[WyattEarp]

.. and the list of bugs/limitations is rather long.
I wonder right now how A&K products could be accepted on the market with such poor buggy software.
I still own Fiio M9, Fiio M11, Hiby R6pro, WM1A .. all have known limitations, but are working as they should when I bought them and they work far better than the latest of the A&K Daps.

Quick question. Do have or have owned the KANN Cube and how does the WM1A compare to it or to the Alpha. I originally looked at the WM1Z but that price tag is crazy so I picked up the Cube since I already knew how the DAC sounds.

 

[newworld666]

If we exclude in the analysis the unacceptable AKConnect issues (standby evry 15 minutes)..

I really think the form factor, the Toslink output and even the power produced by the Kann Alpha is on the target and worth to use, that why I didn't sell it till now, I hope a firmware update will correct this terrific issue !!!!!

Basically I need that power that the WM1A hasn't because my HEDDphone and even some IEM like the IER-Z1R or the Z7M2 can benefit from the more available power.

Last weekend, I compared the WM1A, the Kann Alpha, CEntrance M8V2 in a real A/B/C mode for sound quality
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/son...are-non-android.943661/page-262#post-16193224

I would say all results were very good, though WM1A can go with more low frequencies available moving even the pads, the Centrance is not really far behind, and Kann Alpha doesn't reach in low frequencies the two others with the closed Ultrasone Ed15 Veritas, but still has really loads of details and bass to be very nice to listen for hours (Hires on SDcards), I really want the issues to be fixed.

I imagine Kann Cube should do the job too, though I can't confirm the Kann Alpha is not just more compact, but it is not also a bit more "musical" too (I still think the new chipset of the Kann Alpha is more concerned with optimizing battery mode, than make better sound.. and the AKConnect issue can be related to this battery optimization ?) .

 

[mikel]

Why is there silence on this matter about AK Connect Problems... basically everybody who uses AK Connect seems affect.
Some transparency about what can be done is warranted... As customers we invested quite a substantial amount of money....
Well?

 

[Scubacrazy]

Why is there silence on this matter about AK Connect Problems... basically everybody who uses AK Connect seems affect.
Some transparency about what can be done is warranted... As customers we invested quite a substantial amount of money....
Well?

I agree, at least A&K should acknowledge there is a problem.

 

[JasonNYC]

Our dev team is still doing additional testing on the issue. As soon as I have an update to share, I will.

 

[Newsee]

Quick question. Do have or have owned the KANN Cube and how does the WM1A compare to it or to the Alpha. I originally looked at the WM1Z but that price tag is crazy so I picked up the Cube since I already knew how the DAC sounds.

Not long ago out of couriosity I made a quick listen to the Alpha with the Empyrean, A/B-ing with the Cube. Not surprisingly there were more similarities than differences. The bass were perhaps sligtly more bodied on the Cube, perhaps. It might be more significant with a higher ohmic HP, but that I have not tried. The female singers sounded definitely more silky on the Alpha. That was it. One important difference: on the Alpha more difficult to hit the keyboard buttons due to the smaller screen. And the letters are noticeably smaller too.

 

[PortableMusic]

may i ask if Spotify is as easily used/available for use on the Kann Alpha as compared with Tidal please?

i'm asking as an exclusive Tidal user currently, but with Spotify Hifi having been announced recently, there is a chance that at some point, Tidal might not survive. my hope is that Primephonic, Qobuz will both consolidate into Tidal and this will be a successful business model, but who knows?

so i'm asking if in case that Tidal disappears, whether Spotify can easily be used on the Kann Alpha?

thank you in advance.

 

[Newsee]

may i ask if Spotify is as easily used/available for use on the Kann Alpha as compared with Tidal please?

i'm asking as an exclusive Tidal user currently, but with Spotify Hifi having been announced recently, there is a chance that at some point, Tidal might not survive. my hope is that Primephonic, Qobuz will both consolidate into Tidal and this will be a successful business model, but who knows?

so i'm asking if in case that Tidal disappears, whether Spotify can easily be used on the Kann Alpha?

thank you in advance.

Spotify is available as sideloaded app for Alpha, as easy as all the other sideloaded apps.

As for the spotify hifi here is their announcement:
https://newsroom.spotify.com/2021-02-22/five-things-to-know-about-spotify-hifi/

One of the five thing: it will be cd quality, which means 16 bit. If I am not mistaken.

