Aune AR5000

TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Aune AR5000

The AR5000 have been sent to me by Aune for me to try them out and share my opinions in this review. Aune have not made any requests and I will, as always, do my best to be as unbiased as I can.

You can find the official page for the AR5000 here: https://www.aune-store.com/en/aune-ar5000-open-ear-headphone_110208_1240/

As with all links I publish, this is a non-affiliate link.



Intro…

I have reviewed a few Aune devices in the past and I have always found that they offer a lot of quality for the price they sit at. The brand has been making DAC and amps of good quality for quite some time and they also have a set of IEMs, the Aune Jasper, that I reviewed quite some time ago and also enjoyed. The AR5000 is their first set of headphones and, as with all first ventures, it is always a risk to release something that you are not really known for.

In this case, they have opted for a 50mm dynamic driver with an MLD diaphragm, in a very nicely designed and built open back set up, that is priced at under 300€. To be honest, I did not know much about the headphones, other than having seen photos, but I was certainly interested in trying them out based on my previous experiences with Aune products.

The AR5000 are aimed at being easy to drive, with a published impedance of 28 Ohms and 108dB/Vrms (@1kHz). I think further proof of their aim to make them easy to drive is that, along with the headphones, they also sent me their dongle DAC, the Aune Yuki. The Yuki is a device that has a decent amount of power for a dongle device but is by no means the most powerful on the market and it is a long way behind a desktop setup.

I am not going to discuss the Yuki today, as that deserves a review of its own, and I am going to focus on the AR5000, which I have used with the Yuki but have also used with a combination of other source devices.

Before finally moving on to the review, I just want to mention that Aune also kindly sent along an additional balanced cable and an Aune branded headphone stand. So, with that said, let’s get on with my opinions on the AR5000.



Presentation…

The outer sleeve of the packaging shows a large image of the headphones (which I have to say do look great in photos) on a white background. Along with the make and model, we also get the basic specs listed on the back of the box.

Removing the sleeve reveals a black box, with AR5000 on the lid, which opens to reveal the user guide and the headphones sitting below in a silk covered foam cut out. There is also an accessories box that contains the 3.5mm unbalanced cable with a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter.

In general there is not a lot in the box but there isn’t usually much in a headphone box, in comparison to IEMs that is, with sets that contain many accessories being the exception rather than the norm. The only thing I do with was included is some kind of storage/transport case as these are easy to drive and, although they are not really designed to be carried around (they don’t fold or anything similar), I could see people throwing these in a backpack or something to take with them to the office, school etc. However, I do understand that at 300€, there is a limited budget to be spent on these and, as always, I like to see as much of that as possible spent on the headphones themselves and not packaging or accessories.



Build and aesthetics…

My first impression when taking them out of the box was that they are much smaller than I expected. I mean, they are not exactly tiny, they are definitely a full sized set of over ear headphones, but for some reason I had expected them to be even bigger after seeing the photos.

My second impression was that they look great. These headphones do look very good in photos but they look just as good in person. Of course aesthetics are a totally personal thing but I think they look very good. They are built from a combination of metal and plastic yet the plastic is of good quality and matches the metal to the point of only knowing it is plastic when tapping on it. This makes them quite lightweight but not too light as to feel cheap.

The headband, which is metal, features a system that Aune call “Concentric Circle”. This uses a leather style suspension strap which is attached to a sliding system that clicks into place on the sides, which is in turn, attached to the metal headband. I find the system to work well and to be comfortable even for longer periods.

The earpads are hybrid and perforated, which helps keep the ears cooler, although, as with all overear headphones, if you live where I do, the daily >40ºC (>105ºF) temperatures will still take their toll, at least they do on me

The earpads are also angled, along with the drivers inside the cups being angles, this places the sound source towards the front. I believe that this is in an attempt to mimic the sound presentation of speakers and we will see how this works out in the sound section.

The outer side of the cups have a grille with oblong openings, that has a pinkish grille with circular opening behind it. This works well for the aesthetics of the headphones and, in general, they give of a more premium look that their price point would indicate.

As far as build quality, yes there is quite a bit of plastic but everything seems to be well assembled, as with all Aune products, a seems like it should have good durability, although only time will tell.

The included 3.5mm cable is a double twist that is covered in black fabric with metal hardware to match the headphones. I have to say that I like the included cable, in fact, as far as my tastes go, I prefer the included cable to the extra 4.4mm cable that they added in extra.

The extra balanced cable is by no means bad, it is actually quite a nice cable, with a quadruple braid and nice silver hardware. The only reason I prefer the stock cable over the additional cable is because I am more of a fan of fabric covered cables than I am of those covered in a clear finish which are slightly more rubbery. Of course, this is a personal thing and either of the cables is a good option.



Sound…

All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)

As I said a moment ago, I had no idea what to expect from these headphones, I didn’t even know the price, which is actually my preferred way of trying things out. If I don’t know what to expect, then I can’t have any preconceived opinions. When I reviewed the Aune Jasper (the IEMs), I went into that review in basically the same circumstances, with no idea what to expect, and they turned out to have a tuning that really suited my preferences.

In the case of the AR5000, luck would have it that they are again something that matches my personal preferences as far as tuning. I will also say that, while I didn’t know what to expect from these headphones, I have still been pleasantly surprised.

The angle of the pads and the drivers does in fact place the source of the music towards the front, which does lose some of the depth towards the rear but also widens the sensation of horizontal and forward depth. This means that in binaural tracks such as “La Luna”, we lose a bit of that rear placement of the back left guitar, however, for live presentations, such as “Free Fallin’”, there is more of a sensation of being in front of a stage rather than in the center of the stage.

While I would still not say that these are as wide as something like the Arya v2, it is still a nice sensation of width and I have found a lot of liver performances, especially those that have been accompanied with video (live concerts etc.) to be very enjoyable. For example, I found watching Tiny Desk Concerts to be very enjoyable. Of course, the sound quality on YouTube is not the best but I usually enjoy the Tiny Desk stuff anyway and the AR5000 added to the enjoyment with that presentation angled from the front.

As far as the actual sound itself, as in tuning and performance in the usual ranges, let’s start off with the usual FR graph with the HD6XX as a comparison:



I use the HD6XX as a reference due to me not really having an overear reference like I do with my in ears, so I have always just leaned towards showing the HD6XX due to it being one of the mostly widely known headphones out of the ones I have.

Ok, so enough with all of that and let's get into the specifics, starting off with the subbass.

“Chameleon" comes across as clean and controlled in the subbass, with a decent amount of presence but not to the skull rumbling levels that other sets will provide. As the subbass levels are not overly boosted, it makes it easier for the drivers to balance the extreme low end with the other frequencies. This results in a calm and collected subbass that won’t satisfy the needs of those looking for the extreme low end rumble but will make those looking for a more balanced sound quite happy.

Listening to “No Sanctuary Here”, by Marian Herzog featuring Chris Jones, here we get a much better idea of the balance in the low end. Subbass and midbass is present enough to balance the track without putting the focus on that low end. The AR5000 does a good job of keeping up with faster paced electric bass guitar also, such as that in “The Room”, although it may miss a little bit of midbass warmth for those who are more interested in classic rock such as “Whole Lotta Love”, where the bass guitar is appreciated but a little “cooler” than some other presentation with a bit more midbass focus.

This keeps the midbass from getting fatiguing for me, such as in “Crazy”, although I did find that on very busy tracks, such as “The Room” I just mentioned, it can make things a little less clear in the midrange.

