[Hengstenberg]

https://www.audiodesignguide.com/VolumeNew/index.html , yes, absolutely normal

Except for testing, with all my HP´s, i was never higher than volume 45 and i hear extremely!!!!!!! loud.
Turn the output level of your DAC a step down if you need the insane output power >55. and all is fine- or buy a pooh pooh Topping or SMSL

 

[Marlowe]

or buy a pooh pooh Topping or SMSL

You should post these musings on ASR. The reactions of Amir and his Objectivist cultists would likely be entertaining. (The phrase stuck pig comes to mind.) BTW, they hate R-2R DACs and tube amps as a matter of principle. I'm not sure if they have a similar bias against Class A amps as a class, but Amir did give the generally well regarded Class A Burson Soloist a very negative "review."

 

[Giangi]

Except for testing, with all my HP´s, i was never higher than volume 45 and i hear extremely!!!!!!! loud.
Turn the output level of your DAC a step down if you need the insane output power >55. and all is fine- or buy a pooh pooh Topping or SMSL

Except for testing, with all my HP´s, i was never higher than volume 45 and i hear extremely!!!!!!! loud.
Turn the output level of your DAC a step down if you need the insane output power >55. and all is fine- or buy a pooh pooh Topping or SMSL

Apart from the fact that you will buy the Toppings and the SMSL, what does that have to do with it? Didn't I offend or say something that didn't go with Aune? On the contrary

 

[Hengstenberg]

You should post these musings on ASR. The reactions of Amir and his Objectivist cultists would likely be entertaining. (The phrase stuck pig comes to mind.) BTW, they hate R-2R DACs and tube amps as a matter of principle. I'm not sure if they have a similar bias against Class A amps as a class, but Amir did give the generally well regarded Class A Burson Soloist a very negative "review."

Amir and his measurement cultists would throw stones at me, by calling "shame" shame" and then burn me alive

 

[Marlowe]

Another very good review by a reviewer I like a lot: https://ichos-reviews.com/aune-s17-pro-review/

Icho includes a detailed comparison with the almost twice as expensive ($1300) Violectric V222, an amp that he reviewed very favorably recently and I had been strongly considering, though it would require several more months of savings. After noting their different strengths, he concludes that the V222 remains his favorite solid state amp, but the S17 is pretty close and is a true end-game amp.

BTW, almost as if he had been following our earlier discussion, Ichos notes that Aune has "departed from the latest “Chi-Fi” trend which values absolute scientific measurements more than actual music realism. Various brands that design audio devices without much inspiration with their only aim to make them measure better and better but in the end they tend to sound more or less the same, lifeless and sterile" and "follows more traditional “HiFi” methods with a painstaking tuning made by the ear and by carefully testing and hand picking the right audio components, among hundreds of them, until the final product meets their needs for the most realistic sound, despite the subjectivity of such a decision."

BTW, I'll be ordering the S17 tomorrow. After doing some research about AliExpress, which unlike Amazon sells nothing directly but only through third party stores, I decided to split the difference. The cheapest prices on the site (near $500 USD) were from stores I was not familiar with and were mostly new to AliExpress but I decided to buy from the HiFiGo store for $699 minus the $100 savings coupon (the S17 is not on sale on their own website). So hopefully, I should have it just before or just after Thanksgiving next week.

 

[kopczas]

Have anyone outside US tried to use those promo codes?

 

[drspeter]

Another very good review by a reviewer I like a lot: https://ichos-reviews.com/aune-s17-pro-review/

Icho includes a detailed comparison with the almost twice as expensive ($1300) Violectric V222, an amp that he reviewed very favorably recently and I had been strongly considering, though it would require several more months of savings. After noting their different strengths, he concludes that the V222 remains his favorite solid state amp, but the S17 is pretty close and is a true end-game amp.

