[Shetzu]

I'm still noticing some albums have songs in the incorrect order despite all the metadata tags being correct. Will there be a fix for this issue?

I dont think so there is any fix. This metadata , library reading by Kann issue has been highlighted earlier. So far no fix in any of their updates.

 

[Terry Newton]

A&K fans, cover your ears.

28 days ago I requested a RMA from A&K. Scroll back a few pages and you will find my disgust with their lack response. 11 days later I received a RMA number and form. Astell and Kern moved and had me send the Kann to the old address. After verifying the address with FedEx after two failed delivery attempts I finally received a response from A&K, they had moved and indicated in the email that they said they were reaching out to shippers to have packages rerouted. BS. I shipped the Kann on our corporate account and had several conversations with the appropriate folks at FedEx over three days. A&K lied, they never contacted FedEx until they finally got around to reading my emails.

Today I received another email from A&K. 15 days after receiving my Kann they have confirmed that the battery is shot and is 70% depleted after an hour of playback. IT TOOK THEM 15 DAYS AND I TOLD THEM WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS!!!! Now it will be another three weeks while the TURD is shipped to Seoul for repair. Add in another few days for their future screw ups and that's two months. Totally unacceptable for what poses to be a high end product.

I have been blessed to be friends with many of the great names in high end audio. All of them have strived to insure that warranty and repairs receive top priority. Even the behemoth that Linn has become gets repairs out within five days including a personal email regarding the solution to the problem (thanks Dan!).

Since it's my day to deservedly crap on A&K let me give you a little secret to the Kann's sound. A lot of it is in the power supply. Years ago Joe Grado and I had a humor filled conversation about Dick Sequerra's $400 CD3400 dock. It was a few gel cells and a float charger with lights and ports in a fancy case. Three 7 ah alarm jell cells were the sweet spot. As I recall Tyll introduced some new hotrod models with PSU upgrades shortly after this.

As to A&K, you deserve this public flogging. Buyer beware, a high tech product is only as good as the support behind it.

Edit, added thoughts:

A return label with the appropriate LiPo warning label should have been provided. No LiPo shipping cautions in the RMA despite the fact that what I described pointed to a failing & puffing LiPo pack. I just hope these incompetent folks don't ship the whole thing back by air without removing the battery first (for the clueless it's a fire hazard). I asked them to remove the failing battery before sending it overseas a couple of weeks ago via email.

Edit, more added thoughts:

The other aspect to this is corporate liability. A&K has not played by the rules and is wide open. Anyone who is serious about RC stuff (quads, I don't know what the rest of the hobbyists do) knows that LiPos should be monitored and maintained. Active batteries are best kept in fire proof containers. Failing puffers should be safely disposed. No one in the RC community would suggest shipping a failing battery yet it's commonplace for the devices in our mobile connected world. At least all the PC/cell phone/tablet manufacturers have the decency to provide proper shipping documents and hazard labels.

That certainly doesn't sound like an experience I want to go through but my KANN battery will die and I will have to get it repaired.

How long did your battery last with how many hours per day did you use it?

Are there no dealers in Canada that can replace the battery?

Do I have to send it overseas?

Can I get a battery and change it myself?

This is not what I was expecting when I bought my KANN.

Very upset

 

[Luke-]

I too feel a little uneasy now I dread the day I need to replace battery. Hope A&K can give us some feedback and reassurance.

 

[ksroy]

I've been a happy camper for a couple of months now. But seems suddenly my SD and microSD cards aren't accessible and show as damaged. I re-formatted and was planning to just transfer music again. In the mean time, I got my two old 200GB Sandisk Micro SD cards and put them in. The short of it, it was fine last night, although I didn't listen. This morning, it refused to play, and now both damaged as well. Anyone have SD card issues with the Kann?

 

[Luvdac]

I've been a happy camper for a couple of months now. But seems suddenly my SD and microSD cards aren't accessible and show as damaged. I re-formatted and was planning to just transfer music again. In the mean time, I got my two old 200GB Sandisk Micro SD cards and put them in. The short of it, it was fine last night, although I didn't listen. This morning, it refused to play, and now both damaged as well. Anyone have SD card issues with the Kann?

This is an old issue with the type of format. Please reformat the cards as fat32 and the issue should be resolved.

