Astell & Kern KANN - DAP with Massive Storage & Battery

[AOD81]

Do you prefer the sound of the DP-X1 or Mojo to that of the Kann?

I like the sound of SE Unbalanced from DP-X1 to Cayin C5 to Audeze Unbalanced, very spacious and separate; kinds of files I test are .aiff, .dsf, .wav, .m4a, .flac.
Now as for the DP-X1 via balanced to Audeze LCD-2 very spacious, but lacks umph.
The DP-X1 to Chord Mojo= wow; connected via DOP by OTG. Cons; stuttering sometimes, device gets hot stacked or when in use during charging. Pro; more loudness than speakers can handle AND clear spacious defining playback.
Even if I sold my mojo and dp-x1 for 1k, the AK Kann just can't replicate the sounds properly.
I also had the Sony NW-WM1A around December 2016, I was unable to test it 4.4mm balanced output, however the sound overall was extremely spacious. I might go back to that unit and buy the balanced plug for my audeze. Still at a loss, though cause my hopes weren't too high but were high enough to purchase the KANN.

 

[Jimmy6]

I don't know much about power and voltage, so maybe someone will be able to help out.

Would the Kann run the HD800S reasonably well? Would using the balanced output help?

Cheers
James

 

[bluelavender]

I like the sound of SE Unbalanced from DP-X1 to Cayin C5 to Audeze Unbalanced, very spacious and separate; kinds of files I test are .aiff, .dsf, .wav, .m4a, .flac.
Now as for the DP-X1 via balanced to Audeze LCD-2 very spacious, but lacks umph.
The DP-X1 to Chord Mojo= wow; connected via DOP by OTG. Cons; stuttering sometimes, device gets hot stacked or when in use during charging. Pro; more loudness than speakers can handle AND clear spacious defining playback.
Even if I sold my mojo and dp-x1 for 1k, the AK Kann just can't replicate the sounds properly.
I also had the Sony NW-WM1A around December 2016, I was unable to test it 4.4mm balanced output, however the sound overall was extremely spacious. I might go back to that unit and buy the balanced plug for my audeze. Still at a loss, though cause my hopes weren't too high but were high enough to purchase the KANN.

i have had X1A before owning KANN. I'll be fair and objective in my assesment:

Both have very different sound profile. I use both without any amp / stack:

1. X1A =
Pro: Very detailed, bright. Clean sound. Really good UI. No bugs whatsoever i can find. App store (for those who want other app, like online radio)
Cons: Battery if turning on WIFI (lol, so i kept them always off). No USB DAC function (i want this function). Lack of authority. It become apparent when driving difficult JVC s-class IEM. It became extremely V-Shape.

2. KANN =
Pro: Warm sound type. Not as detailed as X1A, but still enough detail. Very dynamic with authority. Long battery life. USB DAC function. UI is smooth, though not as polished as Onkyo. Have one big SD Card Slot. Judging how SD card capacity will always get bigger than micro sd card at same timing, you have potential to have literally unlimited space here.
Cons: No App store. UI need polish. Got some annoying minor bugs (like picky SD card choice, and having to restart everytime switching between USB DAC to MTP function). Look like bricks, and feel like bricks LOL

Overall, i would say, those 2 are the best i've find. I love both. Both have different SQ. My suggestion to you: give it a try. Don't rush it. Your ears will judge it, and not our words here

Thanks.

 

[Estevan Garcia]

New here, but I just ordered the Kann. I have read through everything , and whats the general consensus on suggested memory cards the Kann likes. I am needing to order one.

 

[Ffenix]

New here, but I just ordered the Kann. I have read through everything , and whats the general consensus on suggested memory cards the Kann likes. I am needing to order one.

The PNY 512GB SD card and the SanDisk 200GB micro SDXC card works with the KANN. To play it safe, I formatted both cards in the KANN.

 

[Estevan Garcia]

perfect! thanks thats exactly what i was needing to know.

