Big difference between K9 pro ess and this aune s9c if you tried both ?

Add sc1external clock and you loose panties 😂

which topping did you have?

Man, I'm really looking for your full opinion when you get it, since I was about to get either SMSL DO400 or Fiio K9 AKM and, instead, I'm now heavily persuaded to get the S9C Pro. I'm looking for a reference-tuned dac/amp and it's been months now that I've been researching them; it's such a difficult task choosing the right unit and sound.

@@MoonshineBeforeSunshine My opinion is that the Aune S9C is absolutely phenomenal, all around. I left a full review on Amazon, but the bottom line is I think the Aune blows the Fiio K9 away. The Aune doesn't have anywhere near the feature set that the Fiio has, but if you're like me and all you care about is sound quality, than its a no brainer imo. The Aune is $150 cheaper than the Fiio and I think it sounds far better. Can't speak on the SMSL, but I have a strong feeling that you can't get anything better than the Aune in terms of sound quality for under $1k.

Hey man! Great for u sounds good, I was wondering about the midrange, would you describe it as forward? IAM asking cause I have a mid forward headphone. Thanks, have a good one !

Wait until my S17 PRO review drops, that is the unit to look forward to.

@@Soundnews As always...I can't wait🙂

Totally agree, Aune deserves more attention. All Aune units were fun sounding to their core

I'll second that. I'm thinking of upgrading my amp in the coming months and, on paper at least, the S17 Pro looks like a possible steal at $700 USD--but there are no reviews of it anywhere yet. I'd love to see comparisons between it and my other much more expensive candidates, the Burson Soloist 3X (which is more than double the price if you get the arguably semi-necessary stand and supercharger) and Violectric V222.

S17 Pro is By Far the best headamp I tried below ~1K. My review will be dropping in several days, I had more than a month with it. It always impresses with a clean, distortionless sound, that hits and pounds like cornered pugilist. It has the right tonality, it's fun sounding...there is very little to complain about that one.

soloist 3xp or this aune? @@Soundnews

@@salehabdulla9177 That's a question I'd love to see addressed. The Burson starts at more than half again the price of the S17--and it's price goes up like a car with options. The vertical stand (which is close to a necessity to dissipate the considerable heat; I'd buy it if I were getting the Soloist) is an overpriced $100 and most say that the $300 supercharger power supply makes a noticeable improvement. These items make the Soloist well more than double the cost of the Aune. And I'm not even addressing the additional cost of playing around with op-amps if you're so inclined (honestly, I'm not). Is this premium (with or without the accessories) worth it? And while it's a minor issue and obviously subjective, the Aune looks much nicer than the Burson, which is ugly in my eyes and doesn't come in my preferred black.

​@@Soundnews Have you heard RNHP amp because I read that this is best sounding amp under $1200 ? I have it and I just got Burson conductor 3R today and will compare them soon .

I loved the XA-10! Such an amazing value back in the day, I'll sure it still kicks ass. S9C has a similar tone & timbre, but it's cleaner, faster and generally speaking...more technical sounding in every way. Seems like a step-up from the XA10, S9C is definitely as fun

@@Soundnews thank you your the best 🙏🫶🏻🤘🏻

this

thank you for feedback! did you hear both side by side? @@cosmoshfa88savant66

obviously bad unit or cable

Yes

At around ~$500 I would pick the SMSL DO400, but for $200 more, the S9C is really...unbeatable - Looks much nicer, wider, and overall, sounds like a proper all-in-one unit without the flaws of cheaper devices. Works great with gaming as well

@@Soundnews I already got it :D your video made me pull the plug! My DT 900 Pro X gained a new life :) Now i want to upgrade the headphones ... the never-ending rabbit hole! eheheh

​@@PedroSombreireiroyou try the HD560s? I sold dt 900 pro x to retorno to the 560s.. also i think the top tier above 1000 are the hd800s and hifiman HE1000se.. below 1000 are much others

First of all, what other two, ladder dacs? Only the EH600 is a ladder one. The S9C and Z8 have ESS chips.

