Aune T1 24BIT TUBE USB DAC

Introduction

When I was at Stars Picker audio display hall, I saw Aune T1 USB Tube DAC. What?? Aune?? LOL..at first, it made me laugh when hearing the brand name, and being a China brand, it makes me even look down on it. But I was thinking, since I was here, why not gave it a try. I connected Aune T1 to my RudiStor NX-03 headphone amplifier and played a song that I am familiar with. Surprisingly, the DAC performance were surpass my expectation! It really sounds good! Warm and soft, the sound stage is wide. The imaging is there. Then I asked them how much this DAC cost, it is RM490. For only RM490, it already sounded good. Then, I seek their permission to bring this DAC home for further listening experience.

The T1 24BIT TUBE USB DAC

Let’s check out what’s in the retail box:

• T1 24BIT TUBE USB DAC
• PC USB Cable
• Power adapter (220V/110V)
• 6.5mm to 3.5mm stereo F adapter
• User Manual

Let’s look at the specification shall we?


The build quality

Aune T1's build quality does look and feel solid. It uses brushed metal material. The quality of the knob and switch is decent too. It looks solid and not easily broken. There is a LED light underneath the tube. You have to wait for a few seconds before the LED turns on. It is a hint when the tube is warmed up so that you can start listening to it.



From top:

• Tube
• Switch for selecting USB/Line in
• Volume knob for headphone amp
• 6.5mm Headphone output

From left:

• Power in
• On/Off switch
• USB input
• RCA input
• RCA output

The setup

As always, I’m using ASUS Xonar Essence STX as reference DAC since I’m very familiar with it.
DAC

• Aune T1 24BIT TUBE USB DAC

Headphone

• AKG K701

Headphone amplifier

• RudiStor NX-03

Cables

• Copper Colour Penny Interconnect
• QED PMC Qonduit Mains Power Cable
• Aune USB A to B cable

Player

• foobar2000 (wasapi output)

Music Source

• Audiophile 16-bit/24-bit CD
• FLAC format
• WAV format

Sound Quality, The impression..

Audiophile CD – Yao Si Ting – Fields of Gold

Aune T1 Headphone output

First thing that I’ve noticed, the sound is soft, warm and smooth but not bright (laid back). It very relaxing and has its own clarity. Yeah! It’s the tube sound characteristics. The sound stage can be considered as wide, and the imaging is there but not that precise. The sound characteristics are more like STX-ish sound. Then I realised they used the similar DAC chip(TI PCM1793 where’s STX use TI PCM1792A).
Vocal did present in the middle, instrument was not that strong. When I turned the volume louder, the sound was washed out and flat. So I let the volume above half from the maximum. The acoustic guitar sound musical, and I like the flute sound, it’s very soft and smooth. When do A-B comparison with headphone output on the STX, Aune T1 lose some clarity due to the “tube” sound. STX are bright and forward sounding. For some song, I like to listen it through Aune T1 because of its smooth and soft characteristics.

Aune T1 -> RudiStor NX-03

By using this setup, I can hear the TI PCM1793 directly. The sound produced was much cleaner than before because RudiStor NX-03 produced clean output. Everything sounded much livelier but the soft, warm and smooth characteristics still remained. The vocal produced more texture. The flute sound was making me goosebumps!

Extra setup!!

I would like to match up Aune T1 with my home audio setup. Here it goes..



Amplifier

• Naim Nait 5i-2

Speaker

• ProAc Studio 115

My home setup sound characteristics is natural. When the volume turned up, I noticed that the vocal is laid back. Overall same characteristics with what I heard with RudiStor NX-03. Overall, Aune T1 can be considered as “fun” to listen due to its smooth and warm characteristics.

Let’s move on with changing the tube!



This is Philips Mullard 6CW7 ECC84 with 6922 converter
Wow! Now Aune T1 produced different characteristics! It sounded cleaner and natural. No more smooth and soft but still a little warmth. It sounded similar to a solid state DAC and considered as an “upgrade”. The sound is now closer to STX but with “warmth” characteristics. I like it very much!

Conclusion

Aune T1 is a good DAC with a bonus headphone amplifier. Why I said bonus? Because the headphone amplifier is quite good if compare to Bravo V2 headphone amplifier itself. For only RM490 you can get TI PCM1793 DAC + decent headphone amplifier + tube sound (swappable). If you are looking for DAC + headphone amplifier and your budget is under RM500, these product is for you! It uses USB input which is very convenient for you to use it with your PC or laptop. It supports Windows and Mac OS too. Just plug and play. Use WASAPI/ASIO output for better quality.
Aune T1 also allows you to swap tube depending on your taste. Be cautious when you want to swap the tube. Let it cool down first to avoid unnecessary injury. Overall it’s a good buy! It will let you enjoy your music! I believe the headphone amplifier can run mid-range headphones (such as ATH-50M, HD555 and many more) flawlessly!

• Audio quality: 3/5
• Build quality: 4/5
• Functionality: 2/5
• Value: 5/5

PROS:

• DAC with integrated tube and headphone amplifier
• It use TI PCM1793 which is a good DAC on the market
• Use good brand caps and components
• The build quality is good
• Swappable tubes
• Small, will not take up space
• Affordable

CONS:

• It runs warm (not too hot)
• Limited to 24bit/96kHz
• For the price, I wouldn’t find much cons for it

Where can I get this awesome DAC?

Stars Picker’s
60, Jalan 19, Taman Desa Jaya, 52100, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.
Operating hours: Mon-Sat 9am- 9.30pm

reserve for future use