DACs — AURALiC ALTAIR G1.1

The ALTAIR G1.1 is a streaming DAC with a digital preamplifier and headphone output from AURALiC. It updates the earlier ALTAIR G1 with a sturdier chassis, an improved femtosecond-class clock with better jitter damping and a more powerful built-in headphone amplifier. A European price of EUR 2,999 was quoted.

Key specs that matter

The DAC accepts PCM from 44.1 kHz to 384 kHz at 32 bit and DSD at DSD64 (2.8224 MHz), DSD128 (5.6448 MHz), DSD256 (11.2896 MHz) and DSD512 (22.5792 MHz), with DXD also listed. AURALiC specifies frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 0.1 dB, THD+N below 0.0002 percent from the XLR outputs and below 0.0003 percent from RCA over 20 Hz to 20 kHz at 0 dBFS, and dynamic range of 124 dB A-weighted. Digital inputs are AES/EBU on XLR, coaxial, TOSLink optical and USB-B for a computer, while the analogue stage feeds both XLR (balanced) and RCA (single-ended) jacks. Streaming services and local files are both played without a computer, and the front panel carries a headphone socket driven by the upgraded amplifier stage. The case measures 34 x 8 x 32 cm and the unit weighs 7.4 kg.

Engineering and use context

As a network player it reads music from shared network folders, from a USB drive and from an optional internal SSD that can be fitted later, and it can copy music from a USB drive straight onto that storage. It plays lossless AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, OGG, WAV and WV files as well as lossy AAC, MP3 and WMA. The Lightning streaming platform integrates Amazon Music, Qobuz, Tidal, KKBOX, internet radio and Spotify Connect, and the unit also supports Tidal Connect, AirPlay 2, UPnP and Roon Ready, plus multiroom playback. Network access is by Ethernet or dual-antenna Wi-Fi on 2.4 and 5 GHz, and Bluetooth is also present. A 10 cm colour screen on the front shows status, and control is through the Lightning DS app for iOS, since no remote handset is supplied. Because volume is handled inside the unit, no separate preamplifier is needed between it and a stereo power amp.

Pairing

Balanced XLR sockets suit active monitors and power amps with matching inputs, and the RCA outputs serve a conventional integrated amplifier used at a fixed level. For headphone listening that socket removes the need for a separate headphone amplifier in a desktop system.

Alternatives

AURALiC also makes the VEGA G2.2, a streaming DAC with an analogue ladder resistor volume control, Class A ORFEO output modules and HDMI among its inputs.