Hi Yiannis! The wording was wrong in my question. My bad! Long story short, my question got me thinking. It seems my issues boil down to the 'Delta Sigma Sound'. So logic tells me to focus my attention on the ef600 R2RH combo. And the ef600 does all that I would ever ask from it. Plus it will be a good fit with my can collection. Of the 7 headphones I rotate thru, 6 sets are planars. As far as the other 2 dacs go, one I returned was the Soncoz LA-QXD1 and the other was the Topping D30 Pro. Yes, I heard a subtle difference in the Soncoz, but both emitted that same centred sound I hear emanating from my other Delta Sigma dacs. But I heard nothing to justify the asking prices. And my interest in the S9c and the Z8 dacs? Reviewer rave reviews!! Toe tapping bass! Fun, energetic sound! etc!!! But I messed up by writing "these 2" ladder dac's. I knew the Z8 was a DS dac. And the setup I listen to most these days is the Xduo XA-10 driving Sendy Audio Aiva planars. Take care Yiannis. Cheers!!@@Yiannis2112

@@justed4131 OK I think I now get what the dilemma is. Since you're somewhat disappointed with sigma-delta dacs, I think you should definitely go for an R2R. Not just for the sake of it, but for finding out what the fuss is all about. With what you already had, I don't believe you'll get what you're after with the Z8 or the S9C. May be slightly better or different from what you have, but not what you're after. Now, the EF600 would be a very good choice for an all in one device, for the around $1k, price range. However, what I dont like, is the plastic sides, the cheap feel of the controls, no remote and that its standing vertical, but that's just me. If in your shoes, I'd go the way of separates. Not many R2R dacs around $1k, but the ones that are, are all exceptional, probably end game units, for many years. The Musician Draco, the Denafrips Ares II (if you can still find one), its replacement the new Ares II/Enyo and the Ares II 12th. If for example, you go for the Draco for $750, you're left with about $300 for a dedicated HP amp or you can simply keep the XA10 and be done with it. Many good amps at that price, like the SMSL SH-9 THXAAA-888 and the new H300, the Schiit Magnius, the Soncoz QXA1, the Musical Fidelity V90BHA. Also, the Monolith 887, the Schiit Valhalla, the SMSL L70 and the Gustard H16 (both with remote and internal power supply), but for $400 or so. Personally, I'd go for the Draco or the Enyo, stay with the X10, wait for a few months, save some extra money and get the SMSL A70. Hope this point of view helps you to decide what's best.

Thanks for your input Yiannis! And our thoughts on my dilemma are now pretty much aligned! As stated in my original posting, I'm somewhat of a Hifiman fan. That being said, I believe I'll take my chances on their EF600 all-in-one. Makes sense considering my next set of cans will be their Edition XS, as I 'assume' Hifiman designed and created the EF600 with their own headphone creations in mind. But then again, I do regularly get burnt using logic! 🔥🚒

Hi Ed, my main DAC is an R2R unit. If oversampling delta-sigma DACs are boring or lacking substance for you, sounding quite 2D, then your cure is a well-engineered R2R DAC and a fully discrete headphone amplifier. By chance, EF600 fits that description nicely and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Give it a try, it will sound very different from your past experiences. It won't be the most resolving, transparent and sharp-sounding unit, but you'll enjoy your tunes a lot more.

R26 is still better.

SU-10 is still a little better, especially when it comes to dynamics. D1Se is in the same league with S9C, it just doesn't have as many features.

Hey mate, of course, you can do that.

@@Soundnews Hey wow thanks - looks slick - fairly inexpensive and a great sounding little thing - I think this is exactly what I am going to do - I do have to get some power amps as I have just inherited some absolutely gargantuan Monitor Audio Platinum PL500II's but I am told they are easy to drive - the amps they came with are very old McIntosh valve and needed work - so I have already shifted those - - thanks for info

Not sure at this point. Too many SMSL units

You're better off with seperates. Keep the SU10, add a good headamp and don't look back for years.

I've heard both, S17 better but the S9c suited my needs as I didn't fancy another box.

Keep the SU-10 and get the S17 PRO. S17 PRO review will drop in a few days, but between you and me, S9C's headphone amp section won't compete with the S17 PRO.

@@Soundnews Fantastic, thank you so much.

hard to say...A70 PRO is more powerful and D70 Octo is a bit wider/deeper sounding. S9C looks and feels better in the hand, plus it just sounds great without adding anything. If you want more emotion from your music, get the S9C.

planet earth

I'm wondering which of these chi-fi companies has the better qc! I want to get a dac/amp for around 500USD and my research for sound/price ratio has come down to the following: Topping DX5 Lite, SMSL DO400, and this Aune S9c Pro. But, I don't know which one of them I can trust for their qc.