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The All-Round Master
As aune's new generation of DAC with headphone amp that took 2 years to develop, the S9c Pro has the features of full clock synchronization, the 2nd gen of ultra-low-jitter PLL core, the 10M clock input, the specially designed two tuning modes from two PLL modes and filter modes, Dual-ES9068AS, and the fully-discrete headphone amp whose output power is as high as 5W. It just stands out in every way.
2nd Gen of PLL Core - Pure, Right from the Start | 10M External Clock Support, More Possibilities of the Sound
The 2nd gen of PLL core is a tech breakthrough that took four years. The complex and precise algorithm enables it to output frequencies corresponding to different resolutions. The ultra-low-jitter clock source is fed to the USB XMOS/SPDIF and the DAC part simultaneously, leading to the natural and vivid sound.
Clock, the core and source of the whole digital circuit.The S9c Pro has the excellent PLL core and the 10MHz clock input, giving you more room of sound exploration. (Recommended audio clocks: aune S1c/aune SC1/aune XC1)
IIS Differential Transmission Isolation Tech, Clean, Super Clean | Dual DAC Chip - And Work in Clock Sync Mode
The S9c Pro uses the special onboard-IIS differential isolation transmission technology - the IIS signals from USB and the IIS signals converted from coaxial/AES/optical,gets reshaped by the PLL core, and the signals are transmitted and received by the symmetrical circuit chips.The transmission is almost free from interference. Pure and clean.
The S9c Pro not only has two ES9068 DAC chips, but also, with the PLL technology, has them work in the mode of clock synchronization. Moreover, we optimized the way of power supply, to bring out the chips’ potential.
Fully-Discrete Amp with Twin JFET per Channel
The S9c Pro uses fully-discrete amp circuit which has fast transient response, and twin JEFT (junction field effect transistor) as the input-stage of the amp circuit which has high impedance and mellow sound; together with the+15V linear power supply whose output power is as high as 5W, the S9c Pro has a very powerful amp that can bring out the potential of your headphones.We customized the amp output voltage curve, so not only headphones but also IEMs can be driven just in the right way
To pursue better sound, we specially developed two tuning modes from two PLL modes and filter modes. MODE 1 Standard Mode - The S9c Pro works in the state of fast locking and low latency. The sound is neutral and natural.
MODE 2 Pure Mode - The high-performance PLL provides more precise clock signals. In this mode, the performance of the DAC is improved. Higher sound density. Better soundstage.
50W+23900μF | Rigorous HiFi Component Selection
The 50W toroidal low-ripple analog linear transformer, together with the 23900uF capacitor array, provides big power to the S9c Pro. The linear power supply has this unparalleled sound advantage, giving you the charming rich sound.
The components used for the S9c are high-quality ones that are carefully selected,such as the COG and the FK HiFi capacitors, the SMT film decoupling capacitor, the communication-grade PCB, etc. Everything is aimed at good sound.
Timothy J. Leinweber
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2025
I am really enjoying the sound quality of the s9c. I like the simplicity of operation, it is a very user friendly unit. I noticed an upgrade in clarity, bass punch, detail and soundstage over my previous dac/amp. My only complaint is with the remote. It has very short range. I sit about seven feet from the s9c, with only a very slight angle. I have to move the remote to about 4 feet from the ir sensor, and with no angle to use it effectively. Almost defeats the purpose of having a remote. Sometimes, the volume level controls on the remote do the exact opposite of their intended function. Strange. I would have given 5 stars otherwise.
MoxyDave
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2025
I use the S9C mostly with Hifiman Arya Organic headphones. These headphones have a very large planar driver which requires a lot of power despite their sensitivity and impedance. My former setup didn't have enough power to properly control these headphones which resulted in muddy bass response. The Aune S9C completely remedied this situation. I have never heard a better amp & headphone combination. This is a fantastic DAC & amp regardless of price. It drives any headphone with power and precision that you won't get from lesser-powered units. The interface is simple and intutive and the aluminum remote is classy and quite handy. Well worth the money and I would but it again.
LD
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2024
Wow, this thing is a banger. I was looking to upgrade from my Schiit Modi 3E/Magni 3+B stack. I first auditioned the Fiio K9 Pro ESS, that was about 2 weeks ago. Long story short, I returned it. You can go ahead and read my review of that if you want. But the bottom line is, I think the S9c blows it away, like not even close. And its $150 cheaper. Its not really just the sound quality either, but it starts there...I'm not a crazy audiophile and don't have the best ears by any means, but this Aune is so good that I didn't even have to A/B it with the Schiit stack. I knew immediately that it was a huge improvement in every aspect...clarity, detail, stage, separation, punch, insert whatever audiophile word you want and this does it better. I was looking for an upgrade and boy did I get one. Its incredibly musical and actually has warmth to it, and thats one thing that I felt the Fiio K9 really lacked...it just didn't move me like this does. Don't get me wrong, the K9 pro WAS an improvement over the Schiit stack, but I had to A/B it and even after I did that, I packed it up and returned it. The Aune, on the other hand, was in its permanent place on my desk after less than 10 minutes of listen time.Like I said, it isn't just the sound quality with this, its the build, the packaging, the remote. You can tell that Aune thought about every single detail here. The remote is so cool...its metal and feels like it could be run over by a dump truck and still work, its tiny, and it only has four buttons (its all you need). The matte black finish on the unit itself...fingerprints literally will not stick to it AT ALL. I've been trying to leave a print on it, I can't. The volume knob on the unit is really smooth and has plenty of volume levels. The headphone ports on it are really high quality, it takes quite a bit of pressure to get an XLR plug into in, and once its in, its not coming out unless you want it to. The USB A to B cable that comes with it...absolutely excellent quality. Way better than any of the other 2 dozen cables that I already had sitting in my closet. The list goes on and on seriously. Every single aspect of this package, from the accessories to the tuning to the interface, was very deliberately thought out by Aune. I'm really impressed, and I'm pretty sure you will be too. Stop thinking about and don't consider anything else under a grand, I doubt you'll find anything better.
