[labeelen]

Many thanks, but I mean a "pure" dac only, Delta-Sigma, preamp

It’s not Delta-Sigma but I really like the Gustard R26 / S17 Pro combination.

 

[Dimitry188]

which is actually the best dac to pair with S17 Pro?

I use S17 Pro with the with an advanced version of Sigxer SDA-6 DAC.
They sound great with each other.

 

[Giangi]

Thanks for the info, maybe I'll wait for the new Aune Dac

 

[sendler2112]

Thanks for the info, maybe I'll wait for the new Aune Dac

The Aune X8 XVIII DAC is what I was using before I got the Burson and can sound quite good if you change the opamp to a Sparkos Pro opamp which just plugs right in using 1 dip riser which they also sell. I bough my X8 on the Black Friday sale at the Amazon USA store for $230.

https://sparkoslabs.com/pro-discrete-op-amp/

 

[Marlowe]

In your opinion, which is actually the best dac to pair with S17 Pro?

There is no "best DAC, it's largely a matter of taste. I'm using the Denafrips Ares 12th-1 which, like the S17, is somewhat on the warm side. (I've never heard the original Ares II, but a reviewer I trust found that the 12th Edition was not as warm as the original, just a bit warmer than neutral.) That works for me since I am most often using the Arya Stealth and this combination warms up the Arya a little and provides a bit more bass; a slight lack of bass quantity is the only nit I have to pick with the Arya. If you're using a different headphone, or your taste runs less warm than mine, you might prefer a different DAC.

Well, on second thought there might be a "best" DAC if you're an ASR Amir cultist chasing the very best numbers a test tone can provide, even if beyond the hearing range of a bat. In which case, you'll probably buy the latest SMSL or Topping every two or three months. (To be clear, there's noting inherently wrong with those brand's DACs. I used an SMSL SU-8 a few years ago and it was fine. The Topping D90 MQA (the original pre-fire AKM 4499 version) performed very well as my primary music DAC for several years until replaced by the Denafrips and still does yeoman service in my TV/Blu-ray setup. But the vast number of DAC models these brands seem to release almost monthly has become dizzying.)

 

[Hippet]

Muchas gracias, pero me refiero sólo a un dac "puro", Delta-Sigma, preamplificador

I pair it with a d400 pro and its great

 

[cobrabucket]

How would this compare with either a Jotunheim 2 or a Soloist 3XP?

 

[Dimitry188]

How would this compare with either a Jotunheim 2 or a Soloist 3XP?

I had Jotunheim. It is quite inferior in sound to Singxer SA-1.
And Aune is at least a notch higher in sound than Singxer SA-1.

So as a result, Aune leaves Jotunheim far behind him.

 

[Dimitry188]

In general, I would not take anything from Schiit today - they are rapidly losing competition to Chinese manufacturers.

Including the speed of updating models - most of Schiit models were released three years ago. And during this time, the Chinese have updated their lineup at least three times. And each time - with a significant improvement in the parameters.

 

[leoxdebois]

My Aune S17 pro beats my Soloist 3XP in pretty every way.

 

[labeelen]

Just for fun I tried (and compared) my Singxer sda-6 pro (v1) with the Gustard R26, both via the Aune S17 Pro.

Some observations:
1. Using HQPlayer I upsampled to dsd256 for sda-6 and to pcm768 for R26
2. Streaming Qobuz via Roon to R26 internal (LAN) and sda-6 via RPI4 RoPieee (Singxer has excellent galvanic isolated USB support)
2. To volume match I used (S17) volume 40 for R26 and volume 44 for sda-6
3. They both sound great but different, sda-6 is more refined and polite whereas R26 sounds more dynamic and spacious.
4. Be aware, sda-6 is a pure DAC so no pre-amp or built-in streamer.

Both are excellent companions to the S17 Pro

 

[Hippet]

Thanks everybody for all the feedback and support. We are so glad and thankful that you like the sound of the S17 Pro which we made with our heart


To reply to the issues you may be concerned about:


1. The volume control of the S17 Pro is composed of an R2R chip and has 64 steps. The S17 Pro is mainly designed for large headphones. When we received user advice on volume, we took it seriously and have optimized the volume curve.The units now all use the new volume curve. If you are an earlier buyer and if it bothers you, please contact us via Email sales@auneaudio.com for a volume upgrade.


2. The S17 Pro is pure Class-A. Both 50mA mode and 100mA mode are class-A. There’s no Class-AB.




3. The 100mA mode of the S17 Pro is like the GT mode in a car, where the maximum throttle is engaged, and the car's continuous extreme mode also leads to significant energy consumption. In 100mA mode, there’s 0.2A per channel, even without headphones connected. The temperature rises noticeably faster compared to 50mA mode. High ambient temperatures and low impedance headphones can cause even faster temperature increases. Setting the jump to 50mA at 69 degrees is to ensure the stability of the device, similar to the restriction of maximum engine speed in a car. As long as the temperature is below 69℃, you can enable the 100mA mode again.


4. Any true Class A amplifier will have thermal noise due to the continuous presence of 100mA static current. The S17 Pro is already a well designed one, with a noise floor of only 4μv which is extremely low. And, as the S17 Pro is just an amplifier, if the front-end equipment has a noise floor, it will cause the S17 Pro to exhibit noise as well. If you are experiencing severe issues, please check your front-end audio source.


Hope the information helps.


Thanks for all your support. May music and joy always be with you

They don't give me the vol upgrade

 

[sendler2112]

They don't give me the vol upgrade

Is your unit in warranty?

 

[cobrabucket]

How's the S17 Pro with IEMs?

 

[AuneAudio]

They don't give me the vol upgrade

Hi, where did you buy the unit from?

If you bought it from one of our authorized distributors (http://en.auneaudio.com/index.php?s=/Home/Article/lists/category/68.html) or our official Amazon (amazon.com/s?me=A2AP0JEHTRG6EO), the aftersales is guaranteed. If you happened to buy it from other channels, please ask the seller.

Thanks.