[Damz87]

It just means that with this piece of garbage in this position, you can't access to any DSD on UPNP servers in your home or be a dlna renderer when you use it with a Toslink output to an external DAC/AMP => because AK Connect is inactive !!! and there is no way to download Bubbleupnp, Neutron Player, USBaudio pro to the service menu !!!! A&K is so poor in services possibilities.
Just amazing in 2021 !

Oh wow, I didn’t realise that! Damn, that sucks. I mean, I personally don’t use any of those features, but they should work regardless. A&K need to sort this out...

 

[newworld666]

If A&K are unable to program correctly AKConnect without 10 minutes standby/wifi drop... they should at least allow other software be working in service menu like Mconnect, usp player pro, neutron player, bubble upnp etc ... there are plenty better software than AKconnect (they should just take it away from the firmware)

For nearly a cheaper ticket I get more power, 2xSD readers, more usability and I can download any android software => Centrance M8V2 + Fiio M11 ..
My mistake was to think that a little company could produce a 12V output, streaming capabilities, a rather good sound (though it's not really impressive), connection to a dedicated CD ripper and be connected to my powerful DAC AMP via a reliable toslink fiber..
In the end It's just a small DAP without any serious streaming capabilities (loads of limitations and painful issues)

 

[Scubacrazy]

I Do feel sorry for your issues regarding AK Connect, but that alone doesn’t make it a piece of garbage which does not sound impressive.
I, and many others, am very happy with the sound I get from my Alpha.

 

[newworld666]

Even my old WM1A has more streaming capabilities with consistent LDAC Bluetooth input connected to my Galaxy Z Fold 2 than the Kann Alpha.. which can't get Bluetooth input at all, nor be a consistent dlna renderer as it stops every 10 to 15 minutes which never happened with all my DAP till now.

 

[vicens bosch]

Hello, I am selling my kann with an invoice and in perfect aesthetic condition, always in the case and with the plastic protectors
850

 

[kelliegator]

I am a new owner of the Kann Alpha and I'm generally really happy with it everything, like sound and UI and so on.

I have one problem, though; quite often it skips tracks and displays the message "Unplayable music has been moved". Which is weird because it happens randomly and with any kind of tracks, regardless on whether it's FLAC or DSD or what. More often than not the "unplayable" tracks actually do play, but I had a lot of problems when listening to a whole album on the bus recently, which was weird. I'm not sure what variable there is there other than me having Wi-Fi turned off to save battery, but that shouldn't matter for offline tracks, should it?

If anyone has a fix for this, I'd be happy to know.

 

[Scubacrazy]

I am a new owner of the Kann Alpha and I'm generally really happy with it everything, like sound and UI and so on.

I have one problem, though; quite often it skips tracks and displays the message "Unplayable music has been moved". Which is weird because it happens randomly and with any kind of tracks, regardless on whether it's FLAC or DSD or what. More often than not the "unplayable" tracks actually do play, but I had a lot of problems when listening to a whole album on the bus recently, which was weird. I'm not sure what variable there is there other than me having Wi-Fi turned off to save battery, but that shouldn't matter for offline tracks, should it?

If anyone has a fix for this, I'd be happy to know.

Hi Kelliegator,
I had something similar happen to me a few times, early on, just after first getting it. I've only had mine a couple of weeks though.
It was happening just after I had transferred and downloaded a lot of tracks (3,000+) onto a 512Gb SD card; mostly ripped cds, but about 15% were purchased and downloaded from HDTracks.
I was told to rebuild my database a few times, to aid stability. So I would scan the SD card a couple of times after turning it on, and of course it does a scan when turned on anyway.
It seemed to work for me, or at least the skipping tracks stopped.
Whether it was this or not I can't say, but maybe, as the database on the card is indexed , it helped?
Sorry I can't be more helpful.

 

[kelliegator]

Hi Kelliegator,
I had something similar happen to me a few times, early on, just after first getting it. I've only had mine a couple of weeks though.
It was happening just after I had transferred and downloaded a lot of tracks (3,000+) onto a 512Gb SD card; mostly ripped cds, but about 15% were purchased and downloaded from HDTracks.
I was told to rebuild my database a few times, to aid stability. So I would scan the SD card a couple of times after turning it on, and of course it does a scan when turned on anyway.
It seemed to work for me, or at least the skipping tracks stopped.
Whether it was this or not I can't say, but maybe, as the database on the card is indexed , it helped?
Sorry I can't be more helpful.

How do I rebuild the database? How do I scan my SD card?

 

[Scubacrazy]

How do I rebuild the database? How do I scan my SD card?

The Alpha will scan the sd card each time it is turned on. If you look at the top of the screen when switching on, it says it is scanning the sd card.
To force it to do a scan, go into settings>System Reset>Initialise media scan.
Hope this helps.

 

[kelliegator]

The Alpha will scan the sd card each time it is turned on. If you look at the top of the screen when switching on, it says it is scanning the sd card.
To force it to do a scan, go into settings>System Reset>Initialise media scan.
Hope this helps.

I'm still having some problems, but thanks for trying to help.

I've also come across another issue where sometimes album tracks are in the wrong order, despite me editing the metadata so that it should be displayed in the right order. I don't know what that's about.

 

[Seld]

I plan to use Kann Alpha to remotely access the library on the Logitech Media Server on the Raspberry Picoreplayer system for streaming my previously ripped (and tagged) Flac… powering a Sennheiser HD650.
Will I get a pleasant browsing among the files with “album cover, search by genre, etc” directly from the Alpha? Or will I get a boring “folder” browsing?

Sorry for quoting my previous message.
Any chance to get an idea of the browsing interface when selecting music from a (LMS) nas/server?
Would be "folder browsing" or a better "album cover" etc ?
Thanks a lot!

 

[Scubacrazy]

On another topic, I am about to take delivery of a new Integrated amp for my vinyl system.
It's the Audiolabs 6000A. I want to play my Alpha through this amp, and use it for streaming from Tidal/Qobuz.
Does anyone know how I connect my Alpha to this amp ? The amp has 2 optical inputs, which I think are Toslink connectors?
The A&K Alpha instruction manual is a bit vague about this, and also any settings I need to change to output the correct signal etc.?
Sorry, but I am very ignorant on this sort of thing.
Any recommendations on good makes of optical connectors/cables etc?
Thanks in advance.

 

[newworld666]

Yes the 3.5mm output of the Kann Alpha switches to Toslink when an optical fiber is connected, it's working fine. I would even much say far better than internal amp (I use a M500 + THX887) with my difficult to drive Headphones (Like my HEDDphone is).
The little Sony's remote control Rmt-nws20 is 100% compatible with the Kann Alpha and I find it's the most convenient android Remote Control on the market though it is very expensive.

I bought the AK CD Ripper and hoping to be able to switch really fast between my Kann Alpha connected to the Desktop Units via tosling (2m fiber) and be a 100% portable item (just to plug the HEDDphone from desktop to KannAlpha even without stopping the playlist I am listening on the Kann Alpha)
On the paper it was perfect but in real life => Unfortunately no LDAC input nor reliable DLNA/Qobuz connection due to AKconnect automatic standby between 10 and 15 minutes. => a real shame A&K can't fix such major issue on a Chinese version or European version (I bought both when A&K said Chinese version must have been modified before selling me, which is not true of course as the French version is 100% similar behavior with those systematic unbearable standbys).

 

[Scubacrazy]

Yes the 3.5mm output of the Kann Alpha switches to Toslink when an optical fiber is connected, it's working fine. I would even much say far better than internal amp (I use a M500 + THX887) with my difficult to drive Headphones (Like my HEDDphone is).
The little Sony's remote control Rmt-nws20 is 100% compatible with the Kann Alpha and I find it's the most convenient android Remote Control on the market though it is very expensive.



I bought the AK CD Ripper and hoping to be able to switch really fast between my Kann Alpha connected to the Desktop Units via tosling (2m fiber) and be a 100% portable item (just to plug the HEDDphone from desktop to KannAlpha even without stopping the playlist I am listening on the Kann Alpha)
On the paper it was perfect but in real life => Unfortunately no LDAC input nor reliable DLNA/Qobuz connection due to AKconnect automatic standby between 10 and 15 minutes. => a real shame A&K can't fix such major issue on a Chinese version or European version (I bought both when A&K said Chinese version must have been modified before selling me, which is not true of course as the French version is 100% similar behavior with those systematic unbearable standbys).

Very interesting, thank you.
I guess another alternative for me would be to use a 3.5mm jack to a pair of RCA connectors, and use the Line-out on the Alpha.
I havent used the AKConnect feature, and I intend to keep away from using it, mainly because of the problems you and others have experienced.
All I want to do is play my Alpha through my new amp/speakers.
I don't need AK Connect to do that.
I find it hard to understand why A&K havent dealt with the firmware though.

 

[mynamesjeff]

can i ask a really stupid question as i've never done it before. If i want to connect this DAP and play files to a Denon AV receiver to use with my speakers is this possible?
If so, what would i need in terms of cables. Is SPIDF the way to go? So 3.5mm out to optical in the AV receiver Also do i have to set anything in the DAP?