Measurements of Aune S8 DAC

[amirm]

So, when I saw this J-Test result, I did have a little irony inside, and used the description "Super PLL" in the title to express a little ridicule

This may be a language issue but in English, when we use quotes, we mean to use the words exactly as stated. Here, there is no English description of the product so there is nothing to quote. Even if there were in Chinese, it seems that it doesn't say Super PLL. So use of the quotation marks and emphasis on those words, is misleading. It certainly made me want to go and look and when I did not find anything, I was surprised.

Note that plenty of high-end DAC companies talk about their low-phase noise clocks and such. It is not something specific here and I usually ignore them.

Finally, and this is the tricky bit. Your measurements look so much like mine and published here, so people are starting to hold me responsible for them. Normally it doesn't matter what members write. But in this case, it has become a gray area and reflecting on me to some extent and hence this interaction. I don't know what the good solution to this is long term but for now, my suggestion is to unquote the term in the title and use a different wording if possible.

 

[WolfX-700]

This may be a language issue but in English, when we use quotes, we mean to use the words exactly as stated. Here, there is no English description of the product so there is nothing to quote. Even if there were in Chinese, it seems that it doesn't say Super PLL. So use of the quotation marks and emphasis on those words, is misleading. It certainly made me want to go and look and when I did not find anything, I was surprised.

Note that plenty of high-end DAC companies talk about their low-phase noise clocks and such. It is not something specific here and I usually ignore them.

Finally, and this is the tricky bit. Your measurements look so much like mine and published here, so people are starting to hold me responsible for them. Normally it doesn't matter what members write. But in this case, it has become a gray area and reflecting on me to some extent and hence this interaction. I don't know what the good solution to this is long term but for now, my suggestion is to unquote the term in the title and use a different wording if possible.

I see, and in fact I realized if there would be misunderstandings due to the different cultural meaning of the quotes. But I'm sorry I don't know enough about this cultural difference.

I apologize for this and amended the title of the post.

If it causes any inconvenience, please accept my apologies.

 

[amirm]

Thank you very much.

 

[ccc888]

This may be a language issue but in English, when we use quotes, we mean to use the words exactly as stated. Here, there is no English description of the product so there is nothing to quote. Even if there were in Chinese, it seems that it doesn't say Super PLL. So use of the quotation marks and emphasis on those words, is misleading. It certainly made me want to go and look and when I did not find anything, I was surprised.

Note that plenty of high-end DAC companies talk about their low-phase noise clocks and such. It is not something specific here and I usually ignore them.

Finally, and this is the tricky bit. Your measurements look so much like mine and published here, so people are starting to hold me responsible for them. Normally it doesn't matter what members write. But in this case, it has become a gray area and reflecting on me to some extent and hence this interaction. I don't know what the good solution to this is long term but for now, my suggestion is to unquote the term in the title and use a different wording if possible.

The double quotes here mean "so called", they mean to show irony. It is a common usage of double quotes in English. I think WolfX was using it correctly. However, without knowing the context, one could be misled. I knew about Helen from Titans Audio Lab and I read Aune's promotion in Chinese, so I can understand what WolfX intended to mean.

I'm not a native English speaker, but I'm living in the US. I have seen many people speaking some words with their eyes wide opened while bending two fingers on each side of their heads. That means people here are using the double quotes the same way as WolfX did.

 

[amirm]

I'm sorry but I would disagree with your understanding of double quotes.

The double quotes here mean "so called", they mean to show irony. It is a common usage of double quotes in English. I think WolfX was using it correctly.

I'm not a native English speaker, but I'm living in the US. I have seen many people speaking some words with their eyes wide opened while bending two fingers on each side of their heads. That means people here are using the double quotes the same way as WolfX did.

We are not having a conversation with air quotes used that way. As I explained, I saw so much emphasis on the phrase Super PLL that I went searching for it to see where they had said this. Here is another example beyond the title:

They strongly emphasized the so-called "Super PLL" technology in the publicity

If this were your product and you had never said the phrase Super PLL, you would be cool with it? I know I would not.

