I have requested this feature to the dev team myself as it would be extremely useful. As for the LED colors, although it does output bit-perfect, the LED does not change to indicate bit-depth in USB Mode, only when playing tracks from internal/external memory.
I have requested this feature to the dev team myself as it would be extremely useful. As for the LED colors, although it does output bit-perfect, the LED does not change to indicate bit-depth in USB Mode, only when playing tracks from internal/external memory.
No one in this thread is commenting on Kann Ultra It would be nice if the first update included:
1. USB-DAC - color change and information on the display, e.g. 44.1kHz - 24bit... 2. End of charging mode - the red LED turns off after finish? 3. "Safely remove SD-Card" - placing this function deeper in the menu
(after so many years in the old UI, in the new perfect UI Crimson it's already there time to move it "deeper"
- no one takes out the SD card every day) I accidentally click on it 4. Turning DAR on and off - sometimes it causes the sound to be distorted at different sampling rates.
When this happens, it is necessary to turn DAR back on for a while and then turn it off
I checked and tested the Crimson UI very thoroughly and Kann Ultra has no other comments.
Astell & Kern Kann Ultra is a great, refined, fast DAP - a great, excellent, well-thought-out A&K product.
PS. What type of potentiometer does in Kann Ultra ?
On very high gain in a quiet song you can hear electric clicks in the headphones
very, very quietly, as well as outside the case when turning the volume control quickly.
This is not bothersome in any way - as long as the channels are balanced perfectly from the lowest volume!
My interest is this vs FiiO M17 that I am evaluating right now. I need something for the work desk to drive my headphone amps (Midgard, Lyr, Enleum) and over-ear headphones (more comfortable at work to use) and provide that sweet sweet sound from an excellent streaming DAC with no alteration (don't want to use my laptop to play music, so no-display-DACs like Mojo2 are out).
For the price and capabilities, I see the M17 beating out the Ultra, but I am also an SP2000T owner so I understand the sound quality very well of AK DAPs. I just don't know though if the Ultra can touch the M17s desktop mode capabilities (ignoring AK's BT fiasco).
I have owned an M17 since it was released. Of all the DAPs I’ve owned it has been my favorite thus far. I now have a Kann Ultra. It’s very powerful and runs very challenging headphones with ease. The form factor with respect to size is where the the Ultra trumps the M17. Truly. The M17 is just massive. In size and weight. The Kann Ultra is portable. The M17 is transportable.
Soundwise, two very competent devices. Astell nails the very favorable AK sound, and the UI is clean. M17 is the best DAP FiiO has ever produced, even besting the M15. If your application is purely desktop, get the M17. You can run the Hiby music app on it for a far better UI experience and have a device that will do it all. With the exception of fitting into you back pocket. Whereas, if portability, power and the ability to drive high impedance headphones is priority, then the Kann Ultra isn’t. Great musical detail. Present, controlled, confident bass output. The works.
I’m annoyed that it has really piqued my interest too thanks to that DAC chipset and the LO/Pre capabilities… I vowed to never buy AK again though due to their business practices.
For that price there is plenty of choice and companies that will give support to customers when their DAP gets bricked with update downloaded directly from manufacturer.
I have owned an M17 since it was released. Of all the DAPs I’ve owned it had been my favorite thus far. I now have a Kann Ultra. It’s very powerful and runs very challenging headphones with ease. The form factor with respect to size is where the the Ultra Trumps the M17. Truly? The M17 is just massive. In size and weight. The Kann Ultra is portable. The M17 is transportable.
Sound wise, two very competent devices. Astell nails the very favorable AK sound, and the UI is clean. M17 is the best DAP FiiO has ever produced even besting to the M15. If your application is purely desktop, get the M17. You can run the Hiby music app on it for a far better UI experience and have a device that will do it all. With the exception of fitting in you back pocket.
M17 is device that drives gear to its maximum. Bass is very well executed with nice texture, depth, big impact, unreal details everywhere and stage is rivaling deskop stacks. I dont want to sound like fanboy but for the price that is bang for buck.
What are the key things one things about when deciding between the KANN Ultra and the SP-3000? Would you guys ever make something like the Lotoo Mjölnir? I have to admit I almost want to buy that device, but it’s way over $5K which is uncomfortable for me for what it is. But the KANN seems to be much more portable while performing many of the same tasks equally. Not sure if it’s as good sound quality wise. It just might be however.
What are the key things one things about when deciding between the KANN Ultra and the SP-3000? Would you guys ever make something like the Lotoo Mjölnir? I have to admit I almost want to buy that device, but it’s way over $5K which is uncomfortable for me for what it is. But the KANN seems to be much more portable while performing many of the same tasks equally. Not sure if it’s as good sound quality wise. It just might be however.
Let me start off by saying that I do not own a Lotoo. My 30 yo Son does. He purchased one approximately two months ago. He doesn’t stream. With the exception of using Qobuz (the annual Christmas gift) on his iPhone as a way to discover new music.
