New Aune S6 Pro

[darmanastartes]

I saw someone on Reddit post this morning that they'd gotten this DAC/AMP, which was the first I'd heard of it.
Searching Aliexpress lead me to these:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Aun...hile-DAC-Headphone-Amplifier/32993159134.html

 

[JohnYang1997]

The performance really isn't impressive at least from measurements stand point.

 

[JohnYang1997]

x1s for reference https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ew-and-measurements-of-aune-x1s-dac-amp.6535/

 

[Jimmy]

I guess the value depends on how the headphone amplifier section has been implemented, the old S6 used dual TPA6120, so balanced output impedance was about 20 ohm.

The fact that aune doesn't give any data on output impedance for the unit and no internal pictures are yet available makes me think that the HP output circuitry is similar to the S6, which IMO would be a bit dissapointing.

 

[JohnYang1997]

I guess the value depends on how the headphone amplifier section has been implemented, the old S6 used dual TPA6120, so balanced output impedance was about 20 ohm.

The fact that aune doesn't give any data on output impedance for the unit and no internal pictures are yet available makes me think that the HP output circuitry is similar to the S6, which IMO would be a bit dissapointing.

Where did you get the information from? I don't think s6 has tpa6120.

 

[Jimmy]

It does, look here :

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/info/hi-fi/bancs-d-essai/aune-s6-a-serious-dac-with179488

The new version has different specs power wise, but there's no detailed information and no internal pictures anywhere yet.

Where did you get the information from? I don't think s6 has tpa6120.

 

[JohnYang1997]

It does, look here :

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/info/hi-fi/bancs-d-essai/aune-s6-a-serious-dac-with179488

The new version has different specs power wise, but there's no detailed information and no internal pictures anywhere yet.

I found that one too. But the chip is all the way to the top right corner but the headphone out is the opposite corner. I'm not sure.

 

[Jimmy]

I thought the same, but it seems it is, and internet reviews indicate poor performance (fr.variations and higher distortion) with low impedance loads and at least the single ended output.

The new model price is reasonable since the AK4497 chip is expensive, but the question mark is how it perfoms as a HP amp.

It's a pity that many otherwise decent AIO designs fail at providing a no compromise HP output, JDS labs and others have shown that great performance can be achieved at a low price point.

 

[JohnYang1997]

I thought the same, but it seems it is, and internet reviews indicate poor performance (fr.variations and higher distortion) with low impedance loads and at least the single ended output.

The new model price is reasonable since the AK4497 chip is expensive, but the question mark is how it perfoms as a HP amp.

It's a pity that many otherwise decent AIO designs fail at providing a no compromise HP output, JDS labs and others have shown that great performance can be achieved at a low price point.

It's surely funny that their old an low end products perform better. And aune came from hifidiy (like diyaudio but Chinese). You can search for artemis amplifier or their s7. They use opamps in parallel like massively parallel structure but..... Anyway.

 

[Jimmy]

Confirmed, it uses TPA6120A2 for headphone amplification, review (in russian), with teardown :

http://rankbrain.ru/span-shikarnyy-vneshniy-cap-aune-s6-pro-dsd512-ak4497-span.html

 

[JohnYang1997]

Well shit. I don't know why they do this.
BTW, there is way to make tpa6120 shine. But as far as I see they didn't figure it out. Composite amplifier. Just like atom but use tpa6120 instead of lme49600. Btw 49600 itself is pretty shit. Tpa6120 is much better in either configuration.

 

[Jimmy]

It isn't necessarily bad, most full size headphones don't need a low output impedance, and planars have a flat impedance curve, but at this price level I would expect something a bit different, not a run off the mill solution, anyway the IMHO overpriced Sennheiser HDVD series also use TPA6120 ICs.

I'll wait and see what Topping will have on offer with the DX7 Pro, I'm not in a hurry to buy something right now, If I were I would probably go with the ADI 2 Pro FS, in fact I would have already purchased it, but for the AK4490 chips they use I fear that they may bring a new revision sooner or later with newer ICs and DSD512 (which by the way is pretty useless), but since I'm already served I can wait and try to minimize losses in value.

 

[trl]

Both chips can be implemented with near zero output impedance by using couple of inductors on output. These are very good output buffers, I don't see reasons to complain.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Yea it's about implementation. But unfortunately 99% of the implementations with tpa6120 are shit.

 

[bravomail]

from that Russian review here are the translation of measurements of headphone out with TPA6120:
Freq response 40-15000Hz - +0.02 dB -0.15dB
Noise, db(A) -100.4
Dynamic range, dB(A) 98.4
THD, % 0.00217
THD+noise, dB(A) -89.7
Intermodulation+noise, % 0.00459
Stereo crosstalk, dB -94.1
Intermodulation at 10kHz, % 0.00593

Decent?

 

[Jimmy]

I don't think that FR can be right, it is almost magnetic tape territory. I was considering this unit for its balanced output, but I'm waiting for the DX7 Pro, if price is right, and they can get low OI while protecting headphones (seems to be the DX3 Pro achiles heel, at least with some units, so I don't want to risk plugging in 2000$ headphones) then I'll probably go for it.

 

[Veri]

I don't think that FR can be right, it is almost magnetic tape territory.

Eh? How so?

 

[Jimmy]

I've checked again the review, the data is correct, but the FR extends below 20hz and above 20khz, only that at 20khz we're at -0.5dB, so it's a bit rolled off, nothing uncommon, on paper seems a good unit with a run of the mill HP output (should sound good, anyway), that's why they sell a separate HP amp.

 

[Zebidee]

I don't think that FR can be right, it is almost magnetic tape territory. I was considering this unit for its balanced output, but I'm waiting for the DX7 Pro, if price is right, and they can get low OI while protecting headphones (seems to be the DX3 Pro achiles heel, at least with some units, so I don't want to risk plugging in 2000$ headphones) then I'll probably go for it.

I don't think these results are anywhere near accurate - the tester used the ADC on a Soundblaster soundcard to test.

It would be great to see some actual measurements for the Aune S6 Pro - it seems like a nice package, both single ended and balanced headphone amps have more power in the Pro version.

 

[Jimmy]

Aune measures their gear, and they seem honest in that regard, so I trust them. However, for the price of this unit there are other options, and there's also upcoming competition from Topping.