Aune M2 32BIT DSD portable music player

 
 
Intro :
Since the past few years I had kept myself away from trying out any new DAPs or audio gear since I was pretty satisfied with my Fiio X5 (1^st gen) and Sansa Clip /Cowon D2+ that I had been using and secondly it kept my wallet happier.The X5’s jog wheel conked off long time ago and I had stopped using it so a new DAP is definitely on my mind now. That’s when my friend @toxicdrift informed about all these new DAPs (Shozy Alien Gold,Aune M2 Pro and Opus #1 ) he had just bought and offered to loan them out to me for testing .Just few weeks back I had posted the Bit Opus #1 review and  today I will be reviewing something from one of my favorite VFM brands – Aune (having tried their B1 amp earlier I’ve already been in love with their no-nonsense design and sound quality). Here’s my review for their mid tier version of the high end M2 dap series of M2 -  The Aune M2 Pro. 
 
I will be adding extended comparisons with other players once I’ve spent enough time with all of them and done some comparisons.
 
Packaging and Design : 
 
 
The M2 Pro comes in simple dark black cardboard box, pretty much like the one of their B1 amps. Since the model I was trying out was a M2 Pro it comes in silver (also available in black I guess). The Blue model which is reserved for more expensive and flagship model M2S looks very unique IMO and my personal favorite.
 


 
The additions in the box are the warranty card, Usb charging cable and a manual.  A basic case and some screen protectors etc could be great,  atleast a silicon or protective case needs to be the standard accessory for all high end players in this price range along with the option to purchase  a leather or better cases.
 

 
In terms of design is extremely bold yet understated with that straight lines inspired industrial look and a body which is clean solid piece of aluminum chassis with no visible joints or gaps . The brushed metal matte texture finish and laser engraved text give the unit a very premium feel when you look at it or hold it in your hands.
 


 
The front panel has the 2.4” IPS LCD screen and the Aune logo engraved above the screen . At the bottom 32 Bit DSD player is etched. The logo and other engraving doesn’t stand out much in the silver colour player as compared to the black and blue versions (M2S).
 

 
In the lower half there are 3 simple buttons for Back-Play and Pause (Select in Menu)- and Forward. The buttons are pretty solid and have good feedback. I could easily operate them without having too look at the player.
 
 


 
 
The back of the player has the branding , model number , serial number and assembly details etc in English as well as some Chinese text.
 
The top side of the player has the power button on the left , a long press is for turning the player on and off whereas a normal short press toggles the screen on/off when using the player.
 
The bottom side  has the 3.5mm headphone out ,  a line out (3.5mm) and the charging + sync port in the form of micro USB .
 
On the right hand side we have a small pin hole for reset function (using a pin or paperclip) , micro SD slot which supports upto 128 GB and a jog dial wheel for controlling the volume as well as back and fast-forward function when screen is locked. The wheel has a nice pattern texture which provides for better control and grip . There’s  a multi-function port as well covered with rubber protection .* not sure about its functions currently but I guess Aune plans to add extra functionality in the future using this port*.
 
Sound Quality :
 
Out of the box trying out the M2 pro  I was very impressed by the sound quality .Coming from a Fiio X5 , there was a good amount of difference in detailing and texture as well as background noise which was easily noticeable. I could say a good 25-30% of upgrade from what I was used to in terms of portability. The overall sound is lot cleaner and and revealing whereas the sound signature is a lot more balanced and neutral in comparison. The black backgrounds was one of the most impressive sound improvement that I noticed instantly.
 
Using the Sennheiser IE80s  , I had a smile on my face from the improved bass I was hearing . The speed and control was better, better texture and layering in bass . Perfect slam and reverb along with micro-detailing in some bass tracks which were not easily audible before. The IE80 no more sounded like a mid bassy IEMs which it does with many other DAPs even at the lowest bass setting.
 Even when using the Sennheiser HD598 which doesn’t have a very good sub bass , the overall output in the lower spectrum was a lot more controlled and clean .
 
The midrange is again extremely detailed and clear with good layering and no sign of any sibilance . Didn’t find any forwardness or warmth in the mid presentation nor does it sound recessed. I would say pretty much neutral , a tad bit of warmth might make it more fun sounding but it doesn’t sound dry or boring at all .Pretty much hits the right spot in terms of being perfectly neutral and not boring.
Listening to vocals tracks is pure bliss , very accurate representation and texture when listening to female vocals . Even the male vocals sound pretty good.In comparison the Opus #1 is slightly more warm /fun even though it maintains a neutral signature as well.
 
The highs are extremely detailed without being sharp or piercing. Again good amount of micro-detailing and clarity which shines through in the highs.
 
The soundstage is by far one of the best Ive heard in the below 500-600$ range. The soundstage and imaging along with the detailing almost makes you forget you are listening to a portable device.  It rather sounds like a good desktop I would say .Ive heard of people comparing the sound quality and soundstage to the Chord Mojo and even though I haven’t yet compared or tried them together I can’t comment on the same.
 
Filter settings :
 
The M2 Pro has some DAC level filter settings - Sharp SD (short decay), Sharp LD (long decay), Slow SD, and Slow LD. I couldn’t exactly understand the function or changes in each of them but they did alter the sound signature to certain extent where in the Sharp SD sounded the most neutral and sharper treble whereas the Slow LD seemed to have slightly more bass and warmer sound.
 
Even the power handling capacities are very good. It could drive my HD598 , Grado  325, AKG K702 etc with great authority but I did end up pushing the volume to the higher limit . It doesn’t have any gain settings to increase the power output so I am not sure if it will drive the more difficult headphones like the HD 650 or higher impedance can to their best but it should drive them fairly well and maybe adding the Aune B1 amp would make it the ideal setup.
 
UI,Features , battery life etc.
 
The UI and controls are a little odd or different compared to what I am used to on the FiiO or Opus but it doesn’t take more than 1-2 days for getting used to . Since the play / pause buttons also act as navigation button and each button has multiple functions as you can see in this quick guide below.
 
The M2 has a really quick boot time , barely a few seconds . I couldn’t find any sleep or standby mode feature as such but with such quick boot and playback from the last played track it’s probably not needed.
 
The custom software is very simple ,basic  and easy to use overall . It has a very old school 2D feel to it without any animations or much efforts put into the UI design .
The UI menu has 4 basic options on the home screen, Songs-Folders-Playlists-Settings. The menu can be controlled using the buttons below the screen as well as the volume wheel on the right side. You can find the detailed options in settings etc in the photos below. 
 
The software on the device at the time of my testing *almost 1.5 months back* was pretty basic with the play screen not showing album art for some songs and also the volume wheel only works when you are on the play screen , incase you are on the song list or main menu etc it acts as the navigation wheel which can be a little frustrating if you wish to suddenly change the volume in between.
Some other major features like gapless playback , Equaliser etc are missing .
 
Overall there is no lag /crashes or such issues with the firmware but still it seems somewhat half baked and could do with a lot of improvements overall . Hopefully Aune is working in better firmware in the future and will fix the minor issues soon.
 
 


 

 
 


 
 
Battery Life
 
I could get about 7 hours , give and take 20-30 minutes of  juice out of the M2 Pro in each charge. Not that great but not too bad either for a high end DAP which comes with a class A amplifier which are known to be heavy on the battery . This also probably the reason the device gets tad bit warm at the back panel after few hours of usage. Even with regular 2-3 hours of listening, you probably would need to charge the M2 Pro twice a week.
 
Conclusion :
 
Ideally if you are someone like me who just need a high end DAP to play your high quality DSD, lossless music etc and do not care much about the UI etc and other fancy features , the M2 pro would be perfect for you.  For others looking for a complete player it might be a good idea to wait for Aune to fix the smaller issues . The beauty of the player lies in something a lot of great DAC’s don't get it perfectly – pushing the sound quality to perfection at a VFM price point  , something which usually can not be fixed or scaled by software or firmware upgrades.  Either the best sounding one's without any major flaws will be extremely expensive *1000$+ or the other fully packaged player at the 500-600$ price point would be lacking in sound compared to the the M2 pro.
 
If you were to purchase the Aune M2 pro purely for its unmatched sound quality under 500$ it would definitely be a very a great experience and you will definitely love it but for some folks it could be difficult to ignore some of its basic shortcomings like limited playback , single memory card slot ,  limited play list support , lack of digital out . So you could wait and watch if Aune improves upon the M2 pro to make it the perfect player.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    
 
 
When asked if I wanted to take part in this tour I quite quickly replied with an overwhelmingly resounding, YES! After hearing how awesome the X1s was I absolutely had to hear the other offerings in Aune’s lineup as well especially in the Digital Audio Player (DAP) realm. So for this I must give a huge thank you to both Aune for accepting me and NMatheis  for inviting me to this outstanding tour. But without further adieu allow me to express my thoughts into the Aune M2.
 
 
 
 
The Opening Experience
 
    The opening experience of the M2 I’m not exactly sure if this is how it comes from the factory of if it was only for this tour. What I mean by this is the M2 actually came inside an Aune B1 Portable Headphone Amp. case and I’m highly doubtful a production unit would come packaged as such. In addition, the only thing included with said package was a micro usb charging cable and the user manual. So, for this reason I cannot justify giving any sort of unboxing experience impressions on the Aune M2.
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
Construction
 
    As we were, onwards and upwards and I right? So how’s the build quality of the Aune M2? This is only my second experience with a designated DAP so my experience is respectably limited but I do still have a pretty good idea on what’s well built and what needs some work.
    As for the M2 I firmly believe that the construction is sound. The aluminum framework feels both smooth to the touch yet hard if that touch were to lose its grip. The screen is large enough as to have a nice sized font, thus no squinting is needed. The volume button on the right side of the unit is beautifully responsive yet provides AMPLE volume selection. Not once during my time with this unit have I wished for a half volume selection, even when I’m listening to the M2 when laying down to rest when my ears are at their peak sensitivity have I had an issue. Also on the right side of the unit is the SD card slot which presented itself it’s own issues, but we’ll touch on that later. On the bottom there’s the volume port and micro usb charging port.
 
Functionality
 
    This is something I look for, perhaps even more than build quality. How easy is it to use and what’s more on top of that is how effective is the navigation? In the terms of ease of use the M2 is quite simple. Though one will have to play with it about a minute or two to figure out what’s he back etc… but once that’s down it’s pretty smooth sailing.
    Well smooth sailing so long as you’re card reads. I know that 32gb is not the max size that the M2 can register but that is the only size that I was able to get to work. I tried 2 separate 64gb sd cards and received nothing but a “read TF failed.” Forums mentioned it had to be formated as “FAT32” so I tried reformatting, but that option never appeared so I simply purchased a 32gb card and have had no problems since.
    The ability to sort through songs is still not what I wish it would be. Say I’m in the “C’s” and want to listen to a sone in the “T’s” and what more I’m not sure of the folder or artist said file is in. My only option is to continuously click forward until I finally arrive at the song I’m wanting to hear. There’s no option to fast search. Now I’ve been told a solution to this is to arrange your music alphabetically into folders but why would I want to organize over 1,400 songs when I feel this is a relatively simple software solution. My phone’s music player had this ability, as does the Ipod Classic.
Sound
 
    Alright, and the main event is upon us. How is the sound quality of the Aune M2? From my time of listening to this I was delivered an experience that expected to receive. The audio came through very cleanly and on normal sensitivity headphones these were pretty impressive, but on super sensitive ciems such as my Empire Ears Hermes it was respectable but still had notable hiss. Now the use of the Ultimate Ears buffer jack fixed this, but it was still present nonetheless.
    Now, getting back on track I really enjoyed the DAC equipped, the 4490 produced wonderfully clean sound that had quite impressive bass extension that I truly enjoyed on my B&W P7, the headphone I’ve had the longest and have well over a thousand hours with. I know how it sounds and has become my go to headphone when reviewing an amp or dac. The P7 has some of the most beautiful treble I’ve heard at its price range with very smooth and emotion filled mids with subtly warm bass. The M2, to my honest surprise, didn’t alter any of that but instead but instead accentuated them. The sound was just smoother and more easier to the ears. The musicality of my P7’s remained which is exactly what I want and expect, however the degree it was increased or rather the music was reproduced isn’t much different than what I expected.
    
                                                       
 
 
Conclusion
 
    To sum up my thoughts, the Aune M2 retails for around $350 depending where you search and for that price I got pretty much exactly what I expected sub some SD card annoyance.  The construction is solid and the UI is quite simple yet nothing extravagant (doesn’t even have the ability to show track images). The sound quality is what I expected and makes for a VERY sound investment for anyone looking for a modest priced DAP. The internal amp has some serious punch easily able to drive whatever I plugged into it (see my personal inventory for list) and the dac’s ability to reproduce the audio signal being pushed through it was great for its price. The M2 digital audio player despite having some slight drawbacks is a solid dap for those in the market.

 
Also, don’t forget to check out my unboxing and review videos! I really appreciate it and let me know what you think, if the review helped you don’t forget to hit that thumbs up button. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

 
*Disclaimer- These opinions are solely mine and we're not encouraged or solicited by Aune. The Aune M2S was bought with my own money and as such is subject to my scrutiny. These opinions are honest, fun and full disclosure...
 
Im not one to jump on trends quickly, and I will do much research/reading before I buckle down and actually decide, it's hilarious I wish you could see the stages I go through. That's neither here nor there though. My background is simple. I grew up surrounded by music and when old enough I sought to find what music meant to me.
When I was young my first experience with a Hifi device would be the Iriver IHP-140, in the summer of 2004. I had only limited experience with audio confined to tv, and radio at the time so it would be my first eye opening experience on how close a device could bring me to the music. Unfortunately for myself I would go on to break the device in a year and wouldn't have another "HIFI" experience until my purchase of the Sony PCM D-100 last year.

The Sony was wonderful albeit cumbersome. I knew what I was getting into with the limited UI, restricted file number, and odd file display setup. Nothing mattered though when after working all day, coming home and hooking the PCM-D100 to the Meir Corda 2sidestep and listening to the Sony Dr-Z7 (thirty year old headphones) deliver me into sonic bliss. Black background, great separation, very revealing, however also cold and analytical with a hint of warmth if bass boost is turned all the way up. It was what I considered a great reference to test all others, especially with different buds(which I never got a chance to get too crazy with).

Fast forward to now. I no longer own the Sony PCM-D100, having sold it to get by some hard times. I now find myself with the beast from the east, Aune's M2S.
When I knew I would have my opportunity to replace my old DAP, I started looking high (Sony PCM D-100,LPG,AK240SS,Fiio X7, L&P L5pro) and low (ibasso dx80/90/100, fiio x5, L&P L3), and settled on this little blue nugget that stood out from all the others. Looking at the main site (http://en.auneaudio.com/index.php?s=/Home/Article/detail/id/105.html), it's easy to be quite taken and I was; looking at the carefully thought out design and layout was "B-E-A-Utiful". However, what really caught my eye was the DAC used inside this blue beast, the AKM AK4490 32bit DAC chip also used in the AK380. Being in this hobby it's always nice to want to be on top with the very best available to you so you can get as close/personal with your music as you feel you can. I feel what Aune has done is nothing short of that. However, when we factor in price, build, design we'll see that at least as far as I am concerned, they gave back to the community and cemented their status in the game as a respected house of sound and makers of fine quality audio devices.The Aune M2 comes in three flavors, however per this review I will be focusing on the M2S as I don't/cannot compare the others on hand. I won't go into detail with the differences as that has been covered already, so lets break it down.
 
 
Design/Ergonomics
  
 
Three buttons in the front, sidewheel, power button up top. I love this setup, very simple no thrills down to business attitude. Straight to the music.
It is limited to one SD card slot which even for myself is a little wrinkle. The feel in hand is nice for a right handed person, and at least for me is akin to holding an old cassette player (when paired with the B1) which I rather like. The UI, while basic in most eyes wanting things like album art,swiping motion, touch screen, blutooth, wifi, DNS are all things I don't care for or use anyways (coming from a guy who owns the Nokia pure view 808, that should say enough about me). Folder browse at the moment is the only option, though I have reached out to Aune and it seems at least that more options are forthcoming (new firmware soon!!!). I've always been fine with folder view as this is how I have my library set up with flac and cue files. So in that regard I feel like this truly was an early birthday present. It was made for me in mind. While things like digital out and coax are things not yet implemented, these are things Aune does have in mind implementing with the device later down the road. Again, I'm fine with just line out, though the lack of DAC function through the computer is one I can agree with others as being a MANDATORY feature. Besides the lack of a proper updating of the library where after the initial load on the card, if you put more artists/folders they will appear at the end of the abc order of the first load, typically being abc in the second instance. If any of that sounds confusing, it is when you look at it. Basically it just amounts to disorder, which for me amounts to a tiny niggle. When comparing to the Sony PCM-D100 for me its an upgrade on the UI and overall pocketability. Barring these slight issues, once rectified I'll truly be without criticism.
 
 
Sound
Ohhh man. Haha, yea I'll start it like that. First impressions plugging up to the MEE P1 (look out for that review forth coming) in the B1, Aune M2S combo was magic!
To my ears, and now subjective/selective memory, this brings me closer to the magic than the Sony PCM-D100 had. I have much love for that old Sony but man, the liveliness of the music, detail retrieval, separation amounts to me not having second considerations. Additionally, I'm benefiting from a background that's just as, if not more black and spacious.
Using the the Sony DR-Z7 on tracks like, Nostalgia 77's quiet dawn, brings goosebumps, a swell of emotion and the feeling like your sailing along the milky way. Other performers like Janis Crunch and her recent release (while not very good production wise, I can hear a noise floor I feel higher than other recordings which is shame since it sort of smears the overall beauty of her piano work) is forgiving enough though very obvious with any shortcomings in the production itself. What really sealed it for me and really got me going was Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here (Rare 1984 UK limited edition Nimbus) Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts1-4.
Its always been one of my favorite tracks of theirs and having listened to it so many times throughout my life I thought I had heard all the little nuances, however I would be proven wrong. The recording is THE best I've heard. Complete blackness provides the perfect canvas for Pink to lull you into their world and steal you away once again. Of course, it would be the saxophone at the end of the song that just SEALS it for me. You can hear that sax go all the way back, back, back, back, to the end of that hallway. Its pure bliss, and if it isn't already apparent I'm not gonna be saying many more negatives about the player, because essentially it does what it should very well. However, it still is limited in what it can do for you in regards to augmenting sound, if EQ is your thing, you wont find it here. What you  will find instead is 4 digital filters, which for me while not providing the same flexibility as EQ, do a fine job in allowing the player to sync with a different pair of headphones/genres.
 
I'm going to now tread murky waters and for INFORMATIONAL purposes ONLY will be sharing work that is NOT mine in regards to the filters and how they affect the frequency, if this breaks rules or offends anyone I will make the necessary changes. This is from a Blogger by the name of

Lin - Xi ink,  (​

http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_60c1aacb0102w3ht.html) All credit and praise be directed at her/him?
 
 
 
As you see rather than looking at EQ, we simply look to the rates of decay, adjust and move on per genre or headphone with the feeling your trying to illicit. For me it works out very well, but I can already hear people wanting more control which isn't a bad thing. However I am content in this regard. 

The Aune with the B1 stacked, is really where it's at for those wanting first hand accounts. The Aune M2S by itself does very well and capable through HO, however it excels LO and paired with the B1 the levels at which we climb go up and then some. What's great and has already been spoken of more thoroughly, is in how well the B1 just steps aside and gives the source room to grow. No coloration, no distortion. For me paired with the P1's I have no hiss, though remember user/equipment subjective. I have plugged the Mier Corda 2sidestep into the Aune. However, I didn't really find it all that great. Nothing against that amp, which I did find appropriate for the PCM-D100. What we hear combined with the M2S is something more veiled, with more noise. Not terrible noise mind you, but it's enough to make me just plug back in the B1. The last thing I would like to touch on is battery life, this is a huge feature that ultimately brought me to the Sony. Comparing to the Sony, which I believe it sits somewhere around 9 or so hours. With the Aune M2S we see about 7 hrs of playback, with a built in battery. Looking at my application for this player paired with the B1 has been limited to bus trips to and from work, with sprinkled time throughout the evening, and I don't typically charge till somewhere after three days of use. Again, while I love music I'm also living life, so it's not a deal breaker.




Conclusions
Looking for a player myself I considered a few things. Well thought out design and implementation of resources, ergonomics/handling, price, UI and of course sound. I won't lie, when it came down to it I took a shot in the dark with Aune and after a solid month have been happy. No restarts, some files not playing properly, but all in all very positive. For those looking for an affordable DAP, without bells and whistles looking for that magical connection with their music all over again look no further, but don't necessarily think that the M2S appropriate. The M2pro will do the job just fine and allow you to spend more on interconnects/amp or headphones. Nothing wrong with that. Also as a final conclusion, no one is gonna be able to relate, or very few will. The combination of M2S,B1 and Sony DR-Z6 is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *pant*pant*pant*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Aune, thank you Head-fi.
Hope you enjoyed my ramblings


Final snippet- When the areas I have a concern with, file compatibility, cue file accuracy, UI, ABC disorder as well as digital out, coax out are fixed/implemented I will be changing this to a 5. We'll see what they can do for this little blue dude over time.
 
 
 
Edit- added additional pics, small editing/rewrites