The benefit of the Audio Aero is the volume control (not sure if the model 1 had it) so you can by-pass the preamp. With the AL you can swap tubes to find the sound you prefer in your system plus the older ones are a little cheaper then the AA DAC. In addition, getting the AA fixed was one of my issues with the product. RX8Man and I have the same digital front end now.
Happy Listening.
Happy Listening.