Aune Jasper

Introduction

Hello Head-fiers!

In this review, I will share my long-term impressions of Aune’s first attempt on In-Ear-Monitors :

The Jasper.

I would like to thank Aune for providing me a free sample, and giving me so much time for this review.

Let's start right away.

Aune (Wuhan AO LAI ER Technology Co. Ltd) is a company that has been making a name for itself in the industry for years after its establishment in 2004. They are especially known for their designs that are consistently above a certain quality, relatively few and elaborate.

However, Aune is widely known for its desktop DACs and amps rather than headphones. They have also produced portable players in the past (such as the M1 and M2 series), but they preferred to focus on the desktop by not continuing the line. Jasper, the product I will be reviewing in this article, is the company's first attempt at IEMs.

Readers who have been following IEM market for a while, probably know that we left behind a period in the past when IEM manufacturers tried to put as many balanced armature drivers as possible in their products, which in turn almost became a marketing tool and created a perception like "the more drivers, the better the sound". At the peak of this period, which we may call as "armature wars", the number of the balanced armature drivers placed in tiny IEM capsules by different manufacturers reached almost fifteen.

While this “race” was going on, meanwhile, companies like Sennheiser, Hifiman, JVC etc. continued designing flagship models with proprietary single dynamic drivers.

In line with the fashion of the last few years, as IEMs with single dynamic drivers (produced with different technologies and materials) have been on the rise again, it is quite understandable that Aune joins with this new trend.

Jasper is the company’s first shot at the highly crowded In-Ear-Monitors market with it’s proprietary 10 mm dynamic drivers.

Build Quality & Accessories

Jasper has a very good build quality with it’s price tag of $300, leaving a premium-like impression in hands.

Coming in two colour options, black and shiny metallic grey, Jasper feels like a luxury headset when you pick it up. The housings are heavier than that of average IEMs.

The cable that comes with Jasper is thick, feels sturdy and has no obvious microphonic noise due to friction. It connects to the metal housings with MMCX connectors. These connectors are neither too tight, too loose, nor too sensitive ; in this sense, I did not encounter any problems in plugging and unplugging.



However, the sad thing is that the phones only come with a simple / standard 3.5 mm cable and no balanced cable (or adapter) is included in the box. At this price level, it is a minus point for Aune.

A rough guess would be that the Jasper was designed compatible for on-the-go use. And right now as of the second half of 2022, regardless of their price, most of the digital audio players we have in the market come with balanced outputs for stronger amplification, and better sound.

Accordingly, the lack of balanced cable for a $300 IEM is a thing to be noted. I would have very much liked to see a 4.4 mm cable coming out of Jasper’s box.

In addition to the phones, the box contents consist of a very stylish and sturdy leather box with the Aune logo, 6 different sized ear tips, a soft microfibre cloth and a small brush for cleaning.

The accessories - especially the leather box - are of high quality, but the richness is less impressive than the overall quality of the phones and the $300 price etiquette. Many other brands in this price range offer richer accessory packs with their products.

Otherwise, Jasper fits well in the ear and provides good passive isolation when the appropriate tips are selected. It may be useful to try different tips other than the one provided in the package; as it is possible to further improve passive isolation by trying different brands of tips that can better adapt to your ear canal structure.

Sources Used For Review

For reviewing Jasper, I used sources of varying quality and sound character to reach an average concerning Jasper's overall performance, including two smartphones (Xiaomi and Samsung), the Aune M1S as an entry-level player, the Sony WM1A as a mid/mid-high-end player, and the JDS Labs OL DAC + Objective2 combo as a desktop source.

Besides, as recordings, I used a variety of different musics from different genres with different formates, ranging from old vinyl recordings to recent digital ones, from high quality DSD to highly compressed 128 kbps mp3 files.

Sound Signature

The Jasper has a sound character that is not exactly reference or neutral, yet it is quite balanced. The bass is slightly above what can be called as neutral, adding a slight warmth to the sound, but the Jasper is by no means a bass-head IEM.

During casual listening, no frequencies in the music recording jumps at you like "HEY I’M HERE", and the bass-mid-treble balance in Jasper’s presentation is very neatly balanced with no apparent sharp edges.

Accordingly with that, it is possible to listen to Jasper for some long periods of time without getting a headache, thanks to it’s relative smoothness in sound.

Jasper has a clear, slightly warm, and a forward sound in a balanced way.

On the other hand, although Jasper can resolve a good level of detail in recordings for its price range, it does not have a sterile and detail-oriented presentation that we can call analytical, and as far as I can see, Aune engineers primarily aimed to design a "balanced" headphone that presents instruments with realistic texture and timbre as well as satisfactory resolution rather than a headphone that focuses on very high technical prowess.

And for a first attempt of the company at IEMs, I should say that the tonality of Jasper is an apparent success.

Kudos to Aune on that.



Bass

As I mentioned, the bass intensity of the Jasper is slightly above neutral and this intensity is more pronounced as mid-bass. However, this slight bass emphasis does not cause any leaking into the mids, and is free from muddying them.

The 10 mm Multi-Gradation Diaphragm dynamic driver used in Jasper has a good bass extension, you can hear the sub-bass in the recordings; but Jasper does not have a sub-bass emphasis that you can see in some recent IEMs (such as Fiio FH5 or Sony IER-Z1R) that have become increasingly popular recently.

(On a personal note, I find a slight bass emphasis positive, sometimes even necessary, for many portable and easy-to-drive headphones for a reason :

Among the frequencies transmitted to our ears by the phones we use outside, the biggest loss in sensitivity due to external noise takes place at low frequencies. This is why, for example, when we use headphones (without active noise cancelling circuits) in public transport, we generally end up hearing a sound that is often shy on bass, consisting only of mids and treble. With a slight bass emphasis on the other hand, it is possible to get a slightly more balanced sound, even with the existence of some external noise).