 

[Mr. Thompson]

That certainly doesn't sound like an experience I want to go through but my KANN battery will die and I will have to get it repaired.

How long did your battery last with how many hours per day did you use it?

Are there no dealers in Canada that can replace the battery?

Do I have to send it overseas?

Can I get a battery and change it myself?

This is not what I was expecting when I bought my KANN.

Very upset

Hi Terry - I have dystonia. I used my Kann for audio feedback therapy to help position my jaw to treat my dystonia. This is something I have discovered and hope will be of benefit for folks that have TMJ, Parkinson's, MS, Blepharospasms, torticollis and dystonia. My Kann was purchased mid January and was used until the battery was low enough that it was distinctly audible, somewhere near 25%, perhaps four to five days per week, three days a week at the least. I'd get six to seven hours when it was new. Despite being an audiophile, engineer and scientist I got lost in the the therapy, finally moving Garth's extremely heavy old Furman AC filter (no small task given my disability) so I could listen while plugged in to a charger without the sound going to complete poopoo. I can't stand opiates and don't understand why folks get hooked on them however the lack of scientific observation as my Kann declined while being addicted to the the therapeutic aspect is eye opening to other folk's weakness.

The USA office for A&K is a sham. They don't respond in a timely fashion and when they do it's inaccurate, BS or outright pervercation. From what I have seen they have no technical ability nor do they have the resources or the knowledge to supply the appropriate replacement parts and instructions. It's almost like they have to wait for a response from Seoul before they can answer an email, like the old Soviet central control over aviation weapons. And then the response is scripted by Mel Brooks like it's from Kaos. Shades of Idiocracy....

If my words sound harsh so be it. My professional life has been full of dealings with manufacturing in the east. Sham QC is the biggest problem. Perhaps A&K is just a victim of the poor QC in the LiPo battery market and they were suckered out of greed into the low bid. Giving the service and the lies from the US A&K office I tend to gravitate towards the worst scenario. Greedy folks don't give a crap and despite their fancy high end front and treat their customers accordingly.

Sorry for the bad news Terry, I love the concept and sound of the Kann (with limitations noted in earlier posts). Maybe it's time to call Greg Shug and build a product in the US which represents and respects decent values and customer service?

With Kindest Personal Regards,

Colin

 

[Terry Newton]

Hi Terry - I have dystonia. I used my Kann for audio feedback therapy to help position my jaw to treat my dystonia. This is something I have discovered and hope will be of benefit for folks that have TMJ, Parkinson's, MS, Blepharospasms, torticollis and dystonia. My Kann was purchased mid January and was used until the battery was low enough that it was distinctly audible, somewhere near 25%, perhaps four to five days per week, three days a week at the least. I'd get six to seven hours when it was new. Despite being an audiophile, engineer and scientist I got lost in the the therapy, finally moving Garth's extremely heavy old Furman AC filter (no small task given my disability) so I could listen while plugged in to a charger without the sound going to complete poopoo. I can't stand opiates and don't understand why folks get hooked on them however the lack of scientific observation as my Kann declined while being addicted to the the therapeutic aspect is eye opening to other folk's weakness.

The USA office for A&K is a sham. They don't respond in a timely fashion and when they do it's inaccurate, BS or outright pervercation. From what I have seen they have no technical ability nor do they have the resources or the knowledge to supply the appropriate replacement parts and instructions. It's almost like they have to wait for a response from Seoul before they can answer an email, like the old Soviet central control over aviation weapons. And then the response is scripted by Mel Brooks like it's from Kaos. Shades of Idiocracy....

If my words sound harsh so be it. My professional life has been full of dealings with manufacturing in the east. Sham QC is the biggest problem. Perhaps A&K is just a victim of the poor QC in the LiPo battery market and they were suckered out of greed into the low bid. Giving the service and the lies from the US A&K office I tend to gravitate towards the worst scenario. Greedy folks don't give a crap and despite their fancy high end front and treat their customers accordingly.

Sorry for the bad news Terry, I love the concept and sound of the Kann (with limitations noted in earlier posts). Maybe it's time to call Greg Shug and build a product in the US which represents and respects decent values and customer service?

With Kindest Personal Regards,

Colin

I was hoping for at least a couple of years of use.I was not even considering having to send my KANN outside of Canada to get a battery replaced,never entered my mind.Almost makes the KANN disposable.What a huge disappointment.

