My MAIN DAC AMP - Aune S9C Pro Review

[@666PANDEMONIUM]

Great review! I've owned the Aune S9C for almost a year now. I use it with everything-From my Meze 109 Pros to my DCA Expanse, it handles every headphone that I throw at it with ease. 5.5 watts might not seem like a ton of power on paper but because of the excellent power supply and transformer in this unit it can power pretty much any headphone with aplomb. I've tried to convince my friends that it's a phenomenal unit but they never believe me because it's not "expensive" enough. People need to learn that price and performance are not directly correlated in the audio industry. When I try to tell people that this is the best all-in-one unit on the market (especially under $1K) they write me off as if I don't know what I'm talking about. The sound quality that comes out of this device is exquisite. The texture, the control, the slam, and the resolution are all top tier. If you put a blindfold over my eyes and told me that I was listening to a unit that costs twice as much as this does I wouldn't flinch. It's that good. I also use the S9C as a digital pre-amp with my speaker system. All of the great aspects of the dac that I hear through the headphone outputs also comes through on the pre-outs. Furthermore, because this is a digital volume control it has perfect channel matching and you never have to worry about the image being skewed because of a volume imbalance. The remote feels solid and luxurious in the hand and I can easily see the screen no matter where I am in the room. Honestly, for under $1K I don't think that I could ask for anything more. Aune knocked the ball out of the park with this product.

[@byversus8227]

Is it good for the arya stealth?

[@yarbles66]

@@666PANDEMONIUM it's great for sub 1k but with pairs they really scale with sourch (HD800) they sound OK, very far from their best.

[@wooddragon576]

bought this about 6 months ago and love it, use it with my Radiance for some music and you tubing, the radiance are superb on this amp. When I want to use speakers this feeds my 1975 Pioneer SX-7730 and wow that is fantastic. I was so impressed with this Aune that I sold my Feliks echo and replaced that with the aune s17 pro. The amp on the s9c is very good , but the s17 takes it to an even higher level. My 4 ZMF's, empyrean and especially the clear MG have never sounded better than when fed buy my aune combo. Aune has won me over. These are some of the best valued products Ive ever purchased. You get a hell of a lot of bang for your buck with these.

[@TheBeardedLibertarian]

me too :)

[@4epa1012]

Same here ;)

[@4craigmetz]

I picked this up a few weeks ago along with the AR5000 and found them both most satisfying. I have tried a few different headphones on the S9C Pro and was please all around. I think this DAC/AMP is a steal. Thank you for the review and your hard work and I really like the aesthetics you deploy on the channel.

[@4epa1012]

Glad you reviewed this one. I have this Aune DAC/AMP, it's simply amazing 👌

[@gillmanjr87]

I bought the S9C after having demoed the Fiio K9 Pro ESS. I returned the Fiio, I didn't feel it did enough vs. my Schiit Modi/Magni stack to justify it's price tag. The Aune on the other hand...WOW. I was blown away by it, and I absolutely think it blows away the Fiio by a substantial margin, and for $150 less money. It doesn't have the feature set of the Fiio which is probably how they justify that extra cost, but even taking that into consideration, the Aune is the better value imo.

[@RomanRazumihin-y7x]

Aune лучше?

[@kennethmccullough1342]

I’ve had Aune products for awhile now. It’s a shame they don’t get more love. The S17 has bright the name out more though. 😊

[@neilgelowitz4737]

I recently took on the Aune brand in Canada and have been very impressed with the S9C Pro. We do carry Meze headphones, but we're more of a traditional hifi dealer. I recently set up a S9C Pro with the balanced outs to a customer's Bel Canto REF501S stereo amp and the unbalanced outs to his JL Audio subwoofers. It works fantastic as an entry level stereo DAC/Preamp that punches above its price. The fact that it's also a great headphone amp/DAC too makes it a huge value.

[@syanhc]

Glad to see you are reviewing this. Mine is in silver ❤

[@muzegames]

I have this and pair it with the S17 Pro. A very wide, holographic yet detailed signature. They both punch well above their price range.

