Is thread has been slow lately. I guess people are busy enjoying their music.
Aune X8 VIII anniversary edition
- Thread starter Ichos
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- aune aune x8 viii
My new Aune X8 anniversary won't play from USB. My IFI Zendac V2 auto connects USB perfectly every time and will play in Windows Media Player and From WASAPI/ Foobar 2000. The X8 seems to pair USB and shows up in the windows devices as Aune X8 but doesn't play. It does play from Windows Media if I first connect another USB device such as the TeraLink USB interface and send optical to the X8, although it sounds terrible with the stock opamp by comparison to the IFI (I have a top of the line double Sparkos Pro discrete opamp waiting but I am not going to even touch the screws to open the hatch if it seems like I must give up and send the X8 back). Or maybe it's the optical. The Zendac V2 doesn't have optical and the X8 isn't working on the USB, so, apples to apples is not possible. It did play from Windows Media Player via USB when I first connected it, but not from WASAPI, even though it does show up as a WASAPI device in Foobar every time. So, I went to Aune and downloaded a "USB driver" from the X8 page, and now it won't play anywhere from USB. The TeraLink shows up in Foobar but also similarly won't play and throws the same message "no device".
Note... Comparing the IFI Zendac V2 between Windows Media Player and WASAPI/ Foobar2000... WASAPI absolutely KILLS IT with much better see through transparency and detail. Even if it strangely has a noticeably lower level than the Windows Kernel mixer it is avoiding with everything on 100%
Note... Comparing the IFI Zendac V2 between Windows Media Player and WASAPI/ Foobar2000... WASAPI absolutely KILLS IT with much better see through transparency and detail. Even if it strangely has a noticeably lower level than the Windows Kernel mixer it is avoiding with everything on 100%
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So, I did get the Douk Audio USB to SPDIF convertor to connect as shared to WASAPI so now I can at least listen to the Aune X8 and Sparkos Pro opamps in Foobar. Hopefully someone at Aune will get back to me as to why the X8 USB mostly fails to show up anywhere so I can hear it without the extra components in the path.
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Just in case any digital filter experts are interested, here are the impulse responses of the various filters in the Aune X8 XVIII that can be selected. I tend to prefer the sound of the Minimum Phase filters over the Linear Phase filters and have settled on the hybrid for now.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/aune-x8-my-overview.42576/#post-1612963
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/aune-x8-my-overview.42576/#post-1612963
borkenarrou
500+ Head-Fier
I think you X8 USB may have a hardware issue, I haven't any issues with mine from any source I tried, have you tried from your phone as well, if nothing works and your X8 is under warranty you can contact the retailer or Aune.
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Why won't my new Aune X8 connect from USB? My IFI Zendac V2 auto connects USB perfectly every time and will play in Windows and WASAPI/ Foobar. I currently have to connect to my laptop USB via a Douk Audio USB to SPDIF converter (Which connects perfectly every time also) and then use the optical and RCA digital inputs (The performance of the Douk seems good since I can still plainly here that the RCA sounds better than the optical, which is to be expected) in order to hear the X8. And the sound is not clearly outperforming the Zendac at this point so I will need to return it for sure if I can't get the USB working.
The X8 Via the Douks even with the Sparkos Pro opamps is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the IFI Zendac V2 with the X8 sounding very creamy and overly smooth in the highs, lacking detail to reveal the reverberant decay. The snap and attack of snare and bite of hi-hat is lower in level and hazed over with the Aune. The bass is also much lower in level. The Zendac on the other hand tends to stray too far the other way, sounding bright and with pronounced sibilants and a little more overbearing in the bass.
I am still hopeful that some of what I am hearing with the X8 that I don't like can be improved I if can get the USB to connect instead of going through the Douk (which seems to actually sound excellent compared to my previous USB/ SPDIF converter from TeraLink). I'm not holding my breath that Aune will ever get back to me since they have never responded to any of us regarding our issues with the volume control of the S17 amp skipping steps and then jumping up to the next level.