 

[Sound Eq]

Not sure this is worth it. I own a Onkyo DP-X1 with chord mojo as well as a cayin analog amp. I was trying to reduce foot print when connecting to AUDEZE LCD-2 in balanced mode. It just doesn't seem to selerate sound very well, perhaps it needs to burn in. It does get louder as a single DAP but the loss in fidelity negates that. I have been trying it all weekend, but so far i can't justify it. Can someone advise me?

if anyone expects a dap alone would drive lcd2 with authority they are mistaken biggly hugely

i own the lcd2 and kann and own and owned alot of totl daps non what so ever can drive lcd2 with authority as a dap alone

kann is good only for iems period but not for planars like lcd2. hifiman 560 and oppo pm1 and that applies to all other daps including the ak380 and amp, cowon plenue s, cowon plenue pm2 and others which i sold.

I have stated this long time before in this thread especially if you compare how those planars sound with a dap connected to an amp like alo mk3 B.

Its not about if a dap can push the sound to be loud, its about driving those planars with authority and keeping the integrity of the dynamics of those planars. And that can not be achieved with a dap alone peroid

 

[AOD81]

Well that about sums it up..... any recommendations or headphones over ear for this model?

 

[Sound Eq]

Well that about sums it up..... any recommendations or headphones over ear for this model?

sorry i can not help in that as all i own is planars

do not even think to buy a dap to be used alone for driving lcd2 you need an amp with the dap

i was hoping one day to have a dap that alone drives the lcd2 like it does when used with an amp like alo mk3B

 

[Ffenix]

My two cents about the KANN, and comparison to the Onkyo DP-X1:

As much as I love the Onkyo DP-X1, there are fatal flaws that made me consider purchasing the KANN: it's susceptible to lint and dust getting under its screen, and the battery life is really bad even with the screen turned off. I can eke out 6 hours, but that's really pushing it; sometimes the battery would go below 5% after 5 hours.

Entering the local audio store with neutral expectations, I tried the KANN with my IEMs and a micro SD card loaded and compared it to my DP-X1's audio quality, I prefer the KANN's audio by a whole lot. Its sound reminded me of the ridiculously priced yet excellent sounding Lotoo Paw Gold that I tried at a Head-Fi meet a couple years ago. In my opinion, the KANN is even more articulate than the DP-X1. I thought the DP-X1 extracted a lot of the details of my music (which are mostly pop and rock, with some classical and jazz), but the KANN blew the DP-X1 away in terms of detail and accuracy. The KANN may not be as airy or spacious sounding as the DP-X1, but I prefer hearing details than soundstage. The KANN is definitely warmer than the DP-X1; there are times though that the bass seems bloated but I attribute that to not-so-great mastering of some of my music (i.e. lack of dynamic range). But despite that, even with the worst mastered songs in my playlist, I enjoyed listening to these songs on the KANN than on the DP-X1. After 30 minutes of listening and comparing, I ended up buying it.

(Side note on Lotoo Paw Gold: I had no idea what this player was and I thought it looked like crap so I had very low expectations on its sound quality. After trying it I thought it was the best sounding DAP during that Head-Fi meet.)

At home, I tried my HiFiMan HE-560 and Audeze LCD-XC straight from the KANN's headphone jack and was disappointed with the results. Granted, my DP-X1 can't handle these headphones either, so it's really meant for IEMs and dynamic low impedance headphones. But when I hooked up my PC to the KANN and used it as a preamp to my iFi micro iDSD as my headphone amp, it sounds just as detailed if not more so than the iDSD alone. Maybe it's in my head but I don't know how A&K did it. I wish I can A/B test it, but after hearing the same songs so many times, I can tell that KANN sounded more alive than the iDSD and the DP-X1 alone. I won't hook up the KANN to my PC often though, since it's a pretty cumbersome and ridiculous setup just to get more out of my planar magnetic headphones.

After owning it for a week, I'm glad I bought it. This is my first A&K DAP, and hopefully my last for years to be honest because it is expensive. I think this is A&K's "Goldilocks" player: it has an impressive battery life (12-15 hours, even with the screen turned on for 10-15 minutes at a time), the storage is massive compared to other A&K DAPs (if you get the largest SD card available) and the sound quality is top notch. Even if the A&K AK240, 320, 380 or ultima are (subjectively) better, none of those players can beat the KANN's battery life and storage capability and it's still relatively cheap. I wonder why A&K don't put large batteries and SD card slots on all their other players. I think the KANN will cannibalize A&K's other DAPs, unless they're confident that the current lineup will continue to be popular.

