Auralic Polaris, Brand New Sealed +1TB SSD: Streamer, Server, DAC, Amp, MM Phono

Description

List price ,799. Brand new in sealed box. Also I will include 1TB SSD drive, Samsung EVO 860 only used a few months--this is separate and not installed as Polaris is in sealed box. It is easy to install.
Small, sleek and elegant. Crystal clear OLED display. Silver. Remote. Free Lightning DS app. This does just about everything, and really well.
I have one and use it every day. Selling my extra for system that did not materialize. I use Roon, Tidal and NAS drive to access my music. Auralic uses its own software to do MQA and it is quite good. I also have a turntable hooked up to it as well as a subwoofer. RoonReady.
Adding an internal SSD to the Polaris takes the performance a step up vs. NAS or hard drive--more air and differentiation among instruments, leading to more musical enjoyment.
Before I got this I had a Schiit Yggdrasil Analogue 2 with Gen. 5 USB (,400). I compared the Yggy with the Polaris DAC. The Yggy was more detailed. The Polaris was fuller--more fleshed out. I sold the Yggy.
Plus the Polaris has different filter modes for your preference, and you can also upsample (which creates much more air, instrumental separation and clarity--more musical).
Will be double boxed and shipped FedEx with insurance.
See the great reviews on Audiostream and Darko.audio and elsewhere.
All in one solution: Amp. Pre Amp. Streamer. DAC. MM Phono. Music Server.
https://darko.audio/201https://hifiandmusicsource.com/2017/10/auralic-polaris-review/7/03/auralic-polaris-21st-century-boy/
https://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/auralic-polaris-integrated-amplifier-streamer-dac
https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/15-auralic-polaris-wireless-streaming-dac-integrated-amplifier
https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/auralic-polaris-wireless-streaming-amplifier/
https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/audio-accessory/wireless/auralic-polaris-wireless-streaming-dac-amplifier-review/
https://hifisoundenthusiast.com/portfolio/auralic-polaris-review/
https://www.hifiplus.com/articles/auralic-polaris-wireless-streaming-integrated-amplifier/
https://www.avforums.com/reviews/auralic-polaris-all-in-one-streaming-system-review.13713
Wireless streamer, music server, DAC, preamplifier and a stereo power amplifier
AURALiC's award-winning Lightning Streaming Platform supports Quad-Rate DSD, PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz through a Wi-Fi network
Streams music stored on USB drive, internal hard disk (if you install a hard drive of your own), network shared folder, and DLNA/UPnP music server
Digital inputs include AES/EBU, Coaxial, Toslink and a USB connection for your computer
Two stereo pairs of analog channels can be configured as a phono stage with built-in phono preamp
AURALiC's proprietary Tesla hardware platform includes a Quad-Core Coretex-A9 processor running at 1GHz, with 1GB DDR3 onboard memory and 4GB system storage
Supported file formats: AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WV and WMA
Dual-frequency Femto Master Clock inside the Polaris is specially designed and optimized for its ESS Sabre DAC chip
AirPlay, Songcast, and Bluetooth inputs
Gapless playback
On-device playlist
Memory cache
Bit-perfect multi-room functions
Automatic software update system
Streaming Inputs
Network shared folder
USB Drive
Internal Music Storage (if you install a hard drive of your own)
uPnP/DLNA Media Server
TIDAL and Qobuz streaming
Internet Radio
AirPlay
Bluetooth
Songcast
RoonReady
Digital Inputs
1 x AES/EBU
1 x Coaxial
1 x Toslink
1 x USB device to computer
2 x USB host to storage and DAC
1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
1 x 802.11b/g/n/ac Tri-Band WiFi
Analog Inputs
Line Stage (Input Sensitivity: 2Vrms)
MM Phono Stage (Gain: 36dB, 65mV at maximum)
Analog Outputs
Single-Ended RCA (6Vrms @ 0dBFS)
Loudspeaker Binding Post
Supported Digital Formats
All PCM from 44.1KS/s to 384KS/s in 32Bit***
DSD64, DSD128, DSD256***
** 352.8KS/s and 384KS/s are supported through streaming and USB input only
*** 32bit is supported through streaming and USB input only
*** By 'DoP V1.1' or native DSD protocol through streaming and USB input only
Continuous Output Power: 120W/180W (8ohm/4ohm)
Frequency Response: 20 - 20KHz, +/- 0.5dB*
THD+N: <0.01%,
20Hz-20KHz@1W
IMD: <0.01%,
20Hz-20KHz@1W
Power Consumption: Sleep: <10W; Playback: 450W at max.
Dimension: 13" wide x 2.6" high x 10.2" deep
Weight: 10.0 lbs.
