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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2012 8:30:19 GMT
I think Dave's sending it next week, Mike and I'll do a write up.
You going to have a go at writing it up, Dave? Hard isn't it?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2012 0:53:04 GMT
I think Dave's sending it next week, Mike and I'll do a write up. You going to have a go at writing it up, Dave? Hard isn't it? Hi Dave Would it be possible to post a few remarks about how you are finding this product, even if not in depth, as many people including the supplier and many visitors, would be looking for some kind of ffedback? Just tell it as it is,warts and all. RG members value honest opinions. Long delays between supply of the review item and feedback from the members of the listening panel will cause this product to possibly lose sales, and MAY result in a reluctance on the part of the supplier to provide future review products to Mike. Kind Regards Alex P.S. Not everybody is an experienced a reviewer like Ian, Mike or Dale. Nevertheless, your own views are just as important here, even if you are a man of much fewer words. ;D
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layums
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Just started electrical fixing, to go with my other fixing bad habits :)
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Post by layums on Sept 4, 2012 7:08:33 GMT
No pressure dave, looks like the whole worlds watching. How's it sounding. I'm after comparisons. As words about 1 product don't have a reference. But maybe that's just me.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2012 9:34:48 GMT
Hi Guys, I did not manage to write anything yesterday but I plan to do it today. Problem with being retired is that everything can wait until tomorrow, particularly when I thought I really had plenty of time due to Ian's working holiday - seems a long time ago now so I apologise. I also suffer from Cluster Headaches (cue violins and tissues) which can make concentrating on anything a bit of a problem from mid day until early evening and I'm having a rough period at the moment. But dry your tears and I will do some 'pen to paper' stuff later today, promise . Dave.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2012 9:49:27 GMT
Hi Dave And it takes all night , to do what you used to do all night ? ;D I can relate to what you said though. Regards Alex
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2012 11:07:36 GMT
Tell me about it!!! With reviewing stuff, it's also difficult to know where to start as well. I just did a cheap headphone and I was kind of wondering where to start because I have better, but it's not at all bad either ....
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2012 14:44:53 GMT
Hi Alex, They say the old ones are the best ones don't they? You picked the wrong guy to say that to, I'm old enough to remember Bob Monkhouse saying that first time round, years ago For those that have managed to retain their interest in my Aune T1 review I am happy to confirm it is now written, in draft form. I plan to 'polish' it a little and post it later today. Cheers, Dave.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 4, 2012 18:22:02 GMT
Hey Dave, It doesn't have to be a book, man..... just a few sentences with your overall opinion / observations.... don't stress out man
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layums
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Thank you for the untips
Just started electrical fixing, to go with my other fixing bad habits :)
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Post by layums on Sept 4, 2012 18:35:51 GMT
Is it any good? A one box fits all solution with the sort of sounds coming out of a modded xcanv2 ........
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2012 19:03:31 GMT
Hi Guys, Please contain your impatience but here it is at last, my Aune T1 review - sorry for the delay. First, the packaging - almost bomb proof I would think, solid, substantial manila cardboard outer with preformed plastic/styrene inner to hold everything very snugly and separate. No waste of money on fancy printed glossy thin boxes, a plus point in my book. The build quality is superb (with the possible exception of the plastic valve guards). Heavy and solid feeling with a beautiful gloss black finish - very nice looking piece of kit to sit on your rack. Another impressive feature was the substantial nature of the PSU - no flimsy little wallwart here. Setting it up was a piece of cake, literally plug and play. I'm not sure about the plastic slot-in valve guards though but they may appeal to others - they do catch the bright white LED light