[Oscarajo]

Hello:

Anyone has compared (in detail) the Kann and the Kann Cube? I have the classic Kann and I don't know if it's worth buying the new model. Thanks in advance!

 

[Terry Newton]

Do I have to insert a blank sd card and have the Cube format it or can I just take the card from my KANN and use it as is.At the moment my Cube is just turning on and off after I had inserted the card and I really don't want to have to delete all the files and redo it again if I can avoid it.It's a 1TB micro card that works fine in the KANN and I know what the limit says for the Cube.I will delete the files and do a fresh insert into the Cube if necessary.
I knew things were going too smoothly and it was about time for a glitch,never disappointed.

 

[GiacomoHoldini]

I have the classic Kann and I don't know if it's worth buying the new model.

My opinion is that, having paid $1000 (not including storage cards) for an audio device that is only a bit over a year old, it isn't worth paying that, plus 50% more, yet again for technology that is only a year newer. I'd rather wait until the KANN is good and obsolete before plunking down this kind of coin again. I know some people consider $1000 for good audio to be chump change, but I'm not in that camp.

 

[JasonNYC]

Do I have to insert a blank sd card and have the Cube format it or can I just take the card from my KANN and use it as is.At the moment my Cube is just turning on and off after I had inserted the card and I really don't want to have to delete all the files and redo it again if I can avoid it.It's a 1TB micro card that works fine in the KANN and I know what the limit says for the Cube.I will delete the files and do a fresh insert into the Cube if necessary.
I knew things were going too smoothly and it was about time for a glitch,never disappointed.

The screen may blank out a few times in the initial scan when inserting a 1TB card, but should return to normal once it is fully scanned. We just discovered the bug and it will be fixed in the next firmware update.

 

[JasonNYC]

My opinion is that, having paid $1000 (not including storage cards) for an audio device that is only a bit over a year old, it isn't worth paying that, plus 50% more, yet again for technology that is only a year newer. I'd rather wait until the KANN is good and obsolete before plunking down this kind of coin again. I know some people consider $1000 for good audio to be chump change, but I'm not in that camp.

Original KANN was released in early 2017 and is over 2 years old, not a year old.

 

[Terry Newton]

The screen may blank out a few times in the initial scan when inserting a 1TB card, but should return to normal once it is fully scanned. We just discovered the bug and it will be fixed in the next firmware update.

And I just finished downloading and installing the newest update.
Thanks ,I will reinsert the card and give it time to load.

 

[GiacomoHoldini]

Original KANN was released in early 2017 and is over 2 years old, not a year old.

Fair enough. However, seeing as how A&K was happy to accept full price for the KANN when I bought it in April 2018, I stand by my original point. I've got iPods from the mid-2000s that are still banging along just fine. I'd like to get more than two years out of a $1000 player before thinking about dropping $1500 for its successor.

 

[Terry Newton]

The screen may blank out a few times in the initial scan when inserting a 1TB card, but should return to normal once it is fully scanned. We just discovered the bug and it will be fixed in the next firmware update.

Not with my Cube.It just kept shutting off and restarting,after 75 minutes of that I had enough and tried a different approach.Clear the card and reinsert it into the Cube and see if it recognizes the card at all.No recognition,just kept shutting off and restarting even with an empty card.So I installed a 400GB micro I had been using in my KANN and it worked fine and the sound was a pleasant surprise,worth the aggravation and the price.Now here's hoping that the fix is imminent.I bought the Cube with the understanding that it would read a 1TB micro and I know my KANN does.I will have to do a temp music file list and that is going to be very difficult.If it ain't one thing it's another

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Fair enough. However, seeing as how A&K was happy to accept full price for the KANN when I bought it in April 2018, I stand by my original point. I've got iPods from the mid-2000s that are still banging along just fine. I'd like to get more than two years out of a $1000 player before thinking about dropping $1500 for its successor.

I’m also not goin to pay another $1,500 for Qobuz and Deezer, I’ll give up on AK and buy into another ecosystem.

 

[Terry Newton]

Well a nice surprise was in store for me when I used my 400GB micro sd card just to get a listen and now we're talking,well listening would be appropriate.Worth the upgrade.Smooth,wide,full,rich,clear, and just plain excellent!It was a very short listen just pieces of a couple of songs.Later this morning I will give it an hours listen during breakfast.

My cans are the Senn HD800 just so you know.

Good job I'm big and strong well good job I have pockets large enough to carry the Cube.

I have an over the shoulder bag I used for another DAP and if this one is too heavy for my pocket then I'll use the bag.

