Aurorus Australis

1. Additional data points can be found here in the original measurements thread.
2. https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/aurorus-audio-borealis-australis.7650/
3. These are the closed edition. The Borealis are the open - see here: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...urorus-borealis-measurements-and-review.9166/

Australis Frequency Response
EARS / SBAF Comp


For the channel balance in the lows, I may need to revisit the seal or there could be possible earpad deformation from all the shipping. Will try swapping the earpads and measure again later if I have time. Note that @Vtory didn't get the dip at 300Hz on one channel and the difference in the lows was smaller than seen here. However, the difference in the highs is replicated on both his and my measurements.

Australis Distortion

L CH


R CH


D2 and D3 look different on the channels. It seems they are swapped in this case where the R channel has D3 higher than D2.

 

Australis Distortion
CSDs



We got a little ridge around 8kHz (and another at 10kHz) that is consistent with the frequency response. Note that the similar spike is actually taller on the Borealis' frequency response measurement, but on the CSDs the ringing on the Australis is more evident on the L channel. On the R channel, we have two ridges, on at 8kHz and 10kHz for the Australis. Subjectively, I'd have to refer to the CSDs here as more representative of what I hear than than the frequency response graphs. With hot recordings like Avril Lavigne's Let Go, it's too much. The B52s Cosmic Thing was more tolerable, but still a bit hot up top.

 

Impedance measurements here L and R


That just looks too far off. Combined with the odd distortion results and inconsistent highs between channels, I think this could be a bum unit that may have been damaged as it changed many hands between @Vtory and I. It's possible the unit may not have been functioning correctly even before @Vtory given the discrepancies in the highs.

I'm going to leave it here and request another sample be sent to me. FYI, I've been in contact with Aurorus. They've given me permission to proceed with the postings above.

That takes guts and I hope does not reflect badly on them. It's completely opposite to my experience with a few other vendors. Manufacturers who are honest, not afraid of criticism, and not making excuses are the ones you want to keep dealing with.

Subjectively, other than the highs, it actually sounds pretty good, namely because the bass is more extended as a result of it being a closed headphone. The Borealis is leaner, the Australis is fuller, a bit slower in the bass, but nevertheless retains much of the Borealis transient response.

Stay tuned... would love to revisit this.

 

I received, heard, and tested the same pair @Vtory had after they did their thing with them. I don't recall hearing much in the way of channel imbalance. Anything I did was always a small thing that came down to fit, placement, and seal. Easily addressed when listening.

If it is a pad thing, maybe my head is just so gigantic that it counteracted this entirely (and then some).

Another idea, when I got the Australis, I did find gimbal screws had come loose in both cups. One was having a grand time with the magnet. (I can't recall if I heard a loose screw in one cup or thought to check because a screw came loose on the Borealis and wanted to be safe...)

Given that, you could check that a screw hasn't similarly come loose and perhaps comfortably situated itself in the magnet port.

Some other thoughts on possible imbalance causes might be the front baffle somehow got damaged or, perhaps, the less bassy cup is not venting as much as the other. I don't know how, or even if, these are meant to vent at all, but sealing things up more could account for that midrange dip filling in, at the expense of less bass. Sometimes it's the opposite, i.e. more venting causes this behavior.

But, yeah, gotta give kudos to the guys behind the operation. They had zero concerns with me sharing all my thoughts publicly, no matter how negative they were. I'm cool with transparency and letting people speak their mind.