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

если еще бы придумали гайд хороший по охлаждение, а не подкладывать под него стойки, сделали бы перфорацию корпуса или улучшение радиатора

[@korob20080]

​@@ALEX-WTF-ds4peкулер маленький бесшумный прилепи снизу и проблема решена

[@Revan83]

@@korob20080 да нифига, не особо это и помогает. Особенно учитывая, что с некоторыми проводами у него начинается самовозбуждение и он греется в 3 раза быстрее (у меня это происходит с проводом от OpenHeart, который отлично работает с другими устройствами). К сожалению, с нагревом реально есть у S17 Pro проблема.

[@korob20080]

@@Revan83 тоже есть openheart 16жильный, часа за 1.5-2 уходит за 69, поставил на кулер - выше 65 не греется

[@Revan83]

@@korob20080 у меня с ним за полчаса уходит в режиме 100мА, в 50мА часа за два.

[@fiddlix]

I’ve really been impressed with the Aune AR5000 headphones. I might have to check this dac/amp out too.

[@DefeatPete]

This is my daily driver too! It handles everything without complains, including zmf caldera, meze liric and melody mest mkii iem's. Good review!

[@Mongooooooo]

Jotunheim, I've had mine since 2017 and haven't had any issues! Runs an hd800 with a modius. At least you know the build quality is solid

[@TheBeardedLibertarian]

I love mine as a DAC, I stack it with the AUNE S17 headphone amp, this would get you everything you could want out of any headphone on the market, but at 1400us you'd expect that.

[@marklloyd4153]

The DX9 is the real deal . Love the AKM chips . The best for me

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

DX9 не стоит своей цены, он проигрывает даже fiio k19

[@marklloyd4153]

@@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe I prefer the sound of the DX9 . I seem to lean towards the AKM chipsets tonal direction . Remember we all are hearing the same devices but we all like something different sometimes , much like the need for so many flavors of ice cream , but if you are going to buy me the one you prefer with your own money then knock yourself out and send it to me Josh can get you my info

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

@@marklloyd4153 почему-то я уверен что вы не слушали K19 ) И не слушали s17pro with r2r dac)

[@black_n5492]

Very eager to see your Jotunheim review. The main drawback for me is that I'm tired of having audio equipment fail with no local support. Super happy knowing that if anything happens to my Jotunheim I can just ship it to CA and get it fixed. I have a FiiO K9 Pro gathering dust because I'd have to ship to China just to get it looked at.

[@black_n5492]

THis was the reason I went with a full schiit stack recently. I had my Fiio K9 Pro go out on me. It was one of the early AKM ones and I bought it off a Josh review. Loved that thing to bits until it went out and was told I had to ship to China to get support, at my expense and time. Ordered a Bifrost 2/64, Jot 2 from Schiit and found a Valhalla 2 on marketplace used. Been happy as a clam ever since with lots more output options and in my subjective opinion much better sound

[@mmm0513]

How does this compare to the RME ADI 2 pro?

[@clickbaitpro]

@UnknownSimmer-mi6 True

[@JoshuaValour]

RME is hard to compare. Different features and WAY different price. But, both are really good in their own way. Rme is feature packed, eq adjustments, IEM specific outputs and really high quality internals. Aune has less features and adjustments but the power output is about triple making it better for demanding headphones. Though, id pick the rme for iEMs probably. Sound wise - hard to say. I haven’t heard the rme in a while. I would hate to give the wrong impression on it. Maybe someone who has both could let us know?

[@JoshuaValour]

@UnknownSimmer-mi6someone’s a little pissed haha. It’s hard to get to comments sometimes these days. Gotta keep up with work and maintain a work life balance with the family. + with AI and bot accounts now, it’s hard to tell what’s a real comment and what isn’t. Also, not that it matters much or will change your mind, but there is way more money to be made in building a community. (Which I suspect if I had built one -to your standard- you would still be commenting about me building one only to make money) 😅 Anyways, not trying to come off like a dick but comments like this kinda bug me. I could make WAY more money by accepting bullshit crypto sponsorships, or lying about every product being amazing, or begging you to subscribe to patreon, or make crappy videos EVERY day just to pump out volume. But, I don’t do any of that. Anyway. I’ve said my part. Have a good day dude.

