[sygnus21]

At this level (TOTL) it's usually something at the expense of something. According to all the advice I've read, with the Mentor you can expect a wider soundstage (dual-mono design) at the expense of the 3D holography that the Aune has. The Mentor may be more resolving, but individual sounds may have less power. This airy presentation in the Mentor could mean leaner bass. Mentor is probably even more neutral than Aune.

That's a lot of speculation for something you've not heard.

Is there really a comparison between the mentor and s17?
There is hype now around Mentor and I have seen some who say that it is really high end,
I wonder how the s17 compares to it.

Anyway, my understanding is in order to get the best of out of the Mentor, you'd need a pair. That makes the asking price $2,600 where the Aune S17 comes in at $700.

But that's just price and speaks nothing of which sounds better. I will say for $2,600 bucks, I'd expect better than what a $700 dollar amp offers. But like everything else, there's also synergy (equipment matching).

 

[Majuto]

That's a lot of speculation for something you've not heard.


Anyway, my understanding is in order to get the best of out of the Mentor, you'd need a pair. That makes the asking price $2,600 where the Aune S17 comes in at $700.

But that's just price and speaks nothing of which sounds better. I will say for $2,600 bucks, I'd expect better than what a $700 dollar amp offers. But like everything else, there's also synergy (equipment matching).

If I've understood right Flux Mentor is a special amp concept where you can combine two mentors for huge power and soundstage especially. I guess the 2600$ price is for two mentors stack. One unit price should be about 1250-1300$.
The two units stack propably is the most powerfull headphone amp in the market. Who needs all that power is an other question.

 

[sygnus21]

If I've understood right Flux Mentor is a special amp concept where you can combine two mentors for huge power and soundstage especially. I guess the 2600$ price is for two mentors stack. One unit price should be about 1250-1300$.

MENTOR Dual Mono Class-A Headphone Amplifier

The stack can go anywhere from $2599 to $2959 depending on accessories included...

A single unit goes anywhere from $1299 to $1434 depending on accessories chosen...

It appears you can save at least a hundred dollars if you bought the stack upfront instead of waiting till later.

The two units stack propably is the most powerfull headphone amp in the market. Who needs all that power is an other question.

Those using 60-ohm headphones like the HIFIMAN Susvara, which demands a powerful headphones amp (just one example)

 

[Erick Muller]

If I've understood right Flux Mentor is a special amp concept where you can combine two mentors for huge power and soundstage especially. I guess the 2600$ price is for two mentors stack. One unit price should be about 1250-1300$.
The two units stack propably is the most powerfull headphone amp in the market. Who needs all that power is an other question.

Being charitable, ModHouse Tungsten and if you want plenty of headroom for that HP, but not even something like the susvara is that demanding, and even then I think the double mentor is overkill for pretty much everything on the market.

 

[Majuto]

Being charitable, ModHouse Tungsten and if you want plenty of headroom for that HP, but not even something like the susvara is that demanding, and even then I think the double mentor is overkill for pretty much everything on the market.

Some reviewers want to point the role of amp power's role in bass quality too.
I'm just now listening Raal Ca-1a ribbon headphones with Aune S17pro. 55+ vol levels are in use, but at least I feel there is plenty of headroom left and also bass goes deep. I'm anyhow quite sure that especially the dual mono Mentor stack gives almost limitless sense of power and a bigger soundstage, but somehow I can't miss those properties. Also Cayin Ha-3a tube amp with less than 1w continous output power works very well with Raals.

 

[Erick Muller]

Some reviewers want to point the role of amp power's role in bass quality too.
I'm just now listening Raal Ca-1a ribbon headphones with Aune S17pro. 55+ vol levels are in use, but at least I feel there is plenty of headroom left and also bass goes deep. I'm anyhow quite sure that especially the dual mono Mentor stack gives almost limitless sense of power and a bigger soundstage, but somehow I can't miss those properties. Also Cayin Ha-3a tube amp with less than 1w continous output power works very well with Raals.

