[Duncan]

I have one word of advice though (and I wonder if others have noticed this) - IMHO, like a lot of high-end kit, the AK380 needs a little time to warm up. After about 15-20 minutes of playing it really starts to sing So, don't listen to it cold and for less that that amount of time.

Agreed 100%

This is an absolute prerequisite if attempting a serious audition!

 

[Rico613]

 

   
What are you hesitant about? (Apart from the huge cost of course).
 
If you're going to have a listen, enjoy your chance to try it!
 
I have one word of advice though (and I wonder if others have noticed this) - IMHO, like a lot of high-end kit, the AK380 needs a little time to warm up. After about 15-20 minutes of playing it really starts to sing So, don't listen to it cold and for less that that amount of time.

Well there's definitely people out there who say it's not a worthy purchase, so I'm not 100% sure I should get it just yet. Probably going to compare it to the Lotoo Paw Gold to see which one I like better. The main benefit of the AK380 is that it appears to be smaller and lighter than the Lotoo Paw Gold, and the interface might be a bit more appealing for my tastes at least.

It is safe to assume there will be something else coming from iRiver.  (A&K 520 for $4,500?)  Resale of AK380 drops to $2k.  People feel stupid for buying it in the first place . . .  

 

[piercer]

 
It is safe to assume there will be something else coming from iRiver.  (A&K 520 for $4,500?)  Resale of AK380 drops to $2k.  People feel stupid for buying it in the first place . . .  

 
So it's a bad thing that companies continually produce new products? And when new things come out does that mean the old thing you have suddenly stops working and ceases to be the thing that you bought? Stupid sentiment. We wouldn't have the plethora of fantastic new high-end DAP's that we all love to play with if these companies didn't keep trying to get us to spend their money! I honestly believe we would not have the current great range of mid-cost DAP's if it had not been for companies like iRiver pushing back the boundaries.
 
You know, if you don't like them, you don't have to buy them.
 
Personally, I hope new things keep coming from iRiver - that makes life more fun

 

[Uncle E1]

  Well there's definitely people out there who say it's not a worthy purchase, so I'm not 100% sure I should get it just yet. Probably going to compare it to the Lotoo Paw Gold to see which one I like better. The main benefit of the AK380 is that it appears to be smaller and lighter than the Lotoo Paw Gold, and the interface might be a bit more appealing for my tastes at least.

design, finishing and ui wise, ak380 > paw gold many many times over ...

 

[Rico613]

 

 
It is safe to assume there will be something else coming from iRiver.  (A&K 520 for $4,500?)  Resale of AK380 drops to $2k.  People feel stupid for buying it in the first place . . .  

 
So it's a bad thing that companies continually produce new products? And when new things come out does that mean the old thing you have suddenly stops working and ceases to be the thing that you bought? Stupid sentiment. We wouldn't have the plethora of fantastic new high-end DAP's that we all love to play with if these companies didn't keep trying to get us to spend their money! I honestly believe we would not have the current great range of mid-cost DAP's if it had not been for companies like iRiver pushing back the boundaries.
 
You know, if you don't like them, you don't have to buy them.
 
Personally, I hope new things keep coming from iRiver - that makes life more fun

I should have mentioned that product upgrades, (AK 240 --> AK 380), have, what people describe, as "subtle" improvements in SQ.  More than a few people here have commented they feel burned by iRiver's product cycle.  Spend $2,500 on a AK240 one month and find out its really worth $1.600 the next month.  Can't really blame them for milking the market for all it's worth I guess.  It will make more sense to upgrade every second or third product cycle at this rate, but maybe as you say, I'm just stupid.

 

[bflat]

  I should have mentioned that product upgrades, (AK 240 --> AK 380), have, what people describe, as "subtle" improvements in SQ.  More than a few people here have commented they feel burned by iRiver's product cycle.  Spend $2,500 on a AK240 one month and find out its really worth $1.600 the next month.  Can't really blame them for milking the market for all it's worth I guess.  It will make more sense to upgrade every second or third product cycle at this rate, but maybe as you say, I'm just stupid.

It's easy to villainize a company when the products sell for thousands of dollars. If you are really that upset over companies you feel "burn" customers, I think you can look at a long list of other more egregious examples before slamming AK. Just to name a few:
 

1. Apple - absolutely no information on product roadmap and worse, no advance notice of changes in connectors that make all your previous i-accessories obsolete.
2. Adobe, Microsoft, etc - why do major software upgrades cost the same as a new purchase? What's the value of an older version once a new one comes out? zero.
3. Seagate, Western Digital ,etc - get mad at them for selling a new HDD with 2x capacity a year later for the same price you paid.
4. Micron, Samsung, Hitachi, etc - same as above, but RAM chips.
5. Intel, nVidia, AMD, etc - same as above , but processors that have 2x computing power than prior generation.
6. Sony, LG, Toshiba, etc - how much did you pay for 3D enabled TV's and what's the value of those now and are you going to do the same for 4K?