Acoustic instruments, guitars and basses for example, sound decent in the midrange yet I do find that there is a bit of emphasis placed on the upper mids of these instruments, with the higher notes being noticeably cleaner than the lower notes on the same instrument, such as in “Billie Jean” by The Civil wars or “Seven Nation Army” by Zella Day.

The upper midrange does a nice job of bringing vocals forwards, examples would be the two tracks I just mentioned, although it works better for some vocals more than others. Certain female vocals can be just a little too harsh in this range, such as Beth, whereas certain male vocals can just be a little too lost in the music, especially when it is a busier track, such Zack De La Rocha.

Vocals in simpler tracks, where they are the main focus, sound nice and clear, although some do feel like they could do with just a touch more warmth in the lower frequencies.

Upper ranges are not the most extended but are pleasant, without any nasty peaks or other artifacts that spoil the presentation of the music with unexpected harshness or sibilance. Some may find that they would like a little more air but I feel that Aune have played it safe in this regard and ended up with a treble that is not the most lively but is not going to be a negative for the majority of people.

Details are pretty good throughout the whole ranges although I do find that when a track gets busy, especially in the lower half of the frequency spectrum, then the AR5000 can seemingly struggle to keep up with all the details of a fast moving lower end. This is not really a complaint but it is something that I feel could be improved but the question is at what price?



Conclusion…

I feel that this first venture into the world of headphones by Aune has been a very sensible one. They have presented something that is not groundbreaking and is not going to be claimed as a “giant killer” (I hate that term!) but is a rather respectable set of headphones that come in at a very reasonable price.

Yes, there are a few things here and there that could be improved but I think what we are getting at this price point is something well worth considering for those who are looking for a decent all rounder set of headphones.

It is going to be a little expensive for those who want the lowest price they can find, it is not really going to appeal to those who are immersed in the TOTL headphone world and I think that it may be a little too tame for those who are proclaimed bass heads. However, for those that are looking for a balanced set of easy to drive headphones at a reasonable price, then the AR500 should be on the radar.

Personally, I have been left with a good sensation but that is usually the case with Aune.

____
As usual, this review is also available in Spanish, both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)

Aune Audio is a well known audio brand from China that has been developing desktop and portable audio products such as DACs, digital transports, music players and headphone amplifiers. Their catalog also includes an earphone, the Jasper but no headphones. Well, until now because Aune Audio have finally released their first full sized headphone, the Aune AR5000.

Aune AR5000

The AR5000 features a large, 50mm open-back dynamic driver unit with an innovative structure. The multi-layer distributed (MLD) diaphragm balances rigidity and damping, further resolving the breakup issue often found in large drivers. This reduction in distortion across the entire frequency range results in high transparency and a frequency response that effortlessly extends up to 40kHz.

The newly designed acoustic suspension and airflow system enhance the linearity of diaphragm movement and balance the internal pressure and sound velocity within the transducer.

The large-tilt-angle driver panel, optimized through computer-aided design, together with the ear-cup designed with also a tilt - the bold acoustic structure enhances spatial perception. Compared to regular headphones with horizontal or slightly angled drivers, the AR5000 offer significantly improved vertical soundstage and imaging quality. The open grid design on the ear-cup shell, combined with side vents, precisely balances the diffusion of airflow at the rear of the driver, further expanding the naturalness and openness of the sound.

Non Audio stuff

The headphone features an innovative "concentric circle" wearing adjustment system that is combined with an overall lightweight design. The height adjustment system works well and allows for fine adjustments within discrete “clicks”. The headband size and its overall curvature are ergonomically designed to fit the head without exercising any excessive pressure. The inner strap of the headband is made from synthetic leather and despite not having any extra padding, it is comfortable enough with the additional benefit of staying cool.

The user replaceable ear-pads are roomy enough and made from perforated, synthetic leather that is filled with breathable acoustic slow-rebound sponge. They are designed to fully cover the ears that don't touch the tilted driver. The ear-pads get attached to the ear-cups by the means of a narrow sleeve that gets inserted into a slot. Just like the iBasso SR3. Not very practical but it doesn't matter a lot since there are no spare ear-pads for fine tuning so the user is not going to do frequent pad swaps.

The overall feeling and wearing experience of the AR5000, is that of a very comfortable and lightweight headphone that you can use for hours long.

Aune has made a considerable effort to combine sturdiness with a lightweight frame and they have succeeded because the headphone weighs 350g only and seems to be quite durable. The takeaway is that there are a lot of plastic parts that look fragile and there is a chance to lose their silver finish. However, all critical parts of the headphone are metal made. These include the upper arc of the headband, joints, the ear-cup gimbals and the outer, protective grills. The overall construction and assembly of the headphone are of high quality, it looks sturdy enough, there are no crackling noises during use but there are some parts that are a little sharp and need caution during handling. Summing things up, this is a well made headphone with a premium, yet minimalistic appearance.

The headphone comes well packed in a big and impressive cardboard box that is rather empty. The only things you get except for the headphones themselves are a plain cable and a 6.35mm adapter. No extra ear-pads, no carrying case, not even a storage pouch. The 1.5m long cable has a fabric sheathing and 3.5mm aluminum plugs so you have plenty of aftermarket options for replacing it. Aune is selling their own upgrade cable that costs $49 and is available from Amazon. For $299 someone would expect a higher quality cable with a 4.4mm plug and a single-ended adapter plus some extra accessories.

Sensitivity and associated gear

The headphones have 28Ω impedance with 108dB/mW of sensitivity so they are really easy to drive and don't need special amplification. Most portable sources and DAPs can drive them to their full potential, just make sure to use something decent because the AR5000 is very sensitive to noise. For this review I have used the Aune Yuki and S9C Pro, together with the FiiO M11 Plus ESS, to find out that the AR5000 scales well and is able to do justice to upstream gear.



Audio stuff

For their first born headphone, Aune has opted for a reference tuning with flat bass, fairly neutral mid-range with a touch of upper-mids prominence and a bit of brightness on the treble. Thus said, the AR5000 is not a sterile sounding headphone but it rather manages to combine plenty of musicality with great transparency and neutrality.

The low-end end is linear, the tuning is made for critical listening, gravitating towards tonal accuracy and precision without any kind of emphasis or further coloring. Sub-bass extension is very good, the AR5000 has the means to successfully reproduce all the low-pitched instruments of the symphonic orchestra and the lowest tones of the pipe organ while it also does well with deep synthesized bass but without doing any additional boosting. Reference neutral doesn't necessarily mean sterile or boring bass, the AR5000 has a touch of warmness and sounds natural and organic. The texture is lean but not dry, this is not the most weighty and visceral sounding headphone but it compensates with firmness, precise definition, plenty of clarity and excellent control. The bass of the Aune AR5000 is really amazing, it combines electrostatic speed with planar-magnetic layering and dynamic driver punchiness. Transition to the mids is exceptional, the clarity is really amazing, there are no signs of bleeding into the mid-range or masking of the inner bass line no matter how complex and overloaded it is. The AR5000 is absolutely fantastic for listening to classical music, Mahler's 2nd symphony opening bars never sounded so well defined and layered at this price point.

