AUNE M2S audio player review: I have AUNE blue – and I am very pleased with myself!

It happens that the head does not turn on immediately. And music doesn’t come out right away, because the environment, dull and hostile, weighs on the psyche. Of course, the twilight of the soul will gradually fade away, because live sounds always come back. Music is more than just pleasure. This is my world, where I get to be myself and find answers to my questions. In music, you can forget yourself and hide from the search for the meaning of life..

But the live music is perfect. And I always have portable music with me. Which one?? The question is certainly interesting: the portable audio market is overflowing with new products for every taste and even color. So with the tenacity of a maniac I keep looking for a compromise source – with acceptable size, accurate sound, good control and a good price. I keep looking for music that will always be with me.

Thanks to XChesser Audio for providing a sample to listen to

Well, here’s the reason why I took the novelty – Aune M2 portable audio player – out of the market again. Recall that about a year ago I already told you about a portable firstborn of Chinese company Aune – the model M1. The device turned out to be decent, with decent sound, but, so to speak, with a peculiar design. But what can the new music source from Aune do??

The birthday of Aune M2 has been awaited by many. Each piece of news from the manufacturer was discussed with trepidation. The release was delayed and the listeners were nervous. And now it’s done!

About ten days ago a friend dropped by, gave me a sample and let me listen to the Aune M2 PRO version. The acquaintance was very transient, the device was listening to other people’s tracks and other people’s headphones, but the cool temper immediately came over a solid wall! I was fundamentally convinced of it when I listened to another most expensive modification – Aune M2S audio player – day after day.

Specifications

Built-in memory No

Support for microSD memory cards

Screen 2.6″

Supports the audio formats DSD, AAC, M4A, MP3, APE, FLAC, WAV, DSF, DFF, SACD ISO, CUE

DAC AKM AK4490

230 mW @ 32 ohms

Outputs Headphone, Line

3500 mAh battery, up to 8 hours

Material of the case Aluminum

Dimensions 120×65×17 mm

Weight 205 grams

Appearance and package

As a famous character used to say, you asked for toast in triplicate? Here we have three new items instead of one.

Aune M2 comes in black and silver. On board, two Japanese top level oscillators with ultra low jitter.

Aune M2 pro – available in black and silver. It accommodates two American CRYSTEK quartz oscillators with femtosecond precision and an amplifier, tuned specifically for these oscillators.

Aune M2S comes in blue. Upgrade of M2 Pro version with teflon backing board.

I have not heard the basic version of Aune M2 yet. Listening to Aune M2 pro and Aune M2S, I don’t really notice much difference: their specifications are identical, except for the teflon base of the board and the difference in colors.

The player comes in a flat black box. Inside you can find the player itself, microUSB/USB cable to connect to the power adapter, warranty card for the device. Everything is modest and ascetic. I, for example, would have added at least a silicone case to the set.

My version of M2S is in blue. In terms of design, to be honest, I did not notice anything special about it. Simple as can be. A kind of blue aluminium block with buttons and a wheel for volume up and down. Although in your hand player is very comfortable.

About the buttons and the knob. The buttons are very soft, you want to press all three at once: left, start/pause, right. The edge buttons can be used not only to slide left-right, but also up and down through tracks and folders.

The central button was tricky, but well thought out: a quick press – start/stop a little longer – you get to the previous folder and if you press it to the end, you get back to the main menu.

Why is it so complicated?? I assure you, after 20 minutes you will forget your question and be delighted with how convenient it all is. The analog volume knob is also very smooth and pleasantly adjusted. “The volume knob controls the volume and also allows you to move through folders and tracks in up/down direction.

The menu is also convenient and easy to use. Its main items: “Music”, “Folder Selection”, “Playlist Selection” and “Settings”. It is worth noting that the menu allows you to switch between four digital filters: Sharp SD, Sharp LD, Slow SD, and Slow LD. I didn’t notice much difference between the Sharp SD and Sharp LD modes, nor did I notice much difference between the other couple – Slow SD and Slow LD. The difference, if any, is hardly noticeable to a very sophisticated and delicate ear. But there is a difference between Sharp SD/Sharp LD and Slow SD/Slow LD modes. Sharp sounds sharper and Slow is noticeably softer. This is quite a useful feature in case of sharp or unsharp recording.

The front panel of Aune M2 has a screen, which, by the way, has a very good picture quality that can be envied even by famous smartphone brands. To tell the truth, it is still not clear why such a big screen is needed. Whether it can show artwork, I never understood. There is a suspicion that the Chinese made such a cool display for growth – the visual covers will appear in the upcoming firmware.

