Country of Origin
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, 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, HifiMan Susvara; Loudspeakers: Qualio IQ [on loan] Cables: Kinki Studio Earth, Furutech; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra on all source components, Vibex One 11R on amps, 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, LessLoss Firewall for loudspeakers, Furutech NCF Signal Boosters; 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; Preamp/filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Amplifier: Kinki Studio EX-M7; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Loudspeakers: MonAcoustic SuperMon Mini + Dynaudio S18 sub; Power delivery: Furutech GTO 2D NCF, Akiko Audio Corelli; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Audioquest Fog Lifters; Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
Desktop system: Source: HP Z230 work station Win10/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; DAC: Sonnet Pasithea; Headamp: Kinki Studio THR-1; Speaker amp: Crayon CFA-1.2; Speakers: Acelec Model One Headphones: Final D-8000 & Sonorous X, Audeze LCD-XC, Raal-Requisite SR1a on Schiit Jotunheim R
Upstairs headfi system: FiiO R7, COS Engineering D1, Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Headphones: Raal 1995 Magna, 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
Writing this very short page so wasn't in the cards. I've never done one before. Then the concluding paragraph to my review of aune's €799 S17Pro Evo virtually penned itself. That planted the seed. Rather than leave it six feet under, today makes it sprout. Let's unfurl that. I'd started the year being utterly unfamiliar with the brand other than having seen the name and filed it as yet another Sino brand. It wasn't until October that I crossed paths with their €639 SR7000 sealed over-ear headphone quickly followed by the €329 AR5000 open-backed variant. Two months later the 7.5wpc/32Ω true Class A fully balanced head/preamp followed. From virgin to three wins and you're in? Quite. Full-on conversion. Whilst I'm still hazy on how to pronounce the name—awn, awnee, awneh, a.oon etc?—I've certainly deciphered what it stands for: exceptional quality and value. True, 2024 also introduced me to Laiv Audio who actually launched this year unlike aune who did in 2004. How it's taken me 20 years to catch up I don't know. As Pop Zen would say, it is what it is.
What it also is are stickers well below €1K. It's why I already dropped the price points. aune are for the people not aristocracy. That's what pricked up my jaded ears. Each of the three models I reviewed is built, finished and performs well beyond reasonable expectations. Being branded aune seems a sure-fire thing, cattle iron optional. Needless to say, applying personal experience with three models to an entire catalogue would be premature and critical laziness. That said, I'm having a hard time indeed to anticipate any disappointments when applying the same price/performance metric. My third aune review in particular reports on what spending €6'250 instead gets us extra; and how it virtually doesn't matter. What exists beyond where aune play is quickly forgotten because all the important basics aren't just in play but expertly so. If your inner accountant still conflates aune's price points with cheap builds, your cynical bean counter needs to recalibrate. Two decades of experience have clearly given aune the engineering and manufacturing resources to maximize what Chinese production today can do. My colleague John Darko's Product of the Year too is Chinese: FiiO's R9. That's the hot-rod version of the R7, my Product of 2023. Do we spot a theme?
Beyond ugly politics and jingoism lives the notion of this entire world being our oyster. Those who practice it have more choices than ever. If like me you're a newcomer to the brand, today's short page with its three embedded review links could give you the curiosity and confidence to add to those choices with aune's? If so, my job here is done. The rest is up to you. Happy New Year?
