[GiacomoHoldini]

As much as I like my KANN I find it to be really sluggish, I would totally buy a revision if it had updated hardware and software that brings it in line with the more recent AK players

How are you using it when it is sluggish? Are you streaming, or just using it as a DAP for stored files? I only use it to play stored files, and aside from the startup, where I have to wait for it to finish scanning media, I find it to work quite well - no lag in menus or playing tracks. I also have a FIIO X5iii. You wanna talk sluggish? That thing is dreadful when it comes to app performance. It does better as a standalone DAP, but I still find the KANN outperforms it.

 

[FrostyP]

How are you using it when it is sluggish? Are you streaming, or just using it as a DAP for stored files? I only use it to play stored files, and aside from the startup, where I have to wait for it to finish scanning media, I find it to work quite well - no lag in menus or playing tracks. I also have a FIIO X5iii. You wanna talk sluggish? That thing is dreadful when it comes to app performance. It does better as a standalone DAP, but I still find the KANN outperforms it.

It's mostly the bootup that bothers me, but navigation doesn't really feel that responsive, especially in Tidal. Actual music playback is fine though.

 

[GiacomoHoldini]

It's mostly the bootup that bothers me, but navigation doesn't really feel that responsive, especially in Tidal. Actual music playback is fine though.

That makes sense. I don't use the KANN for anything other than as a standalone DAP, so streaming issues aren't a factor for me - but it doesn't surprise me that would be its Achilles heel, if my experience with the X5iii is anything to go by. Regarding startup, I had to learn through trial and error to let the media scanning finish before playing. If I try to play while it's still scanning, often the track will restart spontaneously. At first I thought the player was buggy, but then I realized if I waited for scanning to stop, it played fine. But waiting for it to finish can be annoying.

It's a pity some canny company can't muster the resources to make an audiophile-level DAP that performs to the same level as today's mass-market phones and tablets. In terms of efficiency, my Samsung tablet runs circles around both my KANN and FIIO. Unfortunately, SQ is the dog's bollocks. I understand it's a marketing contradiction: a device aimed at a niche market won't sell on a scale to justify the expense of using the latest chips and operating systems, so we're perpetually stuck with these quirky devices for the sake of audiophile-level SQ. Maybe someday...

 

[tb303]

That makes sense. I don't use the KANN for anything other than as a standalone DAP, so streaming issues aren't a factor for me - but it doesn't surprise me that would be its Achilles heel, if my experience with the X5iii is anything to go by. Regarding startup, I had to learn through trial and error to let the media scanning finish before playing. If I try to play while it's still scanning, often the track will restart spontaneously. At first I thought the player was buggy, but then I realized if I waited for scanning to stop, it played fine. But waiting for it to finish can be annoying.

It's a pity some canny company can't muster the resources to make an audiophile-level DAP that performs to the same level as today's mass-market phones and tablets. In terms of efficiency, my Samsung tablet runs circles around both my KANN and FIIO. Unfortunately, SQ is the dog's bollocks. I understand it's a marketing contradiction: a device aimed at a niche market won't sell on a scale to justify the expense of using the latest chips and operating systems, so we're perpetually stuck with these quirky devices for the sake of audiophile-level SQ. Maybe someday...

Talking about the boot up speed. I previously had Fiio X7 mark2 and apparently not being the slowest from Fiio range it was still still slow (maybe somewhat faster than Fiio X7 mark 1 but not significantly). Moving to Kann it still takes long seconds to boot, however Fiio was in my opinion 2 times slower and interface less responsive so happy with Kann.

 

[FrostyP]

That makes sense. I don't use the KANN for anything other than as a standalone DAP, so streaming issues aren't a factor for me - but it doesn't surprise me that would be its Achilles heel, if my experience with the X5iii is anything to go by. Regarding startup, I had to learn through trial and error to let the media scanning finish before playing. If I try to play while it's still scanning, often the track will restart spontaneously. At first I thought the player was buggy, but then I realized if I waited for scanning to stop, it played fine. But waiting for it to finish can be annoying.