I am thankful that Wolf has corrected the title. As reviewers, we are held to higher standard than you all. We build a brand and reputation around our reviews. Both Wolf and I are quite direct and critical of products that don't perform. We need to be careful that we don't get accused of hating products for the sake of hating products. Because once there, it devalues our reviews and reputation of the work we do otherwise. Best to be harsh about the facts, not things that are not so. And here, the word Super PLL was not used so it is not fair to criticize the product on that basis.

 

[NTomokawa]

Both Wolf and I are quite direct and critical of products that don't perform.

You folks are a breath of fresh air, a pair of beam sabres cutting right through all this thick, opaque, congealed snake oil that is "audiophilia".

Thank you both so much.

 

[WolfX-700]

We are not having a conversation with air quotes used that way. As I explained, I saw so much emphasis on the phrase Super PLL that I went searching for it to see where they had said this. Here is another example beyond the title:



If this were your product and you had never said the phrase Super PLL, you would be cool with it? I know I would not.

I am thankful that Wolf has corrected the title. As reviewers, we are held to higher standard than you all. We build a brand and reputation around our reviews. Both Wolf and I are quite direct and critical of products that don't perform. We need to be careful that we don't get accused of hating products for the sake of hating products. Because once there, it devalues our reviews and reputation of the work we do otherwise. Best to be harsh about the facts, not things that are not so. And here, the word Super PLL was not used so it is not fair to criticize the product on that basis.

Thanks Amir for the suggestion! I did make a mistake in bringing the aversion to the excessive publicity seen in the "Chinese World" to the description of the product itself. To a certain extent, it also violates my own principle of "more measurement and less evaluation".

This is a good reminder of how to proceed carefully to maintain the due neutrality and rigor.

 

[ccc888]

We are not having a conversation with air quotes used that way. As I explained, I saw so much emphasis on the phrase Super PLL that I went searching for it to see where they had said this. Here is another example beyond the title:



If this were your product and you had never said the phrase Super PLL, you would be cool with it? I know I would not.

I am thankful that Wolf has corrected the title. As reviewers, we are held to higher standard than you all. We build a brand and reputation around our reviews. Both Wolf and I are quite direct and critical of products that don't perform. We need to be careful that we don't get accused of hating products for the sake of hating products. Because once there, it devalues our reviews and reputation of the work we do otherwise. Best to be harsh about the facts, not things that are not so. And here, the word Super PLL was not used so it is not fair to criticize the product on that basis.

Now I see it, you are right.

 

[Headchef]

Just a bit of “in the wild” feedback. I’m using one right now, and have been for the past couple of weeks.

my set up is as follows:

MacBook Pro running Roon (qobuz & tidal subscriptions) -> USB (high quality lead, forget the manufacture sorry!)
Aune s8 dac -> 0.5m RussAudio Phono lead
EAR / Yoshino 859 -> Tellurium Q Black II (3m plug loudspeaker cable)
ProAc Response 1sc (on target filled stands with foam isolation between stands and speakers, spikes into thick urethane disks on floorboard) & x2 Rel Quake subwoofers high level stereo.

in short, it’s superb. Noiseless background, excellent separation, very musical and engaging.

I‘ve got it through an authorised retailer which means it comes with the full warrant, something that you don’t get from “grey imports”. But that’s been the way of things with electronics for as long as I can remember.

As a musician I’m very familiar with how instruments & vocals should sound both live, pre and post production, and this delivers a level of realism that is the best I’ve heard.

I listen to a wide range of musical styles and I’m yet to find anything that it (my system) struggles with, this DAC is probably going to remain part of this system for a long time.

I’m in no way affiliated or paid to write this, Just my two penneths worth

Get one on demo and I doubt it’ll leave your house!