The X8 Via the Douks even with the Sparkos Pro opamps is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the IFI Zendac V2 with the X8 sounding very creamy and overly smooth in the highs, lacking detail to reveal the reverberant decay. The snap and attack of snare and bite of hi-hat is lower in level and hazed over with the Aune. The bass is also much lower in level. The Zendac on the other hand tends to stray too far the other way, sounding bright and with pronounced sibilants and a little more overbearing in the bass.
I am still hopeful that some of what I am hearing with the X8 that I don't like can be improved I if can get the USB to connect instead of going through the Douk (which seems to actually sound excellent compared to my previous USB/ SPDIF converter from TeraLink). I'm not holding my breath that Aune will ever get back to me since they have never responded to any of us regarding our issues with the volume control of the S17 amp skipping steps and then jumping up to the next level.
Have you tried installing the driver?
http://en.auneaudio.com/index.php?s=/Home/MArticle/gjxzhz.html
http://en.auneaudio.com/index.php?s=/Home/MArticle/gjxzhz.html
I did. And if anything it made the situation worse somehow if I remember correctly because prior to this the X8 would connect to Windows Media and not WASAPI. So I sought out Aune USB driver and installed it and now the X8 will not connect USB to anything.
Strange, maybe you should contact Aune?
Haven't experienced such problems.
Haven't experienced such problems.
These instructions should be posted as a sticky at the front of this thread! Thanks a million. This had been costing me too much time.
http://aune.hifidiy.net/aune_en/X8_XVIII/auneUSBdacGuideEN.pdf
I followed it all through the settings and now the Aune X8 USB works for everything as it should. It was a battle unlike the other three USB components I have that all started working as soon as I plugged them in.
The good news is the X8 USB is working in WASAPI now.
The bad news is the Douk Audio USB to SPDIF converter sounds better than the X8's USB
The good news is that the Douk costs $60 and is the size of 2 match books and USB powered. And my cheap DIY Belden Cat 6E digital RCA cord sounds good enough to outperform the X8's USB (and the toslink)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085XPRSGM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
I'm going to reserve final judgement on the sonics of the Aune until I get a chance to solder up some new interconnects (also the same amazing bonded pair in Teflon strands that I rip out of the Cat 6E Belden) that had found to be the best sounding wire. Everything I had here from my living room is XLR. But I used to sell these cables 20 years ago so I still have all of the parts. If I remember, the DIY braided rectangular core in Teflon I'm using now I didn't prefer as being too smooth. Which is what I am hearing at the top end of the X8 with Sparkos.
The IFI Zendac V2 is very open and detailed but very bright.
What op-amp have you installed?
OK. I would suggest to be patient, the discrete op-amps require plenty of time to settle down and maybe later you can try a Muses op-amp. I find it quite strange not to like the Aune X8, this is one of the best DACs I have tested (and regularly use) with a performance that far exceeds competitive products.
Of course, subjectivity is always a serious factor to consider.
I let the X8/ Sparkos run on repeat when not listening to break in everything. It has 50 hours on it. The opamp was thin sounding at first and took a good 3 hours to break in.
WeepingGuitar
New Head-Fier
I picked up an X8 a few weeks ago. I really like it. Fun switching back and forth between the two op amps that came with it. I didn't think that I would hear much difference but I did. I received a Sparkos SS2590 yesterday and it sounds really nice right out of the box. I supposed it takes a bit of play time to "break in" but any improvements from what I'm hearing now will be icing on the cake. (Thanks Sparkos for the great customer service as I tried to decide which op amps to go with.)
I'm running pre-out via RCA straight into the power amp since it has gain control. Wanted to get a baseline for what the X8 sounds like without anything in the signal path. I'm not going be in any hurry to put the Freya back in.
I'm running pre-out via RCA straight into the power amp since it has gain control. Wanted to get a baseline for what the X8 sounds like without anything in the signal path. I'm not going be in any hurry to put the Freya back in.
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