MAGAZINE
Auralic's Altair G2.1 offers all features and possibilities already found in the G1. However, the "Unity Chassis II" is used here – as in all G2.1 devices –, a low-noise aluminum housing that encloses a copper sub-chassis. This optimized housing is supposed to effectively protect the internal electronics from external interference. To accomplish this, it rests on a solid aluminum base and a six-spring foot system.
Further improvements make for the possibility that the streamer can now be used as a stand-alone analog preamplifier. Similar to the Vega G2.1, it features analog volume control based on a resistive ladder design. Auralic's proprietary Class A ORFEO output modules operate in the analog part. The Altair G2.1 also has two separate analog-only inputs that completely bypass the digital sector all the way to the output. The first is an analog line-level input with home theater bypass functionality, while the second is a newly designed phono preamp for MM cartridges.
The Altair G2.1 uses the most powerful of the Tesla platforms. Dual femto-second clocks provide precisely timed signals and aim to significantly reduce jitter. Just like the G1, the Altair G2.1 can be controlled via Lightning DS (on iOS devices); it is also compatible with other OpenHome-based control software and is Roon-ready.
The Altair G2.1 supports a growing number of streaming services, including Qobuz, Tidal, and Spotify Connect. In Germany, it is said to retail for around €5,000 MSRP, starting in May 2021.