from the valve socket and add a bit of glitz. Next, a word about my set up. I use a home built HTPC (with thanks to Javier) based on an ASUS P8H67-V motherboard with 4GB RAM, Intel i3 2130 CPU and a Xonar Essence ST sound card, running 32bit Win7. The sound card does not have USB output so the Aune was connected to a standard USB 2.0 output Due to the layout of my set up, getting to the rear USB connectors can be a bit difficult so I have permanently in position a USB extension lead of no great pedigree and this is what I first plugged the Aune into. The Aune was powered from the front socket on my Belkin PF40 filter box - this supply is fully filtered like all the others. My first listen was through foobar randomly playing my Hi-Res files which are a mixture of 96 and 192 KHz 24 bit FLACs, using Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones, my personal preference. I was a bit disappointed on two fronts: the sound was not what I was expecting, more closed in somehow, not as musical, and the second thing was that it stopped dead when foobar selected a 192KHz file. Reverting to normal 'Red Book' FLACs stopped the 'stop and restart' playback and, to me, there did not seem to be much difference in sound between the Hi-Res and 'Red Book' files. Having listened a few more times and confirmed my above impressions. I put it away for a few days while I reviewed a pre-amp from another maker and then the reminders started coming in so I put the Aune T1 in place again. Having been disappointed initially with the Aune I thought I owed it to give it the best chance I could so I plugged it directly into the rear USB port using a custom made USB lead. The difference (read improvement) was immediately noticeable. Now I could hear what I assume others had heard - it really was a revelation, much more open and musical, and differences between 96KHz 24 bit and Red Book FLACs was apparent. To check whether this was purely down to the custom USB cable I then replaced that with the supplied USB lead and had another listen. The best description I can give is that it was about 2/3rds way between my first listen and the custom USB lead. In other words, very good but not quite as good as with the custom USB lead. Put another way, I think my initial impressions were due more to the low pedigree USB extension lead than to anything related to the T1. I am aware that not everyone accepts that not all USB leads are the same but I can only report what I reckon I heard, and no disrespect to anyone else. Now the nitty gritty. Bearing in mind it's price point and it's ability to handle 24bit files, I have to say it represents excellent value. Anyone better organised than me, with their 96KHz files separate from their 192KHz files would, I'm sure, be very impressed with the overall performance. Anyone buying one might benefit from also investing in a good USB lead which, with my set up , gave better results but, to repeat myself, that is a purely personal view. A very good introduction to headphone amps in my opinion. Dave.
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Post by gommer on Sept 5, 2012 12:54:03 GMT
Oh the irony, this thread goes dead quiet after you finally put your review online.
Anyway, I'll be the first now to say that after this review I'm even more interested in hearing it.
Cheers, Marc
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2012 12:59:00 GMT
Hi Marc, The same thought struck me , but I'm glad I've peaked (piqued?) your interest at least . Dave.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2012 16:03:21 GMT
Naah, peeps just have different times of day/week that they access stuff on the net that isn't work related.
So Dave, if I'm reading you correctly, it's good value but your normal rig is noticably better?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2012 16:47:20 GMT
Hi Chris, Yes, you read me 'dead right' - I tried to concentrate on the positive aspects of the amp. I must be developing some sort of 'ear' because I feel that a year ago I would have been much more enthusiastic. My best HP amp by a fair margin is my HA10 from Sean at Custom HiFi Cables but as it cost 2 or 3 times what the Aune costs it is not really surprising . I'm really looking forward to reading Ian's thoughts on the Aune - it's currently en-route to him - and don't be surprised if Ian's opinion differs but that's what it's all about innit? Dave.
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ronzo56
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Post by ronzo56 on Sept 5, 2012 20:06:07 GMT
Sounds it might be good amp to take on holiday/vacation. Was wondering if AUNE indicates if the DAC is asynchronous isochronous? Does the DAC control the data flow or does the PC?
