Auralic Polaris: A Full Review

Auralic Polaris, given the compact housing, which after all contains a powerful integrated amplifier plus a fully equipped streamer, he rightly asked himself the question: Is such a device more hi-fi fast food or already an audiophile designer drug? The answer was surprisingly clear.

Whenever the author of these lines tests good all-in-one devices, he briefly longs for a solid, steady hi-fi life without constant assembly, disassembly, and conversion, comparing, replugging, unpacking, and repacking. Without cardboard storage in the hallway and all corners and niches of the apartment that can be reached in any way. And without the stacks of devices and the tangle of cables that an active test operation sometimes entails.

A radical counter-utopia to the extreme, nerdy technological presence is the streaming amplifiers that have been available for several years, which can make an entire system, including the player, almost disappear without having to compromise too much on the sound. T+A, Linn, and Naim were pioneers of this movement, Auralic took its time and presented such an all-rounder with the Polaris just this year: a powerful integrated amplifier with digital and analog inputs, one of which can even be switched to Phono MM, and with a sophisticated streamer that supports the music services Tidal and Qobuz, any hard disks, SSDs and DLNA servers, Internet radio, Bluetooth, Airplay, Multiroom and even the playback protocol of the noble music server Roon.

The Chinese company Auralic generally does not tend to oversleep trends or follow well-trodden technological paths. On the contrary, In recent years, its developers have repeatedly caused a stir with their explosive development speed and, with the Lightning platform, have one of the most powerful and best streaming units on the market in their hands.

Again and again – for example with DSD streaming, the integration of streaming services, or the integrated server function – established competitors had to watch how Auralic co-founder Xuanqian Wang and his team were already reporting that features were being implemented, while others were still in the starting blocks – or even just discussing whether a start was even possible and sensible.

The streaming heart of the Auralic Polaris is reassuringly oversized with an ARM Cortex A9 quad-core processor and plenty of RAM for the demands of a network player. It was first used in the purely digital streaming bridge Aries – a modern successor to the audiophile CD drive, so to speak, tailor-made for the USB DACs that are currently highly valued by computer audiophiles. Then the cute Aries Mini inherited its extensive capabilities, but thanks to the integrated D/A converter, it was a complete player and even offered a slot for a 2.5″ hard drive or SSD in its mini housing.

The Auralic Polaris streaming integrated amplifier tested here also has this option: If you want it to be particularly neat and clean, you can integrate the server physically and logically into the Polaris, so you only have to set up this one device in your living room. Not even a network cable has to be laid to the Polaris because the device connects to the home WLAN via the modern 802.11ac standard, which guarantees music enjoyment without dropouts even with super-high-resolution music files. Only the power and speakers have to be wired classically.

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You can see that the Auralic Polaris is not cheap. With its very precisely fitting housing, the cleanly centered and wobble-free rotary encoder button, and the amber-colored, fine-resolution dot-matrix display, it looks classy in a reserved way – an impression that unfortunately does not continue with the remote control in the cheap DVD player style.

In streaming mode, the infrared spark is hardly used anyway, but primarily Auralic’s own “Lightning DS” app, for example, on an iPad: It guides the owner through the setup of the streamer and requires a little patience from time to time, but always remains detailed, clear, and logical.

If the streamer is ready to go and if the latest firmware is installed (this is done automatically via the network), the app will ask which music library should be used. If you want to access an existing DLNA server (e.g. on a NAS), then simply let the app take over its data and cover preview images.

The app buffers all lists locally instead of pulling them from the server with each search. As a result, the albums load and scroll very quickly and smoothly during later searches, even if a collection contains a few thousand albums.

However, operation with your server intelligence is even better integrated and more convenient. The integrated Lightning server is a full-fledged DLNA server, which, however, has practical sorting criteria such as file format, modification date, or data rate ahead of its typical NAS colleagues and which, once it is running, is also available to any other streamer in the same network. So you can switch from the main system in the living room to an inexpensive streaming box in the kitchen or the DLNA-enabled surround receiver in the basement without having to get used to a new server sorting every time.

Since the Lightning Server (like any other server program) first reads the metadata of all existing music files, it takes some time to set it up: the test device combed through the approximately 30,000 titles on the author’s NAS in just under an hour. The limiting factor was probably not the Auralic Polaris, but the read and access times of the ten-year-old network storage.

