N7

Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (i5, 256GB SSD, 40GB RAM, Sonoma 14), 4TB external SSD with Thunderbolt 3, Audirvana Studio, Qobuz Sublime, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, LHY Audio SW-8 & SW-6 switch, Sonnet Pasithea, COS Engineering D1, Laiv Audio Harmony; Active filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Power amplifiers: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos & Gold Note monos on subwoofer; Headamp: Enleum AMP-23R; Phones: Raal 1995 Immanis; Loudspeakers: Qualio IQ [on loan] Cables: Exact Express Flame, Furutech; Power delivery: 2 x Kinki/Vinshine Tai Hang on amps and source stack, Furutech DPS-4.1 between wall and conditioners; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators, AudioQuest FogLifters; Room: 6 x 8m with open door behind listening seat; Room treatment: 2 x PSI Audio AVAA C214 active bass traps
2nd system: Source: FiiO R7 into Soundaware D300Ref SD transport to Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe with POW; Preamp/filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Amplifier: Kinki Studio EX-M7; Loudspeakers: ModalAkustik MusikBoxx + Dynaudio S18 sub; Cable loom: Exact Express Earth; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra, Akiko Audio Corelli Corundum & Castello Solo; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Furutech cable lifts, Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
2nd headfi system: DAC: Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe with POW; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Headphones: Raal 1995 Magna, HifiMan Susvara
Desktop system: Source: HP Z2 work station Win11/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; DAC/headamp: iFi iDSD Pro Signature; Speakers: DMAX P61 Headphones: Final D-8000, aune SR7000
Upstairs headfi system: FiiO R7; Headphones: Meze 109 Pro, Fiio FT3
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; All-in-One: Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe; Loudspeakers: Zu Soul VI; Subwoofer: Zu Submission; Power delivery: Furutech eTP-8, Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: $399

On the cheap. It's not as verboten a word as really loaded foul insults. Still, makers don't like the 'c' word. To them it isn't a vital vitamin but sour pill. They prefer 'affordable' because it's close to 'affable'. Bargain budgeteers meanwhile love the word. To them anyone paying full price is a mark begging to be fleeced. I lead with these thoughts because despite the Trumpian tariffs on Chinese imports to the US, aune list their new pure class A head/preamp with 6.5wpc into 32Ω balanced at 399; in US not Euro currency! It comes with FMJ remote, fully balanced R2R volume via JRC attenuating chips paired with op-amps and a TwinJFet output stage whose eight transistors…

… hide beneath this black aluminium bar.

To keep the deck tidy and 21 x 16 x 6.3cm WxDxH compact, there's no XLR4 output. Simply use a hardware adapter in the 4.4mm port. There are two gain settings—the 'G-L' on the 3-inch display below obviously indicates low gain—and two class A bias-current settings. The 'A-L' below plus the blue detailing indicates low, red and 'A-H' high. Unlike the same catalogue's $799 S17 Pro Evo, today's smaller chassis has lateral heatsinks. And because it's also a preamp, the RCA/XLR inputs mirror in RCA/XLR outputs. Headfi or preamplitude mode are independently selectable. The display can remain on or set to auto-off. Published measurements show just 3µV of output noise in high gain and THD+N of 0.0004%. Key specs are 10k/22k input Ω on RCA/XLR, 100/200 output Ω  on XLR/RCA and just 1Ω on either headfi port. S/NR shows as better than 105dB/600Ω and amplitude deviation from 20Hz-80kHz claims to be within ±0.05dB.

aune's N7 clearly doesn't look cheap or feature sparsely. Adding true class A drive for this sticker should really delight the discount clippers and bargain-basement brigade. So what if there's an 18VDC switching wall wart in lieu of a heavier bigger costlier linear variant with Evo's power toroid? aune aren't in the giveaway business. They're not running for sainthood at a hifi charity. A good deal is different from a deal too good to be true. On paper and based on prior experience with aune's Evo amp and AR5000 and SR7000 headphones— the latter my trusted desktop companions—the N7 looked like a really good deal. To know for sure obviously meant sampling not speculating. So when Shelly Chen in charge of aune's overseas marketing and PR proposed this review, I accepted.

Unlike snobs, I love when 'cheap' and 'quality' are on a prospective collision course for sparks and potential fireworks. With its beefy power rating in high gain balanced, on paper the N7 should drive pretty much anything. To see how well, I had a few bloodthirsty utterly price-inappropriate loads on hand. My main focus would of course be on sane loads like my aune AR5000 and SR7000, Meze 109Pro and Final D8000. But to go full-on antagonistic, I also had HifiMan Susvara, Raal 1995 Immanis and Magna. My table was set. Would aune turn it? Whilst on class A operation, most plainly put it implies that the output devices conduct fully at all times¹ to draw equal at idle and max power. So what about heat? Just how toasty would this half-size deck get? [Forthcoming aune AR9000 flagships and matching 12wpc A17 amp at right.]

Incidentally, an extra $100 add a 'D' suffix and DAC to the N7 chassis, bolting on USB-C for more can-do in one chassis.
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¹ Translated, they never switch off. This causes maximal thermal dissipation but avoids what is called 'zero crossing distortion' as the point in time when output devices on opposing power rails hand over between alternating on/off states. Class A avoids switching its output devices so runs far less efficient hence far hotter. Just how hot depends on the applied bias current and the thermal dissipation surface traditionally manifested as massive heatsinks. Smaller devices of less power often accomplish it by turning an entire chassis into a de-facto dissipator. Like Evo, the N7 can be switched to higher bias which runs hotter. Does it have sonic benefits? With Evo I found it extremely marginal. Here? Let's find out.