The Aune B1

Yesterday, headfonia published my review of the Aune B1. The B1 has a lot going for it. It also has a lot going against it.

Depending on the beholder, the B1 could be either sexy, or silly. I reckon it's a bit of both. Its solid chassis and brushed lines look great in a HiFi system, but are completely anachronistic for portable use. And when switched on, the B1 reminds me of an evil version of the robot Vincent from Disney's The Black Hole. 

Its chassis redefines the word brick, being both extraordinarily sturdy, and extraordinarily symmetric. Its volume pot twists with more precision, less wobble, and more Leica-like pleasure than any pot I've used on portable amp. But it's a tiny nub, and when both source and headphones are plugged in, it's a bugger to twist. 

The gain switch (which engages or disengages a +10dB of extra volume), is too easy to accidentally toggle. I've dubbed it the ear self-destructor. And the CLASS A switch, would either doubles or halves the number of milliwatts dissipated, and according the the manual, should never be touched while the amp is powered on, is just as easy to accidentally toggle. I dubbed it the self-destructor.

Finally, every port: USB, audio in, and audio out, is sunk too far into its well. Certain sized cables won't latch onto signal because they can't get their bits far enough into the amp's circuits. 

Sleek styling does not a good design make.

But the B1 sounds wonderful. Its background is blacker than black, with hiss barely audible via my most sensitive earphones, and that, at levels close to, but no exceeding, placebo. I go into way more detail about the sound and utility of the B1 at Headfonia. 

Headfonia: Aune B1 - Vincent

AUDIOENGINE D1 – GUARANTEED FOR THE REACHAROUND

Despite not driving low-Ω loads to perfection, the D1 is a great USB-powered DAC/headphone amp. Its output is nearly hissless, and it is powerful. And while it may not look as good in pictures as the D3, I prefer it. For 169$, it is a steal. 

I've got more to say about it at Headfonia.

Headfonics reviews the AudioEngine D3

And it's a good read. Here's how Marcus sums things up:

“The D3 tonally surprised me. Granted it’s my first USB “stick” and there is a lot more to try out there in the market but I honestly wasn’t expecting much. I got a lot more than I expected to be fair. More than enough power for most on the go cans and high impedance headphones and a nice analog natural sound that really made the old classics and a lot of folk music sounding rather authentic and appealing. It is a great contrast to the more digital sounding FiiO E18 and more in league with the likes of the smoother Cypher Labs Piccolo AMP/DAC which is a big step up in price and quality for me.”

I think Marcus adds in a bit too many to me's, but he stays away from tossing around the term impedance, which, at this juncture, is a good idea. Overall, this is another excellent review of an excellent DAC.

Hardware Canucks's beautiful YouTube review is probably the most helpful, and then there is mine, at Headfonia, which hands down, is the best shot.