BTW, almost as if he had been following our earlier discussion, Ichos notes that Aune has "departed from the latest “Chi-Fi” trend which values absolute scientific measurements more than actual music realism. Various brands that design audio devices without much inspiration with their only aim to make them measure better and better but in the end they tend to sound more or less the same, lifeless and sterile" and "follows more traditional “HiFi” methods with a painstaking tuning made by the ear and by carefully testing and hand picking the right audio components, among hundreds of them, until the final product meets their needs for the most realistic sound, despite the subjectivity of such a decision."

BTW, I'll be ordering the S17 tomorrow. After doing some research about AliExpress, which unlike Amazon sells nothing directly but only through third party stores, I decided to split the difference. The cheapest prices on the site (near $500 USD) were from stores I was not familiar with and were mostly new to AliExpress but I decided to buy from the HiFiGo store for $699 minus the $100 savings coupon (the S17 is not on sale on their own website). So hopefully, I should have it just before or just after Thanksgiving next week.

Yeah. Aliexpress is not for buying expensive electronics at least to me. I wonder if s17 pro will be listed in the black friday sale from amazon. Then i would prefer buying from amazon even with more money asked for it

 

[Giangi]

Yeah. Aliexpress is not for buying expensive electronics at least to me. I wonder if s17 pro will be listed in the black friday sale from amazon. Then i would prefer buying from amazon even with more money asked for it

I bought it from Aune European Store neither from Ali nor Hifigo...bad experience with Hifigo last purchase

 

[Ichos]

Dear friends, here is my detailed Aune S17 Pro review.

Short version - Amazing!

 

[MiguelP]

Dear friends, here is my detailed Aune S17 Pro review.

Short version - Amazing!

I've been wondering these last weeks which one (V222 or S17) was the better amp. Regarding build quality and reliability I'm pretty sure that the Violectric would win hands down, and S17 had the price advantage. You seem to prefer the Violectric sound quality - is this regardless of the headphones used (both low impedance planars and high impedance dynamics - HD800s)?

 

[Marlowe]

Yeah. Aliexpress is not for buying expensive electronics at least to me. I wonder if s17 pro will be listed in the black friday sale from amazon. Then i would prefer buying from amazon even with more money asked for it

Unlikely on Amazon. At least in the US, they recently had the S17 out of stock and now indicate a large delivery window several weeks in the future, possibly next month for the black one that I want. I assume they are shipping them from China (they are sold by Aune, not Amazon) and I wouldn't rely even on those unacceptable long delivery times. Since I don't believe Aune products are sold by any other seller in the US, my alternatives are either full price from HiFiGo or Penon, which I believe have good reputations, Aune directly, of from the HifiGo store on AliExpress for $100 off.

 

[Giangi]

Unlikely on Amazon. At least in the US, they recently had the S17 out of stock and now indicate a large delivery window several weeks in the future, possibly next month for the black one that I want. I assume they are shipping them from China (they are sold by Aune, not Amazon) and I wouldn't rely even on those unacceptable long delivery times. Since I don't believe Aune products are sold by any other seller in the US, my alternatives are either full price from HiFiGo or Penon, which I believe have good reputations, Aune directly, of from the HifiGo store on AliExpress for $100 off.

Buy from an authorized reseller in your country...warranty, don't forget it

 

[Ichos]

I've been wondering these last weeks which one (V222 or S17) was the better amp. Regarding build quality and reliability I'm pretty sure that the Violectric would win hands down, and S17 had the price advantage. You seem to prefer the Violectric sound quality - is this regardless of the headphones used (both low impedance planars and high impedance dynamics - HD800s)?

Are you sure that I prefer the V222?...

 

[MiguelP]

Are you sure that I prefer the V222?...

"The Violectric V222 is still my favorite solid state amplifier..."

 

[Ichos]

"The Violectric V222 is still my favorite solid state amplifier..."

But half of my heart belongs to the S17 Pro...

Well, joking aside, I like them both and honestly I slightly prefer the timbre of the S17 Pro. Then it is about matching. Some headphones will benefit from the slightly superior technicalities of the V222, the transparency and the speed.
Some others will love the thicker texture of the Aune.
The V222 is also able to produce larger voltage swing for high Z loads but it is not that the S17 Pro is not competitive.