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Astell & Kern Junior (AK Jr.) Impressions Thread
Feb 12, 2017 at 1:56 AM Post #2,911 of 3,321
h20fidelity said:
Yes, DX200 has filters, I think around 5-6 with the newer DAC used.

It sounds quite a lot more energetic over JR, higher level of dynamics but as I said earlier JR still had class, style and great timbre, particularly for lower level listening late at night for me. JR is definitely smoother.
Click to expand...

 
Thanks for that. The DX200's specs are hard to ignore (also the Onkyo DP-CMX1 phone with dual 9018 chips).
 
Implementation is more important but, no matter how well each DS chip is used, I can still hear similar sound characteristics. Especially during long sessions where I unfortunately get more fatigued with certain dac chips. No amount of engineering can completely hide the sound signature of off-the-shelf chips and I haven't seen many daps with a FPGA or R2R design (other than the crazy expensive Tera Player).
 
Seems AK chose the WM8740 for a good reason. The Jr. is far from perfect but I haven't seen anyone complain about the sound quality. I may be keeping mine for a long while.
 
 
Feb 12, 2017 at 9:21 PM Post #2,912 of 3,321
I am a bit out of place here, but I did just this past week purchase the AK Jr. from HiFi AudioTronics through Amazon. FYI, it arrived sporting version 1.02 firmware. 

I discovered this thread after I had received the AK Jr. and I enjoyed browsing through it.

Clearly, from what I've read here and from the small sample size of direct experience, the Jr. will more than meet my expectations...with one possible exception.

I really want the music to play randomly. I've seen posts saying that the song list is redone after new music is added, but my first two experiences with this resulted in the song list being in alphabetical order. This will get old in a hurry.

I would greatly appreciate any help in getting a random order. Would the 1.03 firmware make a difference?

Thanks!
 
Feb 15, 2017 at 6:48 PM Post #2,915 of 3,321
I'm one of the lucky ones that got the AK Jr to NOT play any sound via DAC... Oh well... I guess I should try in another computer later...
 
I haven't tested too much, but it sounds really good... I need to play some more music to actually fell how good it sounds... The UI, while extremely laggy, it's not thaaat bad... I think I can live with it if the sound quality actually keeps up with the amazing build quality...
 
Feb 15, 2017 at 6:55 PM Post #2,916 of 3,321
mrs1986 said:
I'm one of the lucky ones that got the AK Jr to NOT play any sound via DAC... Oh well... I guess I should try in another computer later...

I haven't tested too much, but it sounds really good... I need to play some more music to actually fell how good it sounds... The UI, while extremely laggy, it's not thaaat bad... I think I can live with it if the sound quality actually keeps up with the amazing build quality...
Click to expand...

Pretty common problem actually. It seems the AK Jr. doesn't work in DAC mode from a USB 3.0 port.
 
Feb 15, 2017 at 9:00 PM Post #2,918 of 3,321
mrs1986 said:
  Nor a USB 2.0 :p
 
I'm using an extra cable I had lying around, with the original cable it didn't even appear as a USB DAC, with this cable, it appears in 3.0 or in 2.0, none of them has sound... :/
Click to expand...

Really? Wow. I guess that is a really poorly implemented feature. Really a shame too, because it tarnishes an otherwise spectacular product. Sure, it has it's flaws, but this sin't a flaw, this is an outright problem. The AK Jr. is a spectacular DAP, and it sounds spectacular, but the "feature" of using it as a USB DAC just doesn't seem to work. It seems like more often than not it just doesn't work the way it's supposed to. 
 
Feb 15, 2017 at 9:44 PM Post #2,919 of 3,321
pl4y3r 0n3 said:
Really? Wow. I guess that is a really poorly implemented feature. Really a shame too, because it tarnishes an otherwise spectacular product. Sure, it has it's flaws, but this sin't a flaw, this is an outright problem. The AK Jr. is a spectacular DAP, and it sounds spectacular, but the "feature" of using it as a USB DAC just doesn't seem to work. It seems like more often than not it just doesn't work the way it's supposed to. 
Click to expand...


Yeah... I guess I will have to forget it has a "DAC" function...

I still have hope some fw fixes may come through xD
 
Feb 15, 2017 at 11:21 PM Post #2,920 of 3,321
mrs1986 said:
Yeah... I guess I will have to forget it has a "DAC" function...

I still have hope some fw fixes may come through xD
Click to expand...


Honestly, I wouldnt hold my breath.
Firmware v1.03 has been out for 1.5years now. The Jr itself and v1.02 came out 2 months prior. I think you get the idea.

Some people got lucky, some people didnt. Some discovered that they simply needed to use a different cable or USB port.
Mine works, though I only ever use my Jr for music on the train.
 
Feb 16, 2017 at 3:11 AM Post #2,921 of 3,321
lycosa777 said:
Honestly, I wouldnt hold my breath.

Firmware v1.03 has been out for 1.5years now. The Jr itself and v1.02 came out 2 months prior. I think you get the idea.


Some people got lucky, some people didnt. Some discovered that they simply needed to use a different cable or USB port.

Mine works, though I only ever use my Jr for music on the train.
Click to expand...


I know, sorry, I was trying to be sarcastic, but english is not my language and it didn't work :/
 
Feb 16, 2017 at 10:36 AM Post #2,923 of 3,321
lycosa777 said:
No need to apologise!

I guess I should brush up on my English to read sarcasm better :wink:
Click to expand...

Haha it looks like we're in the same boat!

On topic, i have tested some more and it is great this little player, i can now really HEAR the snares, like, really hear them, they where something diffuse and harsh, now are a perfect sound, I'm starting to love this little player!
 
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