Aune AR5000 MK2

All-Metal Headband Rebuild, Refined 50mm MLD Driver — The Aune’s AR5000 Revisited with MK2

I have been following Aune for a while now — I reviewed the original AR5000 when it launched and came away genuinely impressed by its unusual circular earcup design and its large-tilt-angle acoustic architecture. So when rumours of an MK2 surfaced, I was paying attention. The AR5000 had one widely-reported weakness: the headband frame, made from metal-painted plastic, was failing for some users. When the frame went, the headphone went with it. The MK2 addresses that directly with a full all-metal assembly, and — while it was at it — Aune also revised the driver and tuning.

Two changes, then: the frame and the sound. Both are worth talking about in detail, and one of them will divide opinions.

Two weeks of listening here, with the original AR5000 sitting directly alongside for comparison throughout. The frame upgrade is real and immediately tangible. The sound has changed too — and while I’ll lay out why I think the change makes sense, I want to be honest upfront that it is a different headphone tonally, and not everyone who loved the original will love this. But first, let’s take a look at what’s in the box.

Unboxing and Packaging

The AR5000 MK2 arrives in Aune’s clean, confident outer packaging. The box opens to reveal the documentation and product information sitting on top:

Below that, the box contents are laid out practically — manual, cable, and adapter together:

The headphone itself is unboxed in good condition, presented cleanly:

The AR5000 MK2 includes a carry case — a meaningful inclusion that protects the headphone during transport and contributes to the sense that this is a considered product at $239:

The headphone open in its case, and a closer look at the earpads in their carry position:

Design, Build Quality, and the New Frame

The headline build change on the MK2 is the headband assembly. The original AR5000’s frame used metal-painted plastic — a construction choice that looked premium but, for some users, failed structurally over time. Here is what that looked like when it went wrong:

This image is from the internet — not my unit — but it represents a real pattern that Aune heard about, and the MK2 is a direct response to it. The new frame uses an all-metal assembly throughout. The improvement is tangible: the headband feels solid in a way the original did not, and the adjustment mechanism moves with more authority:

The Aune Air Reference CE series headband family — showing the progression across the lineup — provides context for where the MK2 sits:

Despite using real metal throughout the frame rather than metal-painted plastic, the MK2 comes in at essentially the same weight as the original. Aune clearly made internal adjustments to compensate — weighing both confirms this:

The circular earcup design remains the AR5000’s most visually distinctive feature. The MK2 keeps it intact — the large open grille on the exterior and the side vents that Aune uses to manage airflow behind the driver:

The front panel grille and the zoom into the grille surface — both show the precision of the construction and the open-back geometry that is central to how this headphone works acoustically:

The high-definition MLD driver grille and the earpad surface with the driver labelling give a sense of how close the driver sits to the ear — the geometry here is intentional and acoustically active:

The earpad close-up confirms the depth and material quality of the pads — these are the same comfortable earpads from the original, unchanged in the MK2:

The earcup swivel mechanism is well-engineered on both sides, allowing a good range of adjustment without play or wobble — a detail that contributes to fit quality:

Driver Technology

The AR5000 MK2 continues with Aune’s 50mm Multi-Layer Distributed (MLD) dynamic driver — a design that uses a diaphragm balancing rigidity and damping to reduce the breakup resonances that can affect large-diameter drivers. For the MK2, Aune has updated the diaphragm material and surface treatment, targeting clearer high-frequency extension and a more natural sense of air. The driver diagram and close-up show the architecture:

The large-tilt-angle driver panel — the angled positioning of the 50mm driver within the circular earcup — is the acoustic signature element of the AR5000 design. Combined with angled earpads, it creates what Aune describes as an enhanced sense of vertical soundstage and imaging precision. The driver basket at an angled zoom shows this geometry clearly:

Cables and Accessories

The cable included with the MK2 is genuinely good quality — Aune has not cut corners here. The cable body is labelled with the Aune branding and the connectors are well-finished:

The full connector set and the variety of cable tips included give good flexibility for different source setups:

Fit and Comfort

The AR5000 MK2 is extremely comfortable — the egg-shaped earcup with its angled driver and deep earpads creates excellent ear clearance and a contact seal that feels pressure-free. Everything that made the original AR5000 one of the more comfortable open-backs in this price range is preserved in the MK2.

