I asked the team. Will update when I hear. I assume if it is 4.2, it's possibly due to a compatibility issue with something. Maybe the new ESS chip? I believe this is the first portable device with the new ESS DAC.
Astell&Kern Launches KANN Ultra DAP and AK HB1 Bluetooth Amp/DAC
- Thread starter JasonNYC
- Start date
Astell & Kern Kann Ultra is not the first device with the ESS ES9039MPRO x2 (Dual-DAC).
The first one a ~year ago was the A&K Acro CA1000T in on, it had BT v5.0 on board and a lot of amplification.
Or maybe the Ultra has a motherboard from another earlier model with BT v4.2?
SR 25 - SR 25Mk2 - SR 35 - it's probably also one board.
There's nothing wrong with that, except that the SR model has been evaluated and SR35 has BT v5.0 ($800), while the KANN ULTRA ($1600) has not and it has BT v4.2.
The first one a ~year ago was the A&K Acro CA1000T in on, it had BT v5.0 on board and a lot of amplification.
Or maybe the Ultra has a motherboard from another earlier model with BT v4.2?
SR 25 - SR 25Mk2 - SR 35 - it's probably also one board.
There's nothing wrong with that, except that the SR model has been evaluated and SR35 has BT v5.0 ($800), while the KANN ULTRA ($1600) has not and it has BT v4.2.
ipaddy
human bean
You mean it’s a separate discrete component or board?
Twice wrong assumption there !
This here is a portable DAC/AMP (Xduoo Xd05 Pro) with the ES9039Pro + Bluetooth 5.1 chipset
Different DAC version. But I did forget the CA1000T uses the ESS3039MPRO.Twice wrong assumption there !
This here is a portable DAC/AMP (Xduoo Xd05 Pro) with the ES9039Pro + Bluetooth 5.1 chipset
Besides, ad I said, there may be a valid reason and was just speculating.
ipaddy
human bean
They don't pay you enough, Jason, for being the front person and having to defend (or maybe they do).
But more seriously, you have designers and engineers and so on who know what they are doing making AK stuff. They are not brand new people pulled off a parking lot with some old inventory. You have one job. You have to convince them that when AK does something like this 4.2 nonsense, it's not going to go unnoticed.
For the future, I mean, it seems to late now.
And if they are going to do this kind of thing, at least give you advance notice and talking points.
@JasonNYC I appreciate your support and active contribution to the forums.
But please, can we cut all the marketing bull aside ? A lot of us (including me) are Engineers who know which chip is what.
The ES9039SPro and ES9039MPro are identical DACs, only difference being the 'M' version (Kann Ultra) supports MQA while the 'S' version (Xd05Pro) does not.
On the other hand, yes there could be a reason why the Kann Ultra has a Bluetooth 4.2 chipset, may be a design decision. Nevertheless a poor decision.
A&K could have boosted sales a lot with this intriguing DAP with 2x ES9039MPro, just to be let down by poor choices like decades old Bluetooth, unknown Octa core processor (Snapdragon 660?), Unknown Android version etc.
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ipaddy
human bean
Not sure what you mean by saying that it "may be a design decision." What else could it be? The circuit didn't design itself.
I was so happy for the arrival of the new DAP from Astell&Kern Kann Ultra with a finally efficient one, with a large 5.5" display, the new IU Crimson, a large battery and nice outputs and specific power that I started counting down the money - this is the information about "returning to the past with BT v4.2 after the end of 2023" made me want to have Kann Ultra.
You know what discourages people from buying used DAPs from A&K - only one WiFi range 2.4Ghz (where everyone has also been using 5Ghz for years) or BT 4.2.
I had 3 DAPs and from the very beginning, when someone saw these restrictions, they did not want to buy them.
I won't be surprised when tomorrow or Monday the A&K headquarters in Korea responds and it turns out that Kann Ultra is based on an old version of Android.
No one guarantees the duration of support, e.g. Tidal for version 9 or 10 of Android when it is already 13.
And why did I buy the latest TWS with new BT 5.x and new codecs ensuring long battery life, long range without interruptions, etc.I have to give them up
Already taught by the producers from bad experiences in the past - I am giving up on buying Kann Ultra for $1,600
You know what discourages people from buying used DAPs from A&K - only one WiFi range 2.4Ghz (where everyone has also been using 5Ghz for years) or BT 4.2.
I had 3 DAPs and from the very beginning, when someone saw these restrictions, they did not want to buy them.
I won't be surprised when tomorrow or Monday the A&K headquarters in Korea responds and it turns out that Kann Ultra is based on an old version of Android.
No one guarantees the duration of support, e.g. Tidal for version 9 or 10 of Android when it is already 13.
And why did I buy the latest TWS with new BT 5.x and new codecs ensuring long battery life, long range without interruptions, etc.I have to give them up
Already taught by the producers from bad experiences in the past - I am giving up on buying Kann Ultra for $1,600
THANOSTITAN
New Head-Fier
So is it using a very old version of android os ?
is that such a deal breaker ?
why would it be a deal breaker ?
sorry
newbies of newbies asking dumb questions
is that such a deal breaker ?
why would it be a deal breaker ?
sorry
newbies of newbies asking dumb questions
BT 4.2. is a NO go
Torben
Torben
Is this a Big Deal Breaker ?
Why ?
TBH I have no real issue against 4.2 .. Aside from the fact that the older 4.2 stack might consume a little more energy than later stacks, for me an proper 4.2 implementation actually does what I need from a BT connection. LDAC and Aptx HD. I have never experienced any shortcomings in 4.2 in that sense.
The BT v4.2 version used in the latest Kann Ultra is even more difficult to understand when
Astell & Kern has only released 2 models of TWS headphones:
Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII - BT v 5.2 BT Qualcomm 5141 Chipset - Latest
Astell & Kern AK UW100MK - BT v 5.2 BT Qualcomm 5141 chipset - from a year ago
A&K's own new products do not support each other
Astell & Kern has only released 2 models of TWS headphones:
Astell & Kern AK UW100MKII - BT v 5.2 BT Qualcomm 5141 Chipset - Latest
Astell & Kern AK UW100MK - BT v 5.2 BT Qualcomm 5141 chipset - from a year ago
A&K's own new products do not support each other
Could you please clarify what functionality needed for both TWS models is not supported in the older 4.2 stack? I would like to understand this a little better ...
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