[musicheaven]

  Phew, looks like I'm in luck, then:
 

 
You better either shave your hand or have the player wrapped in a shield, oops did it again.

 

[Mython]

   
You better either shave your hand or have the player wrapped in a shield, oops did it again.

 
 
Look, I really don't think someone with frontal hybrid USB ports should be lecturing me on needing to shave my hairy palms. That just smacks of hypocrisy!

 

 

[Matias]

It's not my hand, I got the picture on the Internet.

 

[musicheaven]

   
 
Look, I really don't think someone with frontal hybrid USB ports should be lecturing me on needing to shave my hairy palms. That just smacks of hypocrisy!

 

I guess that's what happens when the vendor does not join the club. What do you think of the AK100 and AK120 II coming up this summer? Please not on the costs aspect, we both know they are there to make money but the actual technology being used and the fact that they will be technically closer to the AK240, at least for the AK120 II. Do you thin that the AK100 II which will be similarly priced than the M could be a deal killer for the M?

 

[Mython]

 

I guess that's what happens when the vendor does not join the club. What do you think of the AK100 and AK120 II coming up this summer? Please not on the costs aspect, we both know they are there to make money but the actual technology being used and the fact that they will be technically closer to the AK240, at least for the AK120 II. Do you thin that the AK100 II which will be similarly priced than the M could be a deal killer for the M?

 
Is there any official info on these updated AK players, anywhere?

 

[kkcc]

Is there any official info on these updated AK players, anywhere?

 

[Mython]

Thanks, just found the links here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/718321/brand-spanking-new-a-k-ak120ii-and-ak100ii

 

[kkcc]

I guess that's what happens when the vendor does not join the club. What do you think of the AK100 and AK120 II coming up this summer? Please not on the costs aspect, we both know they are there to make money but the actual technology being used and the fact that they will be technically closer to the AK240, at least for the AK120 II. Do you thin that the AK100 II which will be similarly priced than the M could be a deal killer for the M?

Not just "closer", AK120II essentially has the same DAC, AMP, features set except native dsd and storage of AK240 nd should sound the same for most files.... don't think it would matter to people who like M as the tuning is so different. For those who would love the M tuning, nothing would be "better" subjectively for them, not even the Hugo or AK240.

 

[Mython]

I see nothing in those AK specs to worry the Calyx-M any more than the DX90.
 
I consider the DX90 to be the DAP to beat, in terms of features and SQ, and at a remarkably reasonable price.
 
Calyx-M will need to significantly surpass the DX90 SQ to get my money.
 
Calyx-M has 2 memory slots, but the new AK contenders only have one slot, just as the DX90 does (admittedly the DX90 only has 8gb onboard).
 
All have digital-out except the Calyx-M, so it swings in roundabouts.
 
I see absolutely no reason to buy an AK instead of a DX90. iRiver are offering nothing new, are removing a memory slot, and are seeking to jack the price up further. What?
 
The Calyx-M is somewhere in between, functionality-wise, so I'm just watching and waiting for some proper in-depth reviews of the M, but right now, the DX90 is looking the most tempting to me, and I've never really forgiven D&A for refusing to include a digital-out on the M.
 
 
Popcorn, anyone? 

 

[cooperpwc]

 
At least you might have a shot at it, we on the other hand, would have to travel abroad to be able to do it, not an option.

 
Also, while I do not have reason to travel to HK as often as I used to, I will get there at some point.

 

[AmberOzL]

I am even surprised that people come to head-fi without preparing a big pack of popcorn

 

[musicheaven]

 
Don't know about you but find the AK120II size a tad too big, looks huge with its big head unit.

The AK100II although just a single DAC sounds more portable and might just be fine when comparing single DAC implementation, hence why I said it could surpass the M.
 

Not just "closer", AK120II essentially has the same DAC, AMP, features set except native dsd and storage of AK240 nd should sound the same for most files.... don't think it would matter to people who like M as the tuning is so different. For those who would love the M tuning, nothing would be "better" subjectively for them, not even the Hugo or AK240.

 
Yep, I know kind make you think, is the AK240 already going for extinction?
 

  I see nothing in those AK specs to worry the Calyx-M any more than the DX90.
 
I consider the DX90 to be the DAP to beat, in terms of features and SQ, and at a remarkably reasonable price.
 
Calyx-M will need to significantly surpass the DX90 SQ to get my money.
 
Calyx-M has 2 memory slots, but the new AK contenders only have one slot, just as the DX90 does (admittedly the DX90 only has 8gb onboard).
 
All have digital-out except the Calyx-M, so it swings in roundabouts.
 
I see absolutely no reason to buy an AK instead of a DX90. iRiver are offering nothing new, are removing a memory slot, and are seeking to jack the price up further. What?
 
The Calyx-M is somewhere in between, functionality-wise, so I'm just watching and waiting for some proper in-depth reviews of the M, but right now, the DX90 is looking the most tempting to me, and I've never really forgiven D&A for refusing to include a digital-out on the M.
 
 
Popcorn, anyone? 

 
I think you underestimate the two units, it's closer to a true full featured player similarly to the ZX1 and their latest interface has gotten better at least that's what the AK240 owners have said. I think it has the potential to kill the M deal because even though it does not have two slots which really at 128GB micro card, who needs 2 anyway and as you mentioned the DX90 has one anyway and puny 8 with 5 gb mem available. I always advice people not to put anything on it specially if you are going to use an external card.
 
Let's not forget both have balanced outputs.

I think the M SQ better be good cause it won't be worth 1K. The AK100II though might well be, as always we shall see.

 
And I also want to

 

 

[Levanter]

   
Don't know about you but find the AK120II size a tad too big, looks huge with its big head unit.

The AK100II although just a single DAC sounds more portable and might just be fine when comparing single DAC implementation, hence why I said it could surpass the M.
 
 
Yep, I know kind make you think, is the AK240 already going for extinction?
 
 
I think you underestimate the two units, it's closer to a true full featured player similarly to the ZX1 and their latest interface has gotten better at least that's what the AK240 owners have said. I think it has the potential to kill the M deal because even though it does not have two slots which really at 128GB micro card, who needs 2 anyway and as you mentioned the DX90 has one anyway and puny 8 with 5 gb mem available. I always advice people not to put anything on it specially if you are going to use an external card.
 
Let's not forget both have balanced outputs.

I think the M SQ better be good cause it won't be worth 1K. The AK100II though might well be, as always we shall see.

 
And I also want to

 

 
AK120II is just 7mm taller, the rest is the same.. so i think they're both still quite acceptable? Definitely not as bulky as the M
 
Not to forget the new 2nd gen AKs have Groovers and soon Qobus for High res app store download direct to DAP. For those who likes Korean music, this would be a dream with 24 bit kpop coming straight to them.
Wifi streaming is a wonderful added feature, though i hope they'll expand it to remote wireless instead of just home wireless...

 

[Mython]

   
I think you underestimate the two units, it's closer to a true full featured player similarly to the ZX1 and their latest interface has gotten better at least that's what the AK240 owners have said. I think it has the potential to kill the M deal because even though it does not have two slots which really at 128GB micro card, who needs 2 anyway and as you mentioned the DX90 has one anyway and puny 8 with 5 gb mem available.

 
I don't consider that the DX90 is missing much functionality, really. It does annoy me that iBasso refused to enlarge the DX50 case slightly to make room for an additional card slot on the DX90, but I acknowledge that this would complicate co-development of the DX50 firmware.
 
Other than that, though, $419 for such SQ is almost unbeatable right now.
 
I concede that the new AKs will have a more discrete approach to the amp stage, and that is nice, but is it nice enough to justify charging 3-4 times as much as a DX90?
 
I say no.
 

   
Let's not forget both have balanced outputs.

 
I don't know for sure (I'm no electronics expert) but I suspect the DX90 will be a very easy mod to balanced output. The DIY-ers will post about it soon, just wait a while...
 
 
 
 
D&A had better shift themselves and get the M released internationally, quickly, or their party will be over before it's begun.

 

[musicheaven]

   
AK120II is just 7mm taller, the rest is the same.. so i think they're both still quite acceptable? Definitely not as bulky as the M
 
Not to forget the new 2nd gen AKs have Groovers and soon Qobus for High res app store download direct to DAP. For those who likes Korean music, this would be a dream with 24 bit kpop coming straight to them.
Wifi streaming is a wonderful added feature, though i hope they'll expand it to remote wireless instead of just home wireless...

 
Look at the tall part of the player where the volume control is and compared to the AK100, it's more than 7mm. I don't think I can fit the AK120II in my pocket except if it's cargo pant pockets.

 
Groovers and Qobus is iRiver's bet that both will take off, for me it's a non-event as I buy all my stuff from my PC and never from a smartphone and definitively not from a lone player. I would use the streaming facility though because I keep all my music on my home server, that's more attractive to me. Home wireless is cool, I used it once from my iPod touch which I sold and really loved it but was very buggy so hopefully with higher wireless modem speeds we should have a better continuous signal.
 

   
I don't consider that the DX90 is missing much functionality, really. It does annoy me that iBasso refused to enlarge the DX50 case slightly to make room for an additional card slot on the DX90, but I acknowledge that this would complicate co-development of the DX50 firmware.
 
Other than that, though, $419 for such SQ is almost unbeatable right now.
 
I concede that the new AKs will have a more discrete approach to the amp stage, and that is nice, but is it nice enough to justify charging 3-4 times as much as a DX90?
 
I say no.
 
 
I don't know for sure (I'm no electronics expert) but I suspect the DX90 will be a very easy mod to balanced output. The DIY-ers will post about it soon, just wait a while...
 
 
 
 
D&A had better shift themselves and get the M released internationally, quickly, or their party will be over before it's begun.

 
Sorry to dash your hope but transforming a dual DAC to balanced outputs requires circuitry to phase shift the outputs and then recombine them so it's gonna be very doubtful they can achieve it without major surgery plus the connector will be an issue, something gonna have to give, the DX90 case is anything but packed and no more openings unless they drill a hole. They will most likely have to use one of the existing connector holes so you'll loose some features on the way, which one? Hard to say.
 
As far as speed, you are right they seem to be too slow for market introduction, by the time they'll be ready people will have bought other daps.