[gavamb]

Good question. I really like to sit on the couch and use my iPad to browse music in Roon and send it to wherever I want to listen to it. I can send the output to my Sonos, my 4 Bluesound systems, my iPhone, my computer, my whatever. Except for my SR15 (and sp1000m) because it is not qualified as an endpoint.

(Edited to be more clear)

Thanks J

 

[DCaudiophile]

Since the previous firmware update.
Tidal keeps crashing it was stable previously (well at least better than it is now)
Power consumption is higher
SR15 crashes and hangs (has never done this previously)

But yes, so disappointed after what is a great sounding unit, going to find something else now. When a music player doesn't work as intended there is something seriously wrong and the lack of support is truly disappointing.

Some have said that we shouldn't expect too much as it's a small Korean company, i would argue that Astell and Kern is actually part of a much larger company, has marketed itself at the top end of the market and therefore should provide top end R&D, quality and support.

 

[401317]

Hey guys, does the SR15 come with a system-wide EQ or is it somehow possible to install one to use with streaming apps?

 

[chimney189]

Does anyone know if the SR15 can sufficiently run the Final Audio E5000 to loud volume?

 

[Jprod]

With all the sluggish start up issues and software bugs that have been reported the sr 15 doesn’t sufficiently run.....
if you don’t have one wait to see if these issues are addressed before taking the plunge.

 

[chasmore]

Evening all. So, having got fed up with my Fiio X5iii and all the software/UI issues, I took the plunge with an SR15 which I have to say is a thing of beauty. Love the look and feel and even (I was worried in advance) the quirky screen shape.

And having updated the firmware and loaded up my 1TB microsd (Sandisk - formatted FAT32) with 60,000 songs or so on it, started playing it and great sound. Really like it.

Then I switched it off. Then I switched it back on again. I can cope with the slow start up. But it doesn't restart where it left off and the screen shows "unknown song title" from which I cannot skip forward or skip back because it says "no recently played song" even though in the recently played playlist, the last 50 played songs are showing. So I Have to go into songs to find the track if I want to carry on and scrolling through this many songs is not ideal!

This seems pretty basic stuff and is really frustrating. I cannot see any obvious setting option and this just seems to me like a software flaw.

Anyone else had this? couldn't see a reference to it in the preceding posts though I can see reference to sluggish starts.
Any help or tips gratefully received. Very annoying to have spent £500 on something that malfunctions in such a basic way.

 

[nekromantik]

Evening all. So, having got fed up with my Fiio X5iii and all the software/UI issues, I took the plunge with an SR15 which I have to say is a thing of beauty. Love the look and feel and even (I was worried in advance) the quirky screen shape.

And having updated the firmware and loaded up my 1TB microsd (Sandisk - formatted FAT32) with 60,000 songs or so on it, started playing it and great sound. Really like it.

Then I switched it off. Then I switched it back on again. I can cope with the slow start up. But it doesn't restart where it left off and the screen shows "unknown song title" from which I cannot skip forward or skip back because it says "no recently played song" even though in the recently played playlist, the last 50 played songs are showing. So I Have to go into songs to find the track if I want to carry on and scrolling through this many songs is not ideal!

This seems pretty basic stuff and is really frustrating. I cannot see any obvious setting option and this just seems to me like a software flaw.

Anyone else had this? couldn't see a reference to it in the preceding posts though I can see reference to sluggish starts.
Any help or tips gratefully received. Very annoying to have spent £500 on something that malfunctions in such a basic way.

i never seen that issue,
not had any software issues apart from the sometimes it dont boot so gotta restart after last firmware update

 

[IxIIxI]

I have SP1000cu and I was looking for a more portable DAP.

Was comparing SP1000m, SA700 and SR15.

To be honest, before visiting the shop, my mind was set on the SA700. I don't think much of the SR15 at all, except I knew it was the cheapest.

