[pepodenata]

Big shout out to Jeremy at AV One, Singapore! Great service as ever.

Congratulations. I can't wait to read your prints and match the rest of your DAP's. And also Alpha's ability to drive, for example... HD800 in 4.4mm?

 

[Gello67Gello]

420ohm on portable dap...omg crazy ppl

 

[Kiats]

Congratulations. I can't wait to read your prints and match the rest of your DAP's. And also Alpha's ability to drive, for example... HD800 in 4.4mm?

Ah... sorry but I listening to IEMs only on DAPs. Headphones I listen to on my desktop rig.

Just around 10 hours in the Alpha, what I will say is that the wifi seems to be stronger on the Alpha - no latency when I stream via Tidal, QQMusic and Xiami. Both Tidal and Xiami have MQA songs and the unwrapping seems to work fine. Only observation is that the LED shows blue which means it’s 32 bits if I recall correctly. Playing directly from the microSD card, the LED light works as expected. When it’s a non-MQA song that Is streaming, the LED light will be red for 16 bits. No issues there.

I am running the Alpha on the default DAC setting, high gain, at volume 50. On the Final Audio A8000, this is plenty loud. It drives the A8000 with nice authority. There is good grip on the music: good natural soundstage (balance of width and depth). Good details while maintaining the organic signature of the ESS DAC chip.I also tried the Final Audio B3 (with Sony Kimber Kable balanced cable) for a while. As well as the Fitear Titan (with Electech Iliad with 2.5mm balanced plug).

Now just enjoying the music.

 

[qsk78]

If we take Kann Cube and SE100 (or 1000M), how would you describe the bass on the Alpha in comparison with? The tonality in general? Warmer, brighter, etc. Thanks.

 

[Kiats]

If we take Kann Cube and SE100 (or 1000M), how would you describe the bass on the Alpha in comparison with?

I don’t have the Cube nor have I heard it previously. Ditto for the SE100. But compared to the SP1000, definitely more organic and impactful bass.

 

[Simonnn24]

Surprise! The KANN ALPHA, after the M15 on the SUSVARA, also tries its hand at the 4.4 PentaConn connection and, just like the FIIO before, it is able to drive the low-efficiency HIFIMAN up to ambitious listening levels without problems. Up to a display of 125 on the ALPHA this is achieved without any noticeable compression and only from a display of 135 on it becomes gradually "unattractive"... (150 = Max.)

Btw, for me personally, the volume level of 115 was the end of the road anyway, as I would like to be able to get along quite well without the support of a hearing aid in 20 years, you know...

Greetings
Fidelio

Which is better synergy.....with Alpha or M15?thanks!

 

[chimney189]

Hello,

in the following I would like to describe my sound impressions of the new A&K KANN ALPHA. I hope you can read the text well, as I am not a native speaker.

Sound test

After the ASTELL&KERN KANN ALPHA was allowed to warm up in our storage room for a few days, he already inspires in the first minutes of listening to the NOBLE KHAN with a nuanced and fine-dynamic style of playing, which is almost typical for the NOBLE players from the house of iRIVER.

In the bass range the DAP reaches amazingly deep down and meticulously illuminates the frequency cellar. In addition, the bass of the KANN ALPHA has a very good structure and reproduces especially complex bass runs with excellent variation. The bass also convinces with a bone dry attack and high impulse fidelity.

In comparison to the chipsets of Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM), the DA-converters of ESS-Technology IMO mostly have a more decided bass reproduction. I had already noticed this in the sound comparison of the ASTELL&KERN SE200, whose double DAC implementation allowed a direct comparison of the two top manufacturers.

Nevertheless, the KANN ALPHA also succeeds in connecting to the fundamental range in an excellent manner. With a slightly warm timbre, the A&K still maintains a neutral line. Btw, the earthy character of the ALPHA suits the rather sober NOBLE KHAN very well.

And also in the midrange the A&K doesn't let anything burn in terms of sound. The DAP of the Koreans is recommended for a transparent and at the same time vivid presentation even in complex arranged musical passages and focuses voices and instruments precisely into the spatial context.

Only the staggering in depth does not quite reach the level of good stationary components. This applies equally to the stage design, which sometimes brings the actors a little closer together. No big deal, since the musical coherence is maintained at all times and KANN ALPHA scores points for natural-looking timbres.