[@maximumsoftness7469]

Josh! Where is that shirt from? Great vid as always, thanks.

[@ilyeshammadi7278]

Thanks for insightful video Joshua. It will be really great if you can review the SMSL RAW-MDA 1 and see how it compares with S9C.

[@maximumsoftness7469]

I’ve got a Jot 2 from Schiit. It’s pretty good. I’m running it to power LCD3 as well as a preamp feeding an Aegir running some bookshelf speakers in my office.

[@RephaelMendoza]

I have the S6, it’s still an amazing DAC!

[@hermd5536]

Great review! How does this compare to the xduoo TA-22? Purchased the TA and love it, but I'm curious about your thoughts on comparing both.

[@bean7750]

im very happy with my aune s17 pro

[@ZRay507]

what's the difference between S17 and S9?

[@calvinchann1996]

@@ZRay507 S17 Pro is just an amp, no DAC.

[@bean7750]

@@ZRay507 for first the s17pro is a headphone amp and has no dac. But enough online to find about it. It is a great combo with my d70 pro octo

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

Вы придумали нормально охлаждение?

[@victorkochkarev2576]

It supports an external clock, I am wondering if using an external clock would make any difference.

[@lamarevans8881]

How much of a step up is the S9C from the TA-22? Is it worth the extra $350ish?

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

You now have to try this with its matching sc1 audio clock. And they you can compare it (them) with costlier options.

[@xt-cj7jg]

When are you reviewing the Ft1s from FiiO?

[@ANDREININJA1243]

Hello Josh. Keep up the good work. Curious, any idea when we will see more ZMF headphones on you channel? You reviewed like 5 of them 5 years ago and the brand has really grown since then with the Atrium, Caldera, Bokeh and more stuff that you didn't review

[@Extreme_Narwhal]

Hey Josh, great review and really appreciate your thoughts on the Aune S9C, I ended up snagging the Aune for myself since I was in the market for a upgrade from my OG Monoprice 788. Have you considered doing a price shootout of amp/dac all in ones for those of us trying to keep our desk setups as minimalist as possible?

[@petrpulpytel]

Thx Josh for great review👍, is it suitable also for iems? is it quiet enough?

[@altdero14]

Hi! This DAC/AMP looks nice, have 2 questions, does this DAC/AMP work with the PS5? Which one is better this one or the iFi Neo IDSD 2? TY

[@jvnetsl]

I just ordered one with XC1 clock. Hope it is good, specially I need to see about the clock and if it makes any worth while difference.

[@Silver_Joystix]

Did you get the clock?

[@PortArctic]

You should check out the soekris 2541, lesser known DAC but i think you'll like it!

[@johnepic2422]

Can I have a stupid question? how do you connect this AMP to your macbook to play your digital music? It look like you can use bluetooth, but which cables can be used to gain lossless audio?

[@Tssukiii]

USB C from your MacBook to the USB input of this unit Lossless and without any hassles Simple USB

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

bluetooth это мусорка, звук по проводу совершенно другой

[@m4nc1n1]

My all-in-one is the DX9. Love it and I am done.

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

это было так до выхода fiio k19 )))

[@rjmoyer2]

I’d love to try this but my desk is already crowded and this is a little larger in depth, width, and height than my existing Matrix dac/amp.

[@Jamie-666]

I just want a good well featured amp with tone controls - namely Bass and Treble. Is this too much to ask? I don't want to d*ck around with EQ for my six headphones. Geshelli Archer 3 Pro looks tempting, but why isn't there anything else? Btw - I am not a 'purist'.