It's a pity some canny company can't muster the resources to make an audiophile-level DAP that performs to the same level as today's mass-market phones and tablets. In terms of efficiency, my Samsung tablet runs circles around both my KANN and FIIO. Unfortunately, SQ is the dog's bollocks. I understand it's a marketing contradiction: a device aimed at a niche market won't sell on a scale to justify the expense of using the latest chips and operating systems, so we're perpetually stuck with these quirky devices for the sake of audiophile-level SQ. Maybe someday...

It's not only the streaming, it's just the navigation feeling unresponsive is even worse in the Tidal app on the KANN. I'm nitpicking though since I've been spoiled by smartphones

 

[GiacomoHoldini]

It's not only the streaming, it's just the navigation feeling unresponsive is even worse in the Tidal app on the KANN. I'm nitpicking though since I've been spoiled by smartphones

Good point. I overgeneralized the term "streaming." I really meant interacting with third-party apps (such as might be used for streaming), which can include navigation, not just the actual streaming itself. For instance, on the FIIO, navigation of the SiriusXM app is downright painful. It feels like an obstacle course just getting to the point where it can stream an actual signal. On the Samsung, it's a breeze.

 

[GiacomoHoldini]

Talking about the boot up speed. I previously had Fiio X7 mark2 and apparently not being the slowest from Fiio range it was still still slow (maybe somewhat faster than Fiio X7 mark 1 but not significantly). Moving to Kann it still takes long seconds to boot, however Fiio was in my opinion 2 times slower and interface less responsive so happy with Kann.

That's been my experience, as well.

 

[doggiemom]

It's not only the streaming, it's just the navigation feeling unresponsive is even worse in the Tidal app on the KANN. I'm nitpicking though since I've been spoiled by smartphones

Yes, I find that the screen just does not respond sometimes....... I have to tap the "..." (rotate that by 90 degrees) to get the menu items to come up in Tidal. If I want to edit a playlist, I do it on my phone, then switch back to the KANN to play it.

 

[sandy1010]

Anyone know if you can get AK to ignore ‘The’ in front of an artists name, and list it in its proper alphabetical order?

Obviously I can change a artists tag from ‘The Beatles’ to ‘Beatles, The’ but is there another way?

 

[zuio]

Can anyone confirm that the Astell bluetooth remote RM01 does work with the KANN ???

(I know that it is not mentioned on the AK website, but this site is not very accurate because it also doesn't show that the AK300 works with the PEM13 cradle)

 

[JasonNYC]

Can anyone confirm that the Astell bluetooth remote RM01 does work with the KANN ???

(I know that it is not mentioned on the AK website, but this site is not very accurate because it also doesn't show that the AK300 works with the PEM13 cradle)

@zuio The RM01 does work with KANN.

 

[iridium7777]

@JasonNYC

Hi Jason -- how do i i set up the KANN as shown in the picture below, specifically to my mac that's got an external drive connected to it with all of my music. i use either itunes or Audirvana. Can i use the kann to be a DNLA receiver through my Audirvana settings automatically? The only thing that i've seen is that i can download something to my phone and search local files to broadcast to KANN that way, but how do i stream to it from my computer?

 

[JasonNYC]

@JasonNYC

Hi Jason -- how do i i set up the KANN as shown in the picture below, specifically to my mac that's got an external drive connected to it with all of my music. i use either itunes or Audirvana. Can i use the kann to be a DNLA receiver through my Audirvana settings automatically? The only thing that i've seen is that i can download something to my phone and search local files to broadcast to KANN that way, but how do i stream to it from my computer?

@iridium7777 All of our players, including KANN support DLNA networking (we call it AK Connect in the menu). If you turn on AK Connect in the settings and go to AK Connect menu, you should see any devices that support DLNA. You can scroll through the list by swiping left or right. You would be able to sort by Album, Artist, Song, Genre just as if the music is on the player itself. We also make DLNA Server software that can be installed on your Mac called MQS Streaming Server that can be downloaded from our website.

 

[deniska80]

Can it work as wireless(bt or WiFi) dac?
I want to stream tidal from my iPhone to it

 

[iridium7777]

if you downlod the "AK Connect" iOS app - the white one, not the black one -- that has Tidal plug in. you'd then have to connect KANN to your iphone through wifiteather and i believe this will allow you to stream at full resolution to the KANN.

you can not simply BT tether to iphone like you can for example with the sony.

Can it work as wireless(bt or WiFi) dac?
I want to stream tidal from my iPhone to it