AK100 VS DX100

Airekris

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Hey guys I have recently thought of swapping my ipod 7th gen for the above mentioned. I'm hoping to get some rough ideas from you guys on these 2 DAPs. Things like battery life, storage and functionality. Hope you guys can shed some light on these.
 

koicafex

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why not just read the ak100 thread :s13:

if u dun mind carrying a big pmp
go for dx100 :D

cons:
bulky
hot

battery life is 16-20hrs, ak100 14hrs iirc
storage can be added with sd card, same for ak100
 

iAHBEE

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dx100 seems alot more powerful though. i suggest u drop by somewhere where you can try them out yourself.

Stereo might still have the dx100, Treoo may have them for you to play but i know e1personal audio's store in orchard has both
 

Nite0807

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Wait, DX100 batt life has always been worse then AK100.

DX100 batt life 7 hrs,
AK100 batt like 17 hrs.

AK100 is small and portable. Has lotsa space.
DX100 sounds fantastic, also has lotsa space but veryyyyyy big.

DX100 uses android(stupid)
AK100 uses it own software

DX100 has no output impedence problem
AK100 has. Slight roll offed trebel i think?

DX100 has 1/4 and 1/8 output
AK100 has 1/8 ouput only.
 

congrade07

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I used to own DX100 and AK100, this is my personal opinion on the both

Sound:
DX100 wins hands down, no doubt. But I felt it lacks a bit in the bass. (Do note, that DX100 has already built in amp and bass side weaker than my AK100 + Vorzuge)

Clarity DX100 is better and can hear more details.

BTW dont come in and just bash AK100 for lousier SQ compared to DX100 alone. Do note forget DX100 has a built in amp and AK100 does not.

Battery:
AK100 Wins! Plus AK100 is able to charge via any USB ports and battery packs. Like some said it can last 17hrs but to me its more than enough.

DX100 can last me 6hrs I very happy already. To charge I either need a special 12v battery pack or external power adapter to charge the battery.

UI:
Ask me, I think its a tie.

DX100 able to download third party app and looks for album arts. But a bit sluggish. Sometimes the music will jerk or stop for a second.

AK100 is simple and easy to navigate. Only complain is sluggish.

Cant complain about how sluggish these units as they are ready FLAC files and not mp3...

Size:
AK100 wins! light and small. Able to put in my pocket if I decide go ampless.

Screen:

AK100 for me. As the colours are nice and rich. DX100 screen looks damn low quality. But just to note if I am not wrong AK100 is using IPS panel.

Storage Size:
AK100 wins! dual 64gb cards with onboard 32gb of FLAC! this is MADNESS!

My Persona Usage Time Count:
AK100! Even I have both units and DX100 SQ is better but I find myself using AK100 a lot more.

Simply because of its small form factor and long battery life. A lot of times I dont dare to use DX100 because I scare it ran out of batt. When I realize I did not utilized it the whole day I was already back home.

So my DX100 is like a white elephant... This is the main reason I sold it off 2 days ago.
 

kenz

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hmmm... since this is a versus thread. Will throw my cents in.

In short: DX100 wins it.

Sound Quality signature: Plenty to choose from.
1. Bass with authority = firmware 1.3.7 and 1.4.2
2. Euphoric, Musical, lush airy sig = firmware 1.2.7

DAC : Sabre ES9018. If you've heard it in desktop set-ups, the DX100 is just getting warmed up. waiting for future firmware updates to bring it to the next level. The AK100 wolfson DAC is very nice, but to my ears, is missing quite a few ticks to sounding great. And gapless is already supported on sabre dac, not for wolfson 8740 (only 8741) so not sure how iRiver is going to do that with software updates.

The DX100 sounds like it's a singer that hits all the notes and then some, making the performance great.
The AK100 sounds like a contestant on American Idol, looks great, sound great, bbbbut there's always something missing in the performance.

AMP : Though amp wise, personally the DX100 internal amp is hard to beat. There's not an amp available that can soundly beat the the performance of the DX100 amp. With Vorzuge edging it out just barely. And that's a $500+ amp itself. The only amp that flat out best the DX100 amp i've heard, is the ALO rxMKIII-b, and that's almost the price of a DX100 itself. That said, the DX100 amp can power almost any demanding headphones well enough, iems confirm no sweat.

Display : Prefer the larger screen of the DX100 cos once you have 128GB worth of music, scrolling a small screen can get draggy at times.

Flexibility : Coaxial, Optical, true line-out, 3.5mm and 6.3mm options. Almost whichever way to enjoy your music. the jacks are there. It's just short of a balanced input/output to cover them all.

Size : It is bulky but still more pocket friendly over an AK100 + amp. That said, NO single device can come close to what the DX100, be it SQ, output options, amp, etc. None. To do all that the DX100 does, the "stack" need is BIG. i mean really BIG.

Battery : Battery life is a bummer, but hey, for all the stuff it does, it's still OK. Could be better, but still OK.

The DX100 is the audiophile DAP to beat, given what it can offer. :)


But commercial and general consumer wise, the AK100 can't be beat. Heck, it's the Barbie Doll of audiophile DAPs. It's pretty, small, sounds really good and has local warranty support. Plug a decent earphone and you're good to go. :D
 

capri87

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AMP : Though amp wise, personally the DX100 internal amp is hard to beat. There's not an amp available that can soundly beat the the performance of the DX100 amp. With Vorzuge edging it out just barely. And that's a $500+ amp itself. The only amp that flat out best the DX100 amp i've heard, is the ALO rxMKIII-b, and that's almost the price of a DX100 itself. That said, the DX100 amp can power almost any demanding headphones well enough, iems confirm no sweat.

Ken, so do u mean the pairing of ALO rxMKIII-b with Ak100 is better than the pairing of Vorzuge with AK100?
 

HOLYMOFO

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7eurW.gif
 

FatalethaL

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this is an extremely controversial thread, but here are my 2 cents and maybe a few plates of chicken rice or bowls of fishball noodle.


Setup = DX100 and AK100 Gold and my UM Merlin and SPC cable made by a friend.

SQ:
DX100 = DX100 is like the way way way way way better version of clip zip/+
for example, when the guitar is plucked or strum, the distance between ur ears and the fingers plucking/strumming the guitar is very close. hence, micro details way and much more superior. But it's bass doesnt hit as low as AK100.

AK100 = similar condition as above, u hardly hear the micro details of the strumming/plucking like wat the DX100 has to offer, but u sacrifice that for better imaging/positioning of where the instrument is placed away from you


so i would say, DX100 makes u sit directly in front of a live band in a small room with no one else, whereas an AK100 makes u sit in a room or auditorium, a distance away from the live band


in other words, DX100 is for cynical bustards (a**hole) who strives for perfection in their music; everything also wan to hear.
in contrast, AK100 is.... if you have experience sitting in an symphony orchestra before, its the same effect. u cant basically hear every single detail, but it sounds very natural and analog; the music is coherent.


*To people who know me or have seen my other post elsewhere, i have been searching for a sound signature that relaxes and brings you to another realm/world of serenity and peace, hence the idea of searching for "therapeutic sound signature" for the daily stress of our everyday lives. therefore, i have found AK100 and it can do that for me.

If i wasnt looking for the therapeutic sound signature like in the past (2010~2011), DX100 would, hands down, beating the AK100 by gazillion miles. i would have loved the DX100. but as times goes by, ur expectations of music would also change.


**the other day, i almost missed my train stop bcoz i fell into deep intimate thoughts with my eyes closed, to Moonlight Sonata on my AK100.
 
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