It's been suggested by some that the former design is better sounding than the latter due to less jitter.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 5, 2012 23:50:39 GMT
Sounds it might be good amp to take on holiday/vacation. Ideal for that Ron, it's the type of thing that can be slung in a suitcase and can be hooked up to any USB port, any machine, anywhere AND give great SQ into the bargain. As Dave mentions, it's not the "best" SQ you can possibly achieve BUT it's probably the best you can achieve at the price point. The build quality, the styling, the sonics, the after sales support.... it's got it all, AND at an affordable price, it's a real gem if you ask me I have listened to many headphone amps over the years (both with CD as source and PC as source) and this little puppy is, by far, the easiest I have come across to integrate, if you are using your PC as source.... plug it into the USB port and, Bob's your Uncle, you're "good to go" (as you Yanks would say)....... The X-CAN amplifier is what got me started in this, I loved the sound and I loved the styling (some hate it), I now consider the X-CAN as a "classic", almost iconic in the headamp world, it brought the joys of headphone listening, through a dedicated amp, to a wide audience... as far as I know the QED was the only other mass market UK born amp on offer (and it was shite!), the X-CAN was "different" in that it had "valves" and came packed in a tube type enclosure....pretty "out there" back in the day... as I say, you either loved it or hated it. I love the styling of the Aune T1, it does something for me, it reminds me of something past, something present and something yet to happen..... it's a timeless piece of work, it's tactile, it's unassuming yet it demands your attention.... you feel quite important turning that volume knob, it's almost military to the touch.... like tuning in to a short wave band (or new wave, whatever takes your fancy ).............. The glowing bottle also requires your gaze.... is it good enough? Can I get better sound by replacing it with a NOS glowing bottle? Yes you can, it's all part of the T1 experience..... this little puppy is "alive" and loves to be fiddled with (don't tamper with it, this may invalidate your warranty, but feel free to fiddle with it).... you can choose, from a cornucopia of "tubes", what to roll in.... you can twiddle with the gain settings and you can experiment with pythonesque USB cables..... It's all good! Nice write up Dave
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ronzo56
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Post by ronzo56 on Sept 6, 2012 3:48:04 GMT
I second your opinion Mike. Nice review Dave. Plus Mike, you mentioned some of my favorite things: Glowing tubes, good sound, good value, the X-CAN (V2), holidays and especially fiddling with things and turning knobs! Looking forward to Ian's take on the T1. How did you know I have an Uncle Bob??? ;D
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2012 16:09:27 GMT
Thanks Dave. It's arrived all safe and sound.
What surprised me when I opened the box was the weight!! It's heavier than I imagined when I saw the pictures. A really good thing since it stays still when you set it down and doesn't wander all over the place.
Next thing - plug it in and and just ..... works. Listening on the Denon D2000 now to a band called 'Frost' not lightweight stuff and it really portrays the weight of their playing.
I also instantly noticed that centre stage focused amazingly well. The imaging imo has been improved by the addition of this. It was an instant gut reaction to what I was hearing since the voices are really fixed hard in the centre and then I became aware of the sheer spread of sounds. I'm also aware of a feeling of a bigger space.
I'm using the standard 6922 that comes with it and the USB connection lead that it comes with which isn't too shabby either.
I also don't feel as though I'm listening to a digital file to be honest. It has a weighty, warm sound with a very well defined bass.
Slight hiss and hum at the top of the volume range on low impedance cans like the D2000 which are very sensitive but also quite demanding in amping as far as current goes imo.
I will also try some higher impedance cans later but I'm pretty tuned in to a D2000 nowadays and this DAC sounds pretty good to me.
I think it's the lack of that digital fizz type sound that's really appealing and the first track that's gone through it is Frost which has a lot of complex, thick sounds for it to separate. It's splitting them up pretty well in that the clearly defined soundstage helps to differentiate the many sounds on the album.
On first listen, I'd say warm, non-digital type of sound with a great image which is something I don't tend to latch on to easily. It does sound like a valve amp tbh.
I quite like it and when you consider the cost of this, it certainly seems really good value.
I really like the retro look.
First impressions are that this is very nice. It just doesn't sound 'digital' so perhaps the tube is warming it up a fair bit. Some may not like the warmth but the imaging is drop dead brilliant.
EDIT: It has adjustable gain and was set on full gain from Dave, so I took it down a notch to 10db. It's stepped fron 0Db to 10 to 16. For Denons, it didn't need to have so much gain and lo and behold, noise levels drop. They're small anyway and just at the top of the gain. Nice touch having a gain adjustment.
This DAC is enough to have me setting up a notebook attached to my 320Gig drive permanently as a music source. I tried it from a little Samsung notebook computer which isn't the fastest thing to use and it's absolutely fine with it.
I'm gradually getting a feel for it's sound now. Slightly rolled away up top. Warm sounding with a beautiful bass quality. The Denons sing on it. Ian Dury's Panties album is brilliant on it and it has a lovely weighty feel. Sounds like it has a lot of 'authority' and gives a nice fruity, big sound. I can see that some may find it a bit too fruity with the slight roll off, but I like that personally so I'm able to turn up without a glass sound. I really don't get on with glassy type sounds which I know many hi fi type people like.
This makes saxophones sound full bodied, without a nasty rasp. Bass has a weight that is really appealing. Sound seems very cohesive just with the top edge curtailed. However, being able to turn the wick up without pain starts to introduce a very nice tone to instruments that often don't record well - the drums. Snares have a nice body to the sound so you can hear their pitch rather than just the attack.
