Disclaimer:
Good morning, MBA readers! Today, we’re introducing a new brand that has allowed me to try one of its products. Aune Audio, a highly prestigious and popular brand that I’d never even gotten around to. The product we’re reviewing today is the Aune AC55, a clip-on headphone that reminds me a lot of the ones I used with a portable CD player between 2000 and 2005. I’ve always loved these types of headphones because they’re incredibly comfortable. They’re truly a cross between IEMs and headphones. Aune has managed to recreate that design while applying their build quality and audio. The result? Amazing!
Table Of Content
I’m not an audiophile; I’m just a guy who likes to try out different IEMs and DACs and spends a lot of time listening to music.
So I’m not going to use super technical words to review it, but I will do my best to describe it.
Tech Specs:
- 40mm DD W-shaped bio-fiber composite diaphragm
- Open-back clip-on design
- THD at 1kHz: < 0,3%
- 15-40000 Hz
- Impedance: 30Ω
- Sensitivity: 112dB
- 1,25m OFC Modular Cable
- Weight: 35g x side
Packaging:
The Aune AC55 box already gives you an idea of the quality of the product you’re holding: a reputable brand and a premium product. The headphones are housed and well-protected, with a silicone mat on the sponge side.
Below are the accessories:
- Excellent copper-colored, modular OFC cable
- Cable clip
- Carrying bag
- Manual
Obviously, the standard package doesn’t include anything special, but we have everything we need, including an excellent, well-made modular cable. The only downside is the carrying bag; I would have preferred something more sturdy to store them in.
Design/Build quality:
The Aune AC55 headphones proudly show off their ’90s look. The shell finishes are matte black with a wet-drop effect, reminiscent of some high-end speaker cabinets or pianos. It’s unclear what material they’re made of, but there’s a mix of plastic and quality metal, making them very solid and quite heavy. Inside, there’s a flat but very soft foam earpad (I haven’t yet figured out if it’s interchangeable). The earhooks are covered in silicone with an aluminum core, offering good stability & flexibility.
The open-back design is truly open. What you can see behind the grille is, in effect, the back of the driver. The pins are 0.78 mm, but the connector has some details that make swapping the cable a bit tricky, but not impossible.
The overall quality of the product perfectly reflects the price paid. The precision of the assembly and the color of the cable perfectly match the copper-colored inserts of the headphones. The only thing I’m currently unclear about is whether the earpad foams can be replaced. I’ll have to find out because they feel very firm to the touch.
Overall, they’re beautiful clip-on headphones with a design that’s both vintage and modern.
Initial sound impression:
The Aune AC55 focuses heavily on musicality and warm tones, delicious mids, silky, warm, and rich in emotion, a decisive mid-bass, and a fairly smooth treble. This mix makes the Aune AC55s clip-ons that warm the heart as well as the ears. As soon as the vocals of the track start, the scene literally opens up, the open-back structure here is no joke, and the soundstage expands in all directions impetuously. It not only gives a sensation of width but also depth, creating something that, depending on the track, seems 3D. Perhaps technically speaking, they are a little dark due to their warm tuning, but they sound damn good and silky with a super cozy mood. I decided to power them directly with the Creative X5 in balanced mode to immediately squeeze the driver. The bass literally slaps the eardrum when you turn up the volume. The sub-bass is also good for open-back headphones.
Comfort & fit:
In terms of comfort, the weight is well distributed, but I think it’s fair to say they’re not the lightest, but rather quite heavy. Perhaps you could find some foam pads that would slightly change the overall fit, but I’ll have to check if there are any replacements. The cable is perhaps a little stiff, but it doesn’t get in the way or weigh down the headphones. Replacing the cable is possible; models without the Erahook and with similar connectors are sold, but you’ll have a hard time determining the polarity, which is microscopically marked by two small teeth in the connectors. Personally, I don’t need any upgrades; the cable seems to be made of excellent-quality OFC copper.
Equipment used for testing:
Device:
- Mac Mini
- Redmi Note 14 Pro 4G
Software:
- Amazon Music UHD 24bit 96kHz (Both)
DAC:
- Creative X5 (added warmth, fuller bass)
- Fosi Audio K7 (neutral brighter but less synergy)
Final sound impression:
Even though the specs don’t suggest a fancy amplifier, I still opted to squeeze the most out of the 40mm drivers. They’re not simple drivers, but rather have W-shaped bio-fiber composite diaphragms that significantly increase the vibrating surface area, and I can say that their sound clearly shows they have a very powerful sound. With the Creative X5, the bass, particularly in the mid-bass range, has a truly remarkable density. However, when the vocals kick in, you’re literally captivated by the musicality it conveys. You don’t need extremely refined technical expertise when you have such musicality. Aune Audio has created masterpieces that rightfully become among my favorites.