 

[Thepantaloonduck]

I’m also not goin to pay another $1,500 for Qobuz and Deezer, I’ll give up on AK and buy into another ecosystem.

First of all Hi - this is my first post here

I have been lurking around here since I bought my Kann as it was the only place I could get any form of sensible guidance and advice as to fixing the bugs and software idiosyncracies of the device...

I bought mine in January 2019

I have just checked and it is currently a 'Recommended Device' on the A&K WWW site - still at full price.

It might have been available since 2017 but it is a current live product but doesn't seem to be treated as such

Best wishes

 

[Oscarajo]

First of all Hi - this is my first post here

I have been lurking around here since I bought my Kann as it was the only place I could get any form of sensible guidance and advice as to fixing the bugs and software idiosyncracies of the device...

I bought mine in January 2019

I have just checked and it is currently a 'Recommended Device' on the A&K WWW site - still at full price.

It might have been available since 2017 but it is a current live product but doesn't seem to be treated as such

Best wishes

Hi! I bought my Kann 2 months ago, just before the announcement of the new Kann Cube. I don't know if the differences in sound signature are significant. Someone knows??????

 

[johnandbodhi]

I have used guiformat.exe for years. The only issue that I've ever had (I have more than 20 DAPs) with SD cards is with the Kann. I had one 400GB card that would never stop scanning. I removed all non-music from the card (pdf album booklets and one video) with no change. I finally made a fresh copy on another 400GB card and it worked fine in the Kann. The original problematic card works fine in my other A&K players (4 others).

www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/guiformat.htm

First of all Hi - this is my first post here

I have been lurking around here since I bought my Kann as it was the only place I could get any form of sensible guidance and advice as to fixing the bugs and software idiosyncracies of the device...

I bought mine in January 2019

I have just checked and it is currently a 'Recommended Device' on the A&K WWW site - still at full price.

It might have been available since 2017 but it is a current live product but doesn't seem to be treated as such

Best wishes

i agree with you entirely and my kann was bought as a surprise xmas 2018 gift .. ive since replaced it with a spkm and was very close to dumping a&k altogether ..

whats so puzzling is why they just dont update the firmware to allow open app access and bada bing everyone is happy and will go on enjoying their kanns for a long time .. oh wait a sec, but isnt this what a&k do not want .. they want us to move on to a new device right .. why they just dont do what apple does (support older devices) amounts to their bottom line i guess ... the dude from a&k could hopefully shed some light on this and jump in as he did when he explained a fix coming out for the cube to recognize and play nice w 1Tb cards

 

[JasonNYC]

i agree with you entirely and my kann was bought as a surprise xmas 2018 gift .. ive since replaced it with a spkm and was very close to dumping a&k altogether ..

whats so puzzling is why they just dont update the firmware to allow open app access and bada bing everyone is happy and will go on enjoying their kanns for a long time .. oh wait a sec, but isnt this what a&k do not want .. they want us to move on to a new device right .. why they just dont do what apple does (support older devices) amounts to their bottom line i guess ... the dude from a&k could hopefully shed some light on this and jump in as he did when he explained a fix coming out for the cube to recognize and play nice w 1Tb cards

I actually did address this in the past in this thread.

1st gen KANN is over 2 years old and was in development for another 24 months prior to release. The CPU isn't optimized for the newer version of Android that is needed for OpenApp to run properly. We have looked into updating and adding OpenApp, but it causes a degraded user experience, so we decided not to do so since KANN was originally sold as a playback only device and not a streaming device.

This is the same issue you see with Android-based mobile phones and a two year lifecycle with Android updates, even on flagship models.

All of the newest generation devices were designed and optimized from the beginning with OpenApp in mind.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

I actually did address this in the past in this thread.

1st gen KANN is over 2 years old and was in development for another 24 months prior to release. The CPU isn't optimized for the newer version of Android that is needed for OpenApp to run properly. We have looked into updating and adding OpenApp, but it causes a degraded user experience, so we decided not to do so since KANN was originally sold as a playback only device and not a streaming device.

This is the same issue you see with Android-based mobile phones and a two year lifecycle with Android updates, even on flagship models.

All of the newest generation devices were designed and optimized from the beginning with OpenApp in mind.

That’s good information, but many of us who purchased the Kann over the past year did by a streaming device, with Tidal and a couple others. With that said, why do you need “open app,” when AK can add Deezer and Qobuz on your end. Do you have an exclusive with Tidal? I’d think not since the newer devices have Openapp.

To be honest, I absolutely don’t buy that adding these two options would degrade performance, both apps work quite well on older android platforms.