The mid-range is fairly neutral with amazing transparency and clarity. The AR5000 sounds alive and lifelike, placing some extra gravity onto the mids, offering an engaging and naturally toned listening experience. This is a headphone with intense harmonic variety while articulation and fluidity are really excellent for the category and maybe more. What is also rarely found in this price point is the exquisite fidelity of the AR5000, the headphone is like a mirror that can't hide anything. The texture is still lean but not thin or skinny, the notes are not lacking in weight and substance. The timbre is natural and realistic, instruments and voices are reproduced with lifelike tonal accuracy and great balance. The overall feeling is that of a resolving and smooth sounding mid-range that is not lacking in energy and precision.

Clarity and transparency are also the dictating rules for the treble which is mildly emphasized but not that much to become excessively bright. This is definitely a sparkling and luminous sounding headphone with plenty of energy on tap but thankfully not sharp or piercing. The word precision springs to mind when listening with the AR5000, definition and detail retrieval are excellent without magnifying too much, this is a mildly unforgiving headphone but not ruthlessly revealing. You can listen to pretty much anything and pair it with various sources but high quality recordings and less bright partners will result in a much more enjoyable listening experience. While the AR5000 is not bright and fatiguing, you can't fail to notice a slightly metallic tinge to the higher frequencies, cymbals, high-hats and some other instruments do sound slightly artificial and thin. There is a ringing effect to some extent, but it is not that bad as it might sound. Resolution and refinement are very satisfying but the AR5000 is slightly lacking in these departments when compared with other headphones like the Sennheiser HD650 or some planar magnetics, like the HIFIMAN Ananda.

Aune has made special designing efforts to make the AR5000 sound open and spacious and I can report that they have succeeded. The soundstage is not artificially enlarged or extended but it manages to stay faithful to the recording while providing plenty of openness and spaciousness. Stereo effect is solid and realistic while imaging and separation are among the best of the category. The AR5000 can handle large symphonic and choral works without breaking a sweat while providing plenty of ambient information and good height. Depth layering is rather limited though, the soundstage is more horizontal than deep so holographic illusion and grandness are quite limited. On a side note, the user must be careful during the positioning of the asymmetrical ear-pads taking care to place the thicker side at the center back of the ear, otherwise spatial effects will be limited.

Comparison with FiiO FT3

The FiiO FT3 is a similarly priced dynamic driver headphone that is available in two versions, 32Ω and 350Ω. The first one has a warmer, thicker and more casual tuning while the second one has a transparent and monitor-like character with some extra brightness. The sound signature of the Aune AR5000 is like a mixed version of both FiiO FT3 variants, not as warm and colored as the 32Ω but also not that bright and as dry sounding as the 350Ω. The Aune is also more lightweight and comfortable than the FT3 but the latter is better made, with more premium materials and comes with a generous bundle of accessories that includes two sets of ear-pads, a premium carrying case and a modular cable.

Comparison with Sennheiser HD650 & HD800S

The tuning of the Aune AR5000 reminds a lot of the Sennheiser HD650 and HD800S, actually it is closer to that of the 800S rather than the first. It has better bass extension than both of them and less emphasis on the upper mid-range than the 650 so people with sensitivity in this particular area will find the AR5000 more to their liking. The mid-range tuning of the AR5000 is almost identical to that of the HD800S but then avoids the boosted treble plateau so it sounds less bright and more naturally toned. I would dare to go as far as to say that the AR5000 is a less bright and more bassy version of the HD800S with the same kind of soundstage openness and expansiveness while it is definitely more spacious than the HD650. Thus said and leaving tuning similarities/differences aside, the AR5000 is less resolving and refined than both Sennheisers, it doesn't have the same organic character and the viscerality of the HD650, nor the magnifying glass ability and the depth layering of the HD800. But then, it is really amazing how close you can get to some departments of these two famous headphones for a mere $299.

Conclusion

Aune has confidently entered uncharted territory, skilfully navigating through the reefs to reach their goal. Their first born, the Aune AR5000 is a comfortable and well made headphone that exceeds all expectations when it comes to sound quality. With a reference - critical tuning, this a headphone that bravely departs from the beaten track to cater for the budget conscious audiophile. Value would be much better though, if it had included a better cable and a couple of accessories but this is something that I am sure that Aune are already considering for their next installment. And judging from this very successful first foray into the headphones market, their next one must be something really special.

The review sample was kindly provided free of charge.

The price of the Aune AR5000 is $299 and you can buy it from Amazon.

Aune upgrade cable is $49 and you can buy it from Amazon.

AUNE AR5000: Momentous Entry into the World of Headphones​

DISCLAIMER: The Aune AR5000 was sent to us free of charge by AUNE AUDIO, in exchange for this review. The review reflects our honest opinions as always. However, our evaluation is based on a comparison of the price of the item.

Introduction: -

As an ardent team of audiophiles, we at Aural Café traversed through various soundscapes, seeking the perfect blend of fidelity, comfort, and style when exploring headphones. Our quest recently led us to the Aune AR5000 which marks Aune Audio's entry into hi-fi headphones, promising to give an unparalleled auditory experience. After weeks of rigorous testing, we are excited to present our honest thoughts on Aune AR5000.

Before we review the Aune AR5000 as always let's first talk a bit about Aune Audio. The foundation of Aune Audio was laid down in 2004 when a few passionate audiophiles from China started the hifidiy forum (http://bbs.hifidiy.net/forum.php) in 2004. The aim of the hifidiy forum which is still running strongly was to build a technology community that allows everyone to participate and exchange experiences and ideas. Fast forward to 2012, the Aune brand was formally established as Wuhan Ao Lai Er Technology Co. Ltd. in Wuhan China by the same six die-hard audio fanatics who are also experts in various audio-related fields such as hardware design, electro-acoustic design and tuning. The logo of Aune was inspired by the concept of Yin-Yang - the Chinese philosophy of balance. The rounded design of the letters conveys a message of peace and gentleness. The openings on four sides indicate inclusiveness. We at Aural Cafe simply love such thoughtfulness in designing the brand name.

Aune Audio is primarily known in the Audiophile world for high-end desktop and portable sources but in between, they have surprised audiophiles with the launch of IEMs such as Aune Jasper and the very recently launched dongle Aune Yuki which we also have reviewed in Aural Café (https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/aune-yuki.26866/reviews#review-32771). Aune AR5000 open-back headphones lead to Aune's entry into the world of headphones. After hard work and R&D of more than 3 years, the team at Aune Audio has been successful in presenting a headphone that is not only capable of delivering a hi-fi sound using a portable source but has also given equal importance to durability at a very competitive price of 299 US$.



Specifications: -

• Driver Configuration: 50mm Dynamic Driver with MLD (Multi-Layer Distributed) Diaphragm
• Impedance: 28Ω ± 10%
• Freq Response: 5Hz-41.8Khz
• Sensitivity: 108dB/mW @1kHz
• Cable: 4-core OFC Dual 3.5mm to 3.5mm, 1.5m
• Weight: 348 gms.

Packaging & Accessories: -

• Aune AR5000 Headphones
• 4-core OFC Dual 3.5mm cable with 3.5mm Termination
• 3.5mm Female to 6.35mm Male Adapter
• Documentation

Check out the full unboxing video here,






Build & Design Concept: -

Aune AR5000 features a fully open-back structure with a dual detachable cable design along with an innovative 50mm MLD (Multi-layer Distributed) driver which helps in the reduction of distortion across the entire frequency and thus achieves a high transparency by resolving the breakup issue of large dynamic drivers-based headphones. AR5000 is not just another headphone in the already crowded market of headphones. The focus of the team at Aune Audio is visible clearly when we see the unique large-tilt-angle driver panel and the tilted earcup design which not only enhances spatial perception when compared to regular headphones with horizontal or slightly angled drivers but also significantly improves vertical soundstage and imaging and thus end up giving a very immersive experience. The open grid design on the earcup shell with side vents precisely balances the diffusion of airflow at the rear, further expanding the naturalness and openness of the sound.