I would recommend you to try Qobuz. True 24 bit flac, without the lossy compression of MQA.

 

[Scubacrazy]

Spotify is available as sideloaded app for Alpha, as easy as all the other sideloaded apps.

As for the spotify hifi here is their announcement:
https://newsroom.spotify.com/2021-02-22/five-things-to-know-about-spotify-hifi/

One of the five thing: it will be cd quality, which means 16 bit. If I am not mistaken.

I would recommend you to try Qobuz. True 24 bit flac, without the lossy compression of MQA.

I tried very hard to get Qobuz to work successfully on my Alpha.
Streaming, it was great, but downloading playlists to the player for offline use, not so good.
I even tried several older versions of Qobuz, without any real success. So I went back to Tidal.
Shame, as I did like the interface of Qobuz, and the recommendations were better I think too.
As for sound quality, the difference if any was not noticeable by my ears.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Where do you guys download the apk seems no download link work when on pc of I follow the ak instructions...

Does is it matter which apk spotify you install?

 

[newworld666]

Where do you guys download the apk seems no download link work when on pc of I follow the ak instructions...

Does is it matter which apk spotify you install?

Services are limited.
You can only download APK's, that A&K agreed before, some versions won't even appear to be installed though they are copied in the right directory on the DAP.

It's very restrictive, annoying and not clear which version you will really see to be installable and really active and which will be fully operational (you can login or not, due to the provider or A&K system).

 

[Damz87]

Services are limited.
You can only download APK's, that A&K agreed before, some versions won't even appear to be installed though they are copied in the right directory on the DAP.

It's very restrictive, annoying and not clear which version you will really see to be installable and really active and which will be fully operational (you can login or not, due to the provider or A&K system).

I don’t think it’s that bad. I haven’t had any issues with Spotify version compatibility. The latest version has always worked for me?

 

[Rdeman2211]

I personally like that it is restricted to just streaming apps, much more streamlined lined than my old Hiby R6 pro,

 

[mikaell]

Quick question. Do have or have owned the KANN Cube and how does the WM1A compare to it or to the Alpha. I originally looked at the WM1Z but that price tag is crazy so I picked up the Cube since I already knew how the DAC sounds.

Posted this a while ago when I got the KA alongside my WM1A:

Best friends?

Don't think so! More like frenemies. We shall see how this pans out. Just got the Kann Alpha, so true impressions and comparisons in a while. They couldn't be more different. Sound-wise none truly better or worse than the other. No comment on anything else for now

A few months later...

TL;DR: None are perfect, both sound awesome and different - Personal preference: Sony any day over the KA. Tested with my HD800s & IER-Z1R. (Both quite power hungry)

Design:
Sony FTW for me. All that "design" on the A&K's in general is just a tad too much. More like design for design's sake. The Sony is elegant, feels great in hand and the design is more FFF (Form Follows Function). Though less than on other A&K's, the edges especially the bottom are very sharp. Despite the shape, the KA also feels nice in hand though looks ridiculous in pockets - aka difficult to carry.

Third Party Accessories availability:
Almost none for the K&A - expensive cases, elusive screen protectors - the ones it comes with are useless.

USB DAC (very important for me)
Sadly the Sony due to its design has a delay when used as a DAC - ok for music but delay with videos is unacceptable, so it's useless as a general purpose DAC.
The KA works very well as a DAC and sounds the same. It does however get very hot while connected to a computer and used as a DAC. I'm in no position to know whether that's all right or not.

Streaming:
Not as clear-cut as it might seem. Sony can be a bluetooth receiver - no delay here - works well with videos. Audio sounds as good as BT can get.
How A&K imagined the apps on their players just boggles the mind! The Tidal version that comes pre-installed simply doesn't work. Manually installing (and getting) those APK files is not for the faint of heart. Then there are connection issues.
Just ended giving up on any native streaming on the KA and using it just to play my local library.

Music Transfer
A&K: Easy in Windows. For Mac users, there's Android file transfer - utter rubbish! I got Commander One just to transfer files from my Mac to the player. Extra $. Speeds are up to USB3 spec.
Sony: Easy as USB2.0 speeds.... Works well in both Windows and MacOS.
Conclusion: I just take the 1TB card out and transfer via a card reader and don't use the internal memory on either.

