[Vinnie R.]

All,
 
Yes, we are now offering RWAK120 and RWAK120-S.  I'll be updating the website with pictures next week sometime, but at least I was able to get the details
up last night.  
 
To all those who have been emailing me about it, thanks for all your patience over the last two months that I have been working on it.  I am very confident
that you will find the results to be well worth the wait.  This one is a grand slam!  

 
Vinnie

 

[DrSheep]

Can't wait.  I am still 50/50 on this but it will be interesting to get more feedback once the first batch is out.

 

[VisceriousZERO]

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Do you mean that you are getting both?

 
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That... would be awsome.

 
 
Yes it would...
 
Give it two weeks.

 

[DMinor]

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Originally Posted by Vinnie R. /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
This one is a grand slam!  

 
 
 

 
S = Sexycaps. I hear you.

 

[lee730]

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I couldn't agree more.  It would be silly to spend a chunk on a modded AK120 that disables the very adequate internal amp, and then play it through an amp that adds noise or doesn't match well. I went through a similar process with my home system.  I had a Wadia 270se extensively modified, and then systematically worked from there.
 
Not sure what amp i'll end up with.  Probably will try the Triad L3 and a couple of the Ray Samuels amps.  There a bit of a size differential there too so I'll need to sort that out.

 
If you do opt for the Triad also consider getting it a dedicated PSU which will take it to a whole other level. Hell I thought it was unbelievably good just on batteries but it's most definitely not at its full potential without clean power.

 

[harryb]

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If you do opt for the Triad also consider getting it a dedicated PSU which will take it to a whole other level. Hell I thought it was unbelievably good just on batteries but it's most definitely not at its full potential without clean power.

 
I'm with you on this.  Thinking a bit about ultra ultra ultra portable (iPod shuffle) vs. ultra ultra portable (Tera Player) vs. ultra portable (AK120 without amp) vs. portable (AK120 + small amp) vs. still transportable (AK120 + larger amp) vs. barely transportable vs. desktop vs. full home system.  
 
AK120 + Triad + Dedicated PSU  isn't something i would be able to carry around much.  If I'm stationary, I'll probably stick to my dCS stack feeding the Placette  Dual Mono.
 
But wait....I can always carry the AK120 plus the Triad plus the power supply in my briefcase!!

 

[lee730]

Quote:

 
I'm with you on this.  Thinking a bit about ultra ultra ultra portable (iPod shuffle) vs. ultra ultra portable (Tera Player) vs. ultra portable (AK120 without amp) vs. portable (AK120 + small amp) vs. still transportable (AK120 + larger amp) vs. barely transportable vs. desktop vs. full home system.  
 
AK120 + Triad + Dedicated PSU  isn't something i would be able to carry around much.  If I'm stationary, I'll probably stick to my dCS stack feeding the Placette  Dual Mono.
 
But wait....I can always carry the AK120 plus the Triad plus the power supply in my briefcase!!

lol I'm saying if you are gonna carry it around you can just use the batteries that come inside the Triad itself. But when you are sitting stationary next to an outlet for some time I don't see why not using a dedicated PSU to get the max out of it.
 
When I'm on the go I just use the Tralucent T1 amp. More so around the house to be honest but its very nice in the car as well .

 

[nk77]

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lol I'm saying if you are gonna carry it around you can just use the batteries that come inside the Triad itself. But when you are sitting stationary next to an outlet for some time I don't see why not using a dedicated PSU to get the max out of it.
 
When I'm on the go I just use the Tralucent T1 amp. More so around the house to be honest but its very nice in the car as well .

 
Do you recommend the LLP PSU or the Firestone or other for the L3?

 

[lee730]

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Do you recommend the LLP PSU or the Firestone or other for the L3?

 
Well if you are using full size headphones and IEMs the LLP would be very good as it gives you the option to up the voltage. If you're just using IEMs the Firestone would be the best value. But the thing is they are no longer being made. They've been discontinued so you'd have to find one used on headfi I'd think....

 

[nk77]

Yeh was having a hard time finding any Firestones...so that is why.

 

[silverlight]

Quick feedback, have spent a lot of time listening to the AK120 now with several different headphones I own, and would rank as follows in order of preference:
 
1. Fit Ear TG334 (by a VERY wide margin, especially when no external amp; excellent pairing)
2. Sennheiser IE800
3. Ultrasone Edition 8 (best over the ear with portability key consideration I found)
4. JH13's (didn't like this combination without external amping).
 
Got a Ray Samuels SR71A last week to see impact, and the combination with the TG334's is fantastic.  Much fuller, organic, analog sound.  There is definitely some roll-off in the highs, but I'm not using a great cable to connect the AK120 and SR71, have a TWag v3 hybrid cable arriving shortly from Whiplash for this (as well as a matching re-cable for the 334's).  The IE800's sound thin in comparison, and have a less natural (boost in bass and HF / weaker in midrange).  The Ultrasones are apples and oranges, and since travel was the goal they don't meet that objective as well of course.  JH13's just don't pair well for me with the AK120 (and I never got the fit right with them).  So the IE800's and Ed8 are going buy buy and sticking with the 334's.  Just amazing quality for a portable rig.

 

[audionewbi]

Thanks guys I update the first post soon with your impression and link to various mods avalible for ak120.

 

[kkcc]

Quick feedback, have spent a lot of time listening to the AK120 now with several different headphones I own, and would rank as follows in order of preference:

1. Fit Ear TG334 (by a VERY wide margin, especially when no external amp; excellent pairing)
2. Sennheiser IE800
3. Ultrasone Edition 8 (best over the ear with portability key consideration I found)
4. JH13's (didn't like this combination without external amping).

Got a Ray Samuels SR71A last week to see impact, and the combination with the TG334's is fantastic.  Much fuller, organic, analog sound.  There is definitely some roll-off in the highs, but I'm not using a great cable to connect the AK120 and SR71, have a TWag v3 hybrid cable arriving shortly from Whiplash for this (as well as a matching re-cable for the 334's).  The IE800's sound thin in comparison, and have a less natural (boost in bass and HF / weaker in midrange).  The Ultrasones are apples and oranges, and since travel was the goal they don't meet that objective as well of course.  JH13's just don't pair well for me with the AK120 (and I never got the fit right with them).  So the IE800's and Ed8 are going buy buy and sticking with the 334's.  Just amazing quality for a portable rig.

It matches my impression on the IE800 pairing and really scratching my head why iriver would sell a bundled package with IE800 giving people an impression it is a great pairing. Not that IE800 pairs better than TG334 in any combo I tried but AK120 with IE800 the mids just really doesn't sound right to me on any tracks. Well YMMV.

 

[mrbig]

Quote:

All,
 
Yes, we are now offering RWAK120 and RWAK120-S.  I'll be updating the website with pictures next week sometime, but at least I was able to get the details
up last night.  
 
To all those who have been emailing me about it, thanks for all your patience over the last two months that I have been working on it.  I am very confident
that you will find the results to be well worth the wait.  This one is a grand slam!  

 
Vinnie

I have a question regarding the 1/8" stereo jack that replaces the hardware volume control. With the headphone jack being converted to a line output in the RWAK120-S modification, what's the purpose of the new jack?

 

[harryb]

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I have a question regarding the 1/8" stereo jack that replaces the hardware volume control. With the headphone jack being converted to a line output in the RWAK120-S modification, what's the purpose of the new jack?

 
I talked to Vinnie about this.  My understanding is that it is really just a duplicate jack.  If you have a second amp, you can play through both at the same time.