The team at Aune was not satisfied with the conventional headphone band and thus the patented headband of AR5000 is designed in-house in such a way that the overall curvature of the headphone band is finely adjusted to the millimeter level, ensuring a perfect fit for any head shape and eliminating any feeling of pressure or foreign objects whereas the earcup is made of breathable acoustic slow-rebound sponge, allowing for extended listening sessions without any discomfort. We at Aural Cafe were very happy to know about the low impedance design of 28Ω in AR5000 because of which it can be easily driven by most dongles in the market. However, a higher-end source will definitely be able to extract the most out of AR5000. Aune AR5000 Comes with a solid dual 3.5mm to 3.5mm single-ended termination 4-core OFC cable covered in fabric insulation and measured at 1.5 meters in length. Each end of the connectors including the Y-splitter is made out of metal with a brushed matte finish. Plus, each side of the jacks is also indicated as ‘L’ and ‘R’ on each side of the connector. Aune was generous enough to include their recommended upgrade balanced cable for the AR5000 which is the Aune AR3 in our review set which we made use of while testing the headphones on balanced sources.



Sound Analysis: -

Credit: @kr0mka

• Tonality: - The Aune AR5000 (Where AR means Air Reference, we assumed after investigating the box) Stands true to its name and showcases a reference neutral sound signature. The overall sound signature is balanced and organic without giving too much focus to a certain part of the frequency range. The tilted earcup design helps add an immersive and engaging feel to the overall reference and near-flat sound signature.

• Lows: - The lows in Aune AR5000 are balanced and organic in nature. Following its overall reference tuning the overall bass is balanced and doesn’t overpower Mids. The AR5000 showcases beautiful mid-bass both in terms of quantity and texture, whereas the sub-bass has decent quantity but the same can’t be said about its quality. The sub-bass rolls off early and lacks texture. Following its reference tuning the team at Aune Audio has done a decent job in achieving decent thump in the mid-bass area with the help of the tilted earcup design without affecting the overall sound signature. The lows also help in achieving a giving a hint of musicality to the sound signature which is a kind of house sound of Aune Audio. While listening to Kendrick Lamar's “All the Stars” with Dethonray Pegasus SG1 Gold and AR3 Cables the mid-bass shows decent thump and texture.

• Mids: - The Mids is where the AR5000 shines brightly. The mids is balanced and is at the right spot across the frequency. The vocals especially have superb natural and organic tonality and texture. The texture especially of the male vocals is life-like and to die for. The vocals on AR5000 are superbly refined. The timbre of the instruments is natural and without any colouration and does well with most of the musical instruments except when it comes to decay on drums. The male vocals shine more than the female vocals due to the flat neutral sound signature. While the lower mids are smooth and organic. We at Aural Cafe would love to have much better control over upper mids. Listening to “Teri Deewani” by Kailash Kher on Aune M1p the male vocals have a life-like texture which is rare to find in headphones of this range as per our experience. We also enjoyed listening to Blues and Ghazals on Aune AR5000.

• Highs: - The high frequency on the AR5000 is smooth without any shoutiness. The AR5000 showcases its capability in higher frequency in a natural with a fair amount of energy when needed. Due to the open-back design, there is an ample amount of air across the higher frequency. Surprisingly micro details are rendered effortlessly and the tonality of high frequency in instruments such as cymbals, saxophones and violins is natural and smooth. This becomes quite evident while listening to “Hotel California” by Eagles on Dethonray Listening-M1. True to its reference tonality. The upper treble extension is marginally lacking but has enough spaciousness and airiness.

• Soundstage & Imaging: - The soundstage on AR5000 is cohesive in nature. It has better width than depth in comparison, all thanks to its open back design and MLD Driver which helps in keeping the tonality smooth across the frequency. We at Aural Cafe would also like to add here that the AR5000 Scales really well with high-end desktop sources. With Dethonray Listening M1, where both the soundstage and imaging improve a lot in comparison to portable sources such as Aune Yuki or Tanchjim Space. The tilted design cup once again tries its best to provide an immersive natural soundstage, but it depends on the personal taste of the audiophile if he or she is into a wide and deep soundstage or a cohesive soundstage. The imaging is above average if we compare it with the headphones in a similar price range.

• Synergy: - The Aune Audio engineers from day one were clear that their first offering into the reference series of headphones should be easy to drive. We at Aural Cafe are happy to inform you that the AR5000 can be easily driven with the help of dongles such as Aune Yuki or Hiby FC6. But to really enjoy its class-leading sound texture at best, the AR5000 matches beautifully with neutral and clean daps such as Aune M1p and Dethonray DTR1+, while the lows, soundstage and imaging improve when AR5000 is powered by high-end desktop sources such as Dethonray Listening M1 and with high-end decamps such as Dethonray Pegasus SG1 Gold in our cases.

Conclusion: -

We believe that the Aune AR5000 is kind of an emotional offering from the Aune Audio founders to their Audiophiles friends. In this span of 20 years from 2004 to 2024, Aune has come with many high-end desktop and portable sources and IEMs that still stand strong in today's world. Through AR5000 the Aune Audio team successfully achieves in offering hi-fi reference tuned headphones at a relatively pocket-friendly price. Each part of the headphones from the headband to the earcup to the Driver is designed thoughtfully to showcase solid reference tuned headphones. We just loved AR5000's life-like vocal texture, decent midbass thump and timbre for various instruments. This review would be incomplete if we didn’t add the YouTube link to the launching video of Aune AR5000 so here it is,


Non-Affiliated Link: -

• https://www.amazon.com/Aune-Full-Size-Headphones-Detachable-Audiophile/dp/B0CLPC7Q2S/
• https://www.aune-store.com/en/aune-ar5000-open-ear-headphone_110208_1240/

#share impression / mini review of Aune AR5000

For the specs skip it, just googling
But clearly the driver is Dynamic type, 28 ohm impedence with Sensitivity 108dB, YES! Easy To Drive.

Build Quality Feels solid, metal material not Plastic, Design is also good-looking, with a pink grail filter, unique!

The fittings for my head personally feel very comfortable, the headphones are light, the clamping is not too strong, the pads are also soft but not too soft, listening for quite a long time changing head sources don't complain of pain, also not hot in the ear area ...

For Sound Quality I used 3 devices:
● Fiio Q15
● iBasso DC06 Pro
● And Fiio Q11

But mainly and what I will explain is the impression of using Fiio Q15, but still later I will give a comparison of the impression with 2 other dac amps.

The Aune AR5000's Sound Signature is neutral to warm with highs that are quite energetic and have spark, so it sounds textured, thankfully not very extended highs. For the timbre, the Aune AR5000 also sounds very natural, the high colloration still sounds natural even though it's energetic.

The highs in quantity are typical of neutrals, in quality they are smooth and airy, the texture can be heard without feeling grainy.

Neutral mids are quite thick, not really thick, not really warm, just right, vocals feel solidly focused, it's really good to hear vocals in these headphones, besides that the sound of instruments also sounds natural.

For the bass, it's really the typical bass that I really like, agile and detailed, not boomy but very clear every bass sound, in quantity it's at a neutral level, not big but also not lacking.

