[bogi]

No, I'm not sure. And absolutely, yes, the generalisations are often true. It's fairly a dead giveaway when a manufacturer's most prominent measurement is the THD at 1kHz, their DACs have a 5V output (when 4V is standard) and they state a power figure without saying it's peak or RMS. It very strongly suggests that they care more about the measurements than actual music reproduction, and that reviewing their products is probably a waste of time, even if the product is probably quite good. And again, if it sounds better (better detail, depth, etc.) than similarly priced amps, GOOD!

IMO S17 Pro is enough specific to give reasons not to apply such level of generalization. My point is that this is a discrete design whose described sound signature (different people were describing it in very similar way) does not show much similarity to those NFCA amps from Topping and similar.

About your reserved standing to the way how Amir is doing and interpreting measurements, and how that may affect design targets of companies like Topping and similar - I am with you.

 

[motberg]

… I think you meant to say that you ‘loan it to him for the review for free’ in stead of you can ‘have for free’ ?

Anyways I am also interested in Currawongs opinion after he has reviewed the actual product. Comparing the S17 to his latest Mjolnir review sounds interesting as several of his followers have already suggested.
He might be pleasantly surprised like many of us over here..

nope .... he can have it for free.... I will not sell it as is, and it's not worth the bother to get replaced/repaired ..
I also think he may be pleasantly surprised.... it certainly sounds different from the Topping Pre90 !

 

[TheFritz]

To my humble and unworthy ears, which unfortunately do not have X-Ray hearing and therefore cannot hear the manufacturer, build date, copper content, moon cycle when soldering, etc. of every electronic component in the signal path, this amplifier sounds extremely good. I am also unfortunately too uneducated to study the circuit board layout before using it and just plug in my primitive, pathetic headphones instead of the measuring equipment (well, not always ) to judge the device.

This amp sounds so wonderful with some of my headphones as I didn't expect it to. The Meze 109pro is fantastic, as is the HEDDphone(1 - yes, I have a strong neck) and several others. It may not deliver full 7W in 100% class-A, but it drives practically everything I have up to the HE6seV2 without any problems. I really enjoy it with headphones and am also positively surprised by the S17pro as a pre-amp (not to a speaker amp but to a tube amp in my case).

If I was an interested buyer, I wouldn't let myself be put off by these technical discussions here and go and try it out for myself.

 

[leedong]

mine is 230131, I notified Aune about the volume control problem immediately after I took delivery end October. Intended use was preamp, but incompatible with my particular setup.
Purchased from an authorized dealer.
The software fix seems fairly recent, but you should check with Aune, pretty good customer service generally.
I'm not going to bother with a return... The original software seems to work for most users as a headphone amp, but I was expecting something more like 1db jumps based on my prior experience with r2r style volume controls.

谢谢你！

 

[sendler2112]

If user complains led to change in the new production batch, then these complains were useful. Any attempt to stop people on complaining in the case of issues is basically wrong. I am for example not quite happy about 32 effective levels only. I would like rather to see 64 1dB steps than 32 2dB steps.

32, 2db steps is with the "new" version. Apparently all? of the previous version (and nobody, including reviewers, noticed this for almost a year?) had 14, 4db steps where clicking the indicated number higher 3 times does nothing and then jumps on the 4th, then 1, 7db step at 56, then 7 more 3?db steps for each click at the top up to the highest setting of 63.

 

[bogi]

32, 2db steps is with the "new" version. Apparently all?

I cannot be sure if also those below 16, but based on data posted by TheFritz it seems to be highly probable that every 2nd step is 2dB.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aune-s17-pro.970060/post-17856466
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aune-s17-pro.970060/post-17856990

For the range 35 - 41 it looks almost impossible that it could be differently:

34

70.2

34, 35: 70
36, 37: 72
38, 39: 74
40, 41: 76

42

78.2

 

[TheFritz]

I cannot be sure if also those below 16, but based on data posted by TheFritz it seems to be highly probable that every 2nd step is 2dB.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aune-s17-pro.970060/post-17856466
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aune-s17-pro.970060/post-17856990

For the range 35 - 41 it looks almost impossible that it could be differently:

34

70.2

34, 35: 70
36, 37: 72
38, 39: 74
40, 41: 76

42

78.2

Oh. I guarantee that they are all 2dB every 2 clicks (as I already wrote). I measured the full range but just didn't post all measurements to not flood the forum with numbers. But you have to look at the full range with one sensitive and one non-sensitive headphone to measure it fully: using the HE6seV2' or Dt880_600 as "probes" means you measure basically no output and only a lot of surrounding noise contribution in the lowest volume steps and the Meze 109pro would probably play never again any sound after reaching the highest volume steps ... I am a bit exaggerating but still I won't play the 109pro nowhere near max volume. The numbers shown here were in SPL ranges were you could still listen to them without permanent hearing loss...

