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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 14, 2009 18:23:21 GMT
The AUNE arrived today and what a beautiful, SOLID piece of workmanship it is.... it looks and feels like it was hewn out of a billet of aluminium.... absolutely superbly machined! Firstly, let me totally embarrass myself..... the AUNE totally blows the NG27 into the dust sonically.... there, I said it I have been raving about the NG27 for weeks now and didn't expect it to get much better but it just has. Imagine the NG27 as producing music on a straight line.... now enter the AUNE which produces the music in layers (or lots of lines) this is a REALLY high end type of listen. Soundstage is nothing short of enormous, probably the widest / deepest I have yet heard from a headphone amplifier. I can only describe the sound as expansive, vibrant, dynamic, exciting and extremely musical. Think of the NG27 as a Ford Fiesta and the AUNE as a Bentley.... more grunt, a more comfortable listen... and oooooooh so effortless Faudrei was right, this is a considerable step up from the NG27 and a big step up for me as far as headphone listening is concerned.... this is truly the beginning of a new era for me and I never thought this kind of sound was "possible" out of headphones. I'll post under the bonnet pics in a few days, in the meantime I'm off to listen to the jaw dropping performance this amp produces
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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 14, 2009 20:12:30 GMT
A few more pictures of the AUNE pictured with the NG27.... it gives you a better idea of the difference in size. I should point out that the AUNE (like the NG27) didn't come with any feet supplied.... I used four of the stick on feet I use on my Pinkie power supply..... Apart from the minor niggle about "no feet" the fit and finish of the AUNE is top class LUXURIOUS... the front panel alone is a whopping 10mm thick! The knob has a lovely "weighty" feel to it and is very smooth in operation (I believe there's an ALPS blue velvet behind it ) The input selector switches are top quality too with a nice reassuring "clunk"... not these cheap vague things that some amps have fitted to them. Indicator leds are a cool subdued blue. The housing itself is one piece thick extruded aluminium. To the rear is a USB port, SPDIF coax input, and a quad gold plated phono block which is audio in / audio out so you can feed this amp from a conventional source (such as a CD player) or feed it direct from the computer via the USB port or SPDIF out. The power supply is a pretty substantial 12V / 1 AMP "wallwart" which looks like it "may" be regulated.... I'll have a look inside and see if this is the case. All in all one EXTREMELY well put together package and @ £94 GBP shipped there's no doubt this is INSANE value for money.... if this thing was built (to these standards) by a UK manufacturer you would be looking at more around the £900 GBP price point. I hate having to keep referring to the Graham Slee Solo but feel it's only right to show what fantastic value these Chinese amps are..... the AUNE is leaps and bounds superior to the Solo in the sonic dept (these Chinese guys really know how to design good sounding gear as well as providing good VFM) the presentation is "grand", full bodied and effortless..... you would think there was a 1 kilowatt UBER high end monster under the bonnet.... it just drives headphones like no other amp I have experienced.... the closest I have heard in SQ terms to the AUNE is the Kevin Gilmore Dynahi.... it just has that "delivery" that reeks top end whether it be at very low volco levels or notched up a bit, it's resolution is fantastic. I have been VERY spoilt when it comes to headphone amplifiers having owned and sampled more than my fair share. I have NEVER heard a headphone amplifier, however, that presents music in such a wonderfully "big scale", high quality way that the AUNE does.... it is TOTAL class on a stick. Don't believe all this CRAP that all Chinese people do is "copy".... they have, probably, the largest audiophile base in the world and some of the gear that's being designed in China at the moment is truly groundbreaking.... it's about time these guys were taken seriously, they design and make equipment that absolutely embarrass the hell out of our "home grown" producers (who can think of no better reply than "they are copycats") and I think they deserve credit from us.... they have opened up the Hi-Fi market and breathed life into it again..... thank god the days of the elite few home grown "ball at the foot" manufacturers who have been raping us for years are almost over.... it's now a free market and, never before, has there been so much choice.... it can only be good news for the music lover. "Made in England" to me means "costly".... it doesn't mean the product is any better (and most of the time it's not) it just means "we" have to pay extra..... made in China does NOT mean "shitty quality" and the AUNE proves that.... I have heard (and witnessed with my own eyes) most of the headamp gear that is made in the UK and the AUNE trounces all of them in build and sound quality... BIG time. Anyways, where was I before I started waffling...... oh yes, "pictures"........ Lovely machined, sexy front panel A bit wider and deeper than the NG27 Yello "Touch Yello" - AUNE - HD-250ll linear = Headphone Heaven I am listening with the AUNE connected via USB and music files are Apple Lossles (934kbps bitrate).... I will also try the SPDIF route and conventional CD as source.... give me a few days to evaluate each connection method. NOTE: Anyone in the UK thinking of buying the AUNE and worried about having to pay import tax, don't be.... The AUNE is shipped from within the UK so not subject to import duty
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2009 20:29:09 GMT
Mike I expect that you mean 12V 1 AMP. 12V 1Watt would only be around 83mA Alex P.S. A closer look at one of your photos shows it was obviously a typo, as it is a 12W supply.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 14, 2009 20:31:25 GMT
Mike I expect that you mean 12V 1 AMP.12V 1Watt would only be around 83mA Alex Yes.... 1amp mate.... sorry, I should look at the keys whilst I'm typing
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Will
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Post by Will on Oct 14, 2009 21:00:09 GMT
Looks a nice amp, and the list of parts on the eBay listing certainly point to a nice piece of kit. From what you're saying, It sounds like they've used them well. I'd be interested in how you find the spdif input, which I reckon should sound better than the USB, especially as you'll be able to try some hi-res stuff. Interesting that they list the headphone amp section as referencing the Solo headphone amplifier.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 14, 2009 21:08:13 GMT
Looks a nice amp, and the list of parts on the eBay listing certainly point to a nice piece of kit. From what you're saying, It sounds like they've used them well. I'd be interested in how you find the spdif input, which I reckon should sound better than the USB, especially as you'll be able to try some hi-res stuff. Interesting that they list the headphone amp section as referencing the Solo headphone amplifier. Quite "why" they referenced the "Solo" puzzles me Will... the SQ is leaps and bounds better than the yorkshire pudding
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FauDrei
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Post by FauDrei on Oct 14, 2009 23:20:03 GMT
Oh no, Mike on "honeymoon" again... Mike, glad you like it. I was kind of worried that the guys did not implement good parts to make a good product. From your comments it seems they got it right. Let me just point out that good part of the quality you are hearing here is due to PCM1793 DAC which is really another class compared to PCM27xx. Not to mention that you can now go after 24/96 flac downloads which can sound quite phenomenal. Other part of a good sound should be due to transistor output buffer design cloned and further improved (I reckon they use better transistors) from Solo. Thus reference to Solo I presume. And there is also our usual opamp "playground" with the addition of variable input voltage (12V-18V) which will also alter the sound. No import tax for Aune in UK? Good. It is even better what happened to me few days ago. I was expecting quite a big package from China and preparing myself for long and expensive customs procedure (Bosnia and Herzegovina - don't ask , when DHL guy just panted with 20Kg package up the stairs - some good untrustworthy soul at the customs has not done his job properly - package was cleared of all duties. Just to think what they've made me go through in my previous delivery from China... ...which reminds me: this and that actually have approximately the same price shipped to your door... ;D Perceived (and auditioned) value for money is rather different. I (also) think pricing should follow that difference.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2009 23:47:52 GMT
I had a gut feeling about this one! It just smacked of quality. Still, I'm not disappointed at ordering the NG27, it's a size thing, the Aune was a tad too large to cart around with my laptop.
Maybe when I next buy a full size PC....