[@dantealighieri4258]

Aune have the SR7000 headphone coming. It’s been demoed at a few shows here in China, not sure when the final release will be out though.

[@electricant55]

So hard to find a good amp with speaker pre-outs, might give it a shot

[@bezchlebalukas1779]

Thanks for the video! I get topping dx9 there and aune s9c, i am not profesional but for lisen i would say aune is same tehchnical and resolution as topping dx9 and the bigest different is signature, topping dx9 is bright but no much as their other product and aune is warm and very organic , warm signature is noticeable in mode 2 where it has bigger soundstage agains mode 1 when is organic neutrality. For me i still prefer topping dx9 which is litle bit more analitic and bright (like most topping products) but i totaly agree for the price aune s9c is totaly steal its even more insane you have 2 mode which are so different, topping has just gain hight and low, aune has 2 modes which are different and they complement each other perfectly hight resolution, sound stage agains organic neutral sound. I have to have topping dx9 for resolution and hifiman ef500 for organic sound.

[@seethruhead7119]

please test the DX9 i'm strongly considering it over everything else (including the d90iii a90 stack, or d70pro/a70pro stack) mainly because of the number of inputs and outputs

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

dx9 неактуален после выхода fiio k19

[@gdemirjian]

The S17 Pro amp has a tube-like warmth from its high current, high power class-A architecture.

[@EverythingisFire]

I'm planning on getting the S9c as my "All in One" but may have to pair with the S17 Pro, eventually.

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

@@EverythingisFire зачем покупать комбайн s9c чтобы потом подрубать к нему отдельный S17pro ??? В чем логика. Можно купить отдельный нормальный DAC не переплачивая и к нему s17pro

[@masterandres411]

Excuse me, I have a question. Searching online I found a seller on eBay with 99.6% positive feedback who sells the S9C (without the PRO). When I asked him, he told me that the PRO writing is only for outside of China. Could you tell me if this is true? Or are they 2 different models?

[@netube24]

是的，在中国销售的型号没有“PRO”后缀，但他们实际上是相同的型号，我居住在中国并且在上个月购买了aune s9c

[@mopnem]

Josh makes great looking videos & seems to know his target audience. Almost certain he doesn’t use these budget items daily tho

[@jaycochran2983]

Hi everyone, I just ordered this Anne day/amp based on Josh’s review. I’m new to this so curious what’s the best way to conned my iPhone to this day? Should I use Bluetooth? Or is there a cable option that provides better quality? Thanks, Jay

[@yus659]

Is your iPhone using the lighting connector or USB C? If it’s the former, use the USB B to USB A cable then attach an iPhone USB camera adapter to connect your iPhone to the amp

[@jaycochran2983]

Hi, my iPhone uses USB-C. I was able to find the correct cord now. Thanks for your reply.

[@criptocolorlightstech5292]

hi '''what dac and amp sounds way better then the hdv 820 i play tons of call of duty and i love movies and music my budget is 2,300 what set up will sound way better then the hdv 820? i use the sennhesier hd800s /audeze lcd gx and the arya organic's what amp dac will give me the best sound over all at 2,300 dollars ?

[@ancientalien815]

I really wish they would put a switch for the pre out.

[@666PANDEMONIUM]

There is, you push the volume knob to switch between the headphone outs and pre outs.

[@ancientalien815]

@@666PANDEMONIUM Niiiiiice!

[@hi-fidude6670]

I have an Aune X8 Burson V7V + Aune X7S stack, is the S9C a big upgrade over those? I`m considering it to complement my LCD-X and DT1990

[@spencerstmars4882]

Can this power speakers?

[@vlax12]

I do not understand why there is no on/off switch on the front.

[@larsv6144]

Compared to the Hifiman Serenade dac/preamp/headphone amp (R2R) ?

[@EarphonesFin]

Why is no one talking about what changes have been made to the HD560S headphones since the release?

[@vgilalejandria]

Quick question, does it have independent outputs?

[@pervoesko]

How much upgrade will something like this be on my current Topping DX3Pro+ ?