Jasper's bass has the body you'd expect from a 10 mm diameter dynamic driver. For example, bass drums sound quite powerful and deep. But unfortunately, the bass detail and texture are on average levels. This is also due to Jasper’s bass signature being closer to a full / blooming bass rather than a fast one in general terms.

Midrange

Jasper's mids have a pleasing tonality, are clear and slightly warm, blending in well with it’s overall sound character. However, this clarity is not in your face like some IEMs with balanced armature drivers and analytical presentation.

Resolution and detail level are again good for its price range.

Since the stage is positioned at the front and has limited depth, instruments play close to you like a Grado-like presentation ; and although Jasper has a balanced frequency response, more often than not, this intimate positioning of instruments put the midrange at the center of the show.

In my personal opinion, Jasper's most prominent prowess also lies in these frequencies, as the instrument timbre sounds natural and organic with Jasper, punching above it’s class.

Pianos are clear and natural; guitars have good texture and dynamics. Vocals are generally good for both male and female vocals.

Only on some tracks (and partly at high volume), depending on the recording, there can occur a slight shoutiness in the vocals. Apart from this partial problem, Jasper's midrange performance is very good.

Treble

Jasper's performance at these frequencies is also good for its class.

Treble is revealing, dynamic and at the same time smooth, not splashy, dull or too aggressive, clean and with good detail for it’s price point. Since Jasper doesn’t have a detail-oriented analytical presentation, the flaws on mediocre quality recordings or lossy compression formats (e.g. mp3) are not directly presented in your face.

Jasper offers a certain sonic dynamism in the upper frequencies, but they are not fatiguing. Aune has again done a good job here in tuning.

In addition, unlike many single-dynamic driver IEMs, there is no apparent treble roll-off here. However, Jasper's treble does not have the general extension potential of hybrid IEMs or ones with balanced armature drivers.

As a shortcoming, the slight drop in the upper treble is reflected in the reduced airiness of the highs, so Jasper is not the best IEM in the world at projecting the space between instruments in a studio recording, for example; its ability to resolve ambient detail is limited.

Apart from that, I didn't notice any obvious deficiency in the high frequencies that I can say "actually, this could’ve been better", the company had obviously put a lot of effort to produce a balanced, consistent sound with Jasper that can appeal to many listeners.

A Friendly reminder : Burn-In Needed

I must say that I was a bit disappointed with Jasper on the first listen, especially in the high frequencies, as it sounded dull / overly smoothened, therefore lacking in detail and dynamism. The cymbals and distorted electric guitars in rock songs sounded off.

Afterwards, I left it to burn-in at intervals over a long period of time without listening (in order not to get used to its sound), and I started observing the sound being opened up, gaining dynamism and “bite” in high frequencies finally finding it’s tone.

In this sense, I’d like to make a reminder to those wishing to buy Jasper to lay them in burn-in, as it seems to need it to show it’s potential.

Soundstaging and Instrument Placement

This is one area where the Jasper is without a strong claim.

In fact, Jasper has an average IEM soundstage. It is quite wide, but due to the close placement of the stage, the depth is not spectacular, and does not extend much further back.

The placement of the instruments is good, Jasper clearly communicates the positional cues to the listener, which allows us to easily perceive the location of the instruments.

On the other hand, the relatively limited treble extension capability of Jasper creates an average airiness in the stage. In short, creating sense of space is not Jasper's forte.

Therefore, Jasper has a presentation that neither offers a gigantic stage nor compresses the instruments into a narrow space making you feel claustrophobic. In this respect, while it is ideal for pop / rock or jazz music (and to some extent concert recordings), it is not the best choice for orchestral classical music recordings that already challenge many IEMs in terms of staging.

It is not by any means a flaw, but rather a point for further improvement in Aune’s possible future high-end IEM models.



Driveability / Source Matching

Jasper has a conventional impedance of 32 ohms and a sensitivity of 102 decibels. These two numbers tell us that the current generated by any source, including smartphones, will be sufficient to drive these phones.

However, I should point out that although Jasper is not an IEM with analytical sound character, it responds well to the quality of the source you use with the level of resolution it offers.

In order to observe this, I connected Jasper to different sources (as I mentioned above) and saw that Jasper easily reflects the difference in sound performance between these devices. In this sense, although Jasper is an IEM that can produce satisfactory sound in many respects even from a mobile phone, it might be better to pair it with a good source to get more of it’s potential.

In terms of synergy, Jasper is an IEM that can match well with both analytical and warm sounding players / systems, especially thanks to its balanced frequency response that avoids extremes.

However, considering the fact that Jasper has forward mids, it might be better to match it with a source that has a little laid-back mids to gain a bit more depth in staging.

So who is the Aune Jasper For?

Firstly, Jasper is not an IEM for those looking for an analytical presentation or a soundstage larger than average IEM stage.

On the other hand, Jasper will also not satisfy those looking for a bass-head IEM.

In addition, Jasper only comes with a 3.5 mm cable, which will leave those who want to use the balanced output of their player / amp in search of a balanced cable.

For the majority of listeners other than these situations, Jasper can be a good choice with its high build quality with it’s detail level that can be considered successful for its class, balanced frequency performance and very pleasing tonality.

It can be said that Jasper is a great first shot at the IEM market, and hope Aune will continue to improve it even further in the future with new designs.

Build etc

Good packaging and carry case.
Cable is manageable but slightly stiffer and larger diameter than I would prefer for IEMs
IEMs feel hefty and solid. Very well built.
Outside picks up fingerprints pretty easily.
Included tips fit well. no issues with them falling out if cable wrapped around ears. I believe they intended the cable to hook around your ears.