Regarding the volume levels of the S17, many people on this thread have notice that the volume ramps up significantly after you pass 56 and I've notice that too, so there's plenty of power on this amp, the only headphone that gives me a little bit of problems is the DT880 600ohm, I can max out the amp on high gain and it sounds really good but I literally don't have any headroom left, but I'm also doing upsampling and EQ so that's taking some headroom, but then again this is a considerably hard headphone to drive properly.

 

[MaxMini]

That's a lot of speculation for something you've not heard.


Anyway, my understanding is in order to get the best of out of the Mentor, you'd need a pair. That makes the asking price $2,600 where the Aune S17 comes in at $700.

But that's just price and speaks nothing of which sounds better. I will say for $2,600 bucks, I'd expect better than what a $700 dollar amp offers. But like everything else, there's also synergy (equipment matching).

What to do if the availability of the Mentor amplifier is practically zero.

Although Aune S17 Pro is also a good amplifier, it is ordinary compared to Mentor or Schiit M3, because he is available immediately without restrictions.

With Aune there is no artificial adrenaline that always accompanies something exclusive, but has nothing to do with sound quality.

Aune is just there and playing well, very well.

 

[gadus]

@Ichos reviewed both the mentor and the s17,
I wonder what his thoughts are.

 

[sygnus21]

What to do if the availability of the Mentor amplifier is practically zero.

What's that got to do with speculating on an Amp you've never heard?

Although Aune S17 Pro is also a good amplifier, it is ordinary compared to Mentor or Schiit M3, because he is available immediately without restrictions.

With Aune there is no artificial adrenaline that always accompanies something exclusive, but has nothing to do with sound quality.

Aune is just there and playing well, very well.

I'm completely lost to your meaning here. I gather you're talking about availability, but beyond that, not clear on the rest.

 

[Erick Muller]

What to do if the availability of the Mentor amplifier is practically zero.

Although Aune S17 Pro is also a good amplifier, it is ordinary compared to Mentor or Schiit M3, because he is available immediately without restrictions.

With Aune there is no artificial adrenaline that always accompanies something exclusive, but has nothing to do with sound quality.

Aune is just there and playing well, very well.

I think, or I hope at least, that Flux Labs can reallocated if worse comes to worst like other ukrainian companies have done so far like rebel amp, this is something that I haven't mention publicly because I don't want to discourage people from getting this amazing product from a company that's going through really trying times, given the situation in ukraine, and they need all the help they can get, but if I'm being honest, it's not just the fact that the mentor doesn't have proper pre-outs that has dissuade me from being my top pick for an upgrade for my amp, but precisely this question, not just immediate availability for their products.

Anyways I haven't heard any products by Flux Labs but from what I heard and reviews I'd seen, it's a really well regarded company because of the supreme quality of their amplifiers given their cost, the price to performance is just insane with any product by Flux Labs and if somebody upgrades from an S17 to a Mentor, I don't think they're going to be disappointment at all, and this is coming from someone that absolutely loves his S17 and without having heard the Mentor.

 

[SmartCheetah]

Although Aune S17 Pro is also a good amplifier, it is ordinary compared to Mentor or Schiit M3, because he is available immediately without restrictions.

With Aune there is no artificial adrenaline that always accompanies something exclusive, but has nothing to do with sound quality.

Mentor either sounds good and better than the S17 Pro or it doesn't, simple - regardless how exclusive it might be (what "exclusive" means in the audio world anyway? Too expensive for most? Too niche to be available in stores?)
If it sounds better, well that's good, as it's much more expensive.
If it doesn't, it sounds as good (sidegrade) or worse - then common sense tells me it's not worth it as no feature or "exclusivity" can justify that for me.

 

[Ichos]

@Ichos reviewed both the mentor and the s17,
I wonder what his thoughts are.

The Mentor is on another league. They don't compare. The Mentor compares with amps like the V550 or the Silver fox.

 

[MaxMini]

The Mentor is on another league. They don't compare. The Mentor compares with amps like the V550 or the Silver fox.