In the technicality that feels special in terms of separation, really clear between the instrument sounds, well separated, clear pin point location of the instrument / each sound, the depth is also fairly good, feels spacious, only if the width of the soundstage is not very wide, but also not narrow, the comparison compared to the HD600 feels wider this AR5000. The micro detail is also good, the small details sound quite solid.

● Listening to ibasso DC06 pro compared to Q15, the technicality is significantly different, not as "Spacious" as Q15, the sound signature also sounds significantly warmer and the bass increases slightly.

● Listening to the Q11 compared to the Q15, the technicality has also decreased but still feels a little spacious, still feels the depth imaging, the sound signature is a little warmer, tonally I actually like the tonal when plugged into this Q11, if this sound with the technicality of the Q15 is really good.

This short impression was written using a unit from Beyond The Music (BTM), one of the high end audio stores in Indonesia.

So I personally hope to win one of them to be my personal main headphone.

Always success for Aune. I hope aune makes headphones like this again but with a more affordable price. Thank you

AUNE AR5000 - Fruitful Venture Into The Unprecedented​

Disclaimer​

• The reviewed Aune AR5000 is a personal unit. Thus, all opinions are original ideas and there is zero influence from any 3rd party or external opinion.
• No EQ or filter presets were used during the entire review period.
• Sound evaluations are strictly conducted under neutral and does not include 3rd party accessories (ie; eartips/earpads, cable, reversible mods).

Click to expand...

Intro :
English is not my native language, so forgive me for lots of error in grammar and sentence structure.

source i used :
- fiio k7
- fiio k9 pro
- aune ar5000
- custom SPC cable
- tidal & spotify


design, build quality, fit :
the first time i saw the design, its looks premium and thought its gonna be more than $500 but its actually much lower than that!

and it really is nice & looks good after i received it.
the finishing on the body is really neat and precise and this might be exaggerated but the movement on the swivel feels really smooth that its remind me of some much more expensive headphone

as for fitting, its really remind me of hd 6 series that the clamp forced is quite tight for me
and because of the angled driver, i put the cup a little bit more on the back , but as glass wearer like me, its give more pressure around the ear, and feel hurt after using it for a while.

after a week of headband stretching (i put it on the books), the clamp still a little bit tight but much more comfortable
and now putting it back on the books, and hopefully few days later will become better

a little nitpick from me and i guess its just my bad luck, but i got 1-2 scratches out of the box, and a really small dent on the cup.
the pad also a bit different between left and right, and got some small glue residue left on the driver cover (?) that make the cover stick to the back of the pad.
also i didnt get the 6.35mm jack on the box !
and before anyone ask me, the box still sealed when i received it

sound :

overall, to my ears it's balanced with a bit of warm tuning.

the bass is present, enough quantity, and has a good punch , but its lack a little bit of depth, and sub bass is there but feels too faint on some tracks.
and definitely not for basshead

vocal a bit forward but not shouty, its good on both genders but i prefer female vocal more, feels smooth, sweet , and effortless

i really like the string instrument here, the texture is rich but not rich enough to feel artificial

for the treble its relatively neutral , airy, and safe
it also give a decent micro detail, but kinda messy when listening to busy track

for this price, soundstage is wide enough not to feel narrow and decent in height , the imaging is also good that you can still easily pinpoint each sound of instrument easily



comparison with edition XS :
i choose edition XS as comparison because currently its still sub $500 and i can compare A/B ing them
edition XS have wider soundstage , more micro detail and more resolving
and ar5000 give warmer and natural tonal, vocal more lively & sweet ,the bass is faster on XS, but its punchier on Aune
overall to my ears, they have different tonality and actually good to have both to compliment each other

Conclusion :
For the first headphone on this brand, i can say its very well made both in build quality and sound.
If you want safe headphone that you can used for long hours, i think its one of the best contender sub $500.

We basically need some more Aune headphones because their first is surprisingly good.
Warm neutral tuning with no flaws, easy to drive, comfortable and a look that reminds me of some old school beyers (which I personally love) but in a more modern key.
Also interesting presentation, which can be both intimate and wide depending on the tracks, and when it's wide, vocals don't go away as usually happens with wide staging headphones.
This headphones, and I'd add this whole brand, needs more attention.
Paired with my Aune S6, the synergy is a match made in heaven

General/Build/Comfort/Packaging
Aune is well known for their dac/amp products, they produce desktop dac/amp as well as portable source which are quite well received. I have owned their older DAP with Class A Amp, the M2, a very musical sounding device but fall short on battery life, i have also tested the X1s GT and remember myself quite liking the sound signature.
Today I have the AR5000 headphone with me, Aune’s entry into the headphone space. I must say, the outlook, build quality, as well as packaging are very impressive.
Let’s talk about the build quality, the whole unit is mostly made out of metal, hence it is very solid, not to mention it is also very lightweight. Packaging is also very good, very premium-ish packaging style, purely nitpicking here, it would be good to have a storage case included.
In terms of comfort, the clamping force is just right, not too tight nor loose, the earpads are also very soft and have the properties of memory foam. I have no issue listening to it for several hours.



Gears used for this review

• Earmen Tradutto DAC + Earmen CH-Amp
• Earmen Angel
• Fiio Q15
• iFi HipDac 3
• Aune AR5000 with AR3 4.4 Balanced Cable

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far

Sound Impression
AR 5000 to my ears has a neutral and a slight warm sound profile. The sub bass is quite linear, you can’t really hear it, but rather feel it when the track calls for it, mid bass has good enough punch without bleeding into the mids. The timbre sounds natural to my ears and it doesn’t have any metallic sheen to it.



Bass

• Starting with the bass, it’s safe to say the bass has very good speed, linear sub bass extension
• It has a good punch, Slipknot’s People = crap!, especially during the intense drumming during the opening, AR5000 has no sweat in keeping up
• The sub bass has very good extension, although it doesn’t extend that deep, but considering it being an open backed, it is really impressive
• The bass response is not basshead kind of presentation, but to my ears, they are sufficient and will present themselves well when the track calls for it
• Bass has good texture overall and doesn’t sound thin
• The bass doesn’t bleed into the mids at all

Mids

• The mids are quite detailed and lush
• Vocal for both male and females has good enough textures
• Female vocal has a bit more energy compared to male, but on certain tracks, the female vocal sounds a little unrefined (A Mei’s Vocal on 记得), not as smooth as i’d remember it to be, but this is purely me nitpicking
• Upper mids are generally safe to my ears and not shouty even on higher volume
• The mid range is good overall, but i do find it to lack a little body at times, but again, this is me nitpicking

Treble

• Treble response has plenty of energetic yet it is not harsh nor sibilant, but do bear in mind that everyone has got different level of tolerance for treble, to my ears, they are not harsh nor anywhere near sibilant
• Fast and snappy transient response
• Very good resolution
• Good detail retrieval, micro details can be picked up easily

Soundstage/Imaging

• Soundstage is very wide and has good height perception, but slightly lacking in terms of depth perception,
• Instruments can be picked up easily where it is coming from,
• Good separation and layering
• Very good soundstage and imaging overall

