Hi guys,
Sorry for the sensationalist title, but I wanted to highlight a particular point. For those of you who are not aware, the AKR02 is the detachable cable variant of the Final Audio Design's FI-BA-SS (with some tuning for the AK products but anyone who ABX tests them will probably notice a minimal difference if any). By having the privilege to demo the FI-BA-SS for myself, I thought the only missing feature, especially for its price, was that the cable was not removable (a stubbornly aesthetic design choice), and so I saw the AKR02 as the solution.
And while in all technicality the solution is present, here's the kicker, as far as I'm aware: it's not possible to purchase a standalone spare cable, and iRiver will decline to respond to any related inquiries, as they have to half a dozen of mine over the course of several weeks.
What makes this all the more pressing is that with enough head time the cable will oxidize, as all copper cables do. Due to the transparent coating, the greening will gradually become front and center as more usage hours accumulate. Even if that doesn't bother you, the idea that there are no spare cables for sale means that there's as much longevity in the AKR02 as the FI-BA-SS, rendering the detachable solution and resultant price premium pointless.
The biggest problem is that the AKR02's detachable cable system uses a unique threaded MMCX design, as shown below:
While, to their credit, this is actually rather robust (though slightly annoying) in practice, Astell & Kern controls the distribution of its parts (my apologies in advance if it turns out that was an egregiously misinformed presumption) and apparently refuses to sell them to custom cable manufacturers and DIY'ers for... reasons.
Anyway, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, and I'll redact all of the above if I am. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Sorry for the sensationalist title, but I wanted to highlight a particular point. For those of you who are not aware, the AKR02 is the detachable cable variant of the Final Audio Design's FI-BA-SS (with some tuning for the AK products but anyone who ABX tests them will probably notice a minimal difference if any). By having the privilege to demo the FI-BA-SS for myself, I thought the only missing feature, especially for its price, was that the cable was not removable (a stubbornly aesthetic design choice), and so I saw the AKR02 as the solution.
And while in all technicality the solution is present, here's the kicker, as far as I'm aware: it's not possible to purchase a standalone spare cable, and iRiver will decline to respond to any related inquiries, as they have to half a dozen of mine over the course of several weeks.
What makes this all the more pressing is that with enough head time the cable will oxidize, as all copper cables do. Due to the transparent coating, the greening will gradually become front and center as more usage hours accumulate. Even if that doesn't bother you, the idea that there are no spare cables for sale means that there's as much longevity in the AKR02 as the FI-BA-SS, rendering the detachable solution and resultant price premium pointless.
The biggest problem is that the AKR02's detachable cable system uses a unique threaded MMCX design, as shown below:
While, to their credit, this is actually rather robust (though slightly annoying) in practice, Astell & Kern controls the distribution of its parts (my apologies in advance if it turns out that was an egregiously misinformed presumption) and apparently refuses to sell them to custom cable manufacturers and DIY'ers for... reasons.
Anyway, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, and I'll redact all of the above if I am. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