[@stevendavis1135]

Josh likes sterile, neutral, mechanical, 2D sound signature. Can't really get down with most of his recommendations. I like a bit more life to my music. A more lush, analog, musical, 3D holographic sound.

[@artureff3046]

me too, Burr Brown/TI and tubes....

[@KXP70]

​​@UnknownSimmer-mi6 tastes can differ. I personally like very clean neutral sound, so I may like what Josh likes, you may not, neither of us is wrong.

[@KXP70]

@UnknownSimmer-mi6 that's just ignorant.

[@sperin98]

It’s all a matter of taste. It pairs really well with fostex headphones

[@sperin98]

@UnknownSimmer-mi6 yeah you just proved my points that’s why I’m saying it’s a matter of taste. Have you tried using it with the th808 with DYI leather earpads or Lawton th900?

[@ZRay507]

how would this pair with IEMs?

[@yarbles66]

Not as well as a Mojo 2 will. I have a DX9 & a Sony DMP-Z1... the Mojo 2 is still the best for IEMs

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

шум, нужны специальные переходники, но есть fiio k19 с которым отлично работают iem и звук там лучше чем в dx9, функционал у k19 то же лучше, меньше читайте умников которые хвалят то что купили, лучше один раз услышать в живую

[@smallcaps]

Had the Aune S9C and the Topping DX9 on my desk for a month to compare. The S9C is a great DAC/Amp but the DX9 is on another level.

[@valentinpetrita9335]

Bring us some details please !! We are many here that we are into s9c vs dx9 because there are not many great all in one solutions available and we request some info from users that have experienced both units 😊

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

DX9 ничего особенного за свою 1000$ , fiio k19 лучше

[@valentinpetrita9335]

@@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe Just bought Dx9 two weeks ago and its really a special one and i had a few before… who says that its not a big deal they dont know what are talking about… its the most clean and fun sounding dac & amp in the 2500 euros price range

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

@@valentinpetrita9335 эмм, у меня были dx9 и k19 , глупо говорить о не понимании, k19 лучше по всему и я оставил себе его. Но раз ты купил dx9 то конечно он лучше))))

[@BluesMan90]

I don't agree, I had both and I chose the one without the slightest doubt.

[@alexalegria8036]

What genelec do u have ?

[@sheep7255]

on dac amps that have analog inputs, is it possible to use them as weird mic inputs? I get that I'd be better off with a mixer if I wanted such, but food for thought ig

[@placeholder_yt_en]

It seems like Aune SR7000 is coming

[@markf8320]

How does this compare to the Matrix mini-i pro 3?

[@calvinchann1996]

I moved to Aune from Topping. Does this S9C get as hot as my S17 Pro?

[@D1N02]

No, because it is not class A like the S17 pro.

[@calvinchann1996]

@@D1N02 ah, but the S17 Pro still gets very toasty when not in Class A mode.

[@itk2493]

@@calvinchann1996 It is always in class A mode.

[@shayeinge9932]

I just ordered one if these myself, however if anyone could guide me please do, I own a pair of sundaras and the focal elex, I want/need an upgrade from my modi/magni 3 stack. There dying, do I need this high end or, would I be fine with something like the dx3 pro + or the new fiio r2r amp for around 200? Any advice will genuinely be appreciated.

[@planewreck4214]

Can you review DMs omega plz

[@syanhc]

I also use the clock with it❤

[@KXP70]

Could you share with us what elements of the sound improved when adding the clock?

[@syanhc]

@@KXP70 I have the Aune XC1 clock rather than the SC1. The XC1 has two inputs and that's all I need. The improvements on the Sc9 are minor. Mostly PRAT is a little better. Things feel a little bit more immediate. Also transients have slightly more energy. But the difference is mild. Honestly, without the clock, you'd be pretty happy. It's an amazing sounding device. The clock just enhances it maybe 10%.

