes up to 192k, I turn on the downsampling. Might be worth trying that. I also have the spdif at 192 and dsd on.
I tried that combination, plus every other possible combination and nothing has worked - I have returned the trial unit - I just do not think it works with my Vitus RI-101 MKII with DAC/streamer module.
The dealer reported that the dCS streamer worked perfectly when plugged into another DAC via AES back at the store, so the problem is with the streamer communicating with my DAC.