Sound notes:

Highs:
rolled off and smooth on the high end. Nothing offensive in the high register but they don't quite resolve all the detail.

Mids:
Slight sibilance in the upper mids, Better for male vocals. Female vocals tend to sit in the sibilant spot along with some stringed instruments. Male vocals are very detailed with lots of layers. Has the potential to get nasty with a mid biased amplifier.

Sounds mid focused. Mids are the most forward with the most clarity. Highs and lows have good clarity but not as much as the mids.

Bass:
Bass is present and tight punchy/ not overbearing or boomy. Definitely not for bass heads.
Soundstage:
Recessed fairly narrow sound soundstage sits right behind your ears. Good for hearing everything and picking out individual instruments but not very accurate.

Overall:
Seems very neutral balanced. Not warm or cold. Not quite warm enough to be an all the time listen for me. They can get fatiguing after a while due to their more neutral nature.


Other Notes:
Seems like they are pretty amp dependent and really pick up the bias of the amplifier. I wouldn't pair these with an amp that has forward mids because that's where most of the sound issues with these can be heard. They tame out fine on a neutral amp but any amp with a slight mid bias might make the upper mids do some nasty stuff.

The Jasper was kindly provided from Aune free of charge.
This is my honest and subjective evaluation of it.
The selling price is €279.90 and you can order from the Aune EU retailer by using this - not affiliate - link.
Aune - store

Introduction

Aune Audio - Wuhan Ao Lai Er Technology CoLtd is a China based brand, very well known among the audio community for some excellent audio products consisting mostly of DAC and headphone amplifiers.
The Jasper is their first foray into the earphones world.



Design features

The Aune acoustics team spent three years developing the Jasper, a 10mm single dynamic driver earphone consisting of a multi-gradation diaphragm (MGD).
The materials have the characteristics of high damping, high speed and high stiffness.
The unique diaphragm makes it possible to vividly reproduce all kinds of music, even a whisper.
The combination of the specially-designed ultra-linear symmetric magnet system and the multi-gradation diaphragm (MGD) build the dynamic core with ultra-low distortion, providing the Jasper with constant power.
The carefully designed chamber helps scatter the internal sound waves and expand the soundstage with accurate and clear imaging.



The complete white paper behind the Jasper design is available here.



Appearance, Build quality and fit

The Jasper is available in two different colors, a black and silver metallic with a nice and shiny finish.
The build quality is very good.
The shells, which are made from metal (stainless steel it seems), are compact and have an elegant, curvy design which is anatomically shaped and beautiful looking.
The appearance reminds me more of a classy jewel than an earphone.
The compact size, the low weight and the moderate extending nozzles, offer a secure, stable, discreet and extremely comfortable fit with some very good passive noise attenuation.



Cable and accessories

The Jasper comes with an MMCX detachable cable which ends in a 3.5mm plug.
The cable is of good quality with a rubber sheathing reinforcement, it has minimal microphonic noise and it doesn't get tangled.



Other than the cable the user gets three pairs of silicone ear tips, a rounded carrying case of good quality, a cleaning brush and a cloth.



The accessories pack is not very competitive, especially when we consider similar offerings from other brands that sell even lower than the Jasper and come with more premium accessories.
Notable examples are the FiiO FD3 Pro ($149.99) or the DUNU Falcon Pro ($219.99) that have detachable cables with interchangeable plugs, sound tuning tubes and more than 10 pairs of various ear tips.

Sound impressions

As per usual practice I left Jasper to burn more than 100 hours before commencing into listening sessions.
With an impedance of 32Ω and a sensitivity of 102dB/mW the earphone is very easy to drive although the use of an external USB DAC/amp is mandatory in order to get the most out of the Jasper.
I have mostly used the iBasso DC05, FiiO KA3, the ddHiFi TC35B Pro and the Violectric Chronos.



The tuning of the Jasper is mostly balanced and neutral with a little forward sounding upper-mids and a treble that is on the bright side.
Nonetheless it is not fatiguing nor harsh and such an approach makes for a lively, agile and sparkling sound signature.
Jasper is utterly transparent, very revealing and not forgiving at all when it comes to the quality of the recording or the associated electronics.
As such I would avoid matching it with forward sounding devices or listening to poorly mastered material.
The presentation is somewhat lean but crystal clear and highly detailed.
Jasper is able to resolve all the details with an effortless and fine way while keeping them as a part of the music rather than presenting them in a detached manner and becoming analytical.
Mids sound spacious and mostly neutral with some upper - mid emphasis that will favor certain vocals and instruments, potentially leading into mild shouting.
Timbre is lifelike with a flimsy texture that adds to the overall sense of airiness, giving the sound a very open and atmospheric character.
The low end is well extended without seriously rolling off and has a balanced tuning up to the mids with excellent technicalities.
It is tight, fast, controlled and well defined without any mid - bass coloring or muddiness.
Layering is the strongest point and Jasper is able to resolve complex and populated bass lines with great ease and definition among the instruments without masking any of them.
Dynamics are convincing with some intense and speedy attack but they lack on ultimate impact while the bass texture is fragile and not as full bodied to make it sound weighty.
Sound integrity is good, the Jasper is more cohesive and homogeneous sounding than competitive multi driver earphones although it may come as slightly less extended.
The soundstage is certainly above average, combining satisfying width with extra spaciousness and precise imaging, able to draw a wide open picture of the music.



In the end

If you don't mind the relative lack of accessories and you need a highly transparent, resolving and neutrally tuned earphone that is not clinical or boring with the added bonus of the very comfortable and discreet fit then the Aune Jasper fits the bill and is a solid choice.

Test playlist

Copyright - Laskis Petros 2021.

This review is available in Spanish here and also in Spanish on YouTube here.



The Aune Jasper have been kindly sent to me by Aune in order to publish this review. They haven’t actually made any specific requests but I will include the link to the Jasper on their website anyway (on my blog and YouTube), as it is the least I can do.

As always, my review will be as honest and unbiased as possible but it is always good to consider the fact that these IEMs have not cost me anything.

Intro…

Before starting with the review, I have to say that I had absolutely no idea that these IEMs existed!

Aune is a company who have made some interesting stuff that has caught my eye but I only really knew about their amplifiers and DACs etc. So, I was talking with Aune about reviewing their new portable DAC/Amp, the BU2 (which will be coming up soon, by the way), and they asked if I had heard their IEMs. I was totally honest with them and said that I didn't even know they made IEMs.

They mentioned the model name to me and said that they had been released either late last year or early this year, so I did a quick internet search and I was very surprised to find that they were actually reviewed by Audio Discourse in March this year. The reason that I was surprised is because I usually follow most of the AD reviews and somehow I had just completely ignored this one. In fact, I have still completely ignored it (sorry Antdroid!) because, as Aune said they would send them out for me to try, I have avoided reading any reviews about them at all.

I always try to avoid reading reviews of anything I am planning on reviewing, although some details always manage to make it through, but in this case, I was going into this completely blind as to what I was going to receive. All I knew was that they sell for around 280€ (on the Aune page) and that they are a single DD that is available in Black or Silver.

So, I went into this review hoping to be surprised and I must say that I have been, but I’ll get to that next.




Presentation…

The Jasper arrive in a simple white cardboard sleeve with a picture of the IEMs on the front. From inside the sleeve a black cardboard box slides out to reveal the brand logo on the front in silver. As a totally random comment that has nothing to do with the IEMs, I just want to say that I really like the Aune logo, a simple logo that is easily identifiable even when upside down.

Anyway, opening the black box reveals a simple content that actually impressed me far more than it should have. At the top of the felt covered lining there is a large leather storage case which seems to be of very good quality. I am not certain it is real leather but it certainly looks the part. In the lower half of the box, in their own cutout, we find the IEMs themselves, in my case in black.

Inside the storage case we get a selection of silicone tips, a cleaning tool and the cable. Below the case we find a microfiber cleaning cloth, which comes in rather handy for these IEMs, which can be a bit of a fingerprint magnet.

That is it. As I said, the presentation impressed me more than it should have, there really isn’t anything out of the ordinary but the packaging just gave me a good vibe, which is always a nice way to start out with a product.



Build and aesthetics…

The IEMs, which are black as I just mentioned, have a very smooth and rounded shape to them. They look good in their simplicity, although they are quick to pick up fingerprints, and I must say that I personally find them very comfortable. However, the nozzle is not very long, meaning that they don’t insert very deeply into the ears, at least in my case, but they fit my ears very well and I get a great seal with Xelastec tips. There are no sharp edges or weird shapes and they just work very well with my ear anatomy.

The cable is something that may not appeal to everyone. Let me be clear, I have had no issues with the cable, it works fine, is well built, non microphonic, but it is rather thick. The cable is reminiscent of cables that are included with some of the bigger names, such as Sennheiser, Shure, etc. It is a no frills, no weaves, straight cable that does its job. However, it is premolded to the ear shape (for over ear fit) and the thickness does feel a little “beefy” at times.

The included tips are ok, they do their job, however I have opted for the Xelastec tips on these as they are tips that I really like and I find that in the case of the Jasper they work great for both sound quality and a comfortable fit with a good seal that is not too deep.

Now, my only real negative as far as build is the use of MMCX connectors. This is not because they have used bad quality connectors, they seem to be very well made, it is just that I much prefer 2-Pin as I have had issues with MMCX connectors in the past. For some reason, I am always hesitant when disconnecting cables that use MMCX connectors as I always get flashbacks of the times that I end up with half a connector, or a broken pin etc. Again, the connectors in this case seem to be of good quality and I have swapped cables around a few times without issue, it is just a pet peeve of mine.



Sound…

Getting straight to the point, I like these IEMs. I have already mentioned the price and it is a bracket which basically puts them in competition with things like the Blessing 2: Dusk, a set of IEMs that sees a lot of use in my case and that I feel is a very good set of IEMs at its price. Therefore, it was to be expected that I would automatically compare these. Are they better than the Dusk? Well, that depends on what you seek in IEMs. But just the fact that they can compete is a very positive start in my opinion. I will get more into comparisons in a moment but first I will go through my usual process of explaining, or trying to explain, what I find is good and bad about the Jasper.

Starting off with the subbass, I find that there is some roll off as we get down to the lowest registers. This is not an exaggerated loss of the lowest notes, there is still enough subbass to appreciate that low end rumble that is found in tracks that need that low end (such as “Chameleon” that has become my main reference for subbass). I must say that I have found listening to EDM and other music with a lot of low end rumble, very pleasant and enjoyable, although I don’t think that the Jasper tuning is something aimed at that style of music, at least in the case of those who like the subbass to rumble their brains and tickle their ear drums.

Moving into the midbass, here there is more presence than in the case of subbass, making the bass frequencies be nicely presented but without them dominating the sound. I have said before that I am a fan of dynamic drivers for bass and the Jasper remind me of why I like the DD bass. While they are clean and articulate in the bass regions, they still have a bit of that smooth round bass sound that I associate with dynamic drivers. They work well here for EDM also but in my opinion they excel with more natural bass notes, such as those from electric and acoustic bass guitars, double bass and the lower end of guitars.