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Post by coolfungadget on Oct 15, 2009 5:45:38 GMT
Mike I expect that you mean 12V 1 AMP.12V 1Watt would only be around 83mA Alex Yes.... 1amp mate.... sorry, I should look at the keys whilst I'm typing For 220V input, the PSU actually outputs 20V (without load) and around 18V (loaded). As I know the power voltage in UK is 240V, the PSU may output 22-24V (without load). This voltage will power the DAC very well but don't feed it with over 24V coz some ICs may be damaged. Forget about the label on the PSU...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2009 5:55:28 GMT
Yes.... 1amp mate.... sorry, I should look at the keys whilst I'm typing For 220V input, the PSU actually outputs 20V (without load) and around 18V (loaded). As I know the power voltage in UK is 240V, the PSU may output 22-24V (without load). This voltage will power the DAC very well but don't feed it with over 24V coz some ICs may be damaged. Forget about the label on the PSU... coolfungadget. Your points are well taken, however : "Originally the UK mains supply voltage was specified at 240 volts AC or, more precisely, 240 volts RMS +/-6%. The alternating current runs at a frequency of 50 Hz. Some time ago, to allow harmonisation across Europe, the specifications were changed to 230 volts RMS +10%/-6%, also running at a frequency of 50 Hz. "
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Post by coolfungadget on Oct 15, 2009 6:19:47 GMT
For 220V input, the PSU actually outputs 20V (without load) and around 18V (loaded). As I know the power voltage in UK is 240V, the PSU may output 22-24V (without load). This voltage will power the DAC very well but don't feed it with over 24V coz some ICs may be damaged. Forget about the label on the PSU... coolfungadget. Your points are well taken, however : "Originally the UK mains supply voltage was specified at 240 volts AC or, more precisely, 240 volts RMS +/-6%. The alternating current runs at a frequency of 50 Hz. Some time ago, to allow harmonisation across Europe, the specifications were changed to 230 volts RMS +10%/-6%, also running at a frequency of 50 Hz. " Good to learn, thanks! The EU plugs and voltages are driving me nuts...
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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 15, 2009 8:26:40 GMT
coolfungadget. Your points are well taken, however : "Originally the UK mains supply voltage was specified at 240 volts AC or, more precisely, 240 volts RMS +/-6%. The alternating current runs at a frequency of 50 Hz. Some time ago, to allow harmonisation across Europe, the specifications were changed to 230 volts RMS +10%/-6%, also running at a frequency of 50 Hz. " Good to learn, thanks! The EU plugs and voltages are driving me nuts... Welcome to the forum coolfungadget and thank you for a wonderful amp / DAC, can you tell us a bit about your design philosophy, it would be interesting to learn a bit more about the AUNE from the man himself Mike.
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Post by coolfungadget on Oct 15, 2009 9:34:42 GMT
Good to learn, thanks! The EU plugs and voltages are driving me nuts... Welcome to the forum coolfungadget and thank you for a wonderful amp / DAC, can you tell us a bit about your design philosophy, it would be interesting to learn a bit more about the AUNE from the man himself Mike. Actually I am not the one who design and make it. This DAC is a product of HIFIDIY.NET, which was founded by a group of Hi-Fi and DIY fans. I am just one of their distributors on eBay.
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FauDrei
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Post by FauDrei on Oct 15, 2009 11:37:04 GMT
Actually I am not the one who design and make it. This DAC is a product of HIFIDIY.NET, which was founded by a group of Hi-Fi and DIY fans. I am just one of their distributors on eBay. Ha! So you are the guy who sold me my Monitor 01 USD? Excellent stuff. Good to have you here. Now we can harass you for even better prices
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Post by skipdiver on Oct 15, 2009 12:13:19 GMT
For 220V input, the PSU actually outputs 20V (without load) and around 18V (loaded). As I know the power voltage in UK is 240V, the PSU may output 22-24V (without load). This voltage will power the DAC very well but don't feed it with over 24V coz some ICs may be damaged. Forget about the label on the PSU... coolfungadget. Your points are well taken, however : "Originally the UK mains supply voltage was specified at 240 volts AC or, more precisely, 240 volts RMS +/-6%. The alternating current runs at a frequency of 50 Hz. Some time ago, to allow harmonisation across Europe, the specifications were changed to 230 volts RMS +10%/-6%, also running at a frequency of 50 Hz. " Hello All! To clarify this a little.... UK voltage used to be 240VAC, 50Hz, but as sandyk says we now have the European nominal supply voltage of 230VAC. In practice this means that in the UK we are "supposed" get 230V, but the distribution network operators still actually supply at 240V as this is the voltage that much of the network was designed for. This is is also why the ESQCR tolerance allows for more overvoltage (10%) than undervoltage (6%). One upshot of this however, is that the UK electricity companies have no incentive to correct the supply voltage, as all of our resistive loads use significantly more power and therefore generate more revenue. However to get back on topic... If the output voltage of the PSU varies as much as 10% between offload and full load, then it is not regulated. and the output will also vary with supply voltage. This is typical of low cost transformers. If you live in the middle of nowhere, at the end of a long supply line, it's not uncommon for the voltage to vary well outside of the ESQCR limits as the supply companies often set the sub-station voltage taps high to overcome the volt-drop at peak load. As a result when loads are low, the voltage can be above the 253V limit (Small embedded generators (G83/1) are set to disconnect at 264V, which ocurrs suprisingly often!) But to precis all of this waffle...I'd strongly recommend building or aquiring a better fully regulated PSU. I've just pressed the "Buy it now" button on the strength of Pink's enthusiasm for the Aune, so it's what I will do. Now I just have to wait for the postman
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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 15, 2009 12:49:40 GMT
Nice first post man I have measured the output from the wallwart and it's 21.7V no load.... I will build something more along the lines of 18V I think.