 
All of the above do the same thing - the marketing hype tells you it's night and day difference for next gen, but in real world use and even apples to apples benchmarks, you rarely see improvements exceed 10%. Sound familiar?
 
Let's all be sure we are being honest here. If the AK hate is really just wishing they would sell their product for less, I totally agree and would be really happy if they did. Problem is, AK is not a charity so they need to maximize their profits. I'm pretty sure their current ratio of orders to supply is greater than 1 for the AK380. If it is, why lower the price?

 

[piercer]

  I should have mentioned that product upgrades, (AK 240 --> AK 380), have, what people describe, as "subtle" improvements in SQ.  More than a few people here have commented they feel burned by iRiver's product cycle.  Spend $2,500 on a AK240 one month and find out its really worth $1.600 the next month.  Can't really blame them for milking the market for all it's worth I guess.  It will make more sense to upgrade every second or third product cycle at this rate, but maybe as you say, I'm just stupid.

 
I did not say you were stupid - I said the sentiment was stupid - subtle difference.
 
I hope nobody ever buys high-end TOTL equipment as an investment - I buy it for the sound and the music. Personally, I have accepted the fact that the things I buy will deprecate in value. If I can afford it, I tend to buy  at the begining of a products life cycle, which means that the drop in value will occur later rather than sooner.
 
 
Anyway the AK240 still sells for a premium - so I'm not sure its as bad as you make out.
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Astell-Kern-Portable-Fidelity-System/dp/B00IFEC88U
 
http://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/cat/astell-kern-ak240-dac-ultimate-portable-audio-system_761-10044-AKAK240/?cm_mmc=PLA-_-Google-_-HomeTech-_-ASTELLKERN&ci_src=18615224&ci_sku=44423919&_$ja=tsid:35948%7ccid:198914494%7cagid:10886274454%7ctid:kwd-77992442014%7ccrid:40398553654%7cnw:g%7crnd:16909065404270365545%7cdvc:c%7cadp:1o2&gclid=Cj0KEQjwmNuuBRDTu5rDjr2kxJsBEiQAWlm6Ug7tJmtSAQaGyMBSbGzZNd060ERX7BUpNyVKfo3-ruwaAs1N8P8HAQ
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/301670008980?adgroupid=&hlpht=true&hlpv=2&rlsatarget=&adtype=pla&ff3=1&lpid=122&poi=&ul_noapp=true&limghlpsr=true&ff19=0&device=c&chn=ps&campaignid=&crdt=0&ff12=67&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff14=122&viphx=1&ops=true&ff13=80

 

[piercer]

And another thing!!!!
 
The AK240 is still very current and relevant. All those Ak240 owners just recently got a big firmware upgrade that enabled AK connect and UI/UX upgrades - I think thats rather good service considering it has been on sale for 2 years now

 

[Uncle E1]

thought there was a separate thread for haters to vent their anger?  do keep this as a constructive discussion about the actual usage and performance of the ak380 and take the moaning and groaning somewhere else

 

[Mimouille]

All this discussion about the AK380 makes me a bit hesitant going into my opportunity to try it on Sunday. That being said, the AK380 here costs maybe $300 more than the AK240SS (about $2500 for the AK240SS and $2800 for the AK380). I have a stock AK240 at the moment, but it's technically a loan from a family member, so I would probably need to get my own portable DAP at some point).

Despite the Hugo being technically a portable, I've never been able to actually use it on the go. I don't have any pockets big enough to hold the Hugo (during the summer, maybe during the winter I might wear a coat with a large enough pocket).

where on earth does the AK380 cost 2800$?!

 

[Uncle E1]

where on earth does the AK380 cost 2800$?!

 
euros maybe

 

[Rico613]

FWIW, I just miss the days when companies gave a crap about brand loyalty and built goodwill with customers & vendors.  

 

[raypin]

 
design, finishing and ui wise, ak380 > paw gold many many times over ...

mmm...I have to agree with that. I'm sorry but the design of the Paw Gold just repels me. I know. I know. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but in the case of the Paw Gold, they SERIOUSLY need a competent product designer. Preferably someone with taste.

 

[Kvud]

I think the price is too high for this player!

 

[Vinnie R.]

  I think the price is too high for this player!