AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer – Fully equipped audio hub in a new generation

AURALiC Ltd. is currently presenting a series of innovations, including the latest generation of what has always been a particularly remarkable system in the form of the AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer. This is a product that has always offered a wealth of functions that ensure particularly flexible use at an outstandingly high level of quality.

The latest generation, which will be presented at the High-end 2024 in Munich, will of course continue this tradition, once again relying on the latest technologies to fulfil the high demands that users place on the company’s solutions in this class.

The flexible solution for digital and analogue

The previously available AURALiC ALTAIR G2.1 digital audio streamer was already designed by the manufacturer as a particularly flexible system that was ideally equipped for both digital and analogue. Above all, of course, the focus was on streaming, based on AURALiC Lightning DS, which has proven to be an outstanding streaming platform for years and is constantly being further developed.

But that’s not all, numerous interfaces made it possible to use this solution as a central interface for other components of a HiFi chain, and, to emphasise once again, both analogue and digital.

Foto © AURALiC Ltd. | AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer

Foto © AURALiC Ltd. | AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer

AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer with AURALiC Tesla G3 Platform

Probably the most important new feature of the AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer is that it is no longer based on the AURALiC Tesla G2 platform, but now on the latest AURALiC Tesla G3 platform, which offers even better performance than before.

This new streaming platform is based on a 64-bit quad-core architecture that is said to offer eight times better processing performance than its predecessor.

This platform is equipped with no less than 4 GB of DDR4 system memory, so that even the most demanding processing tasks can be accomplished effortlessly.

In this context, the manufacturer expressly points out that any reserves have been planned in order to ensure a future-proof solution in a rapidly evolving digital audio landscape.

The AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer also features other new technologies, such as Direct Data Recording (DDR), Fusion DAC and complete galvanic isolation between digital and analogue circuits. All of this is of course clearly aimed at improving the sound quality even further with the generation change to the new AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer, even raising it to a completely new level, as the manufacturer itself describes it.

Foto © AURALiC Ltd. | AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer

Streaming via AURALiC Lightning DS

The aforementioned AURALiC Lightning DS streaming platform is characterised by the fact that it directly supports a wide range of technologies, be it UPnP, which is actually the only industry standard in this area, or proprietary technologies such as Apple AirPlay 2, TIDAL Connect or Spotify Connect. Amazon Music, Qobuz, HIGHRESAUDIO, vTuner and TuneIn are also available via the corresponding app. The platform also ensures that corresponding solutions can be labelled as Roon-ready.

The central audio hub – HDMI eARC through to the phono preamp

As already mentioned, the predecessor of the AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 digital audio streamer was already characterised by numerous analogue and digital interfaces, and the latest addition from AURALiC Ltd. goes one step further.

On the digital side, there is not only a USB-B port for direct connection to a PC or Mac, a USB-A port for corresponding storage media, a coaxial and even two optical S/PDIF interfaces, but also an HDMI port that functions as an eARC, i.e. enhanced Audio Return Channel.

The AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 processes data in Linear PCM format with up to 32 bit and 384 kHz and DSD native including DSD512.

Analogue signals can be integrated via a Line In in the form of a pair of RCA sockets, with a second pair of RCA sockets acting as a phono preamp and thus allowing the direct integration of a record player.

The new AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer provides a pair of RCA sockets for unbalanced analogue signals and a pair of XLR sockets for balanced analogue signals. The front also has a connection for headphones. The central touchscreen display and a rotary encoder are also located here.

Prices and availability

The new AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 digital audio streamer will celebrate its premiere at the High-end 2024 in Munich. By then, however, it will also be available from specialist retailers, as the manufacturer promises, at a recommended retail price of € 5.999,-.

Getting to the point

AURALiC Ltd. describes the new AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer as a Fully featured Digital & Analogue Source Powerhouse, continuing the extremely successful concept of its predecessor, which relied on versatile equipment for the most flexible use possible. At the same time, the latest technology was always available to guarantee the highest level of quality, and this should also apply to the latest AURALiC ALTAIR G2.2 Digital Audio Streamer. The main innovations therefore include the latest AURALiC Tesla G3 platform and an HDMI eARC input.