[howdy]

http://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=80
 
In case id did not work I bought the Claire HPC MK2 with Viablue connector. choose Philips Fidelio X1/x2/L1 and then in the comment section tell them its for the Oppo PM3.

 

[JamesAnthony]

  http://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=80
 
In case id did not work I bought the Claire HPC MK2 with Viablue connector. choose Philips Fidelio X1/x2/L1 and then in the comment section tell them its for the Oppo PM3.

Cheers mate, will look into that. Be interested in hearing in what you think of the new cable. 

 

[dman127]

 
The Jr. has plenty of power for the PM3s and i don think the theE12a will add anything beneficial for the PM3s. You will love the PM3s, I would recommend getting a different cable as the one that comes with it is crappy. Forza has some nice ones that look great and will stand the test of times.

Thanks Howdy - this does help and i will take a look at the cables. Happy New Year!

 

[dman127]

  http://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=80
 
In case id did not work I bought the Claire HPC MK2 with Viablue connector. choose Philips Fidelio X1/x2/L1 and then in the comment section tell them its for the Oppo PM3.

For someone that is new to all of this, can you sum up what a cable like the Forza offers? Can you really tell the difference from the stock Oppo cable and how so? 
Thanks!

 

[howdy]

  For someone that is new to all of this, can you sum up what a cable like the Forza offers? Can you really tell the difference from the stock Oppo cable and how so? 
Thanks!

2 things;
1) I have not received the cables yet they should be here next week though.
 
2) There are a lot of skeptical members who think the only advantage is looks but I like many others have heard sonic changes in sound when using different cables. I borrowed a Forza cable for my CIEMs from a head-fi'er and noticed right away that the soundstage was noticeably bigger and the sound was a bit tighter.
 
So I think it is definitely worth the investment especially if you plan on keeping the PM3s. You can read some of the reviews in the Forza thread and see some pictures,there in one picture with the PM3s with the cable it is not mine though. When I get mine I will definitely post some pics.

 

[Hikaru11]

Just curious if anyone has tried the HiFiMAN HM-901 in comparison to the AK jr?

 

[M-13]

I have the AK Jr now. So, I will join this thread

 (It's a cute little DAP with big sound!)

 

[rbalcom]

  Has anyone with the Jr. by chance also have the new AK100II or 120ii?  I'm not sure yet for as much as I enjoy the Jr. I feel like I have "upgrade'itis" and am looking for a bit more detail.  

 
I have the AK240, AK100 II and AK Jr. Listening to them with the same IEMs, I think the SQ is very similar (to my old ears). However, the AK Jr. is the bottom of the AK product line because it does not have all the features of the other models. The Jr does not have a Balanced Output and the UI is sluggish with big libraries of tracks. Because of those, the other AK models could be considered an upgrade. The Balanced Output used with a good set of IEMs, in my opinion, provides more clarity and therefore detail. I believe SQ improvements tend to be small and subjective, but various models have other benefits to consider like size and weight, user interface, amount of storage, ability to stream music, etc. The Jr's benefit for me was size and weight.
 
Just my opinions. Hope it gives you something to think about.

 

[M-13]

I recently sold the AK100ii and was planning to get the AK320.
 
But a brand new Jr. dropped into my lap suddenly, and unexpectedly.
 
To be honest the AK100ii balanced output was better for pure sound quality but I think Single-ended they're nearly evenly matched.
 
I would say the Junior sounds slightly brighter/edgy/rough and less refined in comparison but also more neutral and spacious(I'm talking like 5% difference overall). I actually prefer the overall tonal balance of the junior, but miss the silky refinement of the AK100ii. The Jr. is a very good piece of gear with a nice form factor. I think it's very slim and sexy and built very solid. I think I'll be keeping mine for a long time. I Just ordered an offical AK leather case and some expensive 9H glass protectors for the screen and back.
 
I'm thinking about eventually mating it with the new JH Rosie as a very pocketable, portable Hifi system on the go

 

[Raketen]

Love the JR sound so far, not sure how much longer I can tolerate the UI

At least it can make playlists (*glares at Walkman*).
 
At this point, might be willing to sacrifice a little SQ for a little more function.. ZX100 or ZX2 Walkmen maybe?

 

[kimvictor]

  Love the JR sound so far, not sure how much longer I can tolerate the UI

At least it can make playlists (*glares at Walkman*).
 
At this point, might be willing to sacrifice a little SQ for a little more function.. ZX100 or ZX2 Walkmen maybe?