The mid to upper bass regions are slightly more present than I would have chosen on paper but after listening to them, I must say that they do not detract from the sound in my opinion. They use that slight extra presence around the 200Hz mark to their advantage and I find that my favourite music, which is heavily centered around acoustic instruments, to have a very natural low end and timbre. I especially enjoy acoustic guitar through the Jasper, such as “Something Just Like This” by Missy & Blonde and Julia Ross, “Billie Jean” by the Civil Wars or “Long After You’re Gone” by Chris Jones.

However, there are a few tracks where this additional presence in the mid/upper bass regions does have a bit of a negative effect. In songs like “Black Muse” by Prince, I do find that the bass is a little too warm, making the clarity of Prince’s bass playing lose some of its magic. This is something that I have experienced on a few tracks, mainly containing electric bass guitars that are very present in the mix and depend on clarity for the best appreciation of the bass playing. It is not something that I have found very common, it seems to just be when a specific mix of prominent bass and an already warm bass sound in these (200-300Hz) regions, not something that I notice on the vast majority of music I listen to.

Moving into the lower mids, the transition is mainly clean except when experiencing what I just mentioned with the odd song where the bass is a little too warm. In these occasional moments, it can seem that the transition is not quite as clean as it should be. But, really, I can’t complain about the transition as it is clean on 99% of the music I listen to.

Moving up through the mids, there is a slight dip just before the 1kHz mark which I would have expected to make vocals seem more recessed than they actually are. The reason for this is that it is only slightly below my preference in this regard and the space from 1kHz up to 3kHz has a smooth climb, reaching a point at 3kHz that I would have also expected to be more shouty than it actually is. I am not sure if it is the fact that the slight reduction around 1kHz counteracts the slight over elevation at 3kHz but it does work very well and does not come across recessed or shouty.

Up in the higher regions is where the Jasper really surprised me, providing much more extension than I am used to finding in single dynamic driver set ups. The treble is smooth and defined, without any unpleasant experiences (such as sibilance etc.), and provides a nice sensation of air. It is true that not all single DD IEMs suffer from roll off in the higher regions but it is something that I find in the majority of them, the Jasper is one of the cases that proves the point about it not being all of them.

The soundstage and image placement is also a very pleasurable experience. The soundstage is larger than average, providing plenty of space for the music to spread out and the image placement, while not the best I have ever heard, is also above average and makes the most of that nice space.

In fact, the airy openness of the Jasper, with above average space and decent image placement makes these very enjoyable IEMs and I have found myself reaching for them more and more. Tracks with layering like “Strange Fruit” by Dominique Fils-Aimé or even “Bubbles” by Yosi Horikawa are presented in a way that make it very easy to get lost in the music.

The detail retrieval of the Jasper is also rather good, maybe except for those cases where the upper bass becomes a little too much, but again, those are very limited occasions (at least with the music I listen to). They are not a set of IEMs that throw a huge amount of detail at you, but they are a set that has enough detail to appreciate all of the small background details, while keeping them there, in the background.



Comparison with the Dusk…

If you are someone who reads (or watches) many of my reviews, you will probably have noticed that I don’t do a lot of comparisons in the majority of my reviews. I try to keep my reviews consistent, using the same music and focusing on the same characteristics, so that my reviews can easily be compared by reading/watching one and then another. Well, that and the fact that my reviews are usually always way too long anyway!

However, there are occasions on which I find that it is necessary or just seems to be the best way to go. Those are usually reviews of two versions of the same headphones/IEMs, or very similar headphones/IEMs, or, as in this case, because I feel that something is competing directly with something that I already like.

In this case, my comparison is with the Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk. I already mentioned previously (and in countless other reviews) that the Dusk is a set of IEMs that I use a lot and that I think highly of. In the case of the Jasper, I feel that they address some of the things that I am not so fond of with the Dusk, while maybe not quite hitting some of the things I do feel the Dusk is very good at.

First, the comfort. Yes, this is a very personal thing and is only relevant to me but I find that the Dusk are oversized and not that comfortable. I had to play with tons of different tips before I found something (the CP155) that worked well, fitting the huge tunnel that is the nozzle and was comfortable for long sessions. With the Jasper, although I have settled on the Xelastec as my preferred tips for them, I have found them to work well with quite a selection of tips and they are also very comfortable, sitting nicely inside my ear and not sticking out like I have a Cadilllac parked in each ear. Don’t get me wrong, the Dusk are not uncomfortable (otherwise I wouldn’t use them as much) but the Jasper are just much more so.

With regards to sound, both sound very good to my ears but excel in different ways. The Dusk has more bass, is more impressive in the lower registers, with a more powerful presentation and works very well for things like pop, electronic music etc. I still enjoy acoustic music on the Dusk but it doesn’t really make the bass shine like other genres do with the Dusk. In the case of the Jasper, I find the bass to be smoother and more inline with acoustic music, while still maintaining detail. If I had to pick one, I would probably go for the bass on the Dusk as it can be more impressive and doesn’t seem to suffer no matter what you throw at it, whereas the Jasper does have just a touch too much mid/upper bass on occasions, as mentioned in the bass section of the review.

The mids are probably also more inline with my preferences with the Dusk, especially when looking at a graph. However, I don’t listen to graphs and I must say that I can’t complain about the mids on the Jasper. They don’t look like they should sound like they do, but ignoring measurements and focusing on sound, I have no issues with the Jasper mids.

In the higher ranges is where I would definitely pick the Jasper over the Dusk. The treble is smoother, less harsh, and extends way more than the Dusk to my ears. I am obviously not listening up to 20kHz (my last check up showed 17kHz) but I feel that I am not missing information, at least within my hearing range, and at the same time, it is not overly done, the treble is not the center of attention.

Finally, the soundstage and general spaciousness of the Jasper is something that I find superior to the Dusk. Don’t get me wrong, these are still IEMs but with the openness of the sound, along with the comfort I find in them, they are perhaps the most enjoyable IEMs I have heard in this regard.