I found that with my 64 Audio N8 CIEM & EA Lionheart running 2.5mm balanced, the SR15's sound signature is surprisingly similar to the SP1000cu. The SA700 sounds different with a more forward vocal than SP1000cu, SP1000m and SR15.

I have also compared other brands' compact DAPs, but nothing come close to the SR15 in terms of size, SQ, smooth UI & user experience, lack of annoying hisses/popping noises, aesthetic design and build quality. Don't discount the SR15 (like I initially did) just because it is an entry level AK DAP, I can see AK has put in lots of efforts in the development and sound tuning of SR15 and IMO, it absolutely hits the sweet spot in terms of price, SQ and portability while many other manufacturers failed. To me, the SR15 is a landmark product from AK.

In the end, I got a SR15 and really enjoying it a lot. Out on the road or in any less than ideal listening environment, using my CIEM and streaming Tidal (mix of HiFi and Master quality), I don't feel that I missed out anything (SQ-wise) as compare to the SP1000cu.

I still keep the SP1000cu for quiet evening listening though.

Oh, one more thing, out of all AK current DAPs, I think the SR15 (and probably the SA700) deserves to be use "naked" without any leather cases (which are usually quite thick and they hide the brilliant tilted screen design elements). Just hold the bare SR15 in your palm, feel all the edges and the contrasting feeling between the aluminium body and smooth back plate, admiring the perfectly executed industrial design and complex geometry of the machine from various angles while listening to your favourite tunes is quite an enjoyment.

I really wish AK can keep developing the SR15 while retaining its form factor/design, or perhaps bring us some meaningful special editions with heavier case materials (brushed SS, CU or brass?) and higher native DSD support etc.

 

[Launedernatur]

Hey guys, does the SR15 come with a system-wide EQ or is it somehow possible to install one to use with streaming apps?

It's system-wide, at least it works with Tidal, the only streaming app I'm using.

 

[Billy50]

Hi guys I have an Astell and Kern player but the headphone jack has broken off I can solder it back on but need help in finding two traces on the top right and bottom right I though they might be ground but doesnt seem right, any help would be mucch appreciated.

 

[psoup216]

Hi everyone, I have a SR15 which I am very pleased with. I recently took the plunge and bought a 1TB card which means I can put a lot more music on. However, I've got an issue with external playlists.I have been using MusicBee to manage music on my PC and syncing music and playlists to the Micro SD card. I then have been copying these to the internal storage playlists folder and as long as the playlist and the M3U file is small it works. Any file size above about 300Kb which is about a 6000 song playlist will not copy over and then locks the machine which needs to be rebooted. Is there a size limit on external playlists and is there any way round this?

I've got an AK70 and like you, use MusicBee. It's been... tedious. I've never ever had success copying M3U files, no matter the size, to the card or internal memory. I've always had to sync through MusicBee. It can be hit or miss, but I recently upped from a 200GB card that was super slow (and caused so many problems) to a lightning fast 256GB one (can't say I need 1TB as I generally don't have whole albums (I mean... why would I ever want Prince's "Free" suddenly playing in my ear?!!!). And copying over from card to card just didn't work. OK, let me wrap up.

My best success with playlists from MusicBee to card on the player is syncing them 1 playlist at a time.
What I've also noticed is that I have to close MB and unplug the player every now and then and then continue on with the playlist syncing. It's as if the two just won't get along if connected too long. But it does work. It may take a couple of tries at times. I even sometimes have a situation where MB will sync some playlists to the internal memory instead of the card for no reason at all!

Also, some people say that you can't have a playlist with more than 1,000 tracks on it. But my Salsa playlist has over 1,400 tracks (not one duplicate) and it works just fine. I'm not sure why people cap it at 1,000.

 

[emrelights1973]

I have SP1000cu and I was looking for a more portable DAP.

Was comparing SP1000m, SA700 and SR15.

To be honest, before visiting the shop, my mind was set on the SA700. