Aune AR5000

AR5000 - A very pragmatic ‘all-rounder’ dynamic driver open back

The Aune AR5000 is a mid-fi priced headphone that looks, feels and sounds much more premium than its $300 price tag. It may well become a modern classic.

What I also think is very impressive is how refined in almost every detail this headphone is, for a first headphone produced by Aune. It is very difficult to build quality audio products, so to build something and get so many aspects right with Aune first headphone attempt is pretty amazing. Just look at the first Moondrop or FiiO headphones - it normally take a few attempts before the process is refined and perfected.

Note: Aune also provided a separate high quality balanced cable and a headphone stand which I will use in some of the photos below.

While every headphone has compromises (and there are a few with the AR7000 that I highlight in the review), this headphone was a pleasure to review. So please read on to see if this is a good headphone for you.

Unboxing, Build Quality, and Accessories

The AR5000 arrives in a sleek, well-crafted package.

The usual information on the back:

Removing the sleeve you get an understated box with a nice logo:

But then opening this box reveals the headphones in very luxurious packaging:

My wife who spotted me opening this was immediately, “That looks so nice!”.

I would definitely be very happy receiving these as a present, so I think it would make a great first audiophile headphone for someone.

Though the rest of the accessories are fairly basic and in cheap plastic:

So the included cable is reasonable well-made, though as I mentioned earlier Aune also provided a separate balanced cable (the stock cable is the black one):

I mainly used the stock cable, but it does tangle a little too easily, so I would say it is an ok cable in this price range (similar level of quality to Hifiman cables), so this is one of those minor compromises I think Aune made with the AR5000.

The balanced cable (which was an extra from Aune) is much higher quality, but since I was mainly used the AR5000 on my Macbook and using my iPhone USB-C dongle I mainly used the stock 3.5mm cable.

As you will see in the specifications it is a very easy to drive headphone, so a balanced cable is a bit of overkill for this headphone, but given how common the dual 3.5mm inputs are on headphones, having a decent balanced cable is something every should have.

Headphone

So, with the headphone itself, what you are immediately impresses is exceptional looks and build quality in this price range.

It puts some similar priced and quality headphones like Hifiman Sundara’s or Edition XS or the Sennheiser HD6XX range to shame:

I love the design on the earcups:

You can actually see opening on the side of each earcup:

Aune are showing a similar attention to detail that I had seen with the Audeze MM-100 that I also recently reviewed but this is impressive for a first time headphone, and it has a better headband than the MM-100:

Comfort

By combining metal and high-grade plastic they have very lightweight design at 350g, so these were very comfortable on long listening sessions.

They actually feel lighter on your head than that weight indicates, but I think the headband also does a great job of distributing the weight:

The headband and ear cups are thoughtfully crafted, with the headband arc and yokes made of metal for durability:

The hybrid ear pads feature memory foam wrapped in perforated PU leather and velour and are very comfortable:

Note: a minor complaint (though certainly not a compromise) is that these earpads are custom to AR5000, so it might be hard to find an aftermarket pad if you want a replacement.

The angled driver and the padding contribute to a very good fit (at least for me), reducing pressure points and enhancing overall comfort:

I did like this diagram that Aune provided of how the headphone was constructed:

Sound Impressions

So what is very impressive about the AR5000 is I actually forgot it was a dynamic driver and though it was a planar for a while during my initial listening sessions. It has an extremely balanced and especially linear bass for a dynamic driver in this price range. The midrange and treble were similarly well-balanced.

But let’s get into the details:

Bass

The AR5000 delivers a full, meaty bass response that remains well-controlled, even in complex tracks. The low frequencies are slightly warm but satisfying, providing depth without overwhelming the other elements of the sound spectrum. Listening to “Royals"by Lorde showcases the headphone’s ability to handle bass with precision, offering a punchy yet refined sound that enhances the track’s rhythm.

While I am not sure if it is a compromise, Aune went for a very smooth and balanced bass, while they could have possibly pushed the dynamic driver a little to have slightly more sub-bass, but this is easy to do with a little EQ for those wanting more bass.

Midrange

Midrange performance is where the AR5000 truly excels. Vocals and instruments are reproduced with exceptional clarity and warmth, making them sound lifelike and engaging. On tracks like “Hotel California” by The Eagles, the midrange shines, bringing out every nuance in the guitars and vocals, delivering a natural and immersive experience.

