[dirkaudio]

Hi,
 
I use my T1 as a headphone amp (cinch in) and not as a USB DAC.
I wanted to swap the tube to check the difference in the sound.
By mistake, I swapped with the T1 still on. To my surprise, the audio in my headphones continued without tube. 
 
I tried the same connected to my Mac on USB: no audio (or at least very low) when no tube was in the socket.
So apparently the tube is not in the audio-path when you use the T1 as a "straight" headphone amp...
A bit disappointing for a "tube" headphone amp, no ???
 
Anyone else tried this?
 
Dirk

 

[Anda]

Tube DAC with amp I guess

 

[HeatFan12]

Taken from the T1 thread in dedicated source components sub-forum.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/633006/aune-t1-usb-tube-dac-amp-discussion-thread-see-first-post-for-faq
 
 
Quote:

Q: Does the Aune T1 DAC utilize the tube, does the T1 headphone amp section use the tube, or do they both use the tube?
A: The Aune T1 is a USB tube DAC with a solid state headphone amp. What this means is that if you want the benefits of the tube, you must use the USB Input of the T1.  The amp section of the T1 does not use the tube by itself. Technically, you could bypass the DAC of the T1 and just use the amp but this type of use is not really what the T1 is for. One thing you can do is use the T1 USB input then hook up a different amp to the RCA out of the T1. This will give you the benefits of the tube and allow you to try a different/more powerful amp (though I think the amp in the T1 is quite good).  I personally have a speaker amp hooked up this way so I can use my headphones and some bookshelf speakers at the same time from one source.

 
Cheers!