Auralic Upgrades The Altair To “G1” Status, Intros A New Sirius G2 Upsampler

The “G”s continue to roll out from the digital gurus at Auralic. Just in time for the big Munich hifi show, two new products have been introduced which share the same next gen, two-tier destinations.

First up to bat is a reimagined statement of the all-in-one streamer/DAC Altair. The wireless streaming product would be destined to sit between the the new VEGA G1 and the now-discontinued Aries mini, however it still differentiates itself with wireless capabilities (the VEGA G1 only has wired) and additional pre amplifier capabilities. This of course, all takes place in the new G1 form factor and casework – signaling a more uniform, consistent look from piece to piece moving forward.

In addition to the G1 casework, the new Altair includes a chipset upgrade to ESS 9038Q2M and a processor platform change from Telsa G1 to G2 with 2GB of system memory. Internal storage can be optioned in to the unit, and connectively remains strong with Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, Airplay, SongCast and Roon endpoint capabilities.

The Altair will be available in July/August of this year for $2,499.

Also on the docket for Munich is the new Sirus G2 upsampler which extends the G2 digital path even further for those interested in refining their rig another step. The unit can be attached to any DAC and is not restricted merely to the G2 list of components. Designer Xuanqian Wang explains the main feature thusly:

“SIRIUS G2’s most unique feature is its ability to upsample an input signal to high bitrate DSD, like DSD512, then output that signal via galvanically isolated USB to a compatible DAC, transforming a chip-based DAC into an FPGA DAC.”

Connectivity for the new upsampler includes Auralic’s proprietary 18Gbps Lighting Link for bi-directional communication between the Aries G2 streamer and the VEGA G2 DAC. Future firmware updates planned for the device include 20 band EQ and room correction software.

More and more digital components are reaching out to separate casing for solutions to jitter and all manner of interference/noise reduction. The approach here appears as a more pragmatic one. Start with the basics and grow the feature set out separately, allowing for consumers to pick and choose their priorities while keeping the point of entry within arms reach for more consumers.

The Sirius G2 will arrive in July/August and retail for $5,999.