Short answer
Both are desktop amplifiers, $799 against $1099.
On raw power they are level: each reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 non-electrostatic models here.
| Specification | Aune S17 Pro EVO | Gustard H26 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 2.0 W | 9.7 W |
| Power into 150Ω | 464 mW | 2.1 W |
| Power into 300Ω | 235 mW | 1.0 W |
| Power into 600Ω | 117 mW | 517 mW |
| Output impedance | 1 Ω | 0.1 Ω |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Price | $799 | $1099 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 567 | 567 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | Aune S17 Pro EVO | Gustard H26 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | XLR4 and 4.4mm | no separate rating |
| Power into 32Ω | 7.5 W | — |
| Power into 300Ω | 918 mW | — |
| Output impedance | 1 Ω | — |
| Output noise | not published | — |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 567 | — |
Only the Aune S17 Pro EVO has a separate balanced rating from its maker; through it, it reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here. The Gustard H26 may still have a balanced socket — its spec sheet simply gives no figure for one, so there is nothing to put beside it.
| Load | Aune S17 Pro EVO | Gustard H26 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Published |
| 150 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Published | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. Aune S17 Pro EVO publishes at 32 Ω, at 150 Ω, at 300 Ω and at 600 Ω; Gustard H26 at 32 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 150 Ω, at 300 Ω and at 600 Ω only the Aune S17 Pro EVO figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
On power they are interchangeable across this whole database: there is no headphone here that one reaches 100 dB on and the other does not.
15 headphones are left alone by the Gustard H26 under the one-eighth rule but coloured by the Aune S17 Pro EVO (64 Audio Nio, 64 Audio Volur, Campfire Audio Andromeda 2023, 12 more).
567 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Shure SE846: Gustard H26 has +48 dB of headroom there against +42 dB. 7 dB is about 4.7 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for Aune S17 Pro EVO and Gustard H26 because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | Aune S17 Pro EVO headroom | Gustard H26 headroom | Aune S17 Pro EVO hiss | Gustard H26 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +42 dB | +48 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +22 dB | +28 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +31 dB | +37 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +27 dB | +33 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +23 dB | +30 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +20 dB | +26 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +16 dB | +22 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +13 dB | +20 dB | not published | not published |
The Gustard H26 costs $300 more than the Aune S17 Pro EVO. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 15 more models left alone under the one-eighth rule.
Nothing runs the other way: there is no axis here on which the cheaper of the two does better.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: Aune S17 Pro EVO and Gustard H26.