[Nirmalanow]

   
Cheap, good sounding players with mircosd slot for the masses!

 

Actually these are good days for better sounding daps with reasonable price tags such as the DX50 and the Fiio X3....or for a little bit more the DX90 and X5.

 

[headwhacker]

  Actually these are good days for better sounding daps with reasonable price tags such as the DX50 and the Fiio X3....or for a little bit more the DX90 and X5.

 
There is definitely a very good value on sub USD 500 DAPs now. Above this price point the law of diminishing returns kicks in at a very steep curve. (Very high cost for little or no gain).
 
You are basically paying very high premium on extra/non-essential features for a DAP.

 

[Mython]

   
There is definitely a very good value on sub USD 500 DAPs now. Above this price point the law of diminishing returns kicks in at a very steep curve. (Very high cost for little or no gain).
 
You are basically paying very high premium on extra/non-essential features for a DAP.

 
 
I genuinely can't see any worthwhile reason to go past the $999 pricetag of the Calyx-M, at the top (luxury) end, and I'm extremely grateful for iBasso and Fiio stepping-up-to-the-plate at the low-to-mid-range of the audiophile DAP sector. I personally feel that, in different ways, the X5 and the DX90 are game-changers in terms of true audiophile bang-for-the-buck. And the eventual appearance of the Fiio X7 and the eventual replacement to the DX100 are also likely to be game-changers in the higher (but still sub-$1000) sector of the market.
 
I feel very fortunate to be a fan of audiophile DAPs and CIEMs at a time when the market is increasingly being populated with such decent products at a choice of price-points - things were nowhere near as healthy a mere 3 years ago.

 

[kimvictor]

This is so funny. I got fooled last year by the Schiit portable amp too. I feel like a fool.

 

[DMinor]

This thread is now dedicated to honor those who have bought the boutique AK240. They are the lottery winners.

 

[my-2000]

There is definitely a very good value on sub USD 500 DAPs now. Above this price point the law of diminishing returns kicks in at a very steep curve. (Very high cost for little or no gain).

You are basically paying very high premium on extra/non-essential features for a DAP.

I agree with everything up till "extra/non-essential features" - it's not like A&K products are offering picture/video viewing, radio or recording function that actually exists on some other DAPs. It's charging you the price purely for the SQ it offers (other than the hard material etc). High premium? Yes. Non-essential? Err.

 

[musicday]

Those type of silly jokes should be forbidden in the future.People come on here because they want to learn more about music or gear or want help to buy a DAP and they get mislead.
And the joke wasn't too far fromythe reality when we all know how much A&K are charging compared to other manufacturers.

 

[SkyBleu]

Those type of silly jokes should be forbidden in the future.People come on here because they want to learn more about music or gear or want help to buy a DAP and they get mislead.
And the joke wasn't too far fromythe reality when we all know how much A&K are charging compared to other manufacturers.

I know right...I sold my house in preparation to purchase the AK480, only to find out it was a hoax.

I've been scouring the gutters for some food, whilst you're all sitting there laughing at this sick joke.

 

[headwhacker]

Those type of silly jokes should be forbidden in the future.People come on here because they want to learn more about music or gear or want help to buy a DAP and they get mislead.

And the joke wasn't too far fromythe reality when we all know how much A&K are charging compared to other manufacturers.

 


Thats what makes great joke suppose to be. You can't tell the difference from real.

 

[headwhacker]

I agree with everything up till "extra/non-essential features" - it's not like A&K products are offering picture/video viewing, radio or recording function that actually exists on some other DAPs. It's charging you the price purely for the SQ it offers (other than the hard material etc). High premium? Yes. Non-essential? Err.

 


And that's what makes it a joke right? Increasing the premium higher but the change in SQ is getting subtler/slimmer closer to flat.

 

[epithetless]

Those type of silly jokes should be forbidden in the future.People come on here because they want to learn more about music or gear or want help to buy a DAP and they get mislead.
And the joke wasn't too far fromythe reality when we all know how much A&K are charging compared to other manufacturers.

 
But...but...but...This place misleads people all the time. Why do you think its slogan is "Welcome to [the corporate-sponsor-driven culture of] head-fi, and sorry about your wallet"?

 
As far as these types of jokes happening in the future, I suggest everyone simply mark April 1st on their calendars from now on.

 

[fiascogarcia]

I know right...I sold my house in preparation to purchase the AK480, only to find out it was a hoax.

I've been scouring the gutters for some food, whilst you're all sitting there laughing at this sick joke.

I can sell you some food, but you have to pick it up here because I've already sold my car to buy the new AK960. 

 
 
PS - We might be able to keep this thread going until next April 1st!

 

[DMinor]

   
PS - We might be able to keep this thread going until next April 1st!

 
Here at head-fi, every month is April and it just repeats.

 

[Mython]

Those type of silly jokes should be forbidden in the future.People come on here because they want to learn more about music or gear or want help to buy a DAP and they get mislead.
And the joke wasn't too far fromythe reality when we all know how much A&K are charging compared to other manufacturers.

 
 
Ever heard of the Darwin Awards?

 

[Mython]

Not all of these April 1st announcements were AFD jokes - some were really true (like CustomArt's Harmony CIEM, for example).
 
A little discernment (and, if that fails, a little patience) works wonders.