Astell&Kern Launches KANN ALPHA Digital Audio Player
Jan 11, 2021 at 6:43 PM Post #872 of 2,084
Somewhat tardy in sharing my own charger purchase I settled on the Anker Quick Charge 3.0. £18 so not cheap but it seems to work fine and the build quality is reassuringly solid.
I also personally use the Anker QuickCharge adapters (and cables) and we have a few that we use when we do shows here in the US. They are usually solid, good quality adapters.
 
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Jan 12, 2021 at 5:11 AM Post #873 of 2,084
Has anyone managed to find a supplier of screen protectors for this player yet?

It is popular so I was hoping to find some from somewhere.

Amazon UK lists two makes but both are currently sold out or unavailable. Both companies I've used before with success and work well.

I know the player comes with one but the feedback on here makes me think it's not very good, although I could use it for the time being and replace when more 3rd party suppliers start to appear.

The only other option is of course whether this screen is used on another A&K player, same dimensions so we could use one of those.
 
Jan 12, 2021 at 5:18 AM Post #874 of 2,084
iirc, in terms of lithium cell maintenance, slower recharging is better for the batteries in terms of longevity.

Yes it takes longer but I've always used a basic 1amp charger with my current Pioneer player and even though I've had it 6 years I still get 7-8 hours of playtime on it.

People that were using 3 amp iPad chargers (for example) were damaging the batteries over a long period and after a few years the player is unusable.

I usually do the "leave it plugged in overnight" routine so doesn't bother me if it charges in in 2 hours or 10 hours but I am careful as I think these players just don't like high amp charging (even though the manual may say so).
 
Jan 12, 2021 at 6:15 AM Post #875 of 2,084
Has anyone managed to find a supplier of screen protectors for this player yet?

It is popular so I was hoping to find some from somewhere.

Amazon UK lists two makes but both are currently sold out or unavailable. Both companies I've used before with success and work well.

I know the player comes with one but the feedback on here makes me think it's not very good, although I could use it for the time being and replace when more 3rd party suppliers start to appear.

The only other option is of course whether this screen is used on another A&K player, same dimensions so we could use one of those.

I purchased one specifically advertised for the Alpha but it isn't great quality. That said aren't these touch screens in standard sizes - unless AK ones are custom - if so a regular phone screen protector with the right dimensions ought to be fine.
 
Jan 12, 2021 at 9:32 AM Post #876 of 2,084
I purchased one specifically advertised for the Alpha but it isn't great quality. That said aren't these touch screens in standard sizes - unless AK ones are custom - if so a regular phone screen protector with the right dimensions ought to be fine.

Yes it's a tough one as there are so many different sizes and most of the screen protector suppliers don't always give dimensions. Just a case of looking around.

Going by the A&K website both the Kann Alpha and the SA700 both have a 4.1" screen so I assume they are the same display. However it's tough finding one of those, lol :)

I suppose one possibility is to get an old iPad model protector and simply cut it to size with a sharp scapel. Obviously this is a no-go for laminated ones! :)

If I try it I'll let you all know how I get on.
 
Jan 12, 2021 at 10:27 AM Post #877 of 2,084
Yes it's a tough one as there are so many different sizes and most of the screen protector suppliers don't always give dimensions. Just a case of looking around.

Going by the A&K website both the Kann Alpha and the SA700 both have a 4.1" screen so I assume they are the same display. However it's tough finding one of those, lol :)

I suppose one possibility is to get an old iPad model protector and simply cut it to size with a sharp scapel. Obviously this is a no-go for laminated ones! :)

If I try it I'll let you all know how I get on.

@Andrew Harper, et al:

i am thinking that i have an atypical use scenario, that is, i use my Kann Alpha exclusively at my computer desk! i virtually never take it away from my computer desk. as a result, there is much less chance that it gets scratched.

while i initially thought about getting the fancy italian leather case that A&K sells for the Kann Alpha, there is no need for that either as i don't move my Kann Alpha very far or much at all.

as previously discussed, i also use the Samsung Galaxy provided charger from my various Samsung phones over the years. specifically, i avoid using the rather new ultra fast charger (which is an extra cost accessory that only came out last year in 2020 for the Samsung S20 Ultra), as it has higher amperage, which i believe will be bad for the lithium cells' health).

do all of you carry your Kann Alpha out and about and that's the reason why you need to protect your screens please? thanks.
 
Jan 12, 2021 at 12:13 PM Post #878 of 2,084
I bought KA just for portable use so I bought the original KA brown leather case which looks pretty cool, gives me 70s retro vibe even though I'm not from that era still feels good when I'm using it outside. The only thing I worry about is when it rains outside and KA stays in my pocket, I'm now looking for some dust adapters for the unused Headphones port to protect the player from water damage, I wish AK did provide some.
 
Jan 12, 2021 at 1:16 PM Post #879 of 2,084
Can Neutron and/or UAPP now be installed on Kann Alpha, or still locked ?
 
Jan 12, 2021 at 1:24 PM Post #880 of 2,084
Can Neutron and/or UAPP now be installed on Kann Alpha, or still locked ?
No, both are paid apps. UAPP can only be purchased through the Google Play store and since AK players do not have Google Play Store built-in, it cannot be purchased and installed.

Neutron is also a paid app.
 
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Jan 13, 2021 at 7:37 AM Post #883 of 2,084
Seems like A&K doesn't care about blind people, then I'd prefer to keep my non-accessible but easy to use sony nw-wm1a. I was interested on this dap
 
Jan 13, 2021 at 7:56 AM Post #884 of 2,084
Seems like A&K doesn't care about blind people, then I'd prefer to keep my non-accessible but easy to use sony nw-wm1a. I was interested on this dap

Yes I think it's a shame more effort isn't put into accessibility for devices in general. Perhaps I'm not correct in thinking this but maybe companies like AK do not have the resources to really go to town on their UI - unless it just isn't a priority.

I can't comment on other Android based devices so no idea if they are any better than AK in this respect, but I can't help thinking there is a bunch of duplicated effort across companies that use Android for their DAPs and that if they partnered up and built a custom Android based core DAP OS that issues like accessibility might be more likely to be built in.
 
Jan 13, 2021 at 8:08 AM Post #885 of 2,084
I get scared when I see the 1.01 Firmware everytime I turn on my KA. Is there anyway to disable the Firmware Update notification? Or should I leave it always turn on and with sleep timer?
 

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