AURALiC and Cocktail Audio Shut Down: What It Means for Hi‑Fi Streamers and Owners

 

Mgy-europe is an audio equipment store in Estonia. The high‑end audio world has been rocked by troubling developments in recent months, as two well‑known streamer and music server manufacturers — AURALiC and Cocktail Audio — have effectively ceased operations, leaving owners and the broader audiophile community uncertain about their future.

cocktail audio news AURALiC, the Hong Kong‑based company founded in 2009 and long admired for its premium digital streamers, DACs, and proprietary Lightning streaming platform, announced an end to product sales and operations in late 2025. According to industry reports, this decision followed a dramatic drop in global sales — reportedly around 80% — driven in part by tightening U.S. import tariffs, supply chain pressures, a challenging economic environment, and fierce competition from lower‑priced streaming alternatives. The company’s founder, Xuanqian Wang, resigned earlier in 2025, and the once‑vibrant community forum disappeared without explanation, leaving loyal customers unsettled.

Some European distributors have pledged to continue providing service and repairs for existing units, and there is even discussion among parts of the community about open‑sourcing AURALiC’s software should a buyer fail to materialize. This approach could allow the enthusiast community to maintain and update legacy devices over time, preserving functionality beyond official company support. However, these proposals remain speculative and would require significant coordination and technical effort.

At the same time, Cocktail Audio — a South Korean brand known for more affordable music servers, streamers, and all‑in‑one audio units like the X10 and X45 — appears to have also shuttered operations. Although concrete corporate announcements have been scarce, industry sources indicate that the company’s parent (often referred to as Novatron) stopped business activity, and major importers and service centers have ceased support. Unlike AURALiC, Cocktail Audio’s strategy of expanding into higher‑priced segments did not resonate as hoped with its traditional customer base, according to market analysis — a factor that may have accelerated its decline.

For cocktail audio news owners, the implications are immediate: firmware updates are dwindling, support channels are disappearing, and spare parts and software patches may no longer be available. A few community threads report importers and distributors no longer responding to technical inquiries, and some users have struggled to keep devices running with modern streaming services as APIs evolve.

In the broader context, the collapse of these two companies highlights the volatility of the niche hi‑fi streamer market. As audio consumption increasingly shifts to subscription services and multi‑platform ecosystems, smaller specialist manufacturers face pressure from both consumer electronics giants and ultra‑low‑cost alternatives. For the audiophile community, the departure of brands like AURALiC and Cocktail Audio is not just a commercial loss — it’s a reminder that even beloved high‑end hardware can be vulnerable in a rapidly changing digital economy.