Customer service can be laughable but now I know what to expect when my battery dies and it doesn't fill me with happy thoughts.

Oh well,"keep calm and carry on".

 

[ksroy]

This is an old issue with the type of format. Please reformat the cards as fat32 and the issue should be resolved.

Thanks Luvdac. Like I said, it was working for two months before it happened. Now it doesn’t work. My older 200gb SanDisk micro SD cards likewise won’t load now. They are all FAT32 formatted.

 

[snafu1]

Hi Terry - I have dystonia. I used my Kann for audio feedback therapy to help position my jaw to treat my dystonia. This is something I have discovered and hope will be of benefit for folks that have TMJ, Parkinson's, MS, Blepharospasms, torticollis and dystonia. My Kann was purchased mid January and was used until the battery was low enough that it was distinctly audible, somewhere near 25%, perhaps four to five days per week, three days a week at the least. I'd get six to seven hours when it was new. Despite being an audiophile, engineer and scientist I got lost in the the therapy, finally moving Garth's extremely heavy old Furman AC filter (no small task given my disability) so I could listen while plugged in to a charger without the sound going to complete poopoo. I can't stand opiates and don't understand why folks get hooked on them however the lack of scientific observation as my Kann declined while being addicted to the the therapeutic aspect is eye opening to other folk's weakness.

The USA office for A&K is a sham. They don't respond in a timely fashion and when they do it's inaccurate, BS or outright pervercation. From what I have seen they have no technical ability nor do they have the resources or the knowledge to supply the appropriate replacement parts and instructions. It's almost like they have to wait for a response from Seoul before they can answer an email, like the old Soviet central control over aviation weapons. And then the response is scripted by Mel Brooks like it's from Kaos. Shades of Idiocracy....

If my words sound harsh so be it. My professional life has been full of dealings with manufacturing in the east. Sham QC is the biggest problem. Perhaps A&K is just a victim of the poor QC in the LiPo battery market and they were suckered out of greed into the low bid. Giving the service and the lies from the US A&K office I tend to gravitate towards the worst scenario. Greedy folks don't give a crap and despite their fancy high end front and treat their customers accordingly.

Sorry for the bad news Terry, I love the concept and sound of the Kann (with limitations noted in earlier posts). Maybe it's time to call Greg Shug and build a product in the US which represents and respects decent values and customer service?

With Kindest Personal Regards,

Colin

As it happens, I just ordered a KANN and it's due to arrive today. Seeing the recent posts on this thread concerning the battery and lack of customer service has me a bit concerned. I'll definitely keep this fact in mind while I evaluate the KANN and decide if I am going to keep it.

Though, I've read about similar issues with other audio manufacturers. I used to have an iBasso and they had unresponsive customer support. The same goes for my current DAP an Onkyo DP-X1. If any work needs to be done on it, it has to go back to Japan after first going through a tedious process with the local office. Plus, they seem to use the slowest shipping available (actually, the same goes for iBasso).
But, with A&K, we're paying a premium and honestly, I would have expected more.

On the other hand I have had terrific customer support with Schiit. Both responsive and helpful.

 

[Terry Newton]

Thanks Luvdac. Like I said, it was working for two months before it happened. Now it doesn’t work. My older 200gb SanDisk micro SD cards likewise won’t load now. They are all FAT32 formatted.

Have you tried a factory reset or doing a rescan from the options menu?You probably have but I had to ask just in case.Or deleting everything off the cards and then do a rescan.Good luck.

 

[sahmen]

I have a few questions about SC card use. I know they have to be formatted as Fat32, and I intend to do that on my laptop before installing them in the Kann. My question has to do with best practices for uploading music files into the Kann, and for distribution them among the Kann's own native 64gb storage space, and then onto the extra storage space provided by the SD cards. How does the Kann manage this distribution of files into these storage spaces? Does it, for example, automatically fill up its own 64gb native storage first before moving files to the SD cards, or does it allow the user to influence the way the distribution is done? If the user can influence the storage space management, then what is the best way to proceed.? If I can place files on a card using a computer before inserting the card in the Kann, should I consider doing that, or is it better to upload the music files to the Kann and allow the Kann to do the distribution?

