Aune S17 pro

[Alexfux12]

Hey folks. I have ordered my S17 Pro and it should be here before too long.
I did want to mention that while trying to secure one, I heard from 2 different vendors that the distributor is going to have a price increase.
The rumor is it could go up to $899.
Not sure when this is going to happen, but I have started to see some of these at that price on AliExpress.




Glad I got in when I did!
I can't wait to hear this one.

Yeah a seller on aliexpress told me the same thing, that "the manufacturer raised the price", i really want to order one but im afraid ill get the older stock with the wonky volume curve, on the other hand if the price is really going up ill miss out the current price. :/

 

[rawrj]

Anyone using this primarily with IEMs? I'm seriously considering it but since I listen 95% with IEMs I'm not sure it would be ideal.

 

[Erick Muller]

Hey folks. I have ordered my S17 Pro and it should be here before too long.
I did want to mention that while trying to secure one, I heard from 2 different vendors that the distributor is going to have a price increase.
The rumor is it could go up to $899.
Not sure when this is going to happen, but I have started to see some of these at that price on AliExpress.




Glad I got in when I did!
I can't wait to hear this one.

It's probably a new version of this amp, because on the screen where your current volume indicator is, there seems to be like a circular bar that's also is filling up as you go up or down in the volume knob, my doesn't do that, but tbh that kind of change wouldn't justify imho a $150-$200 usd price increase for an entirely aesthetic change to the UI on the screen, unless Aune is doing something else with the amp, and I don't mean just sorting out the already known issues with the amp, then this is the usual middle man marking up the price of the amp, also the climb up in price is so much (we're talking almost a 30% increase on a product that hasn't even been out for a year) that it's even much steeper climb than when shiit increase the price of it's amps in comparison and I'm having a hard time believing that an US based company manufacturing it's products on the US when it has a price increase it's for much less than a chinese company.

I could accept that $200 usd price increase tho if we get a turbo charged version of the S17 that Aune garantees will run the Modhouse Tungstens flawlessly and at 99% of their potential.

 

[Carmignola]

@aune or anybody who knows: I have the Topping DX3 pro+ feeding the s17. The DX3 is configured as pure DAC with volume control function disabled. It puts out 2.1Vrms to the s17. My Question: Is this ok or is this (for longer time) too much for the s17?

Perhaps relevant: the S17 serves as preamp for a "3e audio TPA3255 260-2-29A" -based poweramp, I usually use the volume of the S17 between 20 and 40. At volume 1 the music is already between 30 and 40dB loud.

...and it sounds fantastic (much better than my old Denon PRA1500)!!

 

[easylive]

Anyone using this primarily with IEMs? I'm seriously considering it but since I listen 95% with IEMs I'm not sure it would be ideal.

It is too loud on the first volume step, it is not iem friendly.. , you need to attenuate the line signal or to use something like ifi iematch...

 

[Erick Muller]

Anyone using this primarily with IEMs? I'm seriously considering it but since I listen 95% with IEMs I'm not sure it would be ideal.

I don't listen that much to IEM's, they never fit me well enough and I find them really unconfortable for my particular ears, but I tried my moondrop's starfields and it work really well at low gain with both 50ma and 100ma modes, no hiss or back ground noise, didn't try at high gain because I'm a coward but I think frankly that this amp is over-kill for IEM's, any IEM on earth.

 

[Erick Muller]

Ok, found this on Aune's website about the S17

This are the specs of the amp

Apparently at 150ohms this amp produces 1.8w and according to what research I'd done regarding the ModHouse Tungstens, you need at least 1.5w at 150ohm to run them properly, so maybe this amp has a chance of running them well enough and with some headroom.

 

[rawrj]

It is too loud on the first volume step, it is not iem friendly.. , you need to attenuate the line signal or to use something like ifi iematch...

I don't listen that much to IEM's, they never fit me well enough and I find them really unconfortable for my particular ears, but I tried my moondrop's starfields and it work really well at low gain with both 50ma and 100ma modes, no hiss or back ground noise, didn't try at high gain because I'm a coward but I think frankly that this amp is over-kill for IEM's, any IEM on earth.

Thank you guys for the feedback! This thing probably isn't for me but damn I want it lol

 

[Simon Patten]

On another note, does anyone know if this amp will be able to run the Modhouse tungstens sufficently well? I asked Ryan because I'm planning in buying a pair from him, but he wasn't that sure the S17 might be able to get sufficient headroom for these power hungry, monster cans of his.