Battery Life:
No contest: I was charging the Sony every other week - the KA once or twice / week. The KA looses (a little) charge also when off. Sony's battery life is unbeaten by any DAP. About 2-3x more than the KA in real use.

UI / UX
Aside from personal taste - Sony is simple but fast and fluid. AK is not as snappy. It is useable but without any joy. Everything on screen is small and even with small-ish fingers I have to be super-extra-careful not to hit the wrong thing on screen.

Sony's app is limited - I sorely miss the options to add tracks from my library to the end of the queue or to play next. The player is simply nowhere near as good as any decent modern music app. However, everything it does, it does it well and Fast.

AK does so much more, the player app is fully-featured but slow, flimsy and hit-or miss.

And finally... Sound
The Sony seems a tad warmer, more intimate with a very slightly more musical presentation. It's got a tighter stage but is subjectively nicer.
The AK sounds more delicate, more defined - clearer instrument separation, outstanding vocals and slightly wider stage (Listening on the king of soundstage HD800s) - but overall a bit dry - there's no real joy or surprise listening to this versus the Sony. The Sony makes all music sound good, the A&K will need good files, good mixing, etc.

On output power: Both will drive the HD800s. But there's no context - the KA needs less gain and is clearly more powerful, something obvious in the lower frequencies. I do listen to them on the Sony as well, though the preferred combination with the WM1A is the IER-Z1R.

In conclusion - the sound of the Sony feels like a hug - I'd much more likely take this one to listen in bed at night. The AK is the nerd trying to be the cool guy. While the Sony is my night / evening player, the A&K is the daytime buddy. I appreciate the KA's sound but my heart goes to Sony. Since I gave up on the streaming features with the KA, I will likely put it up for sale.

Observations: The Sony, if bought in Europe, needs to have the volume limit removed to be useable. I have been using different versions Mr. Walkmans firmware on the Sony and prefer them to the original versions.

____

... I should probably submit this as a review instead of a post - but I hope it helps current and prospective users.

 

[pilgrimbilly]

Posted this a while ago when I got the KA alongside my WM1A:




A few months later...

TL;DR: None are perfect, both sound awesome and different - Personal preference: Sony any day over the KA. Tested with my HD800s & IER-Z1R. (Both quite power hungry)

Design:
Sony FTW for me. All that "design" on the A&K's in general is just a tad too much. More like design for design's sake. The Sony is elegant, feels great in hand and the design is more FFF (Form Follows Function). Though less than on other A&K's, the edges especially the bottom are very sharp. Despite the shape, the KA also feels nice in hand though looks ridiculous in pockets - aka difficult to carry.

Accessories:
Almost none for the K&A - expensive cases, elusive screen protectors - the ones it comes with are useless.

USB DAC (very important for me)
Sadly the Sony due to its design has a delay when used as a DAC - ok for music but delay with videos is unacceptable, so it's useless as a general purpose DAC.

Streaming:
Not as clear-cut as it might seem. Sony can be a bluetooth receiver - no delay here - works well with videos. Audio sounds as good as BT can get.
How A&K imagined the apps on their players just boggles the mind! The Tidal version that comes pre-installed simply doesn't work. Manually installing (and getting) those APK files is not for the faint of heart. Then there are connection issues.
Just ended giving up on any native streaming on the KA and using it just to play my local library.

Music Transfer
A&K: Easy in Windows. For Mac users, there's Android file transfer - utter rubbish! I got Commander One just to transfer files from my Mac to the player. Extra $. Speeds are up to USB3 spec.
Sony: Easy as USB2.0 speeds.... Works well in both Windows and MacOS.
Conclusion: I just take the 1TB card out and transfer via a card reader and don't use the internal memory on either.

Battery Life:
No contest: I was charging the Sony every other week - the KA once or twice / week. The KA looses (a little) charge also when off. Sony's battery life is unbeaten by any DAP. About 2-3x more than the KA in real use.

UI / UX
Aside from personal taste - Sony is simple but fast and fluid. AK is not as snappy. It is useable but without any joy. Everything on screen is small and even with small-ish fingers I have to be super-extra-careful not to hit the wrong thing on screen.

Sony's app is limited - I sorely miss the options to add tracks from my library to the end of the queue or to play next. The player is simply nowhere near as good as any decent modern music app. However, everything it does, it does it well and Fast.

AK does so much more, the player app is fully-featured but slow, flimsy and hit-or miss.