Treble

The treble on the AR5000 is mostly smooth and extended, offering just the right amount of sparkle without becoming harsh or sibilant again I was very impressed with how controlled the treble is for a dynamic driver in this price range, it never felt too sharp. The headphones manage to maintain a lively treble response that adds airiness and detail to the sound.

Tracks like “Time” by Pink Floyd reveal the treble’s quality, with cymbals and high-frequency details rendered crisply and cleanly.

Soundstage and Imaging

For a headphone in this price range, the AR5000 offers an impressively wide soundstage, creating a spacious and immersive listening environment. While not as wide as Hifiman planars like the Edition XS it is far better at soundstage than say the Sennheiser HD600.

The imaging is good for this price range, allowing for accurate placement of instruments and vocals. Probably not as good as the Audeze MM-100 at imaging it is still more accurate than the majority of headphones in this price range. The track “The Neighbour” by “The Clientele” was exceptionally well layered with excellent separation between the vocals and each instrument in 3D space.

Specificactions and Measurements

Key values are the impedance and sensitivity and both indicate a very easy to drive headphone, and I was using it both on my iPhone with my Apple Dongle and my Macbook Pro using its headphone output. On both I was at most about 70% volume.

I did also listen to it with my Schiit Audio Midgard and my FiiO K11 R2R via the Aune balanced cable, and it sounded great on both so while it doesn’t need any special amplifier, it will sound great and scale well with your equipment.

Frequency Response: Lets start with the frequency response and the channel matching:

So you can see its it very linear, with a slight midrange emphasis so again some EQ might be necessarily especially if you are wanting that Harman.

But I thought it would be useful if I also supplied Resolve Measurements from the BK-5128:

It shows that it stays well within the typical preference ranges for headphones.

Here is Resolve’s review for reference:

As for some comparisons, I thought I would start comparing again my hifiman XS:

This is why I think I thought I was listening to a planar when I initially started listening to the AR5000 and why I believe is has some of that spatious sound of the Edition XS (though I think the very large egg shaped ear cups on the XS do contribute towards that Hifiman super wide soundstage ).

Adding 2 of my favourite Sennheisers, the HD600 and the new HD490 Pro:

You can see the AR5000 goes for a sound signature that is closer to the Edition XS and the producer pads on the Sennheiser HD490 pro than the HD600. The HD600 tries to keep that perfect midrange tonality but suffers from a lack of sub-bass compared to the other 3 headphones.

Finally, comparing it against a few other headphones in this price range:

The key thing with these types of graphs is that the headphone doesn’t have extremes and the AR5000 is again one of the best headphones when comparing frequency range like this, doing everything well.

Distortion: So the AR5000 has very little distortion when playing over 90dB it was mostly less than 40dB:

As a percentage it shows very low distortion:

EQ: Because the distortion is so well controlled and there excellent channel matching and given it has sensitivity of 108dB, this headphone is a great candidate for any EQ you might want. But this headphone doesn’t really need EQ, Aune have gone for a wide spacious sound type tuning with a balanced bass and treble which is very close to my preference anyway.

But if you want to turn this into a “Harman” sounding headphone I thought Oratory EQ worked very well:

As you can hopefully see the raised the bass is to bring the AR5000 much closer to that “Harman” bass and the EQ also moves the treble from the typical spacious sounding tuning to a more tonally correct. So if you have the ability to quickly switch ( I am using eqMac on my Macbook Pro while writing this review ) you can try both the stock tuning and a Harman inspired EQ version of the AR5000 very easily to see which is your favourite.

Rating

The Aune AR5000 delivers exceptional quality for the price, making it a standout choice in the mid-fi headphone market. This headphone would stand out in the $500 - $1000 price range, the fact that it is on $300 is makes it one of the most pragmatic headphones, so I have to give it a 5-star rating.

There are better sounding headphones, better looking headphones and maybe more comfortable headphones but the AR5000 is a very pragmatic mixture of all these attributes which I don’t believe any other single headphone in this price range has.

Conclusion

The Aune AR5000 is the best “all-round headphone” in its price range and should be a future classic. In a similar way to that the Meze 109 Pro is in the sub $1000 range. The Aune AR5000 has a similar mixture of good looks, build quality, comfort and above all excellent sound quality.

So, with its gorgeous looks, excellent sound quality, impressive build and that pragmatic price point, the AR5000 offers an outstanding listening experience that rivals far more expensive headphones.