[nephilim32]

I have the same headphones and agree they're both good pairings with the Jr., especially the Z7.

Don't use the Mo-fi much though. They clamp too much (even on the lowest tension setting) and aren't nearly as comfy as the Z7. Plus, don't really need their amp with the Jr. unless I want the bass boost.

Buddy. That's pretty awesome that we are literally headphone twins.
Man...what are the odds of that?
Anyhow, I use the Mofi's for when I hit the streets and the MDR's for indoor use. Mofi's are a great street companion and they actually fit me very well and I find them very comfortable. Love that amp too!! Great for electronic music like Tangerine dream and Depeche mode.
Overall though the Z7's are the best with the JR. No complaints.

 

[Vartanarsen]

Hi guys what's taking up the thick space inside these Astell daps? How big can those dac chips be? IPod Classic, the hard drive is taking up the space...so what's taking up 5he thick space inside the Astells?

 

[DrSheep]

LCD, circuits, battery?

 

[nephilim32]

Hi guys what's taking up the thick space inside these Astell daps? How big can those dac chips be? IPod Classic, the hard drive is taking up the space...so what's taking up 5he thick space inside the Astells?

I imagine it could be the internal amp staging. Certainly it's more substantial and larger than in a classic I pod. Overall though, the design i think is pretty incredible considering the average UI programming.

 

[Deftone]

ill be picking one up soon and comparing it to the X7

 

[clee290]

Glad you're enjoying your Jr @nephilim32! If you do find the lag, as some may describe, unbearable, you can try browsing via folders. I do find it a bit snappier this way as the player doesn't have to load up the album thumbnails next to every artist/album. 

 

[nephilim32]

Glad you're enjoying your Jr @nephilim32
! If you do find the lag, as some may describe, unbearable, you can try browsing via folders. I do find it a bit snappier this way as the player doesn't have to load up the album thumbnails next to every artist/album. 

Funny you mentioned that cause I have been doing just that.
Folder browsing is a bit quicker on the up take and to my benefit, more organized.
The JR has frozen up on me just once and all I had to do is restart it and it took only a minute. I'm ok with taking little hits here and there in regards to a buggy UI cause as mentioned before I find the SQ just incredible. Also, I'm confident that greater firmware from 1.0.3 will come out shortly to negate some of these little kinks.
Also, quick question. Does your AK jr on its own hold up well with the IEMS you use or do you feel your Cayin 5 is a necessary part of sound chain?
Thanks man. And yeah, this AK I'm gonna keep for a while. I'm bloody obsessed with the thing. Sometimes I just stare at it. Lol

 

[hamidr]

The lags, crappy ui, average batt, and poor usb dac functionality are not acceptable specially for the price of half a k...

 

[clee290]

Also, quick question. Does your AK jr on its own hold up well with the IEMS you use or do you feel your Cayin 5 is a necessary part of sound chain?
 

Oh yea, the Jr is definitely have enough power for my IEMs. I usually leave my Jr paired with my C5 as my at-home portable rig and then use my FiiO X1 for commutes and stuff as I feel like I can be a little less careful with it

 

[MrBoat]

EQ'ing: now I experimented with this quite a bit and I feel that the 5 band EQ isn't not very sophisticated and maybe more tailored for IEM's than anything since the neutral setting is at -2 DB. Tried the pro EQ and it gives you slightly thicker low end, but your mid range gets a bit squished so I find nothing PRO about it...once again bare bones!
Above all, the Natural or normal (flat) non EQ setting is by far the best and I prefer it by far. The SQ is incredible.


Lastly. Here are 5 albums I found to be an incredible experience with my Jr paired directly with the Sony MDR's at just 16/44 and 24/44 in WAV or FLAC.

1) fear factory-- Genexus
2) David Bowie-- Black Star
3) disturbed-- Immortalized
4) the Alan Parsons Project-- Vulture Culture
5) Hibernal-- Replacements (available on bandcamp.)
 

 
Great review, thanks.
 
Listening with Oppo PM-3s and I agree that Black Star is amazing/haunting. The Foals album, Holy Fire is very good as well. I was using the 'Pro' EQ setting but I've just turned it off and think you're right.....for now

 

[nephilim32]

Great review, thanks.



Listening with Oppo PM-3s and I agree that Black Star is amazing/haunting. The Foals album, Holy Fire is very good as well. I was using the 'Pro' EQ setting but I've just turned it off and think you're right.....for now

You are most welcome, and I hear such great things about those PM 3's and it sounds like you've got a fantastic listening/pairing experience with the AK.
As for the Pro EQ setting. It's not terrible and the differences at first are a bit subtle but over long periods of listening become quite different from the natural flat (non EQ) setting, which I do prefer much more cause the mids are so detailed and the Z7's I use already have incredible bass extension so I don't need any more low end tinkering or enhancements with an EQ band. Also. DNR is better. sounds like your Oppo'3's require the same kind of food as my Z7's. Enjoy man. I am loving this thing. Listening to Type O Negative's : World Coming Down and drums + DNR are so alive!!

 

[nephilim32]

Oh yea, the Jr is definitely have enough power for my IEMs. I usually leave my Jr paired with my C5 as my at-home portable rig and then use my FiiO X1 for commutes and stuff as I feel like I can be a little less careful with it

Oh you've got a second player.
That's cool. Have you maybe thought about buying a case for the JR to make it a little safer and tougher for the streets or do you already own one?? I'm for sure gonna grab one soon. I think its a must and I also believe they made the edges sharp on purpose so we would be more pressed to buy one. It's marketing. Lol.
Oh and i am gonna bug ya with one more question. How is the noise floor of the JR paired with your most sensitive IEM?
Is it low, non existent or does the C5 you have make for a better, more glass like background?

Thanks for your time.

 

[clee290]

Oh you've got a second player.

That's cool. Have you maybe thought about buying a case for the JR to make it a little safer and tougher for the streets or do you already own one?? I'm for sure gonna grab one soon. I think its a must and I also believe they made the edges sharp on purpose so we would be more pressed to buy one. It's marketing. Lol.
Oh and i am gonna bug ya with one more question. How is the noise floor of the JR paired with your most sensitive IEM?
Is it low, non existent or does the C5 you have make for a better, more glass like background?

Thanks for your time.

Yep, I do have a case for my Jr, but still feel more comfortable bringing my X1 out. Plus, I do want to continue to use it and not abandon it  
 
As for the noise floor, it is pretty much silent. Haven't noticed any hiss with any of my IEMs.

 

[SashimiWu]

Just tried using my AK Jr after a few months of having it sit in its box.
 
Wow, I am really impressed.  I forgot how good this little piece of kit sounded.  It nails the warm and dry signature thing very well.  Really enjoyable and powerful tonality which seems to be a great match with the SE846.
 
I remember not really liking the Jr with my K10's previously since the treble performance was mediocre but for some reason even though the 846's have less extension, it sounds way better to my ears.  I guess I didn't really enjoy the smooth notes from the K10 as much as I thought.
 
Combined with the very slim form factor and awesome tactile buttons, this makes this combo a winner for on the go listening.  The hiss levels are also extremely low.  I'm glad I didn't wind up selling it.

 

[alvinmate]

Hi folks,

how is Jr compared to LOTOO paw 5000?