EDIT:
Here the Meze 109pro SPL at 1kHz values down to volume 0. The measured value at 0 is the electric&room noise, the PC-fan, me breathing (I need some oxygen from time to time), etc. I didn't write down the HE6seV2 values (it is grill-modded and even more open than standard). Everything is approx +- 0.1 dB

Vol (Low)	SPL(1 kHz) HE6	Meze109pro
0		33.2 (noise)
1		53.9
2		55.9
3		55.9
4		57.9
5		58.0
6		60.0
7		60.0
8		61.8
9		61.9
10		63.9
11		63.9
12		65.9
13		66.0
14		68.0
15		68.0

 

[quawn0418]

Owners of higher priced gear often hate it when products like the S17 Pro are introduced. I’d hope curra isn’t one them. I also hopes he gets a chance to hear one for himself as i do appreciate his work as reviewer. Another thing, i find it odd that one would give any thoughts that could come across as negative on a product they’ve yet to hear for themselves, just seems odd. Im sure curra wasn’t trying to be negative but he should know as a well known reviewer that this is a slippery slope.

Now the slander that brands like topping and smsl get regarding newly released (and unheard) products i can understand being that they have somewhat of a track record.

Curra, if you ask me you kind of have to review this thing now lol

 

[Hooster]

nope .... he can have it for free.... I will not sell it as is, and it's not worth the bother to get replaced/repaired ..
I also think he may be pleasantly surprised.... it certainly sounds different from the Topping Pre90 !

I have the Pre90 too and I could not agree more.

 

[Musiccc]

Musiccc said:
Some people are just a business' nightmare. They buy multiple products with no intension of keeping them or buying a bunch and keeping only one. Buy, return, buy return. Driving up the cost and possibility reducing availability for the rest of ethical Comsumers. Some companies would be reluctant to conduct business in certain regions of the world.

Since there is no longer any brick and mortar sales for high end audio, there is no way to audition anything other than mail order.

This has nothing to do with in store purchases, mail orders (but mail orders are the worse). No brick and mortar sales is not excuse for such behavior. Some people just buy, buy, buy with no intention of keeping most item. It has to do with characters.

 

[bogi]

No brick and mortar sales is not excuse for such behavior. Some people just buy, buy, buy with no intention of keeping most item. It has to do with characters.

Do you want to post something about Aune S17 Pro ??

 

[Musiccc]

Do you want to post something about Aune S17 Pro ??

Yeah, it's a wonderful product at a reasonable price. Made to be used as a musical device.
No phantom issues, blap blap blap.

 

[Currawong]

Owners of higher priced gear often hate it when products like the S17 Pro are introduced. I’d hope curra isn’t one them. I also hopes he gets a chance to hear one for himself as i do appreciate his work as reviewer. Another thing, i find it odd that one would give any thoughts that could come across as negative on a product they’ve yet to hear for themselves, just seems odd. Im sure curra wasn’t trying to be negative but he should know as a well known reviewer that this is a slippery slope.

Now the slander that brands like topping and smsl get regarding newly released (and unheard) products i can understand being that they have somewhat of a track record.

Curra, if you ask me you kind of have to review this thing now lol

I like being pleasantly surprised, rather than being disappointed, so it's easier to start from perspective of skepticism.

 

[Averruncus]

Still deciding between the S17 pro, Vioelectrionics v222, and Topping A70 pro, as I need something to power my Diana TC.

I live in Singapore which is both hot and humid (28-33°C indoor ambient temps) and I don't like running AC most of the time, does that mean the S17 pro will be a bad fit for me? I might not mind running in 50mA mode most of the time if it keeps the heat down, and only turning it up to 100mA when I have AC on or if the weather is cold.

Does anyone know if Aune products have good long-term reliability? One reason I'm hesitant to go for another topping is that their products don't have the best reputation for long-term use, which is also why v222 seems like a more attractive option.

 

[sendler2112]

Reviews of the A70 Pro talk about immense power but place it second in see through transparency to the A90D. I have the A90D and it is second to the Aune S17.