The Aune N7 was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links.
The price of the Aune N7 is $399 and you can buy it from Amazon . Customers within the EU can order it from here.
Aune Audio
Aune Audio is a well established audio brand from China with a wide range of products that includes headphones, earphones, headphone amplifiers, DACs and portable audio equipment. Some of the most famous are the Aune SR7000, a reference closed-back headphone, and the Aune S17 Pro Evo that is widely regarded as the most affordable headphone amplifier with high-end credentials.
Aune Audio (plain Aune from now on) has been extensively featured on this website, click here to read further Aune reviews and get acquainted with their products.
Aune N7 Class-A headphone amplifier
The Aune N7 is a pure Class-A headphone amplifier and preamplifier that is part of Aune’s recently launched N-series that also includes the NC1 EVO audio clock and the N5 music player. The Aune N7 is also available as the N7 DAC edition with an embedded USB DAC that is based on dual CS43198 chips by Cirrus Logic.
Technical overview
The Aune N7 uses a precisely matched pair of twin-JFETS at its input stage and a specially designed dual level Class-A bias current adjustment for the transistor output stage. The audio architecture is borrowed from Aune’s bigger headphone amplifier, the S17 Pro Evo.
The amplifier incorporates an R2R electronic volume control chip by JRC, paired with high quality, low noise op-amps to form a four channel balanced volume control system.
A notable difference in comparison to the S17 Pro Evo, is that the N7 is powered by an external 18V DC power adapter instead of using its own transformer. However, it has a linear power supply circuitry with multiple regulations and large filtering capacitance.
Class-A amplifiers are known for producing excessive amounts of heat, so Aune engineers have made sure to equip the N7 with a 3D thermal dissipation structure that uses passive radiators in combination with the specially constructed side panels of the aluminum chassis.
Aune has spared no expenses, it uses only premium electronic components like Panasonic FK electrolytic capacitors, WIMA film capacitors and high quality SMT capacitors.
Design and build quality
Compared to Aune’s S-series, the N-series adopts a different design philosophy with a more compact footprint and a classic rectangularly shaped chassis instead of the larger, arched enclosures of the S-series.
The Aune N7 measures 208mm x 160mm x 63mm so it can virtually fit anywhere, even in the most cramped desktops, a major advantage over larger devices. At the same time, it is weighty enough to stay in place and don’t move or flip over with high quality interconnects that are usually bulky and heavy.
The enclosure is made from CNC machined aluminum that has a black mate finish and is carefully assembled without any visible flaws. As mentioned earlier, the two sides of the enclosure have specially designed, deep vertical fins that double as heatsinks to help dissipate the internal heat.
The Aune N7 is an exceptionally well made and sturdy device with a minimalistic-industrial yet premium appearance.
Connectivity and user interface
The front panel of the Aune N7 is equipped with a 3” multicolor display that has good visibility but only when viewed directly at eye level and not off-axis.
The screen displays all useful data at a glance, including gain, volume level, amplifier current bias, selected input and output modes, and a status bar showing the internal temperature reading. To make the bias state immediately recognizable, the interface turns blue when low bias is selected and red for high.
At the right side of the display there is an aluminum multifunction knob that is used to adjust volume and register menu actions, while at the left there are the two phone outputs, 4.4mm balanced and 6.35mm single ended. The back panel houses the XLR and RCA inputs, together with the XLR and RCA preamp outputs, the power switch and the DC input.
Some menu functions are accessible only through the knob and some others only with the aluminum remote control, so you must use both in order to fully control the device.
Power output and noise
The Aune N7 is an exceptionally powerful headphone amplifier that can do 6750mW*2/32Ω from its balanced output and 1900*2mW/32Ω from the single-ended. We are talking about serious power, the N7 can drive the Hifiman Susvara at high gain, while for headphones like the Focal Clear Mg or the Aune SR7000, 15-17 out of 30 volume steps in low gain were more than enough.
Given its high power output, I expected the N7 to be fairly noisy but I was proven wrong when I paired it with the FiiO FA19 and found it to be almost silent. The amp also has excellent channel balance, even at volume settings as low as 5-7 out of 30 where most earphones already play loud enough. The only downside of the whole design is that 1dB volume steps are not granular enough for sensitive loads as 0.5dB would be.
Working temperatures and heat
Aune has learned a few lessons about heat management from the original S17 Pro that they have successfully applied when designing the S17 Pro Evo and now have perfected in the N7 that displays excellent thermal behavior.
The amplifier is designed to withstand internal working temperatures as high as 69⁰ Celsius before entering heat protection mode that automatically switches to low bias. However, in real working conditions, the amplifier never exceeded 43⁰C-45⁰C, working 24/7 continuously in high gain, high current, at 25⁰C ambient temperature. The chassis gets pretty warm of course so it is advisable to place the amp in a well ventilated area without other components at its top.