As it is easy to make sure, the whole navigation is situated under the screen, the buttons are within one finger. On the top end is the on/off button. The left side is as clean as a tear from the Komsomol girl Frosya Burlakova.

On the right side there are: under the plug – a secret hole for digital signal output. At least that’s what the rumors say: later on the manufacturer will present some kind of a miracle device to be connected to this interface, through which the digital signal will penetrate. Further down is the volume control and at the very bottom is the microSD memory card slot.

On the bottom face there are two jacks 3.5 mm – for headphones and a line jack, as well as microUSB connector for power adapter.

The assembly of the device is solid, accurate, symmetrical, without backlashes and creaks, there is nothing to complain about.

Sound

For listening we used the following earphones: Etymotic ER-4S, Westone UM3X, Phonak Audeo pfe 112 with gray filters , Zero Audio ZH-DX200-CT Carbo Tenore, Beyerdynamic dt 1350, Audio-Technica ATH-SX1a, Beyerdynamic dt 250/250, Hifiman HE-4.

The sound of Aune M2 is quite smooth and clear with excellent details. The sound palette reminds of a sky in diamonds: the black and blue background is all studded with bright stars. Feel the cool breeze blowing, but it doesn’t give you the chills, it gives off a fresh, mountain aftertaste.

The musical material is solid and strong, it hypnotizes and makes you watch what is going on with suspicion. It really seems that you are about to be dragged into a masquerade ball with Behemoth the cat and the hostess, who is quite naked… Imagine? Yeah, that’s it, it feels weird…

Several times while listening to Aune M2 on the road I found myself walking into the office looking like a professor a la “Back to the Future” – my eyes bulging and my hair standing on end like a 380 volt shot before I went back in time. By the way, at this moment I might have looked like Dracula after a heavy metal session..

The sound of the Chinese hero is very cool, as is the geopolitical ambition of the Chinese bonzes. This one is a completely different pole. It’s not the light breeze that my current favorite iBasso DX80 brings, when a smile and good day wishes came through the same office in the morning with me. M2 makes you always be on the lookout, while bumping you into a minibus seat. Play something like Angelo Badalamenti on it and I’ll see your Dracula face!

So, let’s go back to the present and note at once one of the main sonic peculiarities of the device – its sterility. Good or bad? In this particular case, good.

With a delivery that tends toward the dark, the M2 impresses with extremely clear and, in some places, even cool sound. The unit shows very good detail, each sound is clearly delineated in space. The aftershocks are not cut, the music sounds impressive. All in all, class.

Here we did not do without a fly in the ointment. On the material, where mastering is initially dense, dark, or even tone, everything is just magic. And where the emphasis is on the MF/HF, cymbals, hats, overhead vocals, that’s where the sibilants come out. Of course, such a mishap can be solved by a proper selection of headphones and switching the digital filter to the Slow SD/Slow LD modes, but I think the “road sign” “Slippery Road” must be set.

The tweeters are crisp, precise and cool, like ice. But there, where on the record itself they are “on the brink”, the device can give them away.

The mids – they show very good details. They are smooth, clean, smooth, just great.

Basses are clear, well controlled, very cool kick and speed. The bass, if it kicks, it’ll kick in so hard you won’t be able to exhale. It’ll give you goose bumps on your back. Rest assured.

Conclusions

This unit is not just a success, it is a real success. It stands out strongly from the range of handhelds that have been released recently. Great sound, comfortable controls – all the merits of the Aune M2.

As for the tweeter sibilants, the manufacturer promises to address this issue and promptly release software that will solve the problem. By the way, in the next firmware versions they’ll also add American language selection, which is also important for some users.

The price of the device, depending on the version, ranges from 24 500 Dollars for the regular version to 35 000 Dollars for the PRO version and something in the neighborhood of 46 000 Dollars for the M2S version.

You may or may not want to take the M2S version. Giving an extra 10,000-11,000 for slightly modified PCB technology and blue color, it remains a matter of debate. But the purchase of the regular version and the PRO version is more than justified. Here I not only approve but even recommend. And don’t be afraid of Dracula..

Pros of

Sound, build quality and materials, software, price in the case of the M2 and M2pro versions

Cons

Except for those minor nuances with the requirement of recording quality, they, as such, do not. I’d also question the appropriateness of choosing the M2S version.