I appreciate your work and contribution, your opinion tells me a lot, but at the same time, when I realize that there is such a thing as taste and flavor, it tells me basically nothing. So let me ask you 3 specific questions:
- For someone who appreciates the warmth of Aune's sound, typical for class A, will he not be disappointed with the switch to Mentor (even though it is theoretically class A)?
- For someone who really appreciates strong, controlled bass and a strong base of the sound, won't they be disappointed by switching to Mentor?
- For someone who appreciates "the meat on the bones" of Aune's sound, won't they be disappointed with the switch to Mentor?

Regarding the war in Ukraine, being in Poland I do not see it only from the prism of the media, I would not glorify everyone and everything that is happening there. We have several million refugees from Ukraine here, on the other hand, I know that people are still having a good time in Kiev and I think I know more about business, corruption and the heart of the matter of this war, but let's leave it. Because it should not matter in the assessment of this product.

 

[Ichos]

I appreciate your work and contribution, your opinion tells me a lot, but at the same time, when I realize that there is such a thing as taste and flavor, it tells me basically nothing. So let me ask you 3 specific questions:

- For someone who appreciates the warmth of Aune's sound, typical for class A, will he not be disappointed with the switch to Mentor (even though it is theoretically class A)?

The Mentor is not that intensely warm as the Aune S17. Still it is class A and Class A is not only about warmth

- For someone who really appreciates strong, controlled bass and a strong base of the sound, won't they be disappointed by switching to Mentor?

The Mentor might not be that impactful or super dynamic but it has a bass that excels in control, layering, nuances, definition and refinement. The S17 can't hold a candle in bass quality.

- For someone who appreciates "the meat on the bones" of Aune's sound, won't they be disappointed with the switch to Mentor?

The S17 is a bit more meaty and visceral but there is much more to the sound than these qualities. Still for more meats to the bone go for the Aune.

Of course there are other qualities to the sound, like transparency, fidelity, resolution, clarity, refinement, timbre etc, that the Mentor outperforms the S17.

Don't get it wrong, the S17 is one of my favorite amplifiers ever but the Mentor is on another league.

It's good HiFi vs High End

Simple.

 

[Majuto]

I appreciate your work and contribution, your opinion tells me a lot, but at the same time, when I realize that there is such a thing as taste and flavor, it tells me basically nothing. So let me ask you 3 specific questions:
- For someone who appreciates the warmth of Aune's sound, typical for class A, will he not be disappointed with the switch to Mentor (even though it is theoretically class A)?
- For someone who really appreciates strong, controlled bass and a strong base of the sound, won't they be disappointed by switching to Mentor?
- For someone who appreciates "the meat on the bones" of Aune's sound, won't they be disappointed with the switch to Mentor?

Regarding the war in Ukraine, being in Poland I do not see it only from the prism of the media, I would not glorify everyone and everything that is happening there. We have several million refugees from Ukraine here, on the other hand, I know that people are still having a good time in Kiev and I think I know more about business, corruption and the heart of the matter of this war, but let's leave it. Because it should not matter in the assessment of this product.

Very important points of Ukraine and Mentor vs Aune.
Term "upgrade path" might be quite problematic especially if you, in this case, sell Aune, which you like and buy Mentor because of fancy reviews. If I understand right, Aune and Mentor are soundwise really different solid state head amps.
I think audio gear should be assessed as a whole. I personally prefer several headphones and amps, different techniques and soundprofiles, instead of one top notch for both. So I have Aune S17Pro and Violectric V340, which is quite Mentor like I suppose, and some other amps also. Several different kind of headphones too. So these as a whole offer many possible combinations to change headphone-amp synergy.
Back to Aune and Mentor. I bought Violectric especially for Austrian Audio The Composer, but it works very well with Hifiman HE1000STEALTH too. Anyhow Aune is tailored to work very well with these too. I like Aune better with ZMF Atrium open and Raal Ca-1a. So I guess, if you don't need the extra power of Mentor stack, Aune propably offers soundwise more options. The ideal solution might be to have both Aune and Mentor. For tubey (and traditional solid state) sound Aune is the better choice imo. If I had only Composer and/or He1000stealth, I'd maybe choose Mentor, but prefer them both. All in all, imo Aune has properties and qualities which challenge the "UPGRADE PATH" thinking, whatever it should mean. And for Ukraine: Slava Ukraini!