I haven’t had a lot of time with his device. And I won’t until February when he returns from his voyage. But let me share a post with you that I just crafted elsewhere on HeadFi.
I believe it directly touches upon Some of your inquiry.
I have owned an M17 since it was released. Of all the DAPs I’ve owned it has been my favorite thus far. I now have a Kann Ultra. It’s very powerful and runs very challenging headphones with ease. The form factor with respect to size is where the the Ultra trumps the M17. Truly. The M17 is just massive. In size and weight. The Kann Ultra is portable. The M17 is transportable.
Soundwise, two very competent devices. Astell nails the very favorable AK sound, and the UI is clean. M17 is the best DAP FiiO has ever produced, even besting the M15. If your application is purely desktop, get the M17. You can run the Hiby music app on it for a far better UI experience and have a device that will do it all. With the exception of fitting into you back pocket. Whereas, if portability, power and the ability to drive high impedance headphones is priority, then the Kann Ultra isn’t. Great musical detail. Present, controlled, confident bass output. The works.
If desktop is your focus the M17 is your DAP. Pull the trigger. It’s a wonderful and unique player in the field. I have enjoyed mine immensely. But mostly just at home.
I received my HB1 yesterday. It has really outstanding SQ, I'm totally impressed in Comparsion to my BTR7 and iFi GO Blu which I did have recently.
@JasonNYC
One thing. Is it possible to add a "Low Gain" Mode in the App or just increase the Volume Steps? With my CA Earphones which are mainly Sensitive, the Differences between each Volume Step is for my licking too rough. I'm mainly stuck between Volume Steps 27-28-29. Doesn't matter if SE or Balanced Output.
I received mine yesteday and I got the very same battery problem: right after a complete charge, my battery dropped to 92%. It could only be a software issue, though. The plastic housing also feels very, very cheap. So far, those are the only two complaints I got. Other than that, the HB1 performs pretty well.
not just the battery level reporting is accuracy in the HB1 is doubtful and fluctuating too much. the battery life is really poor. mine went from fully charge to auto shut down in less than 4 hours running LDAC on 4.4mm out @ vol 18. that's really bad battery life for a bluetooth dongle with 600mah battery inside!
one thing that AK definitely needs to tackle is this unusable battery life in the next gen!
not just the battery level reporting is accuracy in the HB1 is doubtful and fluctuating too much. the battery life is really poor. mine went from fully charge to auto shut down in less than 4 hours running LDAC on 4.4mm out @ vol 18. that's really bad battery life for a bluetooth dongle with 600mah battery inside!
one thing that AK definitely needs to tackle is this unusable battery life in the next gen!
Yes, I also got go blu and btr7. Both very good products with their own strength and weakness too. Btr7 can run more then 6hrs with my Ragnar on ldac and go blu last more than 10hrs during my Tokyo trip! exceptional considering the small size.
Ak really needs to look into the battery life as <4hrs is really pathetic performance even the worst tws could easily outlast hb1 in battery life (also all earhook type adaptors like go pod and utws5).
The day many music fans have been waiting for has finally arrived.
Peter Gabriel has just released his latest album, titled "i/o".
The 12-track album was released on December 1, 2023.
This is the artist's first premiere material in over 20 years.
I know that not everyone likes this genre of music.
But not always an album is so well prepared in the studio, so many famous musicians are involved in this album and such a wide sound spectrum is used and the song lyrics have deep thoughts.
And now what's most important.
I listened to the entire album directly in Tidal with Kann Ultra and a second time with Kann Ultra + PA10 connected.
It sounds great every time, like two different albums - I recommend listening to it in two configurations.
The Kann Ultra itself as a separate device sounds phenomenal,
and the A&K PA10 should be treated as an addition if we are looking for something extra in the sound of the songs.
In no case can it be said that PA10 is necessary for Kann Ultra.
Yes, it does support 4-pole 3.5mm for mics. It also has a built-in mic when using in Bluetooth mode. From the product page:
Crystal-Clear Voice Calls Thanks to High-sensitivity MEMS MIC
AK HB1 ensures crystal-clear voice quality and stability thanks to Knowles's high-quality MEMS microphone technology and Qualcomm's cVc Generation 8.0 call solution with Clear Voice Capture technology, which suppresses ambient noise while delivering clear vocals to the recipient.
Furthermore, AK HB1 incorporates a 4-pole in-line MIC, enabling voice calls via wired earphones.
Experience enhanced call quality alongside AK HB1's exceptional Hi-Fi sound.
* The in-line MIC functionality is only available while USB DAC is enabled. During Bluetooth (BT) connections, the built-in microphone of HB1 handles calls.
* For 4-pole earphones, AK HB1 supports only CTIA-compliant earphones (OMTP-compliant products are not supported)
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