Conclusion...

The Jasper have sort of been a Deja Vu. Not long ago I received the T Force Yuan Li, a set of IEMs that I knew nothing about and just clicked with me, becoming one of my most used IEMs. The Jasper is a repeat of that. They are IEMs that I knew nothing about, not knowing what to expect, and I have found them to coincide very well with my preferences.

Another major factor for me is comfort, these are actually one of the few IEMs that I forget I have them in my ears, especially with Xelastec tips and a cable swap (the included cable is a good cable but is a little stiff to forget it is there). There are plenty of IEMs I find comfortable but very few I can forget are in my ears. The spaciousness of the sound also adds to the comfort, they are not open back but they are not a closed in sound either, making them far more enjoyable for me.

I feel that they are a set of IEMs that are reasonably priced at where they sit. Are they the best IEMs for less than 300€? Well that is going to be a question that gets a different answer from each person you ask but for a large proportion of my music which is acoustically based, I find that these are a great choice and will happily continue to reach for them when wanting to enjoy a relaxed listening session.

Aune Jasper Review

Sounds good from a phone and low power but scales very well with high power

Sound signature follows the Harmon Target Curve

Warm sound in low end, clean natural mids and highs

Very detailed mids and highs

Not harsh or sibilant at all for long listening sessions

Great build and shell

Good fit, good isolation

Good stock cable

Good treble extension , near perfect treble

Clean clear lush awesome mids

Detailed punchy low end with good sub bass extension

Musical bass

One of the best sounding iems ive ever heard when properly powered

Sounds great with ALL types of music

intoxicating warmth and vocals

Very natural sounding

Great instrument placement

Strings and guitar sound top notch

Great layering

Excellent imaging

Wide soundstage average depth above average height

I prefer wide bore stock tips for sound stage and clarity

Pure silver cable with this is even better
>10mm Dynamic Driver unit with MGD(Multi-Gradation Diaphragm).

>Ultra-Linear Magnetic System.

>Uniquely Designed Cavity For Precise Sound Detailing & Wide Soundstage.

>Impedance: 32Ω.

>Sensitivity: 102dB/mW.

>Frequency Response Range: 5Hz-40kHz.

>Detachable Cable.



299$ msrp

AUNE JASPER ENTHUSIASTIC REVIEW

PROS: Big open soundstage, natural tonality and timbre, hefty flexible warm bass, good imaging with rich layering, fatigue and sibilance free, smooth lush vocal-mids, superbly sparkly treble, holographic 3D presentation that doesnt feel forced, fast yet non edgy attack, highly musical-emotional (subjective), nuanced tone, well balanced crisp harman curve tuning, dense bodied never muddy sound, incredible tuning for a first IEM, sutrdy yet beautifully refined construction-design

CONS: Warm bass definition so kick drum lack a bit of separation-presence, not very textured timbre, a bit colored treble that push ultra highs micro details on top, tiny hint lean mids, poor cable choice for a flagship IEM

TONALITY: 9/10
TECHNICALITIES: 9/10
CONSTRUCTION&DESIGN: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 9/10


AUNE company are in the audio industry for more than 17 years, manufacturing DAC, DAP and Amplifiers. They are well respected among audiophiles and have a solid fan base which they take by surprise by launching their very first earphones, the Jasper.

When an audio company that hasn't experience in a specific area decides to go out of their expertise, i'm always concern about lack of experience that might lead to an amateur product -FIIO being a good example with their first IEM release which were rather mediocre. But Aune is very serious about their new Jasper and work 3 years to come up with all the techs and acoustic design needed to achieve a flagship single dynamic IEM that sound like no other, cause well, everything in there is patented by them and they don't use pre-fabricate DD or BA from other brands.

Unlike some overly skeptical (or cynical) audio enthusiast that don't believe in transient response property of dynamic drivers diaphragm material, i'm always earger to know what type of material it use, including for voice coil and magnet. As well, i give great importance to inner acoustic design of IEM housing, which is the home of sound transmission and resonance. This is something not enough taken seriously with lot of lazy earphones creator, including Campfire Audio which just stock BA's in same housing over and over again. You know how audiophile give extreme important to speaker placement and room size-type to achieve best sound with their sound system? Well, it should be the same with IEM. It should be seen as an acoustic room, which it is.

Aune give great thinking about acoustic engineering, as well as DD driver material. For the dynamic diaphragm, they use something mysterious and exotic call ''Multi-Gradiation-Diaphragm'' drivers, which promise fast well-articulated transient response with unique flexibility properties.



''The 10mm dynamic driver unit features a self-developed MGD material. MGD stands for Multi-Gradation Diaphragm, the Diaphragm unit is made with high-fidelity material that has high damping force, high speed, and high stiffness. The multi-gradation diaphragm is paired with a specially designed ultra-linear symmetric magnetic system that builds the dynamic core with ultra-low distortion. This ensures the user gets a fast, lifelike audio experience with ultra-low distortion and precise detail retrieval.''

To some extent, this remind me topological driver properties of the Hifiman RE serie, which have unique transient response abilities too, especially the RE2000 Gold flagship model that I love alot (but find insanely overpriced at the time).

So, Aune does not just have random ideas for their IEM but a symbiotic vision, the driver, ultra-linear magnet and sound chamber all working together for the very same purpose: delivering a smooth life like revealing sound with great technicalities that would not stole musicality emotion. Let's see in this review if they achieve their vision and more importantly if this single-DD IEM can compete in sub-500$ mid-tier range without looking like a midget.

CONSTRUCTION&PACKAGING

PACKAGING is nice and sober, not bling-bling, but more than adequate for 300$ IEM. The star of the show is the Jasper and when we open the box its what impresses and excites us first. After we are happy to see the well made round carrying case....and a little underwhelmed by the quality of the cable as well as type of earhook it use. When we try to twist the carrying case cover, we are surprised by a loud unpleasant squeaky noise, so i would not suggest using it in public!



CONSTRUCTION of the JASPER is a real piece of art both in durability and beauty, something refined, sensually curvy yet sober and timeless. The metal is thick with a mirror finish that like any mirror finish will be prompt to easy scratching. The MMCX connector is all metal, ultra sturdy, promising long durability even with frequent cable disconnection.

DESIGN is curvy without any sharpness and a bit bulbous, and it has a rather short nozzle, so while its very comfortable it can be problematic for secure fit with short ear tips. The best ear tips for me are the KZ Starlines which permit to fully open the sound and have enough deep seal. To note that these are a bit heavy, so cable with earhook is suggested even if i do enjoy them with Final SPC cable too. For me, the included cable has a ear hook shape that doesnt permit perfect IEM placement, so if its the case for you too, swap cable asap!



SOUND (source: SMSL SH9-SU9, Ibasso DX90, Xduoo X20, Audirect BEAM2, Jcally JM20)

I'm an emotive being, and yes, I get intense crushes from time to time that are irrational even in IEM world, to some extend I can say that for the Final E5000 which is far from perfectly balanced and uncolored...and other ones including this delicious Aune Jasper because yes, instead of my typical snobby yuck face, it was a happy WOW face that I wear while listening to the very first minutes of this IEM and i never disconnect them from this dumb happy face even after hours and hours of use. Waking up next day: same thing, dumb happy face that cannot stop to be WOWed! But why, whyyyyyyy?? Because JASPER is a guilty pleasure well balanced IEM with excellent technicalities, making it both fun, realist and competent.

Aune follows the Harman Target curve to tune their first IEM, I guess this serves to compensate for lack of experience in tuning, but not in hearing because the tuner nail what we rarely found in the overly serious audiophile world, something that boosts the balanced W to neutralish tuning which is lively in dynamic, vivid in imaging-clarity, yet smooth in timbre and attack bite. I mean, my happy face at first listen was due to bass impact weight-roundness-decay, mids lushness and both treble fullness and sparkle-airiness. I was like, how can it! Well, now for the sake of this review I will try to enter my dirtiest grumpy critical mood so I can find at least some drawback in the Jasper acoustic realm. But I will still be honest about the positive side too.

SOUNDSTAGE is very wide, quite tall and a bit average in term of deepness but still very holographic and complex in spatiality. It's not hall-like, but not far from it. Why it is not hall like? Cause it sounds immersive, organically condensed and dynamic, not distant-resonant.

IMAGING is extremely impressive in terms of fluid layering and in my audio perception their 2 things in spatial placement and its sound layers and nailed positioning. The Jasper excels more in open organic layering than clinical positioning, it mixes both very well but the layers stole some crisp positioning when bass it occurs. This is due to modern mixing more than Jasper, listening to classical, I can easily pinpoint at right-center-left any instruments. I would say the imaging is 3D holographic and uniquely nuanced and articulated yet super immersive (and addictive).

BASS is flexible, weighty and rumbly, with slight lower-mids bass emphasis bump that give extra body to both kick drum and sub-line, it has dense well-controlled rumble that can easily be extracted from rest of the frequencies which add fun without killing balance. The low end is what hooks me at first and while its not the most textured, it's this kind of juicy authoritative bass we never have enough. Let's say its for ''romantic headbanger'' more than an immature bass head. Like the Final E5000, it do add a bit of warmth to mids and vocal in an organic, dangerously addictive way. Warm, yet nuanced in tone and refined in natural non-amplify texturing. This isn't snappy ultra-fast thumpy bass but avoids being boomy due to soften impact lead.

MIDS are as lush as it can get, I say i wanna get severely critical but the mids are sincerely good, smoothly forwarded without any sibilance, they are wide, holographic and super layered. While the definition isn't the sharpest, the body is dense, timbre is natural and macro-resolution out of this world for a single DD. The level of transparency is excellent, this isnt intimate ultra-centered mids and vocal, it open and float in spatiality. Some will find them a bit recessed due to tamed upper mids but it's only the case with bass-heavy music or warm audio source. Female vocal has hint of euphonic breathiness that give extra body. Mids aren't very textured, a bit organic but with great tonal nuance and enough pitch contour to permit good layering. What it lacks is a bit of attack lead and snap, so if you have a violin quartet playing super fast it might be not as well articulated as solo violin or trio, but man, the violin sound sooo naturaly real again, free of this fatigue that upper mids can create with this instrument. If your a lazy listener, the mids might lack forwarded details and impact, but if you are critical like me, you will dive deep in Jasper sound and understand its intricate richness.

TREBLE is oh so sparkly, airy and extended , yet a bit darkish in low-mid highs region. Jasper uses a tuning trick to open the sound and add air to the top, so it extracts micro-details in the ultra upper highs region but do tame texture of the instrument a bit, this is where it would be love or hate affair I think. Acoustic guitar will have more snap and decay than electric guitar bite and if you are a fan of folk your in for pure bliss. Less so if your into metal or fast rock. What Jasper achieve is something unique, cause while the treble is smooth overall, it got good snap and excellent separation, it never sound boring or rolled off, yet, never aggressive and overly analytical. Airy, delicate, refined, superbly articulated, perhaps a bit thin or too organic for some, just perfect for me for long listening session free of fatigue but not of excitement and musicality.

Side notes: The Jasper will scale up with good amping and clean clear neutral DAC, they do less good with warm or not very transparent and resolved source. Eartips have big impact ou soundstage imaging. Cables pairing is perhaps something worthy of interest too. Feed them well and these beast will sign like angels!