Driveability

• The AR5000 is not hard to drive, but it does scale very well with amplification
• Pairing it with the HipDac3 seems to give more body overall, but this pairing of course is quite colored and some might not like it, especially with the xBass on, it turns the AR5000 into a very fun sounding headphone, yet it doesn't compromise the mids and highs that much
• Pairing it with a more powerful portable dac/amp the Q15, with AKM’s flagship dac, the imaging, especially separation and layering is excellent, same goes to soundstage
• Using the full desktop stack, Tradutto+CH-Amp, the experience is taken a step higher, better control in terms of the bass, slightly better texture, the highs are somewhat a little smoother and refined
• Just some interesting things that i have done to test, using Apple Dongle Type C to iPhone 15, the AR5000 can be driven to about 80% of its potential, that’s just how efficient and scalable it is, and i am not even maxing out the volume, roughly at 5/10 volume step

Comparison (Sennheiser HD660s)

• First, the build quality, AR6000 definitely runs circle around the 660s in terms of build quality and comfort
• Both are open back dynamic driver headphones, in terms of tuning, the 660s has a somewhat more safer approach to the tuning
• Bass is light in terms of quantity, sub bass extension is not as good, it does roll off quite early, but mid bass is quite punchy and has good speed and texture
• Perhaps the strong point for the HD660s is the mids, they’re lush and full bodied, vocals for both male and female has good texture
• Treble for the 660s is also safe in general, good detail retrievals
• Soundstage is rather 2D-ish, just slightly out of your head, but separation and imaging is rather good
• At 150Ω, they definitely needs some amping, although not really hard to drive, but amping is still required to get the best out of it

Sound Impression on stock cable vs AR3 for AR5000 (This is highly subjective and if you’re not a cable believer, skip this section)

• Bass doesn’t extend that much vs AR3 that gives a slightly better bass extension, perceivable especially on the sub bass
• Soundstage is slightly smaller on stock cable vs bigger soundstage on AR3 cable
• Mids seems to have better note weight on the stock cable vs slightly thinner note weight on the AR3
• Treble is smoother on the stock cable, and sounds warmer vs AR3 which has a little more energy, and also more air which contributes to a slightly bigger soundstage
• Overall, i would say pairing it with the AR3 gives the AR5000 a slightly different sound signature, a more energetic AR5000 whereas the stock cable would render the AR5000 a tamer and smoother signature overall

Final Thoughts
The AR5000 is definitely one of my favourite dynamic driver headphones that I have tested other than the Grados which I have owned. For a company’s first headphone, they are really good and definitely up to the expectation in terms of sonic performance as well as build quality. and I'm really surprised by its capability in terms of the sonic performance as well as its technicalities. Not to mention that the price is highly competitive as well given what it has to offer. It doesn't require a beefy amp to sound good yet it does scale with better source and amplification. Priced at 299$, the AR5000 offers a very good value in terms of price performance ratio, this is a highly recommended headphone from me!

*The Aune AR5000 was sent over by Aune for the purpose of this review, I received no monetary compensation nor was I influenced in any way to produce this review.

If you are interested in getting a pair, head over to their official store to grab one now!

Aune AR5000 Product Page
Aune AR5000 Introduction Video
Aune AR5000 Store Link - Non affiliated
Aune AR3 Upgrade cable Store Link - Non affiliated

I didn’t have a chance to use any of the Aune products until recently, although I’ve read a lot of good reviews: their amplifiers usually have nice ratings on the Internet. That’s why I got curious when their first AR5000 headphones were announced in November 2023, and not just headphones but over-ear full-sized ones! Moreover, the expected price was something around $280, and this is exactly the yard where my favorites hang out – the Moondrop PARA and the HiFiMan Sundara.



So I rushed to AliExpress, ordered the AR5000, received them – and here you are reading this review. Let’s go!

What’s included​

The headphones come in a large high-quality cardboard box, which looks and feels kinda premium, if not even luxurious.



What do you get:

• the headphones themselves;
• 1 pair of earpads;
• a cable with a 3.5 TRRS connector on one side and two 3.5 TRS connectors on the other;
• the 3.5-to-6.3 adapter;
• some papers.

Quick specifications overview​

• Design: over-ear, open-back.
• Driver type: 1 dynamic one.
• Membrane diameter: 50 mm.
• Impedance: 28 Ohms.
• Sensitivity: 108 dB/mW.
• Connectors: 3.5 TRS.
• Weight: 348 g without cable.

Design, assembly, technology​

The manufacturer states there’s a new driver with an MLD diaphragm in the AR5000. Where MLD stands for Multi-Layer Distributed, that is, the diaphragm is multilayer, and something gets distributed either across the layers, or the diaphragm itself is somehow distributed.



No further details are given (unfortunately).

The second interesting point is a significant tilt of the driver relative to the earcup plane. In other words, the driver’s sound is directed straight along the normal plane of the auricle, and not at an angle (as in 95% of headphones). Which theoretically should have a positive effect on the space and sound stage of the AR5000.




The headphones themselves are assembled just amazingly well. The manufacturer’s made an attempt to simplify the design, so there’s metal in all the main nodes, however the earcups and the headband side overlays are plastic.


And there is nothing wrong with that, since it all contributes to the headphone light weight of only 350 grams! And I don’t have any, like, ANY complaints about the finish and assembly.


The headband arc, rotation joints and earcup attachment arcs, as well as external grilles are all metal. Which is very reasonable.


Again, the finish quality is extremely high, and the headphones look very distinctive at the same time, so I’d called this approach ‘cocky minimalism’ (why not). It’s also worth saying that nothing screeches or hangs loose, I can’t see any joint gaps to strike my eyes. No burrs, too!

The earpads are attached via regular ‘skirts’ which you should direct into a narrow slot.

Not too convenient, but it’s versatile. The provided cable is good and pleasant to touch. It’s 1.5 meter long, it’s soft and has metal connector enclosures and a splitter.



The only thing to seem inconvenient would be unobvious headband positions when you change them. But this one really isn’t an inconvenience once you’re used to it.

Ergonomics​

It feels like the manufacturer avoided any kind of common mistakes in terms of ergonomics.

1. The earcups can be rotated all you want.
2. The cable connectors go in at an angle.

The headband is very wide and perfectly distributes the weight pressure on your head.


The earpads have a pronounced bevel and gently press against your head, leaving no gaps and drafts around the ear. The outer earpad surface is made of perforated faux leather, and the insert adjacent to the head and the inner one are fabric. Inside, you can find some shape memory foam.


The ear cutouts of the earpads are oval so that there’s enough space for even the most lop-eared listeners (and your ears still won’t touch the earcup inside part). Add the correctly engineered pressure.

And voilà – here’s your highest level of comfort without any nuances.

Cool!

Subjective sound impression​

The AR5000 sound ‘academically’ correctly and unusually at the same time. The headphones have a neutral tuning, though the bass slightly dominates, and I’d say the overall sound is smoothed, surprisingly whole and natural.

The subbass. Well, it’s definitely here, but if the track uses other frequency sections too, the subbass never dominates. A quick example: in the Massive Attack’s ‘Angel’ or Kaleida’s ‘Detune’, you’ll hear the 40-60 Hz as expected: whippy, fast and weighty. But try the ‘Insane’ by Korn or ‘Shield Wall’ by Amon Amarth, and you won’t hear any hard punching. Therefore, the subbass can be characterized as extremely accurate to the extent that it can be perceived as uncertain or even boring. Which is neither a fail nor a win – it’s just an objective fact.

The bass seems to be slightly raised. But in general, it’s completely linear, like the subbas. I’ve never ever heard such a sound delivery from some dynamic driver headphones in this frequency range section in terms of sound clarity and neutrality at the same time. To be honest, I didn’t even think that single dynamic driver headphones could sound like this! Anything with sky-high cost and an ultra-high-tech driver (see Focal Utopia)? Yeah, sounds legit! But this model?..

