Intro:
A little about me… I am a 22 year old (somewhat) newbie here at Head-Fi. I have been a music enthusiast as far back as I can remember, but started getting more serious about the quality of the music I listened to and equipment I used about a year ago. I enjoy a wide variety of music, ranging anywhere from Michael Jackson to Dave Matthews Band to Skrillex. I would not call myself an audiophile, just a music lover who loves trying new gadgets.
After spending quite a few hours with the AK100 I wanted to write a formal review of my experiences, which will hopefully help you decide whether or not to spend the money and buy the AK100.
Specifications:
Technical Specs
Dimensions: 2.32" x 3.11" x 0.55" (in)
Weight: 4.3oz
DAC: Wolfson WM8740 (24bit/192kHz)
Display: 2.4" IPS Touch Screen (320 x 240)
Memory: 32GB Internal / Dual Micro SD card slots (32 GB each)
Audio Formats: WAV/FLAC/MP3/OGG/WMV/APE/AAC/AIFF/ALAC
Bluetooth: 3.0/A2DP
Output Level: 1.5 VRMS
THD+N: < 0.0008%/1kHz ; < 0.001%/10Hz ~ 20kHz
Signal to Noise: 110 dB
Frequency Response: ± 0.14 dB/10Hz ~ 20kHz
Jitter: 90 PS
Equipment Used:
AK100 > Focal Spirit Classic
AK100 > Heir Audio 3ai
AK100 > Aurisonics 1.2
Aesthetics
The AK100 is a beautiful unit. The brushed metal looks and feels luxurious, though I must say that it makes no difference, as it has been hiding underneath a leather case. The glass back is a fingerprint magnet, although that is no issue with the case as well. Though I now find the volume knob to be intuitive, it took some getting used to, and I accidentally changed the volume a few times as my index finger naturally rests around that vicinity. The button and port placement is good, no complaints in that area. One issue, which was rectified on the AK100 II, is the fact that there is room on the front of the AK100 for a much longer screen. I have no clue as to why there is brushed metal on the front of the device. It looks and feels as if the entire front panel should be a screen. Otherwise, the size and weight of the player are exceptional.
UI
The UI of the player is pretty simple to use and is pretty, but it is a bit slow and laggy. This can be a little frustrating coming from a smartphone which is much quicker, but not a huge hindrance. The touch screen interface is pretty good, and scrolling through hundreds of artists is not a problem.
Battery Life
I was able to consistently get 10 hours of battery life with the AK100.
Sound
The sound quality of the AK100 is excellent, which is to be expected for a $700 DAP.
The sound of the AK100 is best described by meas open, detailed, and clear. I would describe the sound signature as fairly neutral. The music just sounds clean and very pleasing. The soundstage is excellent, and the bass is not overly boomy, while not lacking either. The detail in the music really shines, and instrument separation is great as well. The highs are not overly emphasized, and I did not experience fatigue when listening for extended periods of time. When playing compressed lossy files, the sound is not as harsh as I expected, which is usually the case with high-end sources.
Comparison:
For the comparison I hooked both units up to a Sescom A/B switch and played the same songs at the same time, going back and forth.
AK100 vs Fiio x5
To my ear, the AK100 feels a tad bit more neutral, and the detail retrieval is slightly better. Could go on, but in the interest of brevity, gonna keep this concise. Is this a $350 difference? No.
Summary:
The AK100 is a nice little player. The build quality is top notch and aesthetically pleasing. The sound quality is phenomenal, and the usability issues are minimal if you are using iem’s or plan to use an amp. The value for the price is not great, but if you can find a good deal on it, the AK100 is recommended by me. If you plan on paying $500 USD or more, you can use your money more wisely in my opinion.