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In addition to NAS disks in the home network, the Lightning server can also search and sort USB storage devices connected directly to the Polaris or the internally pluggable 2.5″ disk mentioned above, and offer them clearly for selection via the app. According to an update that has already been announced, it should also be possible to combine several storage locations into one comprehensive collection.

At the time of the test, you still had to decide between internal storage, USB, and a network hard drive. The change is very quick, however, because the Lightning Server remembers the different databases and then apparently does not have to create them from scratch, but only has to retrieve them again.

Regardless of the storage medium, the Auralic Polaris plays every hi-fi-relevant file format, including exotic ultra-high-res resolutions that can reach up to eight times the standard sampling rate in the DSD one-bit format, i.e., up to 11 megahertz (DSD512). With PCM formats, the fun goes up to 352.8 or 384 kHz with up to 32-bit data words. “Fun” is relative here, because there is very little music in DSD512 or PCM-based formats beyond 24-bit/192kHz.

On the other hand, “normal” HiRes, i.e., around 24bit/96kHz, is completely different, which is available from providers such as Highresaudio.com in an impressive selection that also includes not only jazz, classical, and audiophile piling, but also many rock and alternative records.

The fact that the HighRes downloads often sound better than their CD or streaming equivalents, regardless of the music style, does not even have to be directly related to their higher sampling rate or the additional bits, but is often simply because the downloads were mastered differently about their audiophile target group, namely with more dynamics and less compression.

In addition to many other unanswered questions, this fact is also an argument against MQA’s “One file for all resolutions” approach. If the mass market and the high-end niche can/must be served with the same product, this standard file will logically (must) be optimized for the mass market. The possibility of differentiating the target group accordingly when mastering is retained in principle, but is likely to be used much less frequently.

As a reminder, ordinary streamers treat MQA files or streams like regular FLAC with a resolution close to the CD standard. The high-res subtleties only come to light with a proprietary decoder, which multiplies the basic clock rate of 44.1 or 48kHz accordingly. Auralic takes a spicy middle ground here: Xuanqian Wang did not license the format, but programmed his decoder algorithms for it – which seem to work and in the listening test deliver very similar results to those that the author has already received in his experiments with “official” MQA equipment. Ideally, the comparison would be like the Vivaldi cantatas sung by soprano Tone Wik on the album Bellezza Crudel, where the MQA streams streamed by Tidal and unpacked in the Polaris sounded better than the normal 44.1/16 FLACs from the NAS. Namely, in a peculiar way, at the same time more focused, finer, and richer in substance – a characteristic that also applies to the classic HighRes file, which is compatible with all players, i.e., it is not specific to the MQA format.

This draws its appeal mainly from the fact that the streaming service Tidal has thousands of MQA-coded albums available as part of the normal “Tidal HiFi” subscription at no additional charge. HighRes file compatible with all players applies, i.e., it is not specific to the MQA format. This draws its appeal mainly from the fact that the streaming service Tidal has thousands of MQA-coded albums available as part of the normal “Tidal HiFi” subscription at no additional charge. HighRes file compatible with all players applies, i.e., it is not specific to the MQA format. This draws its appeal mainly from the fact that the streaming service Tidal has thousands of MQA-coded albums available as part of the normal “Tidal HiFi” subscription at no additional charge.

In the test, of course, not only was Tidal on the playlist, but also digital material from the local NAS server and analog material from the Linn LP12, both via the internal phono input of the Auralic Polaris and via external phono stages, which were then connected as high-level sources via the line input. However, the signal path is not 100% analog, since all signals have to pass through Auralic’s hybrid volume control, which combines coarse, analog-switched 12dB level stages with digital fine adjustment.

Compared to purely digital controls, this offers the advantage that the useful signals of digital origin always retain all resolution-relevant bits, even with minimum volume settings. Analog signals, on the other hand, first have to pass through an A/D converter to then travel through the Polaris on the same path as their digital relatives.

Vinyl purists will therefore probably not make the Auralic Polaris their first choice – given its opulent equipment with physical digital inputs, streaming standards, and integrated music services, it would also be completely overqualified. On the other hand, its MM phono input sounds very good, and you don’t notice the detour through the digital domain in normal listening.