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Post by coolfungadget on Oct 15, 2009 15:35:56 GMT
Nice first post man I have measured the output from the wallwart and it's 21.7V no load.... I will build something more along the lines of 18V I think. The manufacturer recommended PSU outputs 24V here in China. I requested a lower voltage PSU for EU countries that outputs 20V here. The higher voltage, the better sound... I got a buyer from US returned this DAC for bad sound because I equipped his unit with a 12V regulated PSU...
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leo
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Post by leo on Oct 16, 2009 19:19:27 GMT
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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 16, 2009 20:59:00 GMT
Looks almost identical Leo except for the components, the AUNE seems to be populated with better quality parts.
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FauDrei
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Post by FauDrei on Oct 16, 2009 21:00:56 GMT
Looks almost identical Leo except for the components, the AUNE seems to be populated with better quality parts. Yep, x2
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pjc68
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Post by pjc68 on Oct 17, 2009 0:40:19 GMT
Hi mike Like the look of the new amp, thinking of buying one myself. Will you be testing it on a cd player, im wondering wether it is better than a modded v2, and what is it like with grado headphones. regards paddy
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Sol
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Post by Sol on Oct 17, 2009 17:07:04 GMT
NOTE: Anyone in the UK thinking of buying the AUNE and worried about having to pay import tax, don't be.... The AUNE is shipped from within the UK so not subject to import duty Are you sure about that Mike? I notice the ebay advert 260464075448 specifically states: "Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility. Please check with your country’s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying."
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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 17, 2009 19:18:07 GMT
NOTE: Anyone in the UK thinking of buying the AUNE and worried about having to pay import tax, don't be.... The AUNE is shipped from within the UK so not subject to import duty Are you sure about that Mike? I notice the ebay advert 260464075448 specifically states: "Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility. Please check with your country’s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying." Mine was posted from within the UK..... coolfungadget will tell you if they are all shipped from the UK. Mike.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 17, 2009 19:19:17 GMT
Hi mike Like the look of the new amp, thinking of buying one myself. Will you be testing it on a cd player, im wondering wether it is better than a modded v2, and what is it like with grado headphones. regards paddy Hi Paddy, I will be trying it with a CD player shortly. I have a visitor at the moment so not really doing the audio thing at the moment, will get back into it next week
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Post by PinkFloyd on Oct 21, 2009 20:52:47 GMT
I have been checking in on the Aune from time to time and, apart from a 24 hour period during burn in when it became a bit thin sounding, all is as my initial post... it's an absolutely top class listen and consistently good whatever you throw at it be it a simple jazz trio or a full blown orchestra with bells and whistles. I'll be popping the hood when I've got a spare moment and will fit a Dip8 socket to enable chip rolling... the stock OPA 2604 is doing a VERY nice job "as is" but it's always interesting to see what other opamps will bring to the table. I've got plenty to try (hundreds of the buggers) from the BB, AD and LM stables and am looking forward to trying a good few of them.... I have a feeling that OPA627 (on single to dual Bdog) will be a good starting point and then, maybe, AD8602, LM4562, OPA2107, OPA2227 etc. etc The 2604 definitely has the lovely chocolaty Burr Brown "house sound" (or signature whatever you want to call it) and it's a bloody great choice for general purpose listening... I could happily live with this sound..... but, being a tinkerer, I want to hear hear the Aune with quite a few chips. Hell, I was just thinking, I used to spend weeksat a time auditioning chips when I had all the time in the world.... these days I'm lucky if I get a few hours dedicated listening time per week... that's good in one respect (ie: I haven't got time to be "bored") but in another respect it saddens me because I can't dedicate so much time to doing what I love.... listening to music. "Love" has taken me away on a completely different "trip" the past few months (18 to be precise) and it's been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least, it's proving to be more tricky than "opamp rolling" and I'm about to pull the plug on it so, hopefully, will have more time to spend concentrating on myself and all things audio once again MERTON was right..... women "are" weird
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