I'm getting into it now!! Mike, I wonder how many they'd need to sell to get a decent price on these? It really does make digital files sound more 'connected' and like real music rather than an edgy sound that you can often get which are the right notes and all that, but portrayed through an ice cage. This is warm and user friendly and could get many people on a totally digital route from a large drive. My notebook has never sounded quite as large as this !!!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2012 17:08:36 GMT
Glad it arrived OK Ian. I would not argue with anything you say Ian except that I did not notice the voice centreing. I suspect that's down to my ears and cans (Senn HD250 280 Pro 64 ohm) more than it is down to the T1. I do like the valve sound which is what I assume you regard as 'warmth'. Looking forward to the rest of your review . Dave.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2012 17:54:46 GMT
Glad it arrived OK Ian. I would not argue with anything you say Ian except that I did not notice the voice centreing. I suspect that's down to my ears and cans (Senn HD250 280 Pro 64 ohm) more than it is down to the T1. I do like the valve sound which is what I assume you regard as 'warmth'. Looking forward to the rest of your review . Dave. The image focus is pretty good on the D2000, Dave and I guess any small differences are easily picked up. They are an exceptional headphone imo. The worst thing about them is the very low sensitivity which makes them devils for noise problems. The warmth is the tubey sound for sure. I think people that don't like tubes would find the lack of edge at the very top a negative thing. It would also make it seem less resolving than non tube amps. However, I find it's resolving powers are actually quite good and the lack of emphasis up top allows you to go up in volume and so other things start to get a 'colour'. Snare drum sounds in particular have pitch. It kind of introduces another kind of realism which I'm well aware of live but find most recordings lacking in on poor gear. I did notice on the very expensive set up that I demo'd a year or so back, that it really lacked 'glare' and it had this 'live' kick within its sound. So I guess, for me, a toppy sound just doesn't suit. I like to hear the clatter of the band but also, the real 'tone' of a drum with the welly of a bass. I'm not exactly sure what it is, because some rolled off gear sound tonally wrong and other seem to allow other nuances through as a result of taking the edge down. Kind of similar I guess to the Senn 650. It lacks that top edge but the detail is in there. Many find it lacking just because of the top edge missing. You may have found that Sean's amp sounded a lot more extended in the treble, Dave. Although his is also a (very good) tube amp, it doesn't sound like a typical tube amp in that way. It's a very extended sound and is a rare treat I think in tubes. I would have bought one myself, but I really didn't want to compromise the power supply and felt that the big one was the best with it, taking the cost up pretty high. Seeing that I'm up to my neck in amps and bits and pieces, I decided to not buy one myself although there are times when I feel I should have!! It's not a typical valve amps sound imo. (neither are the X-Cans really, being ss with a valve flavour added.) The harmonic content of a valve amp gives a different type of sound with the even (I think it is) harmonics being more predominant and so giving the impression of more bass and perhaps a curtailed top end which isn't as flashy as yer typical in yer face SS stuff. (If it's cheap) Of course good SS is better at a given price but if money were no object, I prefer tubes; but at a ridiculous price really. SS would be a cheaper option. An SS amp at the price of Sean's top amp and power supply would be extremely good. That's why I was banging on at him about the price at the time.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2012 18:39:17 GMT
I tried the AKG K601 with it.
I made a BIG boo boo with the noise thing I mentioned.
I couldn't get enough volume for the 601, so I guessed something must have been wrong. I went through all my computer settings and found one of the volume controls set too low.
This is easily done .....
My volume control on the player (Foobar) was at max. The volume on the task bar also showed max, so I assumed that I had max volume.
Therefore, noise would be able to creep in since the input volume was set very low and I hadn't realised.
Double clicking the Volume icon to get the advanced settings and I found the SPDIF was set low on that panel. Turning it up full near enough blew my head off on the K601.
I thought the figures were a bit odd at 0, 10 and 16Db. I was beginning to think it was a porky pie.
Now it's totally deafening and there is NO WAY you'll get to the noise floor without hurting your ears.
This is the clincher for me ...... I'd like to get one of these. They are big sounding, nicely rounded in tone, drums have a proper timbre with them and it's simply deafening in power.
I can drive the K601 at 0Db!!!!
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Crispy
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Post by Crispy on Sept 6, 2012 19:07:53 GMT
Hi Ian, I am trying not to take too much notice of what you, Dave and Mike are saying about this amp as I don't want it to influence me, but it certainly sounds like a cracking amp In the meantime to stop me getting too bored waiting, I decided to try my hand at a bit of carving. Never done anything like this before in my life and here are some pictures of my seahorse project for my planned Tiki Bar next year? I could have bought one off E-Bay but where is the fun in that Take one drawing Transfer to wood. Cut out around the shape. Start carving Sounds so simple but I can tell you to get this far has taken 4 - 6 hours
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Post by PinkFloyd on Sept 6, 2012 19:38:16 GMT
Ian,
I think you are pretty much hearing what I was hearing.... it's very "non digital" in tone and, yes, it's a little powerhouse too! Do you have any 6922 / 6N23P-EB kicking about? You could also try a bit of valve rolling (that's the same as tube rolling for our American patrons) I reckon that different "house signatures" could influence the tone slightly.... if you've got a JAN Philips 6922 give it a go, I found it gave a bit more edge to the proceedings... the stock EH valve IS a bit rounded and kinda adds curves to the straight edges, if you catch my drift, a very nice tone but maybe too pleasant for some tastes.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2012 19:43:15 GMT
Wow. That looks amazing. There are a lot of arty farty types on here aren't there? This is an amp that is great for people who like a tube sound. Some will perceive it as perhaps lacking in the extreme top. The FR graph shows it as flat though at 18Db. Interestingly, they also show it with a K601. It drives the AKG with absolute ease. I don't know what they are retailing for yet. I think it's £100 - £200. Not absolutely sure. I've seen them on Ebay at £124 which I think is a fantastic price for it. compare.ebay.co.uk/like/261082619620?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=yI'm really tempted tbh. I'm listening to the K601 at with the vol pot around 8:00 'o clock!!! If I want more range, I can always turn the gain down but it's a smooth control and there are no problems. It makes the AKG seem like a portable headphone, rather like the Horizon. Similar in tone too. Now I'm driving it via the phonos from an Ipod - great!! It can also be used as a preamp since it has audio out as well. I fancy a red one, but they don't make it. ;D Just black or silver. Product : T1 24BIT TUBE USB DAC Color : silver , black Weight : 2KG Size : 15.5*9.7*4cm Frequency response : 20hz-20khz Signal to noise Ratio : >=120db Lint out : 2Vrms Suitable headphone Impedance : 30ohm~600ohm Headphone Amp output : (biggest is 20V) 32ohm--1000MW ,120ohm--400MW ,300ohm--150MW Line out insider impedance : 100ohm Headphone amp insider impedance :10ohm USB support : 24bit/96kHz Input jack : analog RCA jack*1 , USB jack *1 Output jack : analog RCA jack *1 , 6.5mm jack *1 Unpack : T1 24bit tube USB DAC ,power adapter(220/110V) ,PC USB cable , 6.5mm to 3.5mm stereo F adapter , User manual. Headphone Amp part AP measured curves: (tube output test) It's well worth £122 vut you'd have to add tax if you got nobbled for it. Mike, it's gagging for a Little Pinkie too!! Get them to make a Pink one which you can distribute with a piggy on with the option of Pinkie added to a package!!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2012 19:56:14 GMT
Ian, I think you are pretty much hearing what I was hearing.... it's very "non digital" in tone and, yes, it's a little powerhouse too! Do you have any 6922 / 6N23P-EB kicking about? You could also try a bit of valve rolling (that's the same as tube rolling for our American patrons) I reckon that different "house signatures" could influence the tone slightly.... if you've got a JAN Philips 6922 give it a go, I found it gave a bit more edge to the proceedings... the stock EH valve IS a bit rounded and kinda adds curves to the straight edges, if you catch my drift, a very nice tone but maybe too pleasant for some tastes. I'll have a look around. My best valves are in the X-Cans and I'm loathe to disrupt them, Mike. The one I have with it is a 6922EH (Russian). Yes, the roundness is that tubey sound but I actually don't mind it. The EB may be better. You're right, that mellow sound may make people feel that it's not resolving well, but it sounds fine to me. It's really nice to hear digital files that aren't edgy and peaky sounding. My first thoughts were, 'really nice sounding but underpowered'. Then I realised that I had a setting turned down and the volume it gives is unbelievable. It's very powerful. I like it as a normal amp too actually.
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