I was just re-watching Zeos's review and he seems to think not: (it should start a short while before he starts talking about it or at 25:30).

 

[Erick Muller]

I was just re-watching Zeos's review and he seems to think not: (it should start a short while before he starts talking about it or at 25:30).

Maybe it's confirmation bias on my end, maybe I'm hopeful that the DS version of the tungstens is sufficiently more efficient compare to the older, less efficient SS drivers that Zeos had at that time that the S17 might just be able to do it, but given that Ryan said that you need an amp that can at least deliver 1.5w into 150ohm load and the S17 gives 1.8w at that load in it's spec sheet(according to Aune at least, so maybe they're presenting the best case scenario here) I might just be able to run them sufficiently well, I'm not expecting to run them at 99% of their capabilities or even close to that and maybe down the line I will buy a more powerful amp that can run them that well, but one thing is for sure, even if down the road I buy a better, more powerful amp to run the Tungstens, you'll be damn sure I'm preamping that amp with the S17 because what this amp does to sound is just freaking awesome and I'm not giving that up away even for something that on paper is better.

 

[Simon Patten]

Zeos does point to an amp on the desk and says it will drive them, I didn't catch the name.

Otherwise I guess you just have to try it for yourself. Most reviewers say it's one of, if not the best headphone amp under 1K, do you want to spend more or could you consider the S17 a stepping stone that you may want to linger on? I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed.

 

[Alexfux12]

So two different sellers on aliexpress now told me that the manufacturer is raising the price and its going to cost 849-899$, when i asked it the "new" version is any different, they both said yes and sent me the attached photos, apparently they lowered the DB variation in the frequency response and the THD.
On the other hand i asked aune on their official site and they said that the price is not going up.

So i guess do with this information what you wiil.

 

[Erick Muller]

Zeos does point to an amp on the desk and says it will drive them, I didn't catch the name.

Otherwise I guess you just have to try it for yourself. Most reviewers say it's one of, if not the best headphone amp under 1K, do you want to spend more or could you consider the S17 a stepping stone that you may want to linger on? I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed.

I'm not sure Simon, I have not doubt that on balance the S17 is the best amp under 1k, maybe the Topping A70 Pro has more power on hand, but will it sound as good as the S17? I highly doubt it. tho I'm considering buying the A70 and premaping it with the S17 to get at least some of the lush, warm, punchy sound of the S17 in order to power the Tungstens. I'm also considering the Schiit Mjolnir 3, I saw a kind of a review recently of it and the reviewer said it competes with amps worth almost $5k and that it could drive Susvara's perfectly well, so in my mind, if it can drive Susvara's well enough, it can drive Tungstens, the problem is that Mjolnir is a bigger amp than the S17 and I'm running out of desk space already, lol

 

[Erick Muller]

So two different sellers on aliexpress now told me that the manufacturer is raising the price and its going to cost 849-899$, when i asked it the "new" version is any different, they both said yes and sent me the attached photos, apparently they lowered the DB variation in the frequency response and the THD.
On the other hand i asked aune on their official site and they said that the price is not going up.

So i guess do with this information what you wiil.

Did they say if Aune is increasing the power on this amp too?

Like I guess is fine if they have improve the THD but I'm worried if for the sake of measurement seeking we end up losing some of what makes this amp's sound so special and if they're increasing the price of this amp by almost 30% just for a very slight aesthetic change to the screen UI and some increase/improvement in THD that it will be almost imperceptible to the human ear, is it even worth it at that point and now you're only $300 usd away from a Mjolnir 3, why not save a little bit more money and get that amp instead of the S17?

 

[Alexfux12]

Did they say if Aune is increasing the power on this amp too?

Like I guess is fine if they have improve the THD but I'm worried if for the sake of measurement seeking we end up losing some of what makes this amp's sound so special and if they're increasing the price of this amp by almost 30% just for a very slight aesthetic change to the screen UI and some increase/improvement in THD that it will be almost imperceptible to the human ear, is it even worth it at that point and now you're only $300 usd away from a Mjolnir 3, why not save a little bit more money and get that amp instead of the S17?

They didnt say anything else is changing, and youre right, thats my fear as well, that this pursuit of numbers that humans cant actually hear will just drive the price up.
One theory i have is because of the very positive reception to the amp, and everybody praising it as the best thing at around 1000$, they maybe just realized they underpriced it a bit, but they didnt want to just raise the price without "reason", so they made these small changes to have an excuse.