Aune B1

 
This amplifier is a jaw breaker from my perspective. Ok, there are some areas where you can find better. It doesn't shine with very, very efficient IEMs, and of course it won't amplify HE6. 
 
However, if you will be using it with a moderate power requiring headphone, I think that it would be very hard to find a portable amplifier better than this... at any price. 
 
What I love about it the most is the effortless, natural sound signature it has, followed by an excellent bass, superb midrange,  *very* clean sound, spacious and holographic soundstage.
 
It also has good details and natural transient response. The sound signature is a little bit on the warm side. 
 
To get all from this amplifier, you should pair it with a good DAC. Will try it with Chord Mojo soon! 
 
Small Comparison to FiiO E12A
 
 
I won’t loose too much time on this comparison. Overall I ended up preferring the Aune B1 and not by a small margin. B1 sounds considerably more natural and organic. The sound is more dynamic and decompressed on B1 (E12A sounding a little flat/dry in comparison) , with better transparency and details.
 
The bass on B1 kicks ass compared to the one on E12A, the midrange is better textured and more detailed, while the treble is smoother and more detailed in the same time on Aune.
 
 
Pros

1. Excellent bass with wonderful extension, control and punch
2. Rich and detailed midrange
3. Smooth, detailed and sparkly treble
4. Excellent vocals
5. Very natural and clean sound
6. Very spacious and natural soundstage
7. Very good transients
8. Very good imaging and instrument separation
9. Excellent price for what it offers

Cons

1. The volume knob and switches are made of plastic
2. Position of the volume knob and gain switch are not very fortunate
3. Gets quite hot if you want to use it in your pockets. If it's winter this is a pro )

     Firstly I must give a large and heartfelt thank you to both @AuneAudio for approving me a period with this and @nmatheis for organizing things in a way so that my time with this corresponded with the Carolina Canfest 5 audio meet that was being hosted in Charlotte then also I have to give thanks to @Podster for sending it to me within the correct time frame, which lately has become a rarity for most tours. So to all of you I both tip my hat and sincerely thank you. 
 
 
               
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Opening Experience
 
    The opening experience of the B1, I’m not exactly sure if this is how it comes from the factory of if it was only for this tour.. In addition, the only thing included with said package was a small aux cable. So, for this reason I cannot justify giving any sort of unboxing experience impressions on the Aune B1.
 
            
 
 
 
 
Construction
 
    The build quality on the Aune B1 portable headphone amp. is  absolutely top notch. It’s carries an aluminum body throughout and on the back there’s either a real or faux leather that gives the B1 not just a nice grip when holding it but also a refined look as well. However a quick downside (that’s incredibly small and user dependent) is that on the back where the leatherique material is, is down the middle is an aluminum line. This is a bad thing because most of us who use a portable amp with our mobile device etc… simply rubber band them together. The issue here is with the aluminum you’re almost begging to have both your mobile and the amp. to  get scratches all over them.
    The top of the amp. holds a very responsive volume button and standard 1/16th” jack. The side holds the power button, gain switch, and class A amp. switch (which I’m not going to lie I’m not really sure what this switch did so I just left it on). The front has 2 glass windows to allow you to look into the inner circuitry which is a subtle but very nice touch that I really enjoyed. Another downside before I go onto the sound section, is that the battery life indicator is quite useless. When you press the button, at least on my unit, it never shown anything except green. This was greatly annoying for after a few hours of listening I’d check the indicator and it’d show green and a few minutes later it died; what’s the purpose of an indicator if it doesn’t indicate anything?
 
                                                                                             
 
 
Sound
 
    So how well does the newest mobile amp. offering from Aune stack up? Amazingly well is the clear answer to that, The ease it drove any headphone I put through it was incredible, from my Empire Ears Hermes to my Sennheiser HD650 it powered them incredibly and provided a sense of depth that even some (similar priced) home units can’t provide me.
    The background wasn’t completely black as my ciems still had that ever present hiss but when listening to normal resistance headphones there was no issue at all and the only thing I was presented with was a very impressive sound that provided a subtle but welcomed amount of warmth.
    On the note of warmth, the Aune B1 isn’t a flat amp. Instead it gives the music a subtle yet very nice and soft sense of warmth and musicality to it that really reminded me of a tube amp. (which the glowing led’s on the front even adds to the look of a tube amp. as well). My favorite pairing however was with my Bowers & Wilkins P7 and the Meze Headphones 99 Classic (tour). The B1 complemented the sound of those two headphones so well it made it ridiculously difficult to take them off when I had to do that adult thing called work.
 
                                                                                 
 
 
Conclusion
 
    I believe this is my shortest and quickest review (at least off the top of my head) but this is a pretty straightforward amp. The sound is very clean, powerful, controlling and possesses a slight warmth to it that adds well wanted (for me personally) musicality to the sound. The build quality is absolutely top notch and I’ve zero worries about it falling or easily breaking. I’d recommend the Aune B1 to anyone looking for an portable amp. only complement to their mobile device. It’s a great price/quality catch and will suffice even the truest of die hards.

 
Also check out my unboxing and review videos, they’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out as well. Till next time my friends, stay safe.
 
 
 

This is a true Class A amp that is in a class of it's own! 
 
I have put in a good 5 hours of straight listening with the B1 with all types of music just using my Creative Aurvana 3. I used these on purpose on the high gain to see if it would make a difference as they are not the best but not the worst earphones I have. 
 
I used the high gain, and I have to say the B1 is quick, clean, powerful, and adds no coloration to the source and transfers over the source cleanly at all levels of listening, meaning it's clean and clear at low volume to full volume with 0% distortion. Some have said there is no background hiss. Well there is on high gain but it's extremely tiny and only detectable at more than 80% volume. Very very acceptable. Some have said it has a dark background, I agree 100%.  
 
What impressed me the most is how it keeps it's clarity at full volume with authority. I love that! I like to listen to some favorite songs louder than others. This is how I determine what a portable amp can or can not do. Other amps I that I have seem to struggle out or distort at higher levels. I even tested some very high end recordings from Techmaster P.E.B and they sound clean, and clear at all levels. The bass is super heavy on from this artist and the B1 controlled the bass again with authority and no distortion. I even tried to throw in some EQ to see if I can cause any distortion and that idea failed miserably. It handled the added 40 and 80hz cleanly and accurately! I am impressed again.  
 
The B1 makes me feel like I'm listening to my Asgard 2 which says a lot! I love the clarity and level of detail that it can produce. I have yet to really burn it in fully and I am already seeing this as my favorite next to my Cypherlabs and that was just out of my LG Optimus G Pro with ALAC and a line out! I can say this amp has made me end my search for a portable clean powerful amp.  
 
I am kinda scared what it can do with my other earphones and other sources!
 
Update: After some more time with the B1, I have to say that it's so very much similar sounding to my Ray Samuels P-51. The B1 having a larger current ability than the P-51 is evident in the oomp of the sound, but all else it matches the P-51 on all other aspects. That is pretty amazing considering the P-51 is/was $375.00!
 
- Update 3/11/2016: I have to say this amp is equivalent to my Cypherlabs which says a lot as that cost over $500.00 amp alone. I am impressed with this amp the more I use it. It's not just a Class A amp, it's in a class of A! It drives my Havi's well and accurately and anything else I have at it IEM wise. Again for the price you can't go wrong with this amp. It's my new best sounding, smallest amp I have. It's going to be really hard for someone to beat this at this price.