[@KXP70]

@@syanhc thanks! Have you tried the S17 at all? I was thinking of selling my S17 and getting the S9 personally. I can hear what a lot of people may like about the S17 but it's sound signature isn't to my preferences. Plus an all in one solution would be more practical in my setup.

[@syanhc]

@@KXP70 I haven’t heard the S17. I bought the Sc9 for the dac stage. I use the line out function plugged my studio monitors but also to use as a headphone amp. So for me I get a lot of use for it. I highly recommend it. It’s also connected to a tube amp. I don’t think it’s necessary to own both the S17 and the Sc9.

[@Silver_Joystix]

@@syanhc I've been really wondering if the SC1 is that different than the XC1 (other than form factor). With the XC1 coming in at a little more than half the price, it seems like a much more reasonable option. Does the BNC cable come with the XC1?

[@Kaspurr84]

no analog input is a bit of a let down for such a large unit

[@EricGallardo-o6d]

Hola a todos, que audifonos me recomiendan para escuchar thrash metal y death metal en alta calidad, un rango de 100 a 300 dolares. Saludos desde Chile.

[@EverythingisFire]

Perdon, perdi mi Espanol. I use the Hifiman Sundara. I like the detail of it. Not super bass heavy so you get the clarity of guitars & cymbals without the sound getting muddy. I think the Sennheiser HD600 would be a good choice too.

[@saporoth]

Bro I was just looking at this today 😂

[@OdysseyOG]

Tungsten when

[@JagsP95]

Someone tell me what the difference is between fiio k5 pro and anything more expensive in terms of audio quality. I use meze 109 pro and might get planars (arya organic or ar5000), so is it worth buying more expensive dac amps?

[@pvhari2000]

There ideally shouldn't be any difference, people spending more money just have money to spend on stuff.

[@hermd5536]

The 109 pros are dynamic drivers and easier to drive. I find planars sound better throughout the frequency range with more power and that usually means more expensive.

[@akosinskiy]

I bought this unit based on reviews and sold it upon auditioning at a loss. The amp might be ok quality but as a DAC you are missing lot of details. R26+BHA1 combo which I was trying to replace is in a different league if you have good cans. Granted, it is a different price point but the difference is not marginal as I was hoping. Of course, if you are coming from Topping camp, this might be better.

[@BlackTone91]

DX9>This

[@AliArghavan]

Price of DX9>Price of his

[@yarbles66]

@@AliArghavan you get what you pay for. I weighed both up & thought the DX9 was a better value option despite the price being significantly higher. My main headphone amp/dac is a Sony DMP-Z1 - a purist 9000 USD amp that'll last me a lifetime. The DX9 is the ultimate Swiss Army knife amp/dac & I've used it daily for a almost a year now.

[@EdwardElric6464]

Why the fuck do new desktop amps still use USB type B? I've seen plenty of much cheaper amps with type C, even ones that use external power and only send data over USB have type C. It's just annoying to have a cable that does nothing else be used to connect your dac amp to your PC.

[@jamesfiorucci5774]

I thought the same thing

[@Hetsu..]

Because most high end audio cables are usb b

[@DrKrFfXx-0]

Could you not. I'm trying to save for my kids' college you see.

[@dontremembertech]

Just another boring video, no sound descriptions no real comparision with other geat. Just the good lightning. More kk ile infomercials.

[@Yoogaki]

I don't understand why audiophiles spend so much money on useless expensive dacs. 600?! I'd get a 1990 pro then a dac

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

You lost all credibility after saying "id get a 1990". LMAO

[@Yoogaki]

@enjoshi-godrez8775 why so serious

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

@@Yoogaki those scares came from that 10k peak, joker.

[@Yoogaki]

@enjoshi-godrez8775 ok reccomend sum headphones if you think its bad

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

@@Yoogaki for cheaper, either a hifiman edition xs or hd600.

[@BroSweets730]

Ha!!! I called it! Better than topping!

[@cosmaprc7813]

How does this compare sound wise to the xduoo xd05 pro ?

[@ALEX-WTF-ds4pe]

никак