The one difference you notice with the new metal frame is a marginally firmer clamping force. It is not uncomfortable, but the more rigid structure translates to a slightly more present grip on the head compared to the original’s slightly looser, more casual feel. For most listeners this will be imperceptible; for those who wore the original on the very edge of a comfortable fit, it is worth knowing.

I also tested it with the Aune portable audio player as a secondary source alongside the JDS Labs Element IV and Topping DX5 II:

The AR5000 MK2 at 100dB sensitivity drives easily from most sources, including portable gear.

Sound Impressions

All impressions were formed using the JDS Labs Element IV and Topping DX5 II as primary sources, with the original AR5000 directly alongside for comparison.

Bass

The bass is the most audible change from the original. The MK2 has more mid-bass weight — a warmer, fuller low-end presentation that sits closer to the character you would expect from a ZMF or warmer Meze headphone than the leaner, more linear bass of the original AR5000. On “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode, the bass line has real body and authority, and the overall low-end is satisfying and enjoyable. The trade-off is that this mid-bass warmth adds a slight congestion to busy low-end passages that the original’s leaner tuning avoided. If you came to the AR5000 specifically for a tighter, more precise low end, the MK2 is a different proposition. If you simply want good bass with real weight, it delivers.

Midrange

The midrange retains the AR5000’s fundamental character — open, spacious, and well-proportioned — with a deliberate recession in the 1–2kHz region that Aune uses to enhance the perceived soundstage width and prevent the forward, in-your-face midrange presentation of more neutral headphones. On “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, the vocal sits naturally within the mix with good body and presence, the guitar carrying a slightly warm colouration that suits the tuning. The midrange is still one of this headphone’s genuine strengths — the angled driver architecture gives instruments a convincing sense of placement and space that purely frontal driver designs do not achieve in the same way.

Treble

The treble is where the MK2 makes its clearest improvement over the original. Aune’s diaphragm material and surface treatment updates have produced a high-frequency presentation that is more extended and more interesting than the original — there is more air and micro-detail retrieval, and individual instrument textures come through with greater clarity. On “Tamacun” by Rodrigo y Gabriela, the string harmonics and picking detail have a presence and precision that the original AR5000 could not quite match at the top of its range. Crucially, this improved extension is achieved without adding sibilance or harshness — the treble is engaging but not aggressive.

Soundstage and Imaging

The soundstage is one of the AR5000 MK2’s consistent strengths, and it remains excellent. The large-tilt-angle driver architecture produces a notably wide and open sense of space — wider than most conventional open-backs in this price range — with a vertical dimension to the presentation that is unusual and immediately noticeable. On “Hotel California” by the Eagles, the guitar intro spreads convincingly left and right, the percussion sits at a natural depth behind the guitars, and the vocal anchors the centre with real stability. Imaging is precise and, if anything, slightly better than the original — the treble improvements translate into cleaner instrument separation within that wide stage.

Comparisons

The most direct comparison is with the original AR5000. The measurements confirm what listening makes clear: the MK2 has more mid-bass, more treble extension, and the same fundamental soundstage architecture. The original’s leaner bass will appeal to listeners who prefer a more neutral low end; the MK2’s warmer character suits those who prefer the body and weight that brands like ZMF and Meze build their reputations on. Both raw measurement views:

Against the Hifiman Sundara — long a benchmark mid-fi open-back — the AR5000 MK2 is the warmer, more relaxed-sounding headphone. The Sundara has a leaner, more tonally neutral character with somewhat better midrange linearity; the MK2 has the wider soundstage and the warmer, more enveloping low end. Shown here with the Sundara and also alongside the HE600:

The Sennheiser HD490 Pro is one of the few headphones in this price range with a frequency response that lands closest to the AR5000 MK2’s character. Both headphones share a warm, spacious presentation with a similar approach to mid-bass and treble. I give the AR5000 MK2 the edge in soundstage width and the HD490 Pro the edge in midrange linearity and stock tuning precision:

Against the Sennheiser HD600 — a long-standing neutral midrange reference — the MK2’s warmer character becomes most apparent. The HD600’s famously accurate midrange and relaxed treble make a useful contrast against the AR5000 MK2’s wider staging and fuller low end:

Against the Hifiman HE600, the gap between the two is clear in measurements — the HE600’s more linear planar bass and energetic treble sit at the opposite end of the spectrum from the MK2’s warmer dynamic driver character:

The full Hifiman new-model group alongside the MK2 gives useful context for how the AR5000 MK2 sits relative to Hifiman’s new mid-fi lineup — warmer than any of them, with a fundamentally different acoustic approach:

