[F700]

Great thanx! So the Hiby R6 Pro II seems like a good alternative then. Ive read that it comes close to the dx320's huge stagings.
But the battery life isnt even in the same galactic as the sr35. Something gain something lose.

You’re welcome

 

[RCracer777]

The SR35 sounds a bit less warm than the SR25MK2 to me. This is an undeniable step up, because even if I know how to appreciate a warm and cosy tuning, the SR35‘s predecessor was a bit too much of a good thing in that regard, sounding congested at times. Much better detail retrieval, too. The soundstage never will compete with the bigger candidates, though, but it’s fine as it is. I personally like the immediately enjoyable and uncomplicated sound signature of the SR35. There is a true gapless fonction that really works (more and more difficult to find under dap’s hood nowadays).

The form factor is excellent and the grey case so nice to the touch while ensuring a perfect grip. Big fan of the case.

The only issue with this player is the limited power for driving juice-demanding IEMs. It drains the battery life way faster, logically.

The SR35 is really starting to sound like it's right up my alley. As long as the soundstage is equal to my X7 Mk.II it should be fine for me. too big of a soundstage can be a lot of fun, but it can also mess with some recordings when it starts to sound too big and incoherent.
Do you notice a difference between dual and quad DAC mode? Is one more relaxed than the other or more detailed sounding? Or is it very subtle and almost unnoticeable.

I'm a bit on the fence about the cases as €80 for fake leather case is really steep, no matter which way you put it. But I've got a question about it. Does it have a stiff (metal) back plate in it or is it a more basic soft case? I do prefer cases that have a plate in there to add rigidity.

And what kind of IEMs are you trying to power? The SR35 is the second most powerful DAP under €1000 I've been able to find with 1125mW @32 (6 Vrms) when used balanced. Only losing out to the iBasso DX170 with 1280mW (6,4 Vrms) when used balanced. With that kind of power behind it, no IEM should be a problem. Hell it should power most headphones with no problem. Did you perhaps use it like a SR25 Mk.II and forget that it has high gain in your excitement as all previous generations didn't have high gain?

Most of its competition is quite a bit lower on power with the M11 plus ESS having 588mW, Shanling M6 Ultra having 720mW, and the Hiby R6 Pro II having a measly 383mW (3,5 Vrms) which is somehow lower than it's cheaper brother, the R6 Gen III with 405mW. Sure the FiiO M15s can do 1200mW, but only when hooked up to a charger, otherwise it won't touch the 4 digits and it's not priced under €1000 either.

 

[rlw6534]

The SR35 is really starting to sound like it's right up my alley. As long as the soundstage is equal to my X7 Mk.II it should be fine for me. too big of a soundstage can be a lot of fun, but it can also mess with some recordings when it starts to sound too big and incoherent.
Do you notice a difference between dual and quad DAC mode? Is one more relaxed than the other or more detailed sounding? Or is it very subtle and almost unnoticeable.

I'm a bit on the fence about the cases as €80 for fake leather case is really steep, no matter which way you put it. But I've got a question about it. Does it have a stiff (metal) back plate in it or is it a more basic soft case? I do prefer cases that have a plate in there to add rigidity.

And what kind of IEMs are you trying to power? The SR35 is the second most powerful DAP under €1000 I've been able to find with 1125mW @32 (6 Vrms) when used balanced. Only losing out to the iBasso DX170 with 1280mW (6,4 Vrms) when used balanced. With that kind of power behind it, no IEM should be a problem. Hell it should power most headphones with no problem. Did you perhaps use it like a SR25 Mk.II and forget that it has high gain in your excitement as all previous generations didn't have high gain?

Most of its competition is quite a bit lower on power with the M11 plus ESS having 588mW, Shanling M6 Ultra having 720mW, and the Hiby R6 Pro II having a measly 383mW (3,5 Vrms) which is somehow lower than it's cheaper brother, the R6 Gen III with 405mW. Sure the FiiO M15s can do 1200mW, but only when hooked up to a charger, otherwise it won't touch the 4 digits and it's not priced under €1000 either.

Ohms law is not a good way to calculate Power as the Voltage is measured with absolutely no load. I very seriously doubt the SR35 can output 1125 mW.

 

[RIGATIO]

I would be surprised if the sr35 had more than 750 mW.

 

[RCracer777]

Ohms law is not a good way to calculate Power as the Voltage is measured with absolutely no load. I very seriously doubt the SR35 can output 1125 mW.

I won't deny what you said is true. It is nothing but a indication of the max Vrms. The truth is usually between 50% and 85% of what one would calculate with Ohms law. Which should still put it in line with the competition.

If it's measured from the output itself, there was in this case a 2.7 Ohm load present in the form of output impedance which cannot be circumvented, then yes it could be applicable. But we can't say with 100% certainty if this was the case as no load can either be no extra load added (what it normally means) which means that yes there is actually a small load or no load at all which is a theoretical calculation and not a measurement as there is always resistance. And without a max load known, it can't be calculated either as the conversion formula does require this value.

The other problem with Vrms is that it usually goes up as the load increases, so even Vrms at a certain load often can't be used for any other load. Which completely defeats the point of using the Vrms metric for power output.
Turning Vrms into V by dividing it by 0.7071 and using that won't help either as it will give the peak power but not the average which is more important in the case of audio.

On a side note, the Hiby R6 Pro II output power interestingly enough is actually stated as both mW and Vrms. Don't know why though, we only need one to see it's lacking power.

 

[rlw6534]

I won't deny what you said is true. It is nothing but a indication of the max Vrms. The truth is usually between 50% and 85% of what one would calculate with Ohms law. Which should still put it in line with the competition.

If it's measured from the output itself, there was in this case a 2.7 Ohm load present in the form of output impedance which cannot be circumvented, then yes it could be applicable. But we can't say with 100% certainty if this was the case as no load can either be no extra load added (what it normally means) which means that yes there is actually a small load or no load at all which is a theoretical calculation and not a measurement as there is always resistance. And without a max load known, it can't be calculated either as the conversion formula does require this value.

The other problem with Vrms is that it usually goes up as the load increases, so even Vrms at a certain load often can't be used for any other load. Which completely defeats the point of using the Vrms metric for power output.
Turning Vrms into V by dividing it by 0.7071 and using that won't help either as it will give the peak power but not the average which is more important in the case of audio.

On a side note, the Hiby R6 Pro II output power interestingly enough is actually stated as both mW and Vrms. Don't know why though, we only need one to see it's lacking power.

I assume the measurements are done at ∞ ohms. Of course, A&K could simply publish actual power but they choose not to. Kind of makes you wonder why...

In general though, power reporting on DAPs is poorly done, with manufacturers not being clear on the measurement standards, THD level, or even if the power is per channel or additive (this is unlike home audio, where there are clear standard measurement requirements). This makes it difficult to compare.

 

[rael67]

I wanted to give some quick feedback on the SR35 from Astell & Kern. Build quality is superb. Sound is amazing. Unfortunately, I have the following issue with it. I have very frequent sound dropouts when playing Hi-Res Lossless via Apple Music. It didn't matter whether streaming or downloaded songs.

 

[Another Audiophile]

deleted

 

[Another Audiophile]

Roon ARC will not be supported out of the box, but may be available in a future firmware update. SP2000 will not support Roon ARC as Roon ARC requires a newer version of Android OS that what is used on the SP2000.

Was looking to test the dap and see if it is as responsive as my mobile phone but just read that Roon Arc is not supported and that's a deal break. I think you should consider adding Roon Arc seriously

 

[Kobe4ever]

Question : As a second portable DAP , would it be a valid thing to replace a SP1000M with this new SR35 , excluding the advantage of having a fast interface and a balanced 4.4 input ? Or no ?

 

[RIGATIO]

Question : As a second portable DAP , would it be a valid thing to replace a SP1000M with this new SR35 , excluding the advantage of having a fast interface and a balanced 4.4 input ? Or no ?

The sp1000M should still win sound quality wise by a good margin. Im actually thinking of getting a used sp1000M because of its form factor and great sound. Remember auditioning it one year ago and it was a clear step up from tthe IBasso dx300 with amp12. The SR25 II was a step down from the dx312, so i conclude that the sp1000M is still a great sounding dap. I even liked it more than the sp1000 SS.

 

[F700]

The sp1000M should still win sound quality wise by a good margin. Im actually thinking of getting a used sp1000M because of its form factor and great sound. Remember auditioning it one year ago and it was a clear step up from tthe IBasso dx300 with amp12. The SR25 II was a step down from the dx312, so i conclude that the sp1000M is still a great sounding dap. I even liked it more than the sp1000 SS.

Bringing back good memories. The SP1KM is a beautiful looking device and has a mid-centric sounding signature. I don’t think the SP1KM is better sounding than the SR35, though.

 

[rlw6534]

Bringing back good memories. The SP1KM is a beautiful looking device and has a mid-centric sounding signature. I don’t think the SP1KM is better sounding than the SR35, though.

I love my SP1KM, but Android 6.01 is becoming a problem... It's such a shame that A&K can't provide an Android update, even to Android 7, as many streaming apps are now Android 7 and up... and this thing was expensive.

 

[RIGATIO]

Bringing back good memories. The SP1KM is a beautiful looking device and has a mid-centric sounding signature. I don’t think the SP1KM is better sounding than the SR35, though.

Then the sr35 must be a very big step up from the sr25ii. Still waiting for some comparisons here
Havent heard the sr35 and i admit that im actually very interested in this device but if it sounds just only slightly better than the sr25ii then its a pass for me.
I liked the sr25ii but it doesnt compete with bigger boys like M8, M9, sp1kM, sp1k, dx300, dx320.

 

[RIGATIO]

I love my SP1KM, but Android 6.01 is becoming a problem... It's such a shame that A&K can't provide an Android update, even to Android 7, as many streaming apps are now Android 7 and up... and this thing was expensive.

Is Amazon HD still working on it? Im thinking of getting a used one for 900e. Maybe there is a possibility to install an older versions of the Amazon HD or Tidal. Then this player could serve another 2-3 years.
The AK closed system is a pain when youre using streaming services. My 5 years old Pioneer 300r, with Android 5.1 is still able to stream Tidal and Qobuz via UAPP. And it works flawlessly.