Aune T1 USB Tube DAC+ SS Amp Discussion Thread ***See first post for FAQ--Updated on 02/14/15***

[Sorrodje]

I like too.

 
I was afraid to be disappointed when I would have discovered it in real life but I'm still like this kind of "vintage" appearance . I like their weight , good cable and Leather hearband . it looks like a quality item .
 

 

[ryuworks]

Can I check with everyone here, is everyone getting the 110V version of the power brick? All documentation suggest that the power brick is supposed to be 110/220V, but the version that I bought from Taiwan has only 110V labeled on the power brick, and I'm from a 220~240V country (Singapore). Any help?
 
P.S. Realised i didn't check properly before I bought, and am now regretting it. Emailed the official email address on the official Aune site to ask if they can sell me one with the correct voltage, but if that doesn't work out is a step-down transformer a good option? Or will that cause audio quality problems?

 

[HolyCheese]

I'd suggest that you don't connect the amp. I found two versions of the same amp with a slightly difference name and the only difference was 110v and 220 v. You could get a stepdown converter.
This is the one i'm talking about: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/FA035AB-AC-220V-BLACK-COLOR-Aune-T1-Audio-Decoder-6N11-Tube-Headphone-Amplifier/695527519.html
It has another called FA035AA. That one is 110 V.
Is this a reliable source or should I buy the Aune T1 somewhere else?
 
I really like the look of this thing but I wonder if this will be of any use.
I currently own the FiiO e10 and a Fidelio X1. Would the aune t1 be a significant upgrade over the fiio? And can someone who owns both the e10 and the aune t1 comment on the difference (with low impedance cans)

 

[RMac]

Quote:

 
 
I received a gift this morning too ... 

 

 
You will certainly have to offer your impressions of the Aune T1 using the Hifiman HE-400's.  I own the HE-400's too and I still haven't received my Aune T1 yet.

 

[icecap]

alright, gotten my T1 from Quartz Acoustic and after almost 5 days of extensive burn in and listening, I am just loving how addictive this gem is sounding! bought the Genalex E88CC as well, so maybe I can give a short comparisons between the 3 tubes..
 
- Stock 6N11
soundstage is surprisingly wide, to a point of almost a bit unnatural as depth are lost.. main sound signature is grainy and hard edge.. sounds like a SS amp.. too much sparkle for my liking in violins classicals.. some fatigue for me...
 
- 6922EH
this free tube that came along with my purchase was worthy IMO for pop/rock.. the top end rolled off quite well and mids are brought forward quite obviously.. quite good for vocals.. bass is very good and tight, probably the strength of this tube.. depth is slightly better, which brings a closer soundstage, quite normal in that sense.. depending on one's listening genre, as I am more classicals and instrumentals, I feel it is quite a laid back tube..
 
- Genalex E88CC
oh woah! best of both worlds! soundstage expanded from 6922EH but instruments separation are improved quite obviously.. is rather amazing depth can be maintained this considerably well for that soundstage.. vocals also are prominent although may not be ideal in some genres as I feel it is the lower mid that is emphasised. This also can result in the bass to be that wee bit boomy, just that bit.. other than that, this genalex is really an exciting tube to be enjoyed with the obvious improved dynamics it has over the stock 6N11.. pop lovers can have some confidence from 6922EH, but other than that, probably it is really just the price that is preventing anyone from getting a genalex.. and at S$45, I glad I made the purchase..
 
and T1 is really clean sounding... glows pretty too! oh, I am using a DT990 pro for these comparisons by the way...

 

[Sorrodje]

Quote:

 
You will certainly have to offer your impressions of the Aune T1 using the Hifiman HE-400's.  I own the HE-400's too and I still haven't received my Aune T1 yet.

 
 
So . i'm not experienced enough with the he-400 to give a good feedback. When both you and me will have enough time  with the combo , we will surely give our impressions here. 

 

[toschek]

@ryuworks Did you buy the amp from their ebay store or from another vendor?   Their customer service is pretty easy to deal with and I am sure they will exchange the 110v one for 220v if you send them an email explaining the mistake.   You may even be able to buy the proper transformer from them if you didn't buy directly from them.   The ebay userid is wsz0304.
 
Like I said, they are really easy-going.   They even sent me new tube covers when I broke mine for free (and that was clearly my fault).

 

[toschek]

@HolyCheese I upgraded to this from a FiiO E10.   It is a very big upgrade IMO.   I still keep the E10 in my backpack for work, but it's nowhere near as good and the SQ difference is very noticeable.   The Fidelio X1 should work great with these, you'll have 1 full watt of with 30Ω cans, which is plenty of power.  I don't know about the supplier you mentioned, I bought mine from Aune's ebay store and as I mentioned in the previous post they are great to deal with.