The medium frequencies, the upper frequencies and higher are simply amazing in terms of balance, realism and… fulness, I’d say. You can clearly hear any sound and tiny noise in the track – though without a single connotation. The AR5000 will play everything the track has in it. At the same time, the upper part from 10 kHz and to the right on the graph is sterile from any synthetic sound traces, additional sparkle or exaggerated detail. Of course, if there’s something of what’ I’ve just enumerated in the track – you’ll hear it for sure. Otherwise, no – forget about it.

I’d also point out another good point about the AR5000, which is their sound stage: it corresponds to the conceived sound source positioning from the music track, and it can be almost intimate – or it can be vast as hell depending on how and where the artist’s recorded their piece. The sound source positioning is really not bad, but their layering, that is, the perceived distance to the sound source, is just unbelievably good. In this sense, the AR5000 do amazing job when it comes to detail: they don’t have that overraised top range section, but they separate instruments and sounds very delicately and clearly to put them in their places.

So! Is the AR5000 sounding perfect? Sorry, but not quite. The main disadvantage would be a certain slush in the lower part of the mid-range, which manifests itself in tracks heavily saturated with a variety of frequencies. Death metal, some crazy alternative metal – these won’t be as spectacular and technical with the AR5000. Some complex orchestral music sounds really impressive, though.

And the second disadvantage is the unpleasant clamorousness which only appears in some tracks and only at pretty high sound volume. This might be happening because of some resonance somewhere around 4-5 kHz, or because of high distortion level – or it’s just a particular headphone tuning. Anyways, my ears can’t tolerate the AR5000 when the music is loud, and at the same time there’s a bright harmonica or something similar from the same frequency range section.

Not many of such tracks exist… but they exist.

In general, I think the AR5000 are another (along with the Moondrop PARA, for example) breakthrough in their price range. We have a neutral, accurate, full-fledged and incredibly flexible sound in terms of the sound stage – such specimens used to cost something around $650-900, and it seemed like a reasonable price.

Sound source choice​

The headphone sound with different sources was assessed using a device for instant source switching. The sound volume was first aligned on the measuring rig at a 1 kHz frequency. All software sound processing algorithms were disabled on the sources.

The ADI-2 DAC fs, DAWN Pro, Powerdac v2.1, Hiby R5 Pro – the AR5000 sound practically the same with all of them. The Topping D90 is a different story in terms of balance (-10 dBr for the XLR input, M gain level, knob set on the 9 o’clock position): it feels like it somewhat improves the subbass and makes it more lively and fast. I emphasize: ‘somewhat‘.

Measurements​

To take my measurements, I’ve connected the headphones to the RME ADI-2 DAC (SD Sharp filter) with a provided cable via a standard 3.5-to-6.3 adapter. The measurements were made using a rig conforming to the IEC60318-4 standard – with an auricle and auditory canal simulator. For each of the earcups the measurements were made until 5 consistent measurements were obtained for the left and the right channels; any deviant measurements were excluded. The smoothing is indicated on the graphs. I’ve described the limitations of my rig and the headphone measurements in general in this article.

The AR5000 frequency response graph:


What can we see:

1. Excellent linearity from 30 to 1000 Hz with a 1.5 dB amplitude. Which is brilliant for a dynamic driver. At the same time, the conditional maximum falls on the area of about 200 Hz, and this rise is very, very smooth. I suppose it’s this exact maneuver that makes us perceive the sound as slightly warmer and slightly mixing into that slush I’ve mentioned above in complex compositions. Here I feel important to remind you that it’s at 200 Hz where the main sound ‘dirt’ comes to the surface. Partly for this reason, in the Harman Target Response Curve, the 200 Hz are smoothly dipped relative to 1 kHz and the subbass portions.
2. The middle part of the range has all the right dips and accents although the area around 1.8 kHz could be a little bit higher, I think.
3. The upper-frequency section is fully featured, as far as my rig is even able to measure it.

The volume equivalence of the left and right channels. Which is acceptable, but nothing exceptional.


Frequency response changing with the rotation. It’s practically absent. However, for the sake of justice, I should mention, that rotating the headphones back raises the mids a bit and drops 12,5 kHz


Frequency response changing with the linear shifts. You shift the headphones back, and a very strong effect on the sound manifests itself: everything from 1 to 1.8 kHz is radically corrected, but the 2.7 kHz point ‘jumps out’ beyond any reason. You shift the headphones forward, and the opposite happens: the headphones deliver a warmer sound.


Frequency response changing with the earcup pressure changes. The p curve here represents the minimum pressure, and the p++ is the maximum one. The dependence is soooo slight: it only gives some -2 dB at the subbass portion.


Well, a number of measurements you’ll see below are just for your information and can’t be taken into any serious account, since my equipment isn’t cool enough for any adequate measurements of these parameters.

Distortion at 90 dB volume.

The graph shows us that for the most part the AR5000 perform below 0.2%, which is great.



Waterfall:

Comparisons​

PLEASE NOTE: everything I say below is only applicable to the headphones from the point of view of comparison to other models, nothing more!

The AR5000 vs the PARA​

The Aune AR5000 and the Moondrop PARA frequency response graphs compared:


Subjective difference in sounding:

• the PARA feature a more whippy and technical subbass;
• the PARA have a ‘brighter’ tuning of the middle section, whereas the AR5000’s is more physical;
• the PARA’s upper frequencies are more ‘sparkly’, emphasized;
• the AR5000 has better sound stage perception.

Compared to each other, the AR5000 sounding can be roughly described as warm, natural, with a little bit of ‘dirt’, and the PARA sound sparkly and ‘artificial’.

Here are other differences to keep in mind:

• the PARA are 175 g heavier, and the overall ergonomics of the AR5000 is much better;
• the manufacturing quality of the models is comparable, but, to my taste, the AR5000 win by a tiny margin;
• the PARA come with two sets of earpads strongly affecting the sound, but the AR5000 have only one earpad set provided.

The AR5000 vs the Sundara​

The Aune AR5000 and the HiFiMan Sundara frequency response graphs compared:


Subjective difference in sounding:

• the AR5000’s subbass is fuller;
• the Sundara’s sound feels more clear;
• the Sundara sound more sparkly, again.

Here are other differences to keep in mind:

• the AR5000 are better in terms of manufacturing and assembly quality;
• it wouldn’t be easy to slap some ‘skirt’ earpads on the Sundara – these feature latches;
• the Sundara are significantly more capricious in terms of the sound source power.

Compared to each other, the AR5000 sounding can be roughly described as deep, natural, with a little bit of ‘dirt’, and the Sundara sound neutral and lightweight.

The AR5000 vs the HD600​

Does anyone own a pair of the Sennheiser HD600 with not too crumpled earpads? I obviously don’t.

Summary​

No company, I repeat, no company normally has the slightest chance to shoot the very first headphone model that is good enough. Maybe some of you’d remember the iBasso SR-01 or the Moondrop Venus, the very first batch of which was recalled by the manufacturer.

But Aune’s bounced the industry market with already established players just like that! With fanfare! Which is actually odd, since the manufacturers usually reach the AR5000-level headphones after several years of intensive development and experimentation. Not from the very first attempt, to put it mildly. Well, I’m extremely curious about where the Aune learned the tricks. Did you lure the engineers away? Or was it your own R&D team? Or was it just sheer dumb luck?