In any case, the very special beauty of good records is fully preserved – an experience that may surprise some, especially since in the Polaris, to top it all off, a Class D power amplifier from Hypex and the associated switched-mode power supply also serves as the power source. However, this has a huge advantage: lots of power, but a compact design and low weight (4.5 kilos). Auralic specifies power values ​​of 2 x 180 watts at 4 ohms (or 2 x 120 at 8 ohms). After the long and sometimes very loud listening tests, I can only say that this is believable.

This is what the Auralic Polaris sounds like

It’s funny, but this device can sound warmer and more natural than some systems that are all-analog. The Polaris plays music with a lot of power and a smooth, rich quality. It’s more about making music enjoyable than picking it apart with extreme detail. It stays relaxed and never gets harsh or sharp, even when you play it very loud on big speakers. Compared to other similar all-in-one players, the Auralic Polaris is the one that feels the strongest and smoothest.

This powerful, relaxed tuning is complemented by the choice of DAC: the natural, clean-sounding ESS SABRE9016 chip. Its character can be subtly shaped by four selectable digital filter algorithms. During testing, the “Precise” setting paired best with older Naim speakers for a touch of freshness, while the “Smooth” or “Balanced” options suited new Klipsch Forte IIIs. This is not tone control; these filters are part of the DAC process, affecting impulse behaviour and the removal of high-frequency artifacts, not the audible frequency response.

These settings, along with balance, absolute phase, and input assignment, are accessed via the front display using either the remote or the multifunction knob. The system is extremely well-thought-out and practical. There is one minor annoyance, though Auralic has stated it is being fixed: at the time of testing, the Lightning DS app could only control the Polaris if the streamer input was already selected. Switching from an analog or digital source required using the remote first. Unconditional app control in all modes would make the integration feel perfect.

From a hi-fi perspective, a turntable remains a sensible addition for music only available on vinyl. However, for anything released digitally, the internal streamer is the best source. External drives offer no advantage over the internal player, which is clocked by Auralic’s high-precision femto clock. External digital players are rendered redundant, as their output would simply be re-digitalized and re-converted by Polaris’s own superior DAC.

From a hi-fi point of view, a turntable makes sense as an additional source for all the music that is available on disk or has never been released in digital form. Everything that has been released digitally is best played back with the integrated streamer (possibly after having transferred it to the hard drive beforehand). External drives bring no advantage over the internal player clocked by Auralic’s high-precision femto clock, and of course, external complete players do not anyway, since their output signal would be A/D and D/A converted in the Polaris anyway.

Conclusion Auralic Polaris

One could argue that the Auralic Polaris blocks the path to future source upgrades. But this is an academic limitation. Its greatest achievement is creating a home environment where you no longer need to think about upgrades and hi-fi complexity. It is a highly attractive device for demanding beginners, but it is ultimately a drop-out device ideal for those who, after years of ambitious hi-fi and its attendant complexity, yearn for a simpler solution that involves no compromises. Once you find the right speakers, the only meaningful task left is to search for new, exciting music. The Polaris provides a solid foundation above all else.

 Pros And Cons Of Auralic Polaris Streaming Amplifier

Pros:

All-in-One Solution: Combines an amplifier, DAC, and network streamer in a single unit, saving space and reducing clutter.

Powerful Performance: Delivers 120 watts per channel, suitable for driving a wide range of speakers effectively.

High-Resolution Audio Support: Compatible with a variety of high-resolution audio formats, ensuring exceptional sound quality.

Versatile Connectivity: Offers multiple input options, including USB, Ethernet, Bluetooth, and more, for seamless integration with various devices.

User-Friendly App: The Auralic app provides an intuitive interface for streaming, managing music, and controlling playback.

Multi-Room Capability: Supports multi-room audio setups, allowing you to enjoy music throughout your home.

Sleek Design: Modern aesthetic that fits well in any audio setup.

Cons:

Price Point: Higher cost compared to traditional amplifiers or separate components, which may not be suitable for all budgets.

Learning Curve: New users may need time to familiarize themselves with the app and all its features.

Limited Phono Input: This does not include a built-in phono stage for turntables, requiring an external preamp for vinyl playback.

No HDMI Inputs: Lacks HDMI inputs, which may limit integration with home theater systems.