Treble
The trebles are smooth, perhaps not the most resolute and defined I’ve ever heard, but they still perform very well given the tuning choice. They’re never sharp or too high to make listening uncomfortable. They deliver just the right amount of brightness, only when needed and never in excess of what’s absolutely comfortable. I’d call them a naturally smooth operator. The result is remarkable, especially when compared to the competition, but also to the past, where it was difficult to obtain headphones with a similar warm tone.
Mid-licious
Mids that will make your ears swell? Yes, the mids will make your jaw drop from the moment you listen to the track, no matter where you are. Warm, dense, thick, silky, and velvety like a good Italian hot chocolate or espresso. Yes, the nuances and notes are so richly musical that they make you completely forget the technical aspects. Female and male vocals all sound extremely coherent and melodic, while stringed instruments still manage to convey the air movement of the strings with extreme accuracy. The mids’ ability to separate and direct is also impressive.
Bass
The bass is dense, especially the mid-bass, which is very strong and solid. This may not be surprising to everyone, but if you have experience with this type of clip-on headphones or open-back products in general, you’ll know very well how many fall short on bass. Aune has perfectly succeeded in giving body and density to a range that is difficult to achieve with this design. I remember my THOMSON PDP2030 with clip-on headphones, and its bass-boost button was still unable to reach deep notes; even the more recent Roseselsa Distant Mountain simply cannot reach the density of these. The sub-bass is a bit elusive, but that’s normal with open-back structures.
But for the type, they are superior to many open-back headphones as they manage to deliver a good dose of slam with even a decent hint of sub-bass, although it fades quite quickly.
Soundstage and Imaging
Can I tell you it exceeds all expectations? Wide and high, it expands in every direction, but the most beautiful part is how it manages to take every element of the music track and create a dimensional space around it. You can really feel the depth: it’s practically a three-dimensional sound. The warm yet extremely musical image envelops you in a listening experience unlike any IEM, or even any headphones I can recall recently. Layering is precise and truly well done. For an open-back headphone, the sound manages to keep everything in its place.
Comparison:
There are no products to directly compare in this price range. It might be interesting to compare them with the cheapest model, the Aune AC45, or some Panasonics available at much lower prices. The Roseselsa Distant Mountain uses a similar driver format, however.
The Roseselsa Distant Mountain OG has a retro design and fairly high-quality materials, but the price is much lower. Personally, I was sold on them, but some people weren’t too keen on the midrange, and they’re far from the refinement and musicality of the Aune AC55s. I can tell you they’re nothing alike. Even though they both adopt a vintage design, everything else is different.
Other versions of the Roseselsa have since been released, so it could be improved with new models. The price, however, is still very low for such good overall quality.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Aune Audio has decided to revive a bygone design/trend: clip-on headphones that were (perhaps) so popular in the 1990s and 2000s. Obviously, the Aune AC55s incorporate several improvements; a similar result would not have been possible. Although they aren’t extremely technical headphones, they’re still perfect if you simply want to enjoy good music. The treble is very smooth but still manages to convey an excellent level of detail, the mids are like chocolate, and even the bass is particularly good due to its open design. The Aune AC55 clip headphones are definitely among my all-time favorite audio weapons.
When I want to enjoy a warm, musical, and emotionally charged listening experience, and above all, a low-pressure session, these are the absolute best choice. Of course, if someone is around, they might hear what you’re listening to. When you turn up the volume (which happens easily), the sound pressure level causes the driver excursion, making the headphones move a little on your ears, letting you feel their full power. I remember that even the ones I used years ago would vibrate in my ears when I turned up the volume. These are obviously not headphones I’d use for sports or running because they’re stable but not fixed like headband headphones.
A magnificent product that fully reflects the expectations I had of this brand.
9.2/10
Pros:
- 40mm DD with OpenBack structure
- High-quality build
- Warmish & musical
- Good modular OFC cable
- Silky mids with engaging Vocals
- Soundstage is really wide & tall
- Nice bass response for an Open-Back
- Good details and layering
- Smooth Treble Extension
Cons:
- Earpads Sponge spare parts? Updated, Available soon!
- Not everybody likes this design from the 90s
- Passive isolation (of course)
Q/A:
Who is the Aune Audio AC55 for?
If you’re looking for a warm place, in front of a fireplace with a nice hot chocolate in hand, you’ve come to the right place. The Aune AC55 is richly musical, warm, and relaxing, yet with an impressive soundstage.
Who should avoid the Aune Audio AC55?
If you’re looking for extended sub-bass or a extended treble, then these aren’t for you. The same goes for athletes: they’re stable on the ear, but you can’t run or jump with them in your ears. The same goes for total isolation from outside noise.
Is the Aune Audio AC55 easy to drive?
I’d say they’re fairly easy to drive even with less powerful amplifiers; you tend to turn them up a bit louder than usual due to the poor isolation, but they’re easy to drive.
Similar alternatives to consider?
I can’t tell you about alternatives that don’t exist or that I haven’t tried, but I can tell you that, if you want to try the clip-on type of headphones on Amazon, there should be some inexpensive Panasonic ones.
More information (No affiliation):
Original Earpads (Coming soon)
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