My curiosity is strictly academic, since any (or almost any) potential buyer doesn’t care – they pick the headphones and their sound, not the development history.

And the AR5000’s sound is just awesome! The fine tuning – check! Interesting, detailed sound – check! Comfortable and realistic sound – check again! And mate. Add some high manufacturing and assembly quality, an outstanding level of comfort due to the low weight and engineered earpads, as well as a distinctive design.

So to buy or not to buy? The answer is definitely ‘to buy’.

I’m as charmed by the AR5000 as I possibly could be.


This review on my blog: here.

build & design
-feel sturdly and well designed on plastik body.
-very comfort for all day use on 350g weight.

sound & performance
-bass and mids are well rounded and balanced.
-light bass.
-vocal are very clear and imprression.
-treble are very clear and crisp well controlled.

price & value
-good price for its category but high a bit.

The headphones are praised for their build quality, comfort, and aesthetics, featuring a metal construction, swivel cups, and a leather suspension strap. The review highlights their ease of driving, compatibility with various sources, and impressive sound quality across the frequency spectrum. The bass is described as linear and neutral with a natural tint, while the mids are lauded for their organic warmth and accurate reproduction. The treble is noted for its extension, energy, and natural tone. The headphones offer a cohesive and balanced sound signature with a wide and immersive soundstage, accurate imaging, and detailed layering.

The Aune AR5000 headphones exhibit excellent craftsmanship, showcasing meticulous detail processing and a tight construction. The headset's overall design stands out in a crowded market, presenting a stylish option for domestic audiophiles. Comfort is a standout feature, with minimal pressure on both sides of the ears and a headband that efficiently disperses pressure, ranking among the most comfortable in its category.
When paired with the D70P+A7OP set, the Aune AR5000 delivers an airy and transparent sound. The elevated high-frequency range and some peaks in the frequency band contribute to a bright quality, particularly in certain instruments. The midrange vocals are intimate, and the low frequencies dive swiftly, though the atmospheric presence might feel slightly subdued.
For those who appreciate quality and seek versatility, the Aune AR5000 headphones offer a satisfying experience. Additionally, there's room for customization and improvement, as the option for tuning earmuffs with different materials and filters could enhance the three-frequency distribution for a broader audience.

Neutral to Warm
Natural timbre
Good mid and smooth vocals
Good bass with focus on midbass
Big soundstage, super clear separation and micro detail so stunning

I'm Chinese. Please forgive my poor English since it's not my native language. What I can promise is I'm not a shill and I bought the product at my own expense. Feel free to ask me anything. The original post was published in Sha1rholder/Sound-Library #Aune AR5000 - GitHub. Currently only has a Chinese version but an English version will be updated in the future. Click on star if you're interested

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The following content was translated from Chinese to English by GPT-4 and then manually modified, so might look a bit strange. I will annotate the original Chinese words in each place where I am unsure if the translation is accurate. Since I had already sent my AR5000 to a friend when writing this review, I could only "borrow" pictures from a Zhihu 知乎 article. Thanks to the original photographer

In the international arena of high-end headphones, Chi-Fi's most representative and longstanding brand, HIFIMAN, is unrivaled. Moondrop and FiiO have also released several high-quality over-ear models recently that have received good reviews internationally. Following Moondrop, FiiO, and Feaulle, the domestic DAC and headphone amplifier brand Aune launched their highly successful AR5000 琉璃 at the end of 2023, marking a significant entry into the over-ear headphone market and becoming one of the most recommendable products in Chi-Fi over-ears.



In my opinion, the AR5000 can be seen as an upgrade to the Philips Fidelio x2hr (brighter than x2hr) and a strong competitor to the dt900prox (darker than dt990prox). Chi-Fi over-ears typically excel in diaphragm quality at their price point, and the AR5000 is no exception.

Me: "The AR5000 has impressive sound quality."

Aune: "Thanks to the innovative 50mm MLD diaphragm, it balances rigidity and damping... reducing breakup mode vibrations 分割振动. I'm not sure if the translation is correct), lowering THD, and broadening the frequency range..."

Me: "Don't ask me What is he talking about, I don't know either "

Click to expand...

Regarding sound tuning, many international audiophiles believe these headphones sound better with some added bass through EQ. I disagree. Based on the FR curve, the AR5000's bass is not weak at all; in fact, it's somewhat Harman-like. Subjectively, unlike k701 or hd800s, AR5000 doesn't make me feel the bass is far from punchy. Although not designed for bass-heads, the AR5000 doesn't have the pronounced "Beyer Peak" (拜亚峰, high-frequency peak typical of Beyerdynamic DT Series). Like most Chi-Fi manufacturers, Aune adopted a conservative, Harman-like tuning for the AR5000, making it versatile across all music genres.


The tilted diaphragm design, previously used in headphones like the Sennheiser HD800s, Philips Fidelio X3, and FiiO FT3, contributes significantly to their soundstage and imaging. The AR5000, featuring the same design, also performs exceptionally well in these aspects. When enjoying large-scale classical music or the intro to Hotel California (live), it feels like being at the live, with a clear sense of where each sound is coming from. Of all the headphones I've experienced, either the soundstage is more cramped than the AR5000's (dt700prox), the imaging is more dispersed (hd800s), or they are much more expensive (UltraSone Edition 11).


The inner circle and the outer circle are not on the same plane, but are tilted.

At 350 g, the AR5000 is not very heavy for full-size HiFi headphones. Its wearing comfort is also quite good. The leather earpads are soft, fit snugly around the ears to prevent bass leakage 低频泄露 (the phenomenon where low-frequency sounds "escape" from a set of headphones, typically due to imperfect sealing of cups), and don't create too much pressure. Notably, the AR5000 seems to have learned from FiiO FT3's criticism for "earpads are too shallow, which gives pressure to the ears", as its earpads are deep and large, further enhancing comfort. Its headband design is unique, allowing adjustment of the distance between the two ends of the headband and the earpads from the inside of the head beam. This enables people with different head shapes to find the right headband height and "remember" the height, and evenly distribute the weight of the headphones on the head.


These vent holes seem to have some certain tuning function

Worth mentioning is the AR5000's appearance and build-quality. This headphone might be the most aesthetically pleasing one I've ever seen—its rose gold metal shell, red internal filter, and deeper oriental aesthetics are absolutely stunning . Its unique appearance, coupled with impeccable craftsmanship, makes the AR5000 a true piece of Chi-Fi artwork. Many audiophiles, including myself, initially thought it was a planar magnetic headphone when we first saw the AR5000. There are also rumors that Aune does plan to use a similar mold for a future planar magnetic headphone.



The AR5000 combines extremely low-impedance (28Ω) with high-sensitivity (108dB/Vrms), making it designed for direct driving without the need for an expensive amplifier, offering great value for money. I've tried driving it directly with a 31993 dongle ”小尾巴，一种小型解码/功放一体机“ (cheap dongle with a cx31993 DAC), and it sounded fine. The tuning of the AR5000 relies to some extent on the reflection of the rear cavity of the cups. Although it looks very "open-back", sound leakage is not particularly significant. Therefore, the AR5000 should be considered a "semi-open-back" headphone, similar to dt880, and is also a good choice for outdoor use.

Suitable for: Everyone
Not suitable for: No one
Recommendation:

Apologies if this review comes off as overly enthusiastic or promotional – the quality of these headphones has genuinely impressed me to that extent. I feel compelled to clarify that I purchased these headphones myself and have no financial ties to the manufacturer. My praise is solely based on their exceptional performance.