Chinese Aune presents its relatively nice priced S9c, a reference DAC and headphone amplifier in one.
As a reference DAC and headphone amplifier, the Aune S9c Pro features, first of all, four digital inputs. We are talking about S/PDIF (optical and coax), USB-B and AES/EBU. PCM can be played back in a quality up to 32 bit / 768 kHz and DSD up to DSD512. If you still have a collection of MQA files lying around, it’s good to know the S9c has no problem with those either. There is a Bluetooth module too that can handle the LDAC and aptX HD codecs. As for analog outputs, you can choose from the available symmetrical XLR or asymmetrical cinch variants.
Solid power supply as a base
As promised, the Aune s9c is also a headphone amplifier. For this, a 6.35mm jack and 4.4mm symmetrical XLR connection are implemented. The headphone amplifier is built completely symmetrical and delivers output power of up to and including 5 watts. The manufacturer would also like to let the world know that the power supply inside the s9c is generously dimensioned. The basis is formed by a 50 VA transformer and adjacent capacitor bank with a total capacity of 23900 uF. Although the internal clock is already accurate, it’s possible to connect an external 10 MHz clock signal if desired.
The Aune S9c costs €749.