 

[HeatFan12]

This looks like a nice device indeed.  I've seen a couple different listings and I see some of you have purchased from wsz0304.  I purchased my Zero dac years ago from him and it was a flawless transaction.  Just to confirm (don't know about any revisions) this uses the 6922 / 6DJ8 / 7308 tube?
 
Thanks!

 

[joeq70]

Quote:

This looks like a nice device indeed.  I've seen a couple different listings and I see some of you have purchased from wsz0304.  I purchased my Zero dac years ago from him and it was a flawless transaction.  Just to confirm (don't know about any revisions) this uses the 6922 / 6DJ8 / 7308 tube?
 
Thanks!

Yep that is the tube family indeed!

 

[joeq70]

Btw guys I just bought a few tubes from the for sale forum here to try out . These ones came in today: http://www.head-fi.org/t/638875/fs-pair-of-siemens-ecc88-6dj8-rca-preamp-tubes
 
They sound very nice. I'm still working on comparing them with my other tubes but so far they seem like something in between the two russian tubes I have now. More laid back than the rocket logo but warmer than the 6h23p-eb. Seeing as I only need one of these two tubes I just bought if any of you are curious to try it out send me a pm and I'll sell it for a fair price.

 

[toschek]

Quote:

Btw guys I just bought a few tubes from the for sale forum here to try out . These ones came in today: http://www.head-fi.org/t/638875/fs-pair-of-siemens-ecc88-6dj8-rca-preamp-tubes
 
They sound very nice. I'm still working on comparing them with my other tubes but so far they seem like something in between the two russian tubes I have now. More laid back than the rocket logo but warmer than the 6h23p-eb. Seeing as I only need one of these two tubes I just bought if any of you are curious to try it out send me a pm and I'll sell it for a fair price.

 
Joe, tell me more about the ECC88.   I bought a couple of supposedly NOS Amperex ECC88's from Ebay, just waiting on them to get from Israel to the US.   The 6h23p-eb (I think this is actually supposed to be 6N23P-EV, in Cyrillic H = N, B = V) has a nice tone but can sound a bit muddled at lower volumes.  So far my favorite one has been the 6N23P with the rocket logo which seems to retain definition at lower volumes.

 

[joeq70]

Quote:

 
Joe, tell me more about the ECC88.   I bought a couple of supposedly NOS Amperex ECC88's from Ebay, just waiting on them to get from Israel to the US.   The 6h23p-eb (I think this is actually supposed to be 6N23P-EV, in Cyrillic H = N, B = V) has a nice tone but can sound a bit muddled at lower volumes.  So far my favorite one has been the 6N23P with the rocket logo which seems to retain definition at lower volumes.

Sure thing! I'll have some time to do a thorough comparison this weekend. One thing you pointed out that is important yet not many people mention it on head-fi is the volume at which you listen. I personally listen at very loud volumes most of the time, so that is where I'm coming from when I evaluate my equipment. 

 

[NinjaVampire]

Instead of starting my own thread, I thought I may as well pose my questions here where it is more relevant!
 
I'm seriously considering this as my first amp/dac to pair with my DT 880 Pros (250 Ohms) after reading all the great things you guys have to say about it! I was wondering though, would you consider this the overall winner in the budget amp/dac combo around the 200 dollar mark (with usb), as there are a few others I have been looking into such as the Tubemagic D1 Plus, the MX1 and the U100? So many choices... For the record though, I'm not looking for an amp for reference, I want one that will make my music sound extra beautiful, which is why I'm leaning towards tube A lot of people do say to avoid tubes unless you plan to pay a lot of money!
 
Thanks for reading.

 

[joeq70]

Instead of starting my own thread, I thought I may as well pose my questions here where it is more relevant!


I'm seriously considering this as my first amp/dac to pair with my DT 880 Pros (250 Ohms) after reading all the great things you guys have to say about it! I was wondering though, would you consider this the overall winner in the budget amp/dac combo around the 200 dollar mark (with usb), as there are a few others I have been looking into such as the Tubemagic D1 Plus, the MX1 and the U100? So many choices... For the record though, I'm not looking for an amp for reference, I want one that will make my music sound extra beautiful, which is why I'm leaning towards tube A lot of people do say to avoid tubes unless you plan to pay a lot of money!

Thanks for reading.

I mean I've heard a number of amps and sources in this price range and above. The T1 is the first item other than my headphones that I thought was absolutely worth the money. DT880 sounds great with it by the way.