Aune N7 Class A Headphone Amp's Review
General/Packaging/Build
For those who are not familiar with Aune, Aune is a company in China, and is known for producing high-quality audio equipment, including headphone amplifiers, DACs, and digital audio players, as well as IEMs and Headphones which I have also had the chance to test and review previously. The product range spans from entry level to high end.
I have the N7 Class A Headphone amplifier with me today, a fully balanced Class A amplifier.
Build quality of the N7 is solid, the volume pot is not wobbly, the input and output ports are gold plated and have solid connection (doesn’t come off easily). The only complaint that I have is with volume control via the remote can be a little bit too sensitive at times.
The N7 came in a well protected packaging, within the box, there is a power supply adapter, remote control as well as the unit itself.
Technical Specifications grabbed from N7’s product page
Full product information
Gears used for this review
Fosi Audio i5 Headphone 4.4
Hifiman Arya Organic
Aune SR7000
Aune S9c Pro -> Aune N7
Fiio K13 R2R -> Aune N7
*Aune N7 is sent over by Aune for the purpose of this review. I appreciate the opportunity given
Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far. I have used the Angel for several months prior to writing this review.
Notable Features
No loud popping sound upon switching the amp on or off
Clean and dark background, no audible noise floor even on sensitive IEM
High and Low current adjustment
Sound Impression
The N7’s sound signature is leaning towards the warmer side of the spectrum, in fact i find myself enjoying this sort of sound signature lately, there’s no hint of digital sounding, it gives the rich and organic sound profile
Aune S9c Pro + Aune N7 Combo
Utilising the internal dac of S9c Pro, which is the ES9068AS, coupled with N7’s Class A amp, offers a very smooth and engaging musical experience
Bass is punchy and well textured, never over done, but just right in terms of quantity and good control at the same time
In terms of resolution, personally, this combo is not the best, as it is leaning towards a musical kind of presentation, separation and imaging is good, but if you are looking for a clean and analytical sound, this is not the right combo nor the N7 is suitable for you
Fiio K13 R2R + Aune N7 Combo
Pairing the N7 with R2R dac really surprised me, in terms of sound and technical performance
This combo demonstrated a very expansive sound where the height and width as well as depth of the soundstage is perceived as big (also, depending on the headphones as well as IEM that you are using)
This combo exhibits a balanced sound signature whereby it is not overly warm as well as too analytical sounding, it works very well with the Fosi i5 in my opinion
Comparison with its bigger brother Aune S17 Pro Evo
Size is much bigger and heavier due to the differences in terms of internal components used
Shares almost similar feature (gain setting, current setting, screen, temperature view)
Screen on the N7 is higher quality compared to S17 Pro Evo
In terms of sound, the differences are audible, in terms of bass, the texture is slightly thicker, better treble extension, and also bigger perceived staging stage
Heat management wise, the S17 Pro Evo runs hotter compared to N7
Bigger range of volume steps compared to N7
Pairing impression with various Transducers
Fosi Audio i5 Headphone
i5 is a planar headphone from Fosi Audio and the tonality is leaning towards slight neutral warm
Bass has very good extension, even the sub bass, being an open back, the rumble is actually quite noticeable when paired with the N7
The treble somehow sounds a little subdued due to the N7’s tuning, despite that, the i5 is nowhere near dark, it is a good pairing for those who want a laidback listening experience
Soundstage is slightly bigger and spacious, imaging wise not much noticeable change to my ears
The N7 does not have any issue driving the i5 to its full potential
Hifiman Arya Organic
Arya Organic is an excellent headphone with good sonic performance given the asking price
In terms of tonality and tuning, it is leaning towards the U shaped sound profile, with slightly boosted sub bass as well as energetic top end
The Arya Organic pairs very well with the N7 to my ears, on stock, i find the Arya Organic’s treble a little too energetic for me, not in a harsh way just not my preference, but when paired with the N7, the Arya Organic sounds amazing to me, the treble is slightly tamed while retaining good technicalities
Mid bass has a little bit more texture and body compared to stock, this leads to better perceived note weight overall
The Arya Organic’s stage size is already big, however when paired with the N7, the out of head feel is somehow wider and taller
On high gain as well as 4.4 out, the N7 breaks no sweat powering the Arya Organic to its full potential
Aune SR7000
The big brother of AR5000, SR7000’s sound profile to my ears is balanced and neutral, in my opinion, it works very well with source/amp that are colored, such as the N7
Being a balanced and neutral set, means all the frequency range are not boosted, when paired with the N7, bass is slightly boosted, thumpy mid bass with good body
Not much changes on the treble, but mids sounds a little bit fuller and rich
Not much changes for detail retrieval as well as staging size
Intuaura Balance
A single DD set that is balanced and natural, very easy to like, but somehow i prefer it to have a little bit more bass impact
When paired with the N7, the bass punch harder, noticeable boost in terms of quantity, but not to the point where i would consider it as bass head set
Treble remains smooth and airy
Not much changes in terms of staging size and imaging
N7 somehow makes whatever that’s plugged into it sounds good (this is speaking from the gears that i used with, hence you experience might vary)
Final Thoughts
My experience with Aune’s product has been good in general, to date, i have yet to try any Aune product that i dislike, The N7 is no exception. As a Class A Headphone Amplifier, especially the price point, it would be hard not to recommend this to anyone who is looking for an amp now. To me, the N7 is quite versatile in the sense where it works well with both headphones as well as IEM. The sonic performance is also not too far off from S17 Pro Evo which cost more, but of course there are some refinements and distinctive difference between the two that separates the two of them
The overall build quality is solid and it certainly looks like it is built to last. With all that being said, there are some drawbacks such as the overly sensitive volume when using it with the bundled remote, the lack of a 3.5mm port, as well as lower volume steps (30).
Still, without any doubt, I’d absolutely recommend the N7 for those who are looking for a musical sounding amp with a limited budget, but if you are looking for something that’s analytical and clean sounding, the N7 is not for you, as it never markets itself as a clean sounding amp nor neutral. Highly recommended by me!
Head to the link below if you are interested in getting a unit yourself
Aune N7 Store Link- Non affiliated
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