Have you seen Nathan's RMAA results? The ZX2 is really shameful. It can't even pull off 105 SNR at 24/44... Jr pulls off 115, which is pretty damn good. To give you a comparison, AK380 via balanced pulls off 118. The output is considerably weaker compared to the Jr, and is so much bigger. It does pull of a certain synergy with certain IEMs, but for pure audiophile and objective purposes, the ZX2 is quite miserable. For example, ZX2 sounded amazing with the Z5, while Jr doesn't sound as good with the Z5. Nonetheless, for every other reference gears I've tried, ZX2 was a meh.
 
I would look at the newer generation of android players. Like the Pioneer one. It measures well, and uses android too.

 

[Raketen]

  Have you seen Nathan's RMAA results? The ZX2 is really shameful. It can't even pull off 105 SNR at 24/44... Jr pulls off 115, which is pretty damn good. To give you a comparison, AK380 via balanced pulls off 118. The output is considerably weaker compared to the Jr, and is so much bigger. It does pull of a certain synergy with certain IEMs, but for pure audiophile and objective purposes, the ZX2 is quite miserable. For example, ZX2 sounded amazing with the Z5, while Jr doesn't sound as good with the Z5. Nonetheless, for every other reference gears I've tried, ZX2 was a meh.
 
I would look at the newer generation of android players. Like the Pioneer one. It measures well, and uses android too.

On Ohm-Image? Yeah. Just severely underestimated how frustrated I would be by the UI (also did not realise how scared I would be of sticking my hand in the pocket with the JR's corners poking out... time for a case

).
I think the Jr sounds great, noticable improvement on my A10 walkman, not-so obvious from JDS C5D, but think I prefer the Jr slightly.
Presently wondering if I would actually notice the ZX2's deficiencies.
ZX100 basically shares specs but in smaller package, with the excellent non-android Walkman OS.
L&P, Pioneer, Onkyo, Plenue look ok-ish, not too enticed. Maybe iBasso nails the dx200? Done with Fiio. A little wary of  QP1, Esther etc...
I loathe the pocket-stack, but it might just be time to accept defeat and buy the A10's digital out cable

 

 

[kimvictor]

  On Ohm-Image? Yeah. Just severely underestimated how frustrated I would be by the UI (also did not realise how scared I would be of sticking my hand in the pocket with the JR's corners poking out... time for a case

).
I think the Jr sounds great, noticable improvement on my A10 walkman, not-so obvious from JDS C5D, but think I prefer the Jr slightly.
Presently wondering if I would actually notice the ZX2's deficiencies.
ZX100 basically shares specs but in smaller package, with the excellent non-android Walkman OS.
L&P, Pioneer, Onkyo, Plenue look ok-ish, not too enticed. Maybe iBasso nails the dx200? Done with Fiio. A little wary of  QP1, Esther etc...
I loathe the pocket-stack, but it might just be time to accept defeat and buy the A10's digital out cable

 

Hahaha the corners can be rough. I have a leather case for it, and that solved that problem for me. What about Cowon? Not that cowon UI would be much better than the Jr. I wonder if it's that hard to get the UI correct...
Mojo seems like an interesting choice, if you don't mind carrying it with your phone. It does perform very well as well.

 

[M-13]

Wow... so I just had a nice session with my Layla and the Jr continues to impress.
 
The meaty Wolfson midrange is so nice, so full and lovely, just beautiful.
 
I missed this. The AK100ii is very precise and neutral but doesn't have the Wolfson "magic".
 
What AK did that is impressive is that it kept the midrange sounding wide open and airy while keeping the meatyness and weight.
 
I've never heard a better Wolfson implementation. It's all the strength of it without the usual weakness of congestion and overthickness.
 
The midrange sounds very open and full at the same time. Very very impressed so far...

 
 
BTW, UI lag is just fine for me. I upgraded to 1.03. I realize it's not Smartphone-fast, but I'm from the old days when MP3 Players were a "new thing". I've lived with MUCH MUCH worse lag than this on some of my favorite players of the past, including many from IRiver and Samsung.
 
For a dedicated DAP, it's fine and responsive enough. Every once in a while I need to wait like 0.1 seconds for something to respond or load, no big deal. I think everyone is spoiled by instant responses of smartphones

 

[hifistarter]

I have the AK240, AK100 II and AK Jr. Listening to them with the same IEMs, I think the SQ is very similar (to my old ears). However, the AK Jr. is the bottom of the AK product line because it does not have all the features of the other models. The Jr does not have a Balanced Output and the UI is sluggish with big libraries of tracks. Because of those, the other AK models could be considered an upgrade. The Balanced Output used with a good set of IEMs, in my opinion, provides more clarity and therefore detail. I believe SQ improvements tend to be small and subjective, but various models have other benefits to consider like size and weight, user interface, amount of storage, ability to stream music, etc. The Jr's benefit for me was size and weight.

Just my opinions. Hope it gives you something to think about.

Thanks appreciate the insight, have you compared all with over ear headphones by chance - they are my preferred travel companions.