In addition, the DAP also devotes itself to the small details with great dedication, thus illuminating finely dynamic shades in the music without developing analytical tendencies. Great class.

In interaction with the NOBLE KHAN, the very sensitive accentuated reproduction of sibilants in the high frequency range is also striking, which acoustically skillfully cushions occasional high frequency peaks of the IEM from Texas.

In addition, the A&K convinces with an excellent resolution and at the same time with a remarkable overtone spectrum with very authentically fading reverberation tails.

Also in combination with the CAMPFIRE SOLARIS (SE) I like the A&K KANN ALPHA very much. Background noise - nil. And although the SOLARIS does not quite have the phenomenal audibility and detail work of the NOBLE KHAN in the mid and high frequency range, the low impedance SOLARIS on the Korean player impresses with its exorbitant fine dynamics and wonderful richness of timbre.

The two IEMs, in combination with the A&K, also reveal a minimal, but still perceptible difference with regard to the musical source material - voices and instruments are IMO placed in the room with a little more point stability and also slightly more airy when the corresponding data sets are subject to fixed storage.

The ALPHA KANN

In contrast to the above IEM, the two over-ear headphones are supplied with audiophile fare during their short sonic liaison with the KANN ALPHA exclusively in the balanced mode. In addition, I select the highest possible amplifier stage (3) in the corresponding submenu of the A&K.

Thus the level display remains at my usual monitoring volume at a volume level of 80 - 90 (150 = max.) when the MEZE EMPYREAN is first tested. And the acoustic pairing with the KANN ALPHA turns out to be an almost perfect combination.

Basses are reproduced with exceptional verve without losing any noticeable contour. The midrange has great plasticity as well as first-class acoustic imaging with exact focusing of musical events.

In the high frequency range, the combination also inspires with the impeccable overtone spectrum already mentioned above, which also gives the EMPYREAN a slightly brighter note. A thoroughly welcome surprise.

Thus, the TOTL-ear loudspeaker from Romania is still recommended as the first choice for congenial operation with mobile components in the high-end segment.

To a limited extent this also applies to the T+A SOLITAIRE P in the subsequent second listening session, as the new headphones from Herford obviously demand a little more power from the Korean DAP than the MEZE ear loudspeaker.

This seems a little surprising at first, since both ear loudspeakers have a very similar efficiency on paper - the impedance of the SOLITAIRE P, however, is considerably higher at 80 ohms, which could explain the greater acoustic appetite of the German headphones.

However, as long as moderate to ambitious listening levels are picked up on the KANN ALPHA, the Korean DAP will also delight on T+A's audiophile headphones with a musically relaxed and at the same time involving style of playing.

In terms of spatiality in particular, the A&K gains in sonic interaction with the SOLITAIRE P, and IMO the combination also succeeds in layering in depth more accurately, combined with an even more precise positioning of voices and instruments.

If, however, in the heat of the sonic battle, extreme listening volumes are finally demanded from the KANN ALPHA, the DAP gradually compresses the dynamics from a certain point on and then flattens the rooms more and more.

In this respect, the SOLITAIRE P in combination with the A&K CAN ALPHA can only be recommended to those Knights of the Grail of fine tones who, even at an advanced age, would prefer to do without technical support in the form of a hearing aid. : )

Brother duel

In contrast to its younger brother, Astell&Kern KANN CUBE operates with the somewhat older ES9038 chipset from ESS-Technology, but as a superior desktop variant in the PRO-version. And just like the new ALPHA, the CUBE also has a channel-separated DAC integration, which in theory promises spectacular signal-to-noise ratios and high phase linearity.

While the ES9068AS converters, optimized for mobile use, enabled an average practice time of almost 10-12 hours in the KANN ALPHA in my review, experience shows that the KANN CUBE, despite its larger battery (7,400 mAh), stretches the sails after 6-8 hours already. Especially the ES9038PRO are known as real power guzzlers.

However, the KANN CUBE also has slight advantages over the newcomer, especially with regard to spatial imaging, due to the slightly higher quality chip assembly in the direct sound duel. The slightly wider stage presentation is accompanied by an equally generous staggering in depth.

This is surprisingly more important with the tested IEM than with the two over-ear headphones. Especially the NOBLE KHAN shows an increase of the stage base width in combination with the KANN CUBE. But also the CAMPFIRE SOLARIS subtly increases in size.

In the bass range, the KANN CUBE also has slightly more volume - the ALPHA, however, counters with a slightly more biting attack and the slightly tighter contour. The latter prefers a slightly more intimate playing style in the mids, while the big brother draws musical events with an even finer brush.

With regard to the detail work in the high frequency range, the differences are of a marginal nature. This is because both DAPs play at top level at high frequencies by mutual agreement.

The choice of the KANN of the hour therefore depends primarily on the intended use. If the Korean player is mainly used as a mobile second system and is also largely independent of power supply, the CUBE receives my explicit recommendation. For all other, especially mobile-friendly applications, the ALPHA would be IMO the first choice.

My conclusion

With the brand new ASTELL&KERN KANN ALPHA, the Korean manufacturer has, in my opinion, really made a veritable precision landing in the hotly contested DAP segment.

The digital audio player is exemplary manufactured, convinces by high functionality and inspires every knight of the grail of fine tones with high sound quality at a still manageable price. Only size and weight of the DAP are small concessions to the impressive performance.

Due to the complete absence of noise, the A&K is predestined for an adequate pairing with in-ear monitors, even in the top class. The new 4.4 PentacConn output now offers even more possibilities for individual sound experiments.

For this purpose, KANN ALPHA has sufficient power reserves to fire even high-efficiency over-ear headphones with corresponding audiophile fare. And what more could a Grail Knight of good taste ask for?

Many greetings from Germany

Yours Fidelio

I appreciate the comparison with the KANN CUBE. I eventually decided to purchase the KANN CUBE against the ALPHA because of the chipset implementation.

 

[Musicalhead]

@Simonnn24

There is IMO not so much difference in performance in combination with the HM.

So the decision depends entirely on personal taste. The M15 plays more organically and, in the best sense, more "analogously" with the little more bass volume. The KANN ALPHA, on the other hand, has a drier attack in the bass with approximately the same depth, as well as the slightly better resolution in the mid and high frequency range.

In addition, the A&K for me personally has the more successful look and feel, but the FIIO counteracts with the slightly smoother operation due to the slightly better software implementation.

Who has the choice is spoilt for choice...

Greetings
Fidelio

 

[chimney189]

Does the ALPHA live up to its 14.5 hours of playback?

 

[Luis Mad]

 

[Luis Mad]

 

[nashitvakil]

Barring the price difference, I am very confused between pre-ordering Kann Alpha vs ordering SR25. I intend to buy Meze 99 Classics and Aeon 2 Closed with one of these devices. Waiting for future owners of Kann Alpha to post their impressions to help people like me who are on the fence. In the meantime, I am reading through the SR25 thread.

 

[Arion128]

Tested the Ak alpha today and paired it with the Z1r as to test the 4.4mm. Yes the 4.4mm is now better than than the 2.5mm as tested both connection and that was using high gain. Had my m15 with me as to compare. Bass with the m15 is deeper and seem to pair better with the Z1r. Tested the 2.5mm with ej07 and still prefer the m15. The machine is smaller than the m15 but thicker. Price is definitely good. I then went back to the sp2000 copper and felt that I missed that baby. Anyway I am waiting for the sp3k (I guess copper). Worth a try and for those in HK, ECT has it.

check my video for directions on where ECT is on arionsreview

 

[chimney189]

I own the SR15, SR25 and the Kann Cube. Even though one is $500, one is $700 and one is $1,500 they still maintain a similar Astell & Kern house sound: Neutral bass, warm mid-range and smooth, yet extended treble. I doubt that the Alpha will have a different sound-signature. The difference between price brackets comes down to staging, imaging, separation and general smoothness.

 

[nashitvakil]

I own the SR15, SR25 and the Kann Cube. Even though one is $500, one is $700 and one is $1,500 they still maintain a similar Astell & Kern house sound: Neutral bass, warm mid-range and smooth, yet extended treble. I doubt that the Alpha will have a different sound-signature. The difference between price brackets comes down to staging, imaging, separation and general smoothness.

Thank you so much for this information. Do you reckon that Aeon 2 Closed can be satisfactorily be listened to via SR25 (balanced cable)?

If it helps, for your reference, based on the information I have gathered Aeon 2's sound really good via ifi hip-dac. I am looking at SR25/Kann Alpha only for Aeon 2 Closed (my endgame.. for the time being).