Cary AiOS: A universal all-in-one device

Cary AiOS is a universal all-in-one device from the American “tube” brand Cary Audio. Considering the main direction of the company known primarily for its chic amplification equipment, the new Lifestyle direction, which was essentially opened by this device, can be regarded as a very timely, bold and, most importantly, successful step towards modern advanced and sensible consumers who do not want to focus on orthodox high end components, but at the same time want to have very decent sound quality, wide possibilities of working with various formats, a fresh interesting design and convenient flexible control. Cary AiOS is exactly that, it immediately catches the eye with its unusual futuristic design echoing the space theme and, among other things, is variable in terms of color solutions. This is achieved both by colored side panels and the ability to adjust the intensity and color of the display and control symbols on the front panel.

The device has a network player, DAC and class AB amplifier with a power of 75 W at 8 Ohm. The built-in AK4490 EQ DAC allows you to connect external sources via optical and coaxial digital connections, as well as output a digital signal via coaxial and optical outputs. It can work with UPnP, DLNA, SMB networks both via Wi-Fi and via a wired Ethernet connection. Supports Internet radio and streaming services Tidal, Spotify, Roon Ready; provides direct playback from external HDD drives, USB flash drives and SD cards. It is possible to connect portable devices via AirPlay and Bluetooth AptX or wired via a 3.5 mm linear input on the rear panel of the device. There are 2 pairs of linear RCA inputs, a direct input to the amplifier output stage, as well as a pre-amplifier output and a subwoofer output. A special application allows you to control Cary Aios from your phone and tablet, it is very convenient and has all sorts of settings, including an equalizer and the ability to upsample. Of course, there is also the usual remote control.

Cary AiOS supports DSD64,128,256,512; DXD 24/352.8 kHz; Hi-Res files up to 32/384 kHz (PCM), MQA, etc., that is, this device can handle almost all currently existing music file formats. As for the playback quality, it is certainly at its best, since Cary Audio has always been fine with this and its authority in this area is indisputable. The sound can be characterized as rich, thick, moderately detailed and focused. And, although it does not differ in absolute accuracy according to audiophile criteria, it is immediately recognized as interesting and captivating. The device is quite universal, plays any music energetically with a spark. Rock, jazz, blues, pop music and even classical pieces are perceived with the help of this device easily and naturally.

Cary AiOS is a new kind of music system for a new generation. What does that mean? Simply put, music lovers and audiophiles today have a lot more options when it comes to how they listen to music. As a 150W Class AB music system, Cary AiOS integrates both traditional and next-generation sources and inputs. AiOS is also fully MQA and Roon Ready certified, but unlike other MQA products to date, AiOS will play any MQA sample rate up to x16. This means that regardless of the original sample rate of the MQA file, the MQA decoder extrapolates the file to a sample rate of 705.6 or 768 kHz for stunning realism and studio-quality sound.

For non-MQA files, AiOS can stream or play native PCM files up to 32-bit 384 kHz (.WAV files up to 768 kHz), as well as DSD 64, 128, 256, and 512*. Connect AiOS to your home network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and stream all your digital music stored on your networked computer or NAS drive(s) with a simple Nn UPnP, DLNA, and SMB plug-in connection. Also available via your home network connection are integrated internet streaming services, Spotify, TIDAL, vTuner, and more. For those who may find a home network connection too intimidating, AiOS allows you to insert an SD card into the front SD slot.

You can also use a USB flash drive or USB hard drive filled with digital music files directly to the three USB inputs of AiOS, without the need for a computer or network connection for direct playback! How about Bluetooth? Bluetooth is ubiquitous these days, and the Cary AiOS can connect to your smartphone or tablet using the latest Qualcomm aptX Bluetooth technology. However, AiOS has an extra trick up its sleeve. AiOS can SEND any of the selected sources to Bluetooth-enabled headphones or speakers for a completely wireless music system. Place AiOS anywhere to add beauty and elegance to any room or decor, and don’t worry about unsightly wires when paired with a set of Bluetooth-enabled speakers.

Speaking of beauty and elegance, the Cary AiOS is visually transformed. With the touch of a button, Cary AiOS can change the backlighting of its keys and central LCD (either individually or together) to six different preset colors, including one custom color set, or customize any color of your choice across the entire color spectrum. For the side panels, AiOS offers five additional color options to ensure that AiOS can create the perfect combination of visuals and sound to match both your lifestyle and interior design options.

Finally, the Cary AiOS includes multiple analog and digital inputs and outputs, including a subwoofer output, a preamp output, and more! Whether you use the AiOS as a secondary music system or as the centerpiece of your home entertainment system, the AiOS is at home in a big city, an office, a bedroom, a game room, or any environment where there are music lovers. An

interesting feature is the ability to purchase colored side panels separately, or all at once, and change them depending on your mood. The aluminum side panels are painted to match the color of the screen backlight (or vice versa, if you prefer) and have shaped holes to help dissipate excess heat. The colors are truly lifestyle: from the typical Gunmetal Gray and neutral Champagne Gold (pictured above) to Spring Green, Deep Plum and Cary Blue with Candy Red.

Cary AiOS Specifications

Output power: 2 x 75 W RMS (8 Ohm); 2 x 125W RMS (4 ohms)
Sampling frequency: 44.1 kHz to 384 kHz PCM and 2.822 MHz – 22.5792 MHz DSD
Bit depth: 16, 20, 24, and 32 bit PCM and 1 bit DSD
Playable formats: .dsf, .dff .dsd, .aif, .aiff, .alac, .flac, .m4a, .mp4, .wav, .ape, .mp3, .aac, .wma, .ogg , .asf
Digital filter: 32-bit, 8x oversampling
Digital outputs: Coaxial and optical Toslink, (44.1 kHz to 192 kHz, 16 bit to 24 bit)
Digital inputs:
USB (from 44.1 kHz to 384 kHz, 16 bit to 32 bit, DSD 64, 128, 256 and 512);
BLUETOOTH (48 kHz, 16 bit);
Coaxial, optical (Toslink) (from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz, 16 bit to 24 bit)
Analog inputs: RCA x 3; stereo jack 3.5 mm
Dimensions, mm 360 x 76 x 279
Weight, kg 6.8