Listening impressions
The amplifier was tested with various sources, such as the Aune X8 XVIII and the iBasso D17, and headphones like the Aune SR7000 and the Meze Audio Poet.
For the N7, Aune has chosen to follow a slightly different tuning path than they did with the S17 Pro Evo. The house sound is still the same, musicality rules over academic sterility, but now the N7 is a bit more neutral and flat sounding than the S17 Pro Evo.
The Aune N7 has a pleasant yet balanced sonic signature with a very analog and natural timbre but it doesn’t sound as lush and visceral as its bigger brother. The N7 has all the harmonic richness that is typically associated with Class-A amplifiers but it doesn’t add excessive warmth or smooth out the treble too much.
The N7 sounds especially clean and transparent, thus exposing both the strengths and the shortcomings of the connected source. This implies that it is less suitable for those looking for an amplifier with a strong sonic personality. Still the N7 enriches harmonies and overtones to help the music sound more alive and realistic. It is this duality that makes the N7 an excellent partner for sources as diverse as the FiiO WARMER and the Volumio Preciso while it matches exceptionally well with both brighter and warmer headphones.
The frequency response is neutral-flat without any audible deviations from linearity but the N7 never sounds clinical or sterile. It has excellent tonal balance that is ideal for enjoying all kinds of music as long as you do the right source and headphone matching. You can also use the two current bias options (low and high) to do some fine tuning. The high current bias adds some extra color and organic flavor to the timbre, it highlights the harmonic structure of the music and helps textures gain the missing weight and thickness.
More listening impressions
On the technical side, the Aune N7 is a skilful performer that punches well above its weight. It produces clean, impactful and especially dynamic bass that is fast and controlled with class-leading definition. It is not as thick and visceral as the S17 Pro Evo or as technical as the Violectric V222 but it sits in a very satisfying middle ground. The mid-range is tonally balanced, clean and precise without excessive lushness or warmth yet very expressive, colorful and melodic.
The treble is luminous and lively enough but nowhere bright or sharp. The overall presentation is slightly relaxed but not dull or dark while the high frequencies retain all their extension and don’t sound muted. Depending on the source and headphones, the music can vary from sounding organic and realistic to more energetic/technical and alive. The timbre always stays natural without any audible sterility or artificially unless they are too much present in the source.
The soundstage is especially open and spacious with average depth layering and excellent imaging precision. It might be slightly less accurate and tightly arranged in comparison with the Violectric V222, or not as profound and holographic as the Aune S17 Pro Evo, but it still manages to sound immersive, composed and grand enough. The presentation is more intimate than in the S17 Pro Evo, the feeling is like sitting in a jazz club rather than in a concert hall.
Vs the competition
The Aune N7 sounds like a fusion of the Aune S17 Pro Evo and the Violectric V222, that good it is. Its sonic character combines a great portion of the former’s musicality and expressiveness with a great deal of the latter’s transparency and technicalities. It is almost as powerful and has exceptionally low noise floor while it is more compact that the other two models. The N7 is also very different sounding from headphone amplifiers that are designed with the “wire with gain” philosophy, like most offerings from SMSL and Topping.
The N7 might cost $500 but it doesn’t sound much inferior than the other two more expensive amplifiers mentioned above. Actually you spend a lot more for them just to get marginally better technical performance and a different sound flavor but this is how high-end works. People with bigger pockets will probably reach for one of the other two models but for the rest, the Aune N7 can easily count as an end game.
In the end
The Aune N7 is a hidden gem, an affordable Class-A headphone amplifier that is both musical and transparent while it has the power to drive the most demanding headphones. It performs many times better than someone would have expected from its price and can easily rival much more expensive models.
It is exceptionally well made, it has excellent thermal management, it is compact enough to fit anywhere and can also double as a high quality preamplifier.
While I have quite a few high-end solid-state amplifiers that are many times more expensive and outperform the Aune N7, I found myself using it a lot more than them. Not only because it sounds silly good for the price but also because I like its simplicity and compact dimensions.
Honestly speaking, the Aune N7 has become my favorite headphone amplifier and found a permanent place at the table next to my armchair. Give it a try and there is a great chance that it can become yours favourite too.
Copyright 2026.
Authored by Petros Laskis for Ichos Reviews. All content is original and copyrighted. Republishing full reviews or substantial portions without written permission is prohibited. Excerpts up to 100 words are allowed with a direct link.
+ Outstanding tonal balance and sonic performance for the price
+ Rich tonality and natural timbre
+ Competitive transparency and clarity
+ Plenty of power with low noise floor
+ Effective thermal management
+ Class-A preamplifier
+ Two bias current options
+ Fully balanced architecture
+ Version with embedded DAC also available
+ 3” display and remote control
+ Compact dimensions and excellent build quality
+ Impressive value for money
- Screen with poor viewing angles
- Not as technical and transparent as some other models
- Must be placed in a well ventilated area
- The 1dB volume steps are not granular enough
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