"It Tickled My Fancy" – AudioStream.com
Polaris offers innovative technology, great sound, superb user experience, and excellent value – just as you would expect from an AURALiC product. It's a wireless streamer, a music server, a DAC, a preamplifier and a stereo power amplifier, otherwise known as the ultimate solution for music lovers seeking high quality streaming from a single, compact audio component.
Polaris has seventeen inputs that support streaming, digital sources, and analog sources. The internal DAC, incorporating AURALiC Flexible Filters and Femto Master Clock, supports Quad-Rate DSD and PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz. The powerful internal stereo amplifier module can deliver 120 watts per channel into 8 ohms, or 180 watts per channel into 4 ohms continuous power with exceptionally low distortion, giving it the capability to drive the most demanding loudspeakers.
"Leashed to a pair of Ryan R630 loudspeakers (00/pair), this simple system tickled my fancy as simple systems have a wont to do," reports Michael Lavorgna in his October 15, 2016 post at AudioStream.com.
High-end Wireless Streaming
Polaris utilizes AURALiC's award-winning Lightning Streaming Platform. Launched in 2014, Lightning Streaming is industry's first streaming solution that supports Quad-Rate DSD, PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz through a Wi-Fi network. Lightning Streaming offers several innovative and unique features such as Gapless Playback, On-Device Playlist, Memory Cache and Bit-Perfect Multi-Room functions. This on-going platform is maintained, and continually developed by AURALiC's in-house software R&D team to ensure customers are regularly updated with new features through the product's automatic software update system.
17 Input Sources
Polaris can act as home music center for virtually all input sources. It can stream music stored on USB drive, network shared folder and DLNA/UPnP music server. By joint use with Lightning DS, you can also stream TIDAL and Qobuz and listen to Internet Radio at any time. Polaris's AirPlay, Songcast, and Bluetooth inputs provide alternative way to stream your favorite music from Apple Music, Spotify and other service providers through smartphone or computer.
Polaris also works as a RoonReady endpoint to use with Roon software if you wish, bringing you a new way to discover and listen to music. The rest of inputs includes AES/EBU, Coaxial, Toslink and USB connection to a computer working as USB DAC. Polaris can accommodate an internal hard drive, so if you are technically inclined you can install a drive of your own, should you wish.
Analog Channels and Phono Stage
Polaris is equipped with two pairs of multi-function RCA connections. These two stereo pairs of analog channels can be configured as a phono stage input, a line stage input, or a preamplifier output through the product settings menu. Digital inputs include AES/EBU, Coaxial, Toslink and a USB connection for your computer.
AURALiC Tesla Platform
Polaris is powered by AURALiC's proprietary Tesla hardware platform, which includes a Quad-Core Coretex-A9 processor running at 1GHz, with 1GB DDR3 onboard memory and 4GB system storage. The Tesla platform has a calculation ability of 25,000 MIPS, more than enough to decode a vast spectrum of audio formats, including AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DIFF, DSF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WV and WMA. AURALiC has chosen this platform for its flexibility and long-term support consideration. Future features planned include DSD Upsampling, Room Acoustic Treatment. All these features can be delivered through automatic online updates without user's attention.
Femto Master Clock
The dual-frequency Femto Master Clock inside the Polaris is specially designed and optimized for its ESS Sabre DAC chip: with one frequency for playing music with a sampling rate which is the multiple of 44.1K, and a second for 48K, making it possible for the Polaris to be able to lock on with highest clock precision (equal to the VEGA's "EXACT" mode) at all time without dropouts.
The Femto Master Clock, which is powered by a 9uV extremely low noise dedicated power supply, has a very low phase noise performance. It not only has dramatically low phase noise, which is only at -151dBc/Hz level, but it also has an excellent 100Hz offset noise level which is only -115dBc/Hz. Driven by such a high performance clock, the Polaris can bring you vivid music with natural detail and a solid sound image.
Hybrid Volume Control
The Hybrid Volume Control is an innovative feature designed for Polaris that uses both analog and digital volume control together for optimum audio performance and the best possible sound quality. The analog attenuators reduce the signal level in 12dB steps while the DAC's internal digital volume control handles small amounts of volume change within each step. By using this technology, the DAC chip always operates in the best performance range, bringing much lower distortion, better dynamic range and high sound quality at low volume levels.
Flexible Filter Mode
Polaris has four built-in filter modes which allows its user to customize sound best befitting their personal preference. Those filter modes were developed from AURALiC's well known Flexible Filter Mode in the VEGA Digital Audio Processor, with each containing several digital filters optimized for a corresponding sampling rate.
Flexible Filter Mode was developed under AURALiC's subjective auditory sense and objective testing data relationship models, to optimize the listening experience for different music and format. The "Precise" mode exhibits perfect in-band ripple and out-band attenuation performance, while the "Smooth" mode is better for overall enjoyment as it has no 'pre-ringing' effect. The other two modes, named "Dynamic" and "Balance" are optimized for different music formats as well.