Lovely review! Thank you. I'm quite a fan of Aune, after purchasing the Aune X8 XVIII Magic Dac (the BT version) for my stereo hi-fi system some months back. It really blows me away what this little $300 box can do. I sometimes connect it as a BT source straight into the input of my "vintage" Carver TFM-55 power amplifier and it creates sublime goosebump-inducing music. And I can choose to connect it as fixed or variable too - which is a bonus. I've got the Sparkos SS3602 op-amp on its way to me, which I will roll-out with the Aune's stock op-amp and hear if it makes a significant difference to an already amazing performer.
@vincentmanners2589Ай бұрын
Thanks
@13thnotehifireviews7Ай бұрын
Thanks Vincent
@davestevens4193Ай бұрын
Nice review except...nothing about the DAC, chipset, implementation, etc.?
@13thnotehifireviews7Ай бұрын
I’ve given my opinion on what I think this is the equal of and cheaper in subsequent videos so this is as million times more than you get from most other reviews. I think I’ve done more than enough….
@mickouzz9 ай бұрын
Thanks for the review! I was listening of your description of the soundstage and I was wondering, would you describe the mids as forward in the presentation? I heard you saying the mids had a central image to it, got that, great, but would you describe them as forward? I ask just cause I have a kinda mid forward headphone.... thank you !!
@datbaguettedoe64369 ай бұрын
Will you have a chance to compare it to the new Aune S17 pro (which is just an analog head amp/preamp)?
@13thnotehifireviews79 ай бұрын
Yes, I’ve got that. Please watch the video to the end
@datbaguettedoe64369 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Thanks! I realized I didn't catch that part when I watched the video the first time
@MrSmo796 ай бұрын
Hi can i ask you i wanna buy Aune s9c BT pro or Eversolo DAC z8 or Fiio K9 pro which one should i get i will use that for me PC and iam using hifiman sundara
@chrisvst5 ай бұрын
Hi Simon, how would you compare this dac to the Chord cutest that you have ? Thanks
@13thnotehifireviews75 ай бұрын
I’ve already done that and as extra content on patreon for those prepared to support me and give something back.
@carlitosgomez718 ай бұрын
How good is this unit as a dedicated preamp to an external power amp to speakers and is this job better than on the aune s17 for the same job
@13thnotehifireviews78 ай бұрын
Donno, I used it with actives and as a dac. Cheers.
@jos50679 ай бұрын
Thanks for this thorough review, but you , or someone else, could say ‘outstanding’ for that specific product at that moment in time, in my opinion. Or do I miss some understanding, because English is not my native language?
@13thnotehifireviews79 ай бұрын
Thanks too. As I say there are pragmatic difficulties. Also one man’s wine is another’s poison too, so there has to be that context. I suppose what I could do is say in this case , best under £1200 I’ve tried, which is true. Then if people want more and details of what I think it competes better than , so you don’t fall down rabbit holes, please subscribe to patreon. 😀👍🔉
@jos50679 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 In my opinion you don’t have to reverse that previous ‘outstanding’, because at that moment in time it was outstanding and this week you have a new one. And that doesn’t mean per se that the previous one was less outstanding. In German audio magazines they give points to devices, which I find a good manner to qualify devices in group rankings. HiFi News is doing it differently, but fine too!
@13thnotehifireviews79 ай бұрын
A better model is full opinions paid by a subscriber-ship then awards aren’t excessive for monetisation reasons
@chrissmith70697 ай бұрын
Seems like a nicely implemented dac/headphone amp Simon. Out of curiosity, do aune manufacture an equivalent dac, minus the headphone section? Cheers Chris
@13thnotehifireviews77 ай бұрын
I don’t think they do Chris but I wouldn’t make it such that it’s important as far as sound quality. Also it’s cheap already anyway.
@chrissmith70697 ай бұрын
@13thnotehifireviews7 thx again Simon. I think I might just go for this dac (although I am curious how it would compare to a Denafrips Ares (R2R) ...... Looked into some of your links provided Simon and some of them don't work (404 forbidden aceess etc) messaged Adam from Eden Audio regarding the Dac.. Thx again, Chris.
@13thnotehifireviews77 ай бұрын
@@chrissmith7069 if you do Chris please mention that you saw my video. It all helps for them to know my value.
@chrissmith70697 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 this was how I opened my conversation with them Simon. 👍👍. They seem to think I wouldn't see much of a difference from my Rega or Smsl do100 dac? Hmmmmm. I would have expected the Aune to be an upgrade over those 2 dacs. Maybe this is a topic for your Patreon Simon. I'll sub later today once back from work 👌👌
@BoRerunn8 ай бұрын
Would I be able to connect a streamer to the AUME ? Can I connect 2 different receivers using the XLR connections
@13thnotehifireviews78 ай бұрын
Yes via the digital inputs. It’s got one set of xlr outputs so only one receiver.