Pros:
* articulate, detailed sound that I prefer
* ridiculous battery life
* storage capability
* touchscreen is not bad and snappy enough
* preamp is just as good as the headphone jack
* great for IEM and low-impedance headphones

Cons:
* screen is dull; hard to see under sunlight even with full brightness
* I wish the screen was higher resolution. I'm used to the DP-X1's 720p screen.
* not great with planar magnetic headphones out of the headphone jack
* SD card slot is kinda sketchy. Eject with caution.

Things I'm not quite sure what's happening:
* After trying the Lotoo Paw Gold and now the KANN, do they sound good because both uses Asahi Kasei DAC chips?!?
* Is there something going on with both DAP's headphone amp that makes it sound articulate?

Final Thoughts:
I would recommend this to anyone who needs more battery life and storage, while the sound quality is on par with other DAPs in the price range (or in my case a huge improvement). If you already own another DAP like a DP-X1 or anything similar to its price, then maybe think long and hard if you want to spend $1000 on the KANN.

 

[Joseph Lin]

I like the sound of SE Unbalanced from DP-X1 to Cayin C5 to Audeze Unbalanced, very spacious and separate; kinds of files I test are .aiff, .dsf, .wav, .m4a, .flac.
Now as for the DP-X1 via balanced to Audeze LCD-2 very spacious, but lacks umph.
The DP-X1 to Chord Mojo= wow; connected via DOP by OTG. Cons; stuttering sometimes, device gets hot stacked or when in use during charging. Pro; more loudness than speakers can handle AND clear spacious defining playback.
Even if I sold my mojo and dp-x1 for 1k, the AK Kann just can't replicate the sounds properly.
I also had the Sony NW-WM1A around December 2016, I was unable to test it 4.4mm balanced output, however the sound overall was extremely spacious. I might go back to that unit and buy the balanced plug for my audeze. Still at a loss, though cause my hopes weren't too high but were high enough to purchase the KANN.

Ok, you are comparing DP-X1 with Mojo and Kann alone. That is not a fair comparisons. Since you are planning to drive LCD-2, you will be better off purchasing a iFi iDSD micro than Kann. It needs power to drive LCD-2 which I owned at one point and sold. I do not understand your logic of purchasing/replacing a DAP to drive a planar. No DAP is able to drive it properly. Use an AMP.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Ok, you are comparing DP-X1 with Mojo and Kann alone. That is not a fair comparisons. Since you are planning to drive LCD-2, you will be better off purchasing a iFi iDSD micro than Kann. It needs power to drive LCD-2 which I owned at one point and sold. I do not understand your logic of purchasing/replacing a DAP to drive a planar. No DAP is able to drive it properly. Use an AMP.

Those are the requirements for the LCD-2 @ 70Ω and 101dB sensitivity. If the Kann has more powerful than the X5iii's 3.5mm out... the Kann should be able to drive the LCD-2 sufficiently. I've used the LCD-2 with my X5iii before selling it... and the X5iii didn't have an issue pushing it. Then again, neither did my Mojo.

 

[Joseph Lin]

Those are the requirements for the LCD-2 @ 70Ω and 101dB sensitivity. If the Kann has more powerful than the X5iii's 3.5mm out... the Kann should be able to drive the LCD-2 sufficiently. I've used the LCD-2 with my X5iii before selling it... and the X5iii didn't have an issue pushing it. Then again, neither did my Mojo.

Sorry I do not remember LCD-2's impedance since it had been a while. In this case, I do not understand why Kann cannot drive it properly. It can even drive my HD650.

 

[kyku]

if anyone expects a dap alone would drive lcd2 with authority they are mistaken biggly hugely

i own the lcd2 and kann and own and owned alot of totl daps non what so ever can drive lcd2 with authority as a dap alone

kann is good only for iems period but not for planars like lcd2. hifiman 560 and oppo pm1 and that applies to all other daps including the ak380 and amp, cowon plenue s, cowon plenue pm2 and others which i sold.

I have stated this long time before in this thread especially if you compare how those planars sound with a dap connected to an amp like alo mk3 B.

Its not about if a dap can push the sound to be loud, its about driving those planars with authority and keeping the integrity of the dynamics of those planars. And that can not be achieved with a dap alone peroid

KANN can drive HE-400i with no problem at all.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

He-400i are 35Ω, you can run them off of pretty much anything.