[kerrys30]

Someone mentioned earlier HK price of around $29,000. That's $3,700 US. So a HUGE mark up. Hope you guys get it better back in UK.

 

[harmonix]

Has anyone seen the technology in the new Chord Hugo??
It should go for less than the 240's alleged price - now that feels like your money is going somewhere.

 

[Goldlion973]

It usually works out that buy the time you buy from the US to UK and pay tax and Duty fare the prices end up about the same depending on the item. If anything it tends to be worth buying from the EU block if you're in the UK, can catch a saving doing that but not by much... is where I got my Focal Classic from as well as my Lenovo Tablet 2. Amazon.de + Google Translate = closer to the ball park.
 
Either that or Tokyo is a good holiday, save and fill 'yer pockets with gadgets while sight seeing. Have always wanted to go and if I do I'll probably come back with an AK DAP or a 901.

 

[martin vegas]

  It usually works out that buy the time you buy from the US to UK and pay tax and Duty fare the prices end up about the same depending on the item. If anything it tends to be worth buying from the EU block if you're in the UK, can catch a saving doing that but not by much... is where I got my Focal Classic from as well as my Lenovo Tablet 2. Amazon.de + Google Translate = closer to the ball park.
 
Either that or Tokyo is a good holiday, save and fill 'yer pockets with gadgets while sight seeing. Have always wanted to go and if I do I'll probably come back with an AK DAP or a 901.

I have been to Tokyo, it's wall to wall(portables on the cheap) paradise..they even still sell mini disc players!

 

[ianmedium]

If form is anything to go by A&K will send out dozens of AK240's to shills, who will then go on to tell you this is the best DAP since burnt-toast & they've just rediscovered their music collection. I expect to read further improvements by external amp'ing a week later by 10%... I will then read of UI issues from the few gullible customers who have invested their hard earned sobs into the device & they'll probably question if the SQ was a upgrade, obviously they will be shouted down by the shills in some form or another, it's the way it is in A&K threads.

Never has a company raised the bar so much in the last year, the AK100 was a 10% increase in SQ over the best DAP, followed by another SQ increase of 10% with the arrival of the AK120, I expect a minimum SQ increase of 15% with the arrival AK240, 35% increase in SQ over the market in the past year is not to be scoffed at... it kinda makes you wonder why so many are ditching their AK's for the likes FiiO, iBasso et al, obviously it leads me to believe downgrading is the new Head-Fi nirvana.

Lets be honest there ain't much  difference between the new breed of DAP's it's all about the sound you seek and I personally wouldn't invest in a AK240 until RWA have taken it to task... I need decent porn from a £2k device, that's the minimum I'd expect.

No, thats iBasso your thinking of!

 

[Mython]

   If anything it tends to be worth buying from the EU block if you're in the UK, can catch a saving doing that but not by much... .... Amazon.de + Google Translate = closer to the ball park.

 
 
Really?
 
Thanks for the tip...

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

Has anyone seen the technology in the new Chord Hugo??
It should go for less than the 240's alleged price - now that feels like your money is going somewhere.

Yup, excellent preview report.

It reads like a portable audiophile's wet dream, real deal not iriver. However, it also boils down to personal sound preference. Hopefully, some UK or Japan headfiers can give some early impressions.

 

[ianmedium]

I had not heard about the Chord. i have heard their home equipment and always loved it. I guys this is like a super duper version of the algorithm solo and you'll need an iPod or such to store the music and access it?

 

[Mython]

I had not heard about the Chord. i have heard their home equipment and always loved it. I guys this is like a super duper version of the algorithm solo and you'll need an iPod or such to store the music and access it?

 
Yes, I believe it's a DAC-Amp. Not pocket-worthy but certainly trans-portable

 

 

[bmichels]

A mini-XLR will have been way way more professional and rugged !!!

 
here comes Vinnie's mods :  Please change this "Fragile-2,5mm plug" for a serious Mini-XLR, add a real line-out, and.... some more RWA black magic ! 
 

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

My personal opinion is that mini xlr is a little bit too big for portable use

 

[bmichels]

   
Yes, I believe it's a DAC-Amp. Not pocket-worthy but certainly trans-portable

 

Yes but it then need a player !!  so still a 2 pcs kit !

 

[ianmedium]

Yes, I believe it's a DAC-Amp. Not pocket-worthy but certainly trans-portable  

As someone who lived happily with the classic/class/blackbird if this sounds anything like their home products it would be enough to take me away from AK but again, I will wait to see as at the moment my 120 does everything and more I could ask for. At some point one has to jump off the bandwagon and spend the money instead on music and in truth I have a feeling I am now at that point.

Whilst I have not heard the 240 obviously I have a feeling most of the "improvement" will not be on sound but rather usability and storage and I have no issue with either on my 120. Again, I am looking for at least a 50% improvement in musical involvement over my 120 to get me even thinking about changing.

So far with the 240 it's so called benefits of larger screen and more memory and the DAC they use are actually turning me off it than on to it.

 

[OK-Guy]

   
Yes, I believe it's a DAC-Amp. Not pocket-worthy but certainly trans-portable

 

 
only my ZX1 is pocket worthy, if I decide to go with the PHA-2/ZX1 stack I have a small shoulder-bag to hump things around in as I suspect most others would do in similar circumstances.
 
the Chord Hugo could be a game-changer if they get it right.

 

[Mython]

  Yes but it then need a player !!  so still a 2 pcs kit !

 

   
only my ZX1 is pocket worthy, if I decide to go with the PHA-2/ZX1 stack I have a small shoulder-bag to hump things around in as I suspect most others would do in similar circumstances.
 
the Chord Hugo could be a game-changer if they get it right.

 
 
Yes, absolutely (to both of you) - I agree.
 
Just to be clear - I'm in the POCKETABLE camp, not the trans-portable camp, when it comes to head-fi gear.
 
However, when a product as classy as the Chord DAC-Amp comes along, I view it with respect. It looks to be legitimately worth its money, in terms of electronics engineering quality, which is a substantial contrast to the item this thread is the focus of.
 
What might have been an interesting and innovative direction, for the AK240 to have taken, is if iRiver had instead produced a pure transport-DAP specifically for use with a 3rd-party DAC-Amp.
 
 
 
 
.