@user-ck2me5sd9p9 ай бұрын
Здравствуйте.Sim audio moon neo 230had или Aune? Какой из них лучше?
@fizywig9 ай бұрын
Using DCS BArtok as comparison, how does this DAC perform?
@13thnotehifireviews79 ай бұрын
That’s for patreon and dac index lists. I can’t be expected to give all advice free. Only saying
@ossiebacchus71104 ай бұрын
Would this trump the Ares II?
@13thnotehifireviews74 ай бұрын
I prefer it, more precise and less smearing than the ares 2 but then lots of reviewers in hifi have slower musical tastes than me and the luxury tone and way bigger soundstage of the denafrips impresses them more. For me it’s not as accurate and fast. It would be down to preference between these two
@gerygee63668 ай бұрын
Hi Simon, great video as always. I have one question. Just bought the Aune and have the Hegel at home. Is it possible to connect the Aune to the Hegel and Stream with Roon on the Hegel? Or do I need an external source? Best Geradl
@13thnotehifireviews78 ай бұрын
I did give it a go to satisfy my curiosity. I tried it in dac loop with digital out into the Aune but I was getting quite a bit of break up in sound. Please tell me if you get the same. This is maybe because the Roon processor for dac loop is not compatible with the locking circuit of the Aune. If you can’t connect your Roon core directly to the Hegel (and use the dac loop feature) or to the Aune and then xlr back into the Hegel, I would get a cheap streamer. Wiim pro plus is very good and Roon ready. I use an Innuos zenith which is core and transport and I can go usb out into the Hegel and then use the dac loop feature, or just usb from the Innuos into the Aune. What is your Roon server etc? If I’ve helped please subscribe to patreon if you haven’t already, sorry if I didn’t recollect your user name…to get help and advice …or any donations gratefully received as Im struggling to make this pay.
@gerygee63668 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Hi Simon, Thank you so much for your answer. At the moment I use an Imac as my Roon Core via WLan. This works quiet well. As soon as the Aune arrived, I will test what you said and will tell you if this worked. The Wiim pro is a good tip but the Innuos is also pritty ☺️ Lets see what it will be. Im also a patreon member since yesterday. Best Gerald
@13thnotehifireviews78 ай бұрын
@gerygee6366 thanks Gerald for supporting me. Let me know how you get on, on patreon 😀
@gerygee63668 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Hi Simon. I took your link for subscription. In the meantime I also got the Aune. But couldn‘t get it to work. I connected the Aune to the Hegel first via XLR then via RCA. Output on the Auren was first Coaxial and then optical. The setting on Aune was Line Out and I tried all line ins. On the Hegel I put DAC loop on on and also Network on on. When I tried streaming via Lan ob my iMac it said DAC loop on Hegel but there was no signal to the Aune. Did I do something wrong? Don you have any tip for me? Best Gery
@13thnotehifireviews78 ай бұрын
@gerygee6366 would you mind copying it onto patreon and I’ll answer you there. Bw Simon
@attilaschreger55109 ай бұрын
Thanks for the review! Do you think this dac is significant upgrade compared to a Hegel h190 internal DAC? Thank you in advance!
@13thnotehifireviews79 ай бұрын
System advice and upgrade questions like this are for patreon - link in description. All low cost.
@kaifa769 ай бұрын
No fixed volume output? That’s a big turnoff
@13thnotehifireviews79 ай бұрын
Why, you just turn the volume to 100 and that’s fixed volume.
@kaifa769 ай бұрын
Cause the signal unnecessarily goes trough the volume control if you need it as a pure dac
@13thnotehifireviews79 ай бұрын
That’s not necessarily any disadvantage , nor do you know if that is necessarily audible in the a similar design with fixed output. You shouldn’t buy on pre supposition about tech. Buy on trying it and comparing to others. It’s about the whole design not one thing.
@kaifa769 ай бұрын
a purist approach always paid off in my previous experiences, even on dacs. I like Aune stuffs but on a dac with volume control a fixed level option is not negotiable
@13thnotehifireviews79 ай бұрын
It’s about products and the dac section and analogue stage and power supply and all these factors that goes into what makes a dac great. I think it’s totally mental in hifi that people want to go off some technical reason that might not be right , rather than their number 1 eardrum. It’s one of the biggest issues and problems in hifi as to how people buy the wrong products.