For anyone else looking to get the battery replaced in the KANN (in the US), I received this reply from Astell & Kern: Thank you for contacting Astell&Kern. This is regarding your inquiry about KANN. The battery replacement for KANN may cost around USD $65. (*Shipping cost calculated...

Yikes! Thanks for the link.

Is it possible to replace the battery in the Astell & Kern KANN DAP? Mine is 5 years old and the battery is finally starting to weaken. I seem to recall reading about people changing the battery, but my searches haven't found anything. Is there a battery out there I can buy and install myself?

$768 USD. The shop homepage shows the US price now at the bottom of the page. https://www.vinshineaudio.com/shop

That fooled me the first time I visited the website. I thought, why is so much more expensive? Maybe it's due to the new tariffs? Eventually I noticed it was in Singapore dollars. :hushed:

I don't know about the Amazon seller, but vineshineaudio is the only authorized reseller and they offer a 3 year warranty, not 1 year like the other seller.

That's strange that used ones are selling for more. No, there's no reason to avoid vinshineaudio. I've read many posts from Alvin of vinshineaudio and he has been very helpful. I've also read posts from other customers who mentioned very good things about Alvin. My purchase from them was shipped...

I received my Ares II just a couple of weeks ago. I'm very happy with it. I noticed better bass and slightly wider soundstage. A more "musical" sound that's a pleasure to listen to. I'm using the USB input from a Roonlabs Rock and listening to mostly jazz.

I've been using an alcantara cleaner meant for cars. It works fine, though it's has a scent. Luckily the scent disappears after a couple of days. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018S2GTWO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Can anyone give me some feedback on the sound quality when playing DSD (either 64 or 128) files on the Ares II (via USB)? I ask after viewing a review of the HoloAudio Spring2 where the reviewer stated that DSD files were decoded differently on that R2R DAC and the result was a noticeable...

Well said. I agree 100%. I really like my KANN, but I don't think I'll ever be buying another A&K product. Their lack of support is just plain terrible. I don't think I'm alone here when I say we all expect more at the price level we have all invested in.

The Tidal application needs to have offline support. It's this reason that has kept me from subscribing to Tidal with the Kann

I had the exact same experience the first time I used the SD slot. I finally pried it out with a paper clip. But, after a few uses, the slot works normally. A&K must be using some inferior parts for the SD holder. Plus, you would think that part of QC they would test the SD slot before it is...

I recommend trying a balanced cable. It made a noticeable improvement when connected to my A&K Kann.

I too did various A/B tests between DACs and came to the same conclusion.