Front Panel
The body of the Muse USB headphone amp is virtually identical to the Aune in both construction and dimension; the principle difference between the two, at least in terms of appearance, is the faceplate and the far less weighty volume knob. Despite this, the turning of the potentiometers is about the same (meaning that turning volume up or down “feels” about the same on both devices); however, the Muse’s volume control feels far more plastic to the touch than the sturdy metal knob found on the Aune. The difference in terms of atheistic quality is dependant upon one’s own taste: many seem to find the faceplate and volume knob of the Aune to be superior in this respect to the Muse, but this is purely a matter of opinion.
Like the Aune, the Muse has two switches, two LEDs, and one headphone input on the front of the device. The LEDs and switches work in the same way on both devices. Though, as I have complained before, the LEDs on the front of the Muse are too bright. I suspect that many of the people who buy headphone amps like the Muse or Aune are planning on hooking them up in their bedrooms probably along with their desktop computer or laptop (just a guess, but I suspect that this is the case for many potential buyers). If you like to sleep in darkness you might have some problems with these lights, if you want a blue nightlight, you’ll love the Muse. The Muse does not have a power switch either, so unless you plan on unplugging the unit every night, you might need to consider the placement of your headphone amp carefully.
Rear Panel
Of much greater importance to the performance (and appearance, I would argue), is the lower quality connections on the back of the unit. In particular, the SPDIF coaxial input on the Muse seems like a cheap parody of the gold-tinted coaxial port which protrudes from the Aune. Additionally, the USB input on the rear of the Muse doesn’t seem to hold my USB cable quite a snuggly as does the Aune, but I suppose that this may be just a quirk of the individual unit and not a problem common to all of the Muse owners. Despite this, I have had no problems whatsoever with getting a decent connection; thanks in part to the digital dichotomy of “either you get it or you don’t,” I can honestly say that I have not had any issues of disconnection or quality degeneration due to the rear panel inputs -- in this respect the Aune and Muse seem identical.
The chief point on which the Muse amp can claim superiority to the Aune is that it, unlike the Aune, boast a TOSLINK input. I have brought up this point several times to Jeffery Tam, and while my campaigning for the inclusion of a power switch on the back of the Aune seems to have been successful, there is still, to my knowledge, no plans to introduce an Aune which features a TOSLINK input. To my mind, this is a clear win for the Muse: TOSLINK has become the standard digital connection on most audio devices, for connectivity reasons, you may find that NEED an optical connection even if you want a coaxial one. For the record, the Muse amp DOES NOT decode Dolby Digital of any sort -- if you are going to be using this headphone amp with your TV, PS3, etc., set the output to PCM. The issue of propriety encoding/decoding formats is one of the curses of the digital age, and I suspect that it will only get worse over the next few decades.
Peripherals
The power adapter that shipped with the Muse is clearly superior to the one Tam is sending out with the Aune, but I suspect that this will change with time. The headphone adapters (if you happen to be using a headphone set with a 1/8” plug, but don’t have an adapter for 1/4”) and USB cables shipped with both the Aune and Muse are all of fairly low quality, though I doubt this has much swaying powering for potential buyers anyway.
Packing and Shipping
Aune wins hands down. Both the Aune and the Muse were packed fairly well, but if you buy your Aune through Tam, you can expect fast delivery and good communication; with Muse Audio I can’t make any guarantees, and I’ve had difficulties in contacting them with both technical and practical questions.
Conclusion (part 1)
The Muse sells on eBay for less than the Aune. While I can’t say anything about durability yet, I will say that the Muse doesn’t seem any more or less flimsy of a device than the Aune. So if you are trying to figure out which one to get don’t worry that the Muse will be a cheaper construction simply because if cost less. It is true that some of the components are of cheaper quality, but so far these have not presented any serious problem, thus making the decision between the two more about looks than functionality. In my opinion, the Aune looks better than the Muse, but I think that depends on your prospective; the Muse has a bit more of a “classic rock” feel to it (I’m not sure I can really clarify or qualify that statement, it’s just an impression) than does the Aune. If you are planning on hooking up a TV or gaming system that needs optical do not hesitate to pick up a Muse, but if you have the extra cash, and want something that will make an impression visually, go for the Aune.
In the next section of the review I will be addressing the sound quality. I’ll test the amp out on my AKG701s, some sound-isolating headphones, and some custom speakers.