COMPARISONS (all made using SMSL SU9 DAC+SH9 AMP)

VS VSONIC VS9 (300$ Flagship single DD)

VS9 are brighter and more fowards sounding, with more intimate soundstage and inferior imaging-layering. Bass is dryer, more textured and lean. Attack can get messy with busy track unlike Jasper even if lower treble have less texture. VS9 can get a bit shouty in treble, even splashy, Jasper being way more organic and clean sounding. Everything is more bodied with the Jasper, vocals are lusher fuller and less sibilant. The timbre of VS9 is more grainy, saturated and artificial, less natural and liquid. Treble is more axed in lower-mids highs and lack natural extension-decay-sparkle-airiness of Jasper. Going from Jasper to VS9 is kind of aggression, as well as regression, it sounds edgy, saturated, overly bright and thin, body less and cold. Jasper is from another league in terms of technicalities and fuller more natural-cohesive-sounding in terms of tonality.

VS DITA FEALTY (around 1000$ single DD)

Brighter WAY brighter with more forwards upper mids, so female vocal has more fake presence but it sound thinner and less transparent and natural than Jasper. Bass is dryer, way less boosted and more rolled off in sub-bass extension, its more textured but in a grainy way. Attack have more bite but less natural decay. DITA are bright-neutral with treble emphasis, it can dig more details but will not layer them properly in spatiality like the Jasper. Treble can get hot and harsh with aggressive music, not the Jasper. Even if i was wowed by DITA soundstage before, it isnt as wide and holographic as Jasper. Here, the real flagship DD IEM seem to be the 300$ Jasper, not the 1K$ FEALTY. Unless your an aggressive treble head.

VS NFaudio NM2+ (180$ single DD)

These 2 seem to follow a similar harman tuning curve, but NM2+ in a more aggressive W shape approach where the mids+upper mids are brighter and more forwards. While it's the less expensive contender, its the ''closest'' fight. Firstly, the Jasper is smoother and better balanced as a whole, and that even if bass moves more air and create more rumble-resonance. While smoother, its transparency is better too, as well as soundstage size and openness which permit more realist imaging, as if NM2+ suffers from lack of sound layers articulation. It was clear that NM2+ is about 30% easier to drive too. NM2+ present a wall of sound while Jasper a circular room where your in the middle. Some might find NM2+ attack faster at first, but its just due to more fowards upper mids that offer extra grip and all illusions fall apart with fast busy track where the NM2+ will go messy and saturated due to lack of space between instrument and well, transient speed flexibility. Timbre is more liquid and gently nuanced with Jasper, bright and saturated with details for the NM2+. Treble is more crunchy but less sparkly than Jasper.
All in all, apart when I nitpick the attack speed in busy tracks, the NM2+ is very good, similar in balance to Jasper apart for brighter tone and lack of extension at both extreme bass-treble end.
Technicalities is where the NM2+ can't keep up with 120$ pricier Jasper.

VS FINAL A8000 (2000$ single Pure Beryllium DD)

Ok this is just for fun, cause unlike the Fealty these are real end game IEM, but let's begin by saying they aren't as lush and musical as the Jasper, which have a more laid-back, bassy, yet transparent and open presentation. Sure, Jasper can't keep up with A8K attack speed snap-control as well as clarity, details, imaging cue, but the timbre is smoother and more natural, while hyper-realist hyper textured with the A8K. Soundstage is wider, taller but less deep. Imaging feel more layered but not as analytical and precise in spatial placement. While a8K have cleaner separation, the presentation feels a bit more intimate and closed. An instrument like the woodwind sound more airy, wide and dense with air with Jasper, violin is very different in presentation, wider denser but not at abrasive in attack lead, still, A8K mids, while more clear and upper mids forwards, sound thinner too. I prefer vocal presentation of Jasper even if a bit more laid back-recessed they are more open and smooth. Treble is where Jasper is put to shame and even feel a bit dark apart for upper highs sparkle wich have more decay and brilliance. A8K treble is full and doesnt forget a tiny bit of micro details or texture richness.
All in all, these 2 complements well each other and the Jasper would have sell for 1000$ i would not find it more irrationally priced than A8K.

CONCLUSION

It's pretty evident i'm a BIG fanboi of the Aune Jasper by now and literally can't stop to listen to them, even stealing the sacred listening time of my precious Final Audio A8000, because well, they complete each other very well with their different tonality mood. And their mirror finish too.
In the other hand, i'm very rarely a fanboi of an IEM to the point of being addicted that intensely, which is a subjective reaction to some extend.

What isn't subjective is the fact the Jasper are among best single Dynamic Drivers that I heard in this price range, even putting to shame IEM like Dita Fealty, Vsonic VS9 or Hifiman RE800 in term of well-layered tonal coherence and dynamic technicalities.

When an IEM nail everything connected to musicality, it's because it has more than one trick in it's pocket, and the wide range of technical aspect like imaging, clarity, transparency, attack weight etc that the Jasper delivers with prowess is something to not only be heard but enjoy too, due to it's smooth tonal balance inspired by harman target, natural dense timbre and delicately sparkly highs.

From an audio company only know for their DAC-AMP-DAP experience, it's a tour de force to have achieved such a refined mature yet natural fun tuning and I just can't imagine what would be their second IEM creation.
Please Aune, if you read this, keep the audio engineer team and tuner that make this IEM possible and keep up the great earphones work!

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PS: This IEM came from HIFIGO, it was provided as loan review unit after I personally share them my great interest in this IEM due to unique driver tech inside. I'm not affiliated or pay by Hifigo but do adore their contact agent because he accept my honnesty for the better or the worst. Now it's for the better, good for him so if you want to buy the Jasper follow this link, you can't go wrong with Hifigo compared to well biiiiiip.
https://hifigo.com/products/aune-jasper