Against the Hedd Audio HEDDphone D1 — a warmer, midrange-focused AMT headphone at a higher price — the AR5000 MK2 is genuinely competitive in warmth and staging width, though the D1’s midrange clarity is exceptional and difficult to match at $239:

The Meze 105 AER is the other warm, spacious open-back in this general conversation. Both headphones share a preference for body and warmth over strict neutrality — the AR5000 MK2 wins on soundstage geometry (the tilt-angle driver is genuinely distinctive), while the Meze has the more ergonomically comfortable headband and the more immediately relaxed character:

A broader group shot showing the AR5000 MK2 in the company of several of these comparison headphones:

Specifications

Measurements

Channel matching on the MK2 is excellent — left and right track closely across the full frequency range:

The comparison between the original AR5000 and the MK2 on the KB501X target is where the tuning change becomes measurably visible. The MK2’s additional mid-bass warmth and extended treble are both clear in this overlay:

Against the Hifiman HE600, the difference in tuning philosophy is stark — the HE600’s linear planar bass and more elevated treble contrast with the MK2’s fuller low end and more relaxed upper midrange:

Alongside the Sundara and HE600 together — the MK2 occupies a clearly distinct character position from both:

Against the Sennheiser HD490 Pro — the comparison that lands closest. The MK2 and HD490 Pro share the most similar overall frequency response shape of any of the headphones in this group:

The Meze 105 AER is the other warm open-back in this comparison group, and the measurements show how closely the two headphones are playing the same game. Both have elevated mid-bass and a relaxed upper midrange — the MK2 sits slightly warmer in the bass and the Meze slightly more forward in the upper midrange, but they are more similar here than either is to the Hifiman planars:

The HEDD Audio HEDDphone D1 comparison tells an interesting story. Both headphones share a warmer character, but the D1’s bass is actually slightly less elevated than the MK2’s — while its upper midrange is considerably more linear. The D1 is the warmer headphone in character but the more neutral one in the midrange, which is a useful way to understand where each is aiming:

The Hifiman group overlay — Ananda Unveiled, Edition XV, and HE600 all shown against the MK2 — confirms that the AR5000 MK2 is operating with a fundamentally different tuning approach from all three:

Distortion performance is clean and well-controlled across the frequency range — the MLD driver delivers low distortion figures appropriate for a headphone at this price:

Rating Explanation

The Pragmatic Rating of 4 reflects a well-built, genuinely enjoyable headphone with one notable caveat: the tuning change from the original is real, and it moves the AR5000 into warmer territory that not everyone who valued the original’s character will welcome. The frame improvement alone would have earned a higher rating if the sound were otherwise unchanged — but the MK2 is a different-sounding headphone, and that distinction matters. For listeners who prefer the warmer, fuller character of headphones like the ZMF Bokeh or Meze 105 AER, the MK2 could easily be a Pragmatic 5. For listeners who bought the original specifically for its leaner, more neutral balance, it will be a more complicated proposition.

The Price Rating of 5 is clear: at $239 with a full all-metal frame, a genuine carry case, quality cables, and the AR5000’s distinctive soundstage architecture, this is a strong package. The Features Rating of 5 reflects everything provided — the case, the cable quality, the interchangeable plug system — all of it is top quality and there is nothing meaningful missing.

The Measurements Rating of 4 is honest. The MK2 is a competent measurement result — clean distortion, good channel matching — but the mid-bass elevation is more than the marketing language of “natural, balanced, and vibrant tonality” fully acknowledges. The treble improvements are measurably real and welcome; the bass change is a deliberate tuning decision that will land differently depending on your preferences. It is not a problem with the headphone, but it is a choice worth knowing about before purchasing.

Conclusion

The Aune AR5000 MK2 is the AR5000 that Aune probably should have shipped the first time — with a frame that will not break. That improvement alone makes the MK2 the version to buy if you are new to the AR5000 family. The treble is genuinely better, the imaging is slightly more precise, and the build quality is unambiguously more confidence-inspiring.

The question is whether the warmer tuning is what you wanted. If you liked the original AR5000’s leaner, more neutral low end, you will miss it here. If you have been curious about the AR5000’s unusual soundstage geometry but wanted more body and warmth in the low end, the MK2 is the version for you. It sits comfortably alongside warmer-leaning open-backs like the Meze 105 AER and the HEDD D1 in character — which is good company at any price, let alone $239.