ESS vs. Integrated Designs: Volumio Primo V3 and Arylic LA150 Compared

Primo V3 vs. LA150: Two Paths to the Same Audiophile Goal

A hi-res audio streamer is a networked component that pulls music from online services or local storage, converts the digital signal to analogue, and feeds it to your hi-fi system while preserving resolution and minimizing noise and distortion as much as possible.

Volumio’s Primo V3 and Arylic’s LA150 both aim at listeners who want clean, high‑fidelity streaming without filling a rack with separate boxes, but they solve the problem in very different ways. The Primo V3 is a dedicated hi-res audio streamer built around an ESS DAC chip and flexible digital filtering, ideal if you already own an amplifier and want to focus on conversion quality and software polish. The LA150 is an integrated streaming amplifier with a built‑in phono stage, designed to power speakers and a turntable from one chassis while keeping the signal path compact and practical. In short, Primo V3 suits the tweak‑friendly digital purist, while LA150 fits the space‑saving system builder who values all‑in‑one convenience.

Inside the ESS DAC: Filters, NOS Mode, and Digital Character

The heart of the Volumio Primo V3 is its ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M DAC, part of ESS’s Hyperstream IV family and a clear step up from the previous ES9038Q2M chip used in earlier models. Volumio couples this with a quad‑core A72 ARM processor at 1.5 GHz, 2 GB of DDR4 RAM, and 16 GB of eMMC storage, so the streamer behaves like a fast, stable mini‑computer rather than a sluggish bridge. It supports high‑resolution playback up to PCM 384 kHz/32‑bit via its internal DAC, while the USB‑A output can feed an external DAC at up to PCM 1536 kHz/32‑bit and DSD1024, making it a serious digital transport as well as a converter.

Where the Primo V3 becomes especially interesting is in its DAC filters. You get NOS (non‑oversampling) mode plus eight selectable DAC filters on the ESS DAC chip to tune how the converter reconstructs the analogue waveform. NOS mode skips digital oversampling and interpolation, giving a more direct but potentially less measurement‑perfect presentation, while conventional oversampling and alternate filters can trade impulse response, ringing, and noise shaping in subtle ways. The eight DAC filters explained in the documentation let you nudge the sound toward sharper transients or smoother decay rather than accepting a single factory voicing. For system‑tuning obsessives, this makes Primo V3 a flexible digital centerpiece, not just another black box.

Arylic LA150: Integrated Streaming Amplifier With Analogue Roots

The Arylic LA150 takes the opposite approach: instead of focusing on an ESS DAC chip, it combines streamer, DAC, and power amplifier in one unit. It is built around Texas Instruments’ TPA3255 Class D amplifier, rated at 110 W RMS per channel, more than double the output of the earlier LA50 and aimed at handling larger or less efficient speakers without strain. On paper, the LA150 is Arylic’s most capable integrated streaming amplifier, bringing together wireless streaming and traditional hi‑fi in one chassis. As with the Primo, it is Roon Ready and supports TIDAL Connect and Qobuz Connect, plus AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, so it slips neatly into mixed‑platform homes where phones, tablets, and TVs all send audio.

What sets the LA150’s architecture apart is the integrated phono stage and connectivity. Beyond HDMI ARC, USB audio, analogue RCA, optical input, and subwoofer output, the LA150 adds MM/MC phono input, coaxial digital input, RCA pre‑outs, an optical digital output, USB host for local playback, and a dedicated USB‑B DAC input. The built‑in MM/MC phono stage lets you plug in a wide range of turntables without a separate phono preamp, underlining its system‑in‑a‑box philosophy. Bluetooth 5.4 support with higher‑quality codecs and the ability to transmit audio to wireless headphones or speakers adds everyday flexibility. If you want a single component to run your speakers, TV, and vinyl, the LA150’s integrated design is its core strength.

Specs and Architecture: How the Two Streamers Stack Up

When you compare these units as hi-res audio streamers rather than whole systems, the focus shifts to DAC architecture, processing platform, and how much each device exposes the user to tweakable options. The Primo V3 is unapologetically a digital front‑end: it omits power amplification, instead offering carefully tuned analogue outputs with eight selectable RCA voltage levels from 0.50 Vrms to 3.15 Vrms and eight selectable balanced XLR levels from 1.00 Vrms to 6.30 Vrms, helping you match gain to any downstream amplifier or active speaker chain. The LA150, by contrast, ties its DAC tightly to the Class D output stage, meaning you cannot separate the converter from the power amp but you gain a compact footprint and shorter signal path. Both share one limitation: the currently published specifications leave some gaps. Volumio’s docs emphasize USB audio over coaxial S/PDIF outputs, which may frustrate owners of older DACs, while Arylic’s published power ratings and some details are still awaiting full clarification.

Which Architecture Fits Your System Philosophy?

Choosing between the Primo V3 and the LA150 is less about which is “better” and more about how you want your system to be built. The Primo V3 is for those who treat the digital front‑end as the nerve center, with the ESS DAC, selectable DAC filters, and NOS mode giving you control over tonal balance and transient behavior as your system evolves. It partners neatly with existing integrated or power amplifiers and can later feed even more exotic DACs over USB at extreme sample rates if you upgrade.

The LA150 serves a different listener: someone who wants a streaming amplifier comparison to land on one box that powers speakers, accepts a turntable via its built‑in MM/MC phono stage, and slots into TV and multi‑room setups using HDMI ARC and AirPlay 2. According to the manufacturer, “on paper at least, the LA150 looks set to become Arylic’s most capable integrated streaming amplifier to date,” underlining that its mission is consolidation rather than tweakability. Both devices target audiophiles who refuse to sacrifice fidelity but do not want towering stacks of gear; your decision hinges on whether you value an ESS‑centric, filter‑rich DAC hub or a practical, amplifier‑included command center.

• Buy the Volumio Primo V3 if you already own a quality amplifier and want an ESS DAC chip with NOS mode and eight filters to fine-tune digital playback.
• Skip the Volumio Primo V3 if your existing DAC lacks USB input and you depend on coaxial S/PDIF, since the current focus is on USB audio output.
• Buy the Arylic LA150 if you want an all-in-one streaming amplifier with 110 W per channel and a built-in MM/MC phono stage for a compact vinyl-and-streaming system.
• Skip the Arylic LA150 if you prefer separate power amps and DACs with clearly documented chipsets and fully detailed power specifications.
• Buy the Volumio Primo V3 if you care more about hi-res audio streamer flexibility, Roon and service integration, and adjustable output levels than about having amplification in the same box.
• Skip the Volumio Primo V3 if you want one chassis that can directly drive passive speakers and handle both streaming and phono duties.
• Buy the Arylic LA150 if your priority is a streaming amplifier comparison result that favors simplicity: one box for speakers, TV via HDMI ARC, Bluetooth headphones, and multi-room AirPlay 2.
• Skip the Arylic LA150 if you are focused on DAC filters explained in detail and on experimenting with NOS/oversampling modes, which are a clear strength of the Primo V3 instead.