Any helpful thoughts, or suggestions would be welcome. Incidentally, the Kann is my first dedicated DAP. Before the KANN, I was more into using the my ipod and ipod touch for portable music. I actually still have my ipod classic and the last ipod touch I purchased, and they're still going strong. However, I feel good about making the transition to the KANN, for its DAP features, which seem to have more music related functionalities that I like.

 

[Luvdac]

I have a few questions about SC card use. I know they have to be formatted as Fat32, and I intend to do that on my laptop before installing them in the Kann. My question has to do with best practices for uploading music files into the Kann, and for distribution them among the Kann's own native 64gb storage space, and then onto the extra storage space provided by the SD cards. How does the Kann manage this distribution of files into these storage spaces? Does it, for example, automatically fill up its own 64gb native storage first before moving files to the SD cards, or does it allow the user to influence the way the distribution is done? If the user can influence the storage space management, then what is the best way to proceed.? If I can place files on a card using a computer before inserting the card in the Kann, should I consider doing that, or is it better to upload the music files to the Kann and allow the Kann to do the distribution?

Any helpful thoughts, or suggestions would be welcome. Incidentally, the Kann is my first dedicated DAP. Before the KANN, I was more into using the my ipod and ipod touch for portable music. I actually still have my ipod classic and the last ipod touch I purchased, and they're still going strong. However, I feel good about making the transition to the KANN, for its DAP features, which seem to have more music related functionalities that I like.

I just use good old drag and drop into the Kanns internal storage. For the sd cards if I need to do a large transfer, I usually take them out after shutting down the KANN (as a safety measure) and then pop them into a card reader for drag n drop via a laptop. For smaller transfers I sometimes just connect the KANN to the laptop and directly drag n drop into the cards.

 

[Shetzu]

I've been a happy camper for a couple of months now. But seems suddenly my SD and microSD cards aren't accessible and show as damaged. I re-formatted and was planning to just transfer music again. In the mean time, I got my two old 200GB Sandisk Micro SD cards and put them in. The short of it, it was fine last night, although I didn't listen. This morning, it refused to play, and now both damaged as well. Anyone have SD card issues with the Kann?

Please check few posts i have posted in the beginning of the thread. I have given step wise, visuals too as to how to format SD cards in Fat32 and get your Kann running smoothly. Since I am a Mac user I have followed following steps.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ast...-storage-battery.843376/page-62#post-13714742

 

[snafu1]

My first impressions with the Kann.

I just received the Kann and even without any burn in period I can say that this DAP really shines – specially in balanced mode. I’m looking to replace my Onkyo DP-X1. I used my 3.5mm A/B switch to compare the two using a pair of Focal Clear headphones. Both devices had very similar sound with the lows and highs. The mids were clearer on the Kann though. But, overall the SQ was very close between them. I listened to Rock, Jazz and Classical music (mix of 16/44.1 and 24/96 flac files and a few DSD). While the Onkyo has dual DACs and a balanced output, I never could detect any improvement between balanced and SE when using the Clears (however, balanced was noticeably better when using my lower impedance SE846 IEMs).

However, even though the Kann has a single DAC, it made a very noticeable improvement with the Clears when using the balanced output. I assume it’s due to the more powerful amp in the Kann that makes it able to really drive the Clears. When compared to SE, the dynamic range was opened up in balanced mode. It was balanced mode that really put it over the top when comparing it to the Onkyo.

I also really liked how the Kann uses DLNA so well. It immediately detected my Logitech Media Server (good 'ol Squeezebox) and I was able to quickly browse and play my entire collection without touching a SD card

But, boy this player gets warm doesn’t it. Has anyone ever had any overheating issues when using a leather case (i.e. Dignis)?

Oh, and I see there is a lyrics function. I tried using the “unsyncedlyrics” tag that the Onkyo supported and that doesn’t seem to work on the Kann. I remember having a FiiO that used LRC files. I didn’t see any mention of this on the thread.
**UPDATE** I found that the extended tag has to be called LYRICS instead of the more standard UNSYNCEDLYRICS

 

[sapfeer]

Guys, can you call KANN sound warm? I really liked the sound of SP1000SS even with low-level ears (XBA-Z5), but I concerned about it's size, weight and whether it worth to get it for listening in subway.