Have Aurender fixed the FLOW's remote functionality?

Seeing no mention of the FLOW's duffy remote controls in Headphone Guru's review of the Aurender FLOW, I am led to believe that track forward now means track forward. Barring that, it's obvious: audiophile reviewers really only care about how something looks and sounds; more specifically, that we dig song-specific subjective analyses, which Eric Neff does pretty well.

The thing is: until audiophile reviewers get good at reviewing gear, not just sound, the gear vomited out by unscrupulous vendors will only proliferate, reaching critical mass, where shit becomes normal as long as it sounds good.

Aurender FLOW is an awesome performer, but its hardware interface is duff, and should be crapped on in CONS lists of all reliable review sites. 

Disclaimer: I reckon my take on the Aurender FLOW is the best out there. 

Review: Aurender FLOW

In his sincerest of monotones, HAL9000 told me that imitation is flattering. And the Aurender FLOW, as sometimes-frustrating as it can be, is a great DAC/headphone amp that just so happens to look a bit like old HAL.

I smell the promise of so much more. Well done Aurender.

BTW, this review was written by yours truly, for Headfonia.

“Aurender targeted a specific sound, and honed that target to near perfection. As unintelligible as its interface may be; as much as you may need to pour over its manual; as much as you may mistake it for a HAL9000—powered vending machine in miniature, FLOW is something awesome, something else.”

Source: Aurender FLOW – I’m Half Crazy All For The Love Of You~

Speaking of the Aurender FLOW - Anakchan reviews it at headfi

Sean Chan has published an early review of it at Head-fi. It's worth a read.

“The Flow has just taken over my Cypherlabs stack in that respect of “presenting a big sound”. The Flow has been able to just make the sound bigger, larger, wider, deeper. I’m actually comparing the Flow to my Invicta/Zana Deux desktop gear - although not up to that level it’s mightily close at a fraction of the cost. So despite the somewhat clinical tonal presentation, it’s width and depth presentation on the other hand makes the overall music sound so palatable to the ears. ”

The Aurender FLOW

The FLOW's comber aesthetic and washing-machine aesthetic take a little getting used to. But its ease of use, perfectly legible OLED screen, plug/unplug safety features, and remote control functionality, are perfectly endearing. 

In case you're wondering, this 1300$ DAC:

1. has a low (but not silent) background noise floor
2. boasts lots of current into low ohm loads
3. pumps good volume, high-quality signal into high-ohm loads
4. works with both iPhone and iPad (as well as Android devices)
5. boasts decent stereo separation and detail levels across all frequencies
6. has a battery and can be used on the road
7. has external controls that interface directly with your device

And, it is machined impeccably. Korean portable Hi-Fi units have the unique advantage of being produced in Korea, by Koreans. They look, and feel, wonderful next to outsourced competitors. And the FLOW is the best-feeling Korean unit yet.

FLOW is a wonderful device. It probably isn't the be-all-end-all of performance DACs, but it boasts headphone safety features, is well-machined, and speaks for itself as an important member of an impressive, and growing, family of products. 

I will be reviewing it at Headfonia in the new year.

More about the FLOW: Aurender FLOW personal entertainment

Note: click on images below to proceed to next image