VINCENT CHEN
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2023
The AUNE was made for the person looking for truth, and detail, dynamics, and control above all else in the presentation. Version here is not the Bluetooth version. That is a bit more at $739.00. This one $699.00.Chassis and build. My heaviest DAC/Headphone amplifier to date. Almost 10 pounds! The massive Linear Power supply with Toroidal Transformer is a good reason for the weight. No Switch mode power supplies here.The size is about 1/5 bigger than my FIIO K9. See the photo for scale. All connections you could want except for 2. Analog input, a miss there since I have tape machines that would have been great with DAC Amplifier like my K9 does. Or the I2 Buss.You are connected.SPDIF optical and coaxialAES/EBU Balanced input.USB type B connection.External Clock connection with optional Clocking products by AUNE if that is desired.XLR Balanced and RCA Unbalanced outputs.IEC Power connection for your Power Cable or one supplied.Rest in the box, USB cable, IEC AC Power cable, RCA connector rubber caps.Remote,Aluminum remote for your mode select listen mode 1 which has AUNE processing or the mode 2 which does not. Volume up and down. No power on off, that is what the switch in the back of the s9c Pro is for. No standby switch interestingly as a note.Front panel. One knob to rule it all.The Volume and input and mode encoder makes setting what you want on your s9c Pro. Suspiciously the wobbly nature of this knob is a touch off putting considering the Mosler safe like heft, and build.4.4mm Penticon, and 6.3mm or 1/4 TRS , and 4 pin Balanced Headphone output keeps the face clear of clutter. The OLED screen is beautiful and easy read. Volume in an arc, the sample rate reads for instance 44 instead of 44.1, and COAX is read as COX. Odd those.Not the most power, but enough. At 32 ohms, you are getting over 5700 mw. There is a separate Headphone amplifier if you want a bit more, or add you own if more power is your thing.Sound.Alive and punchy, and dynamic, but a bit analytical. If you are creating a mix, or your own music, or video project, this s9c Pro will tell you everything. Powerful Bass, detailed midrange, and highs. You will never ever call this a "warm" product. Just is not it. My K9 is warmer, and more engaging but leaves some detail on the table.Using my Hifiman Sundara, or Beyer Dynamic DT770, or my Focal Elegia, I never wanted for power, and drive, and muscle. The s9c Pro is there for you always. The K9 had me wanting more from time to time even on high gain. The Schiit Asgard 3 and the Topping A30Pro have guts too.The Topping being the leanest of the bunch, the S9c next, and the Asgard 3 next and the K9 from leanest to richest. My K5 in another room is a weaker still K9 wanna be.If you like to explore your music, look at the compression they used, Eq, and more, the s9c will tell all. My emotional involvement goes to my K9 with tape machines and digital sources, my computer and bluetooth ones and Technics SLP-P770 CD player.The MQA feature good or bad is included here for you Tidal fans. Take it,or leave it. I play both in and out. Options are nice. I understand that Tidal may abandon MQA soon. We'll see.So for my editing, and creation, I cannot have a better candidate for listening and monitoring. This thing is a detail beast. Just don't look to maybe fall in love easily. It tells so much though, maybe that is great in itself.The sense of scale is very large, and bold. Where my K9 runs out of gas, the s9c keeps on going. Use the Balanced over the Unbalanced Headphone out if you can. While unbalanced is fine, the Balanced output is really where the s9c lives. I really cannot think of a Headphone this s9c could not drive. Probably do just fine with hard to drives like the Dan Clarks, or Fostex, the 300 ohm headphones out there. It has the power to do that easily. Line outputs not used, cannot comment.The take away.While I love what the the s9c Pro presents to me. A heavy, well made, well featured package. It will not make me fall in love like my K9 does. While my K9 will never get the dynamics, and power, and excitement the way the s9c does, it makes it easy to drive anything I want. For only $499.00 vs. $699.00 for the s9c Pro. Are you better off with the K9 Pro? that is a bit more of course. I think you might, but if you have rather dark sounding headphones, and hard to drive ones, the s9c Pro maybe what the doctor ordered.Being the creator that I am, I am thrilled to have the AUNE s9c Pro. As a music lover who plays analog and digital, the FIIO K9 is my land relaxing and enjoying analog from another time. Such as my TEAC A-7300 reel to reel, or my plentiful Cassette Decks. My latest from 1975, the TEAC A-460.Provisionally Recommended.
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