Finally! A new flagship DAP from iRiver! AK100

[alamakazim]

Have been testing the two units for the past days.. To summarize, the iRiver is no slouch as a transport / player, especially when playing high resolution files.. The Asus is really extremely value for money.. It replaces my Calyx DAC which I sold off a while back.. The Asus is still burning in, can't imagine its performance when it hits the 300 (or more) hours mark..

nice to see a fellow RWA user... thats a 70.2?

what brand is that cute wood platform?

 

[Airekris]

Haha. Wanna hoot together to share shipping cost??

Wah I don't mind hoot gold one..... But what is the shipping time.... I want it by June 5th..

 

[koicafex]

Haha. Wanna hoot together to share shipping cost??

if someone will hoot my ak100 black
nose marnee

 

[Airekris]

if someone will hoot my ak100 black
nose marnee

I hoot! Lol pm condition and pics!

 

[hotkub]

nice to see a fellow RWA user... thats a 70.2?

what brand is that cute wood platform?

Thank you. I know you are using the RWA Isabella with the optional HP stage (or is it RWA Isabellina HPA). Nice to meet another RWA user too. RWA makes fine products.

Yup, those are 70.2 LFP-V edition monos.. Very, very nice power amplifiers.. The wooden platforms are actually butcher (chopping) boards.. Used as vibration dampers.. Bought them from Robinson.. Beats spending much more for those boutique brand(s) isolation platform(s).. Beside, they look nice too..

 

[alamakazim]

Thank you. I know you are using the RWA Isabella with the optional HP stage (or is it RWA Isabellina HPA). Nice to meet another RWA user too. RWA makes fine products.

Yup, those are 70.2 LFP-V edition monos.. Very, very nice power amplifiers.. The wooden platforms are actually butcher (chopping) boards.. Used as vibration dampers.. Bought them from Robinson.. Beats spending much more for those boutique brand(s) isolation platform(s).. Beside, they look nice too..

actually chopping board nowadays also quite expensive lol

just change to bellina and sig 19

 

[hotkub]

actually chopping board nowadays also quite expensive lol

just change to bellina and sig 19

I got them during Robinson 20% sales.. Lol.. $10+ a piece for the small ones and $30+ for the big one.. Their combined prices may not even match a specialized boutique brand offering.. Quite worth it I find..

Oh, you have switched to the new line-ups.. Congrats.. How's the SS? I'm sure you are enjoying the synergy pairing of both units..

 

[Jeremy1]

btw incl shipping how much u paid in SGD ah?

If I am not mistaken, it's about $80.

I got it here :
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290850351685&ssPageName=STRK:MERFB:IID

 

[Jeremy1]

I see myself no point getting back a AK100 since I had lost it.

Now, waiting for the AK120. Cross my finger and hope it's not so expensive.

 

[koicafex]

they declare price liao u still hope not so expensive? o.o

dun think it's worth 2.2x the amount of ak100

 

[Jeremy1]

they declare price liao u still hope not so expensive? o.o

dun think it's worth 2.2x the amount of ak100

I hope it's maybe double the price of AK100 and not above $2K.

Sound quality is definitely above DX100 if not talking about the amplified thing.

 

[Rubick]

I hope it's maybe double the price of AK100 and not above $2K.

Sound quality is definitely above DX100 if not talking about the amplified thing.

U sure? Sabre dac is good leh. Even hm901 cant dethrone the dx100

 

[FatalethaL]

U sure? Sabre dac is good leh. Even hm901 cant dethrone the dx100

hard to say... very subjective.

today i tried DX100 and AK100... i still like AK100 more.

DX100 is really clear and crisp no doubt. but it isnt my preference as of now.

anyways i tried the A7X "Bat Country" on the DX100.. it sounded weird/bad imo. maybe it seems to me that ESS Sabre cannot handle "fast" songs.. it sounds like the UD100 (9023) when a fast music is played.

But when it starts playing slow songs like my oldies collection... it really sounded good.

 

[Jeremy1]

U sure? Sabre dac is good leh. Even hm901 cant dethrone the dx100

I haven't listened to the DX100 yet but as what the SA at Jaben told me.

DX100 win AK100 is because of the power area. If there is enough juice for the AK100, then it's in par.

So if that's what he said, I think the AK120 which better the AK100 should be better than the DX100 if not of the power area ?

How come nobody talk about the Tera Player ?

 

[FatalethaL]

LATEST ON AK120 SOUND SIG IMPRESSIONS


Bass and dynamics are rearing it's head ......after about 1 hours continous play. Bass texture is really something to behold for me at the moment. So rounded and resolving......

Very natural sounding, one can listen all day



I still need to have dinner with family but when I get home tonight I will try and post some pictures.

UI is nicer and speedier. Seems to load SDcards faster, but will confirm that when I put in 64 gig card in later.........

BUT

Still no gapless

Listening to Unplugged Eric Clapton and the gaps............

Definitely better sounding than the little brother. Hard to quantify at the moment.



Very nice suits me to the T.

Much larger sounding than the AK100 especially depth perception...so buttery smooth and lush. Much more detail and weight in the highs......

First thoughts listening for 40 mins on the way home.



I have had flu all week so I have been listening to my HD800 with the uBer cable on it..................The AK120 is the only DAP I have that makes the HD800 sing. Volume 65



AK100 VERSUS AK120 SIZE



Just got it today from Jaben Hong Kong, after a quick 10 min test, I can say the sound stage is definitely bigger than stock ak100, I am loving the low and mid. For me the ak100 is flat compared to this. I agree as Gavin said, definitely justified the price



Source: Head-fi.

 

[LouisLoh]

U sure? Sabre dac is good leh. Even hm901 cant dethrone the dx100

Uhhh, HM-901 has dual sabres, so if it can't dethrone dx100, it's not because it doesn't have sabre dac.

 

[Rubick]

i tink need ricky to come say the magical word again.

 

[Jeremy1]

Can somebody explain in layman term what is gapless ?

 

[Haonan]

Can somebody explain in layman term what is gapless ?

There are often some concert ripped audio CDs, or some film score soundtracks where the music is mastered in the sense it's meant to be one continuous playback with gradual crossfades in btw (won't have abrupt long silence in btw those tracks). If your DAP supports gapless, it will sound like u are listening to a CD continuously with no silence, instead of song by song.

My older Sony Walkmans used to have problem where mp3 won't have gapless support, only when using the proprietary ATRAC standard then it will support gapless playback. But from my Walkman Z onwards don't have this issue. Likewise, usual Apple stuffs such as Classics (2009 or earlier) iPod Touches and iPhone all usually have gapless support built-in by default alrdy.

 

[Jeremy1]

There are often some concert ripped audio CDs, or some film score soundtracks where the music is mastered in the sense it's meant to be one continuous playback with gradual crossfades in btw (won't have abrupt long silence in btw those tracks). If your DAP supports gapless, it will sound like u are listening to a CD continuously with no silence, instead of song by song.

My older Sony Walkmans used to have problem where mp3 won't have gapless support, only when using the proprietary ATRAC standard then it will support gapless playback. But from my Walkman Z onwards don't have this issue. Likewise, usual Apple stuffs such as Classics (2009 or earlier) iPod Touches and iPhone all usually have gapless support built-in by default alrdy.

Thanks, think I got it.