And finally... Sound
The Sony seems a tad warmer, more intimate with a very slightly more musical presentation. It's got a tighter stage but is subjectively nicer.
The AK sounds more delicate, more defined - clearer instrument separation, outstanding vocals and slightly wider stage (Listening on the king of soundstage HD800s) - but overall a bit dry - there's no real joy or surprise listening to this versus the Sony. The Sony makes all music sound good, the A&K will need good files, good mixing, etc.

On outIn conclusion - the sound of the Sony feels like a hug

Posted this a while ago when I got the KA alongside my WM1A:




A few months later...

TL;DR: None are perfect, both sound awesome and different - Personal preference: Sony any day over the KA. Tested with my HD800s & IER-Z1R. (Both quite power hungry)

Design:
Sony FTW for me. All that "design" on the A&K's in general is just a tad too much. More like design for design's sake. The Sony is elegant, feels great in hand and the design is more FFF (Form Follows Function). Though less than on other A&K's, the edges especially the bottom are very sharp. Despite the shape, the KA also feels nice in hand though looks ridiculous in pockets - aka difficult to carry.

Third Party Accessories availability:
Almost none for the K&A - expensive cases, elusive screen protectors - the ones it comes with are useless.

USB DAC (very important for me)
Sadly the Sony due to its design has a delay when used as a DAC - ok for music but delay with videos is unacceptable, so it's useless as a general purpose DAC.
The KA works very well as a DAC and sounds the same. It does however get very hot while connected to a computer and used as a DAC. I'm in no position to know whether that's all right or not.

Streaming:
Not as clear-cut as it might seem. Sony can be a bluetooth receiver - no delay here - works well with videos. Audio sounds as good as BT can get.
How A&K imagined the apps on their players just boggles the mind! The Tidal version that comes pre-installed simply doesn't work. Manually installing (and getting) those APK files is not for the faint of heart. Then there are connection issues.
Just ended giving up on any native streaming on the KA and using it just to play my local library.

Music Transfer
A&K: Easy in Windows. For Mac users, there's Android file transfer - utter rubbish! I got Commander One just to transfer files from my Mac to the player. Extra $. Speeds are up to USB3 spec.
Sony: Easy as USB2.0 speeds.... Works well in both Windows and MacOS.
Conclusion: I just take the 1TB card out and transfer via a card reader and don't use the internal memory on either.

Battery Life:
No contest: I was charging the Sony every other week - the KA once or twice / week. The KA looses (a little) charge also when off. Sony's battery life is unbeaten by any DAP. About 2-3x more than the KA in real use.

UI / UX
Aside from personal taste - Sony is simple but fast and fluid. AK is not as snappy. It is useable but without any joy. Everything on screen is small and even with small-ish fingers I have to be super-extra-careful not to hit the wrong thing on screen.

Sony's app is limited - I sorely miss the options to add tracks from my library to the end of the queue or to play next. The player is simply nowhere near as good as any decent modern music app. However, everything it does, it does it well and Fast.

AK does so much more, the player app is fully-featured but slow, flimsy and hit-or miss.

And finally... Sound
The Sony seems a tad warmer, more intimate with a very slightly more musical presentation. It's got a tighter stage but is subjectively nicer.
The AK sounds more delicate, more defined - clearer instrument separation, outstanding vocals and slightly wider stage (Listening on the king of soundstage HD800s) - but overall a bit dry - there's no real joy or surprise listening to this versus the Sony. The Sony makes all music sound good, the A&K will need good files, good mixing, etc.

On output power: Both will drive the HD800s. But there's no context - the KA needs less gain and is clearly more powerful, something obvious in the lower frequencies. I do listen to them on the Sony as well, though the preferred combination with the WM1A is the IER-Z1R.
At
In conclusion - the sound of the Sony feels like a hug - I'd much more likely take this one to listen in bed at night. The AK is the nerd trying to be the cool guy. While the Sony is my night / evening player, the A&K is the daytime buddy. I appreciate the KA's sound but my heart goes to Sony. Since I gave up on the streaming features with the KA, I will likely put it up for sale.

Observations: The Sony, if bought in Europe, needs to have the volume limit removed to be useable. I have been using different versions Mr. Walkmans firmware on the Sony and prefer them to the original versions.

____

... I should probably submit this as a review instead of a post - but I hope it helps current and prospective users.

"In conclusion - the sound of the Sony feels like a hug"

What does this mean?