[OK-Guy]

  It kind of reminds me of the Lamborghini Aventador...

 
keep convincing yourself.... how about a miss shaped mess of angles?

 

[mrbig]

Geez, all of these illustrations look like isometric illusions where the perspective shifts depending on how you look at it... hope it looks better in real life.  And if the price is really $2,400.00, iRiver has saved me some dough because there's no way I'm spending that much for a DAP.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

help a noob out. will toslink support DSD native? Thanks.

 

[Mython]

Perhaps it's intended to be Cubist-inspired 'Avante-garde', but I regret to say it looks to me to be a pretentious, isometric jumble with a Cowon J3 glued on the front, as an after-thought.
 
Harsh but honest...
 
Perhaps others are right that it might be intended to be reminiscent of the Lamborghini Aventador, in an effort to appeal to millionaire playboys. Or maybe they are trying to make it look like a stealth bomber. Or, if you look carefully, you may see the original inspiration in this 1980s Dire Straits video:
 

 
I dunno, but whatever it's supposed to look like, I call 'fail' on the aesthetics.
 
 
For those who go ahead and buy this, I sincerely hope it sounds as good as 2 HM-901s, 3 (or 4) DX100s/HDP-R10s, 3 NW-ZX1s, 5 DX90s, or 6 X5s.
 
 
 

---

 

[kerrys30]

I feel some relief....im still keen to hear it but not keen to own it.

 

[streetcar]

Will it come
With a case?

 

[AnakChan]

  help a noob out. will toslink support DSD native? Thanks.

 
Nope.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

   
Nope.

Thanks, Sean.
 
-----------------------------------
General comment
 
The DSD website won't allow people in Hong Kong to purchase due to license issue so the wifi is not useful to me at least. With toslink and no line out,  I cannot use it as a DSD native transport...
 
Based on the current features, will revisit if they choose to release a lower end model...

 

[seeteeyou]

.

 

[doublea71]

   
keep convincing yourself.... how about a miss shaped mess of angles?

 If that is all you are capable of seeing, then so be it. I certainly won't fault somebody for having an opinion. I think it looks cool as hell. 

 

[audionewbi]

As far as I am concerned for me it is between Chord HUGO and this. I am considering the purchase of HUGO and call it a day for my source/amp but having a dedicated DAP is much more convenient.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

  As far as I am concerned for me it is between Chord HUGO and this. I am considering the purchase of HUGO and call it a day for my source/amp but having a dedicated DAP is much more convenient.

I feel you. But judging the size (as seen from the picture), I have reservation whether HUGO is actually suitable for portable use.  you know, I really just cannot see myself carrying a TU-05 while walking.

 

[Niyologist]

[BREAKING NEWS] Astell &Kern AK240 officially announced! DSD 128 correspondence, Cirrus Logic CS4398 dual DAC, internal memory 256GB+exFAT support microSDXC slot x1 equipment, unbalanced and 4-pole balanced headphone amps terminals, optical digital output etc... domestic release date and price are currently undecided. NOT A HOAX. 
 

 

[AnakChan]

 
Thanks, Sean.
 
-----------------------------------
General comment
 
The DSD website won't allow people in Hong Kong to purchase due to license issue so the wifi is not useful to me at least. With toslink and no line out,  I cannot use it as a DSD native transport...
 
Based on the current features, will revisit if they choose to release a lower end model...

 
Well this copyright thing is really more an SACD rather than DSD thing which is why most SACD players don't have the ability to stream out via optical or spdif (except for 1 really early model of Sony SACD player, or the newer expensive Playback Design ones). Well it is possible to stream via HDMI but I've not tried.
 
I don't know of any optical DSD native support by any DAC. Usually if a DAC supports DSD, it's via DoP USB. The only other method I'm aware of is over Firewire with the Mytek DSD DAC's (and I think that's proprietary protocol, but I could be wrong).

 

[stvc]

  [BREAKING NEWS] Astell &Kern AK240 officially announced! DSD 128 correspondence, Cirrus Logic CS4398 dual DAC, internal memory 256GB+exFAT support microSDXC slot x1 equipment, unbalanced and 4-pole balanced headphone amps terminals, optical digital output etc... domestic release date and price are currently undecided. NOT A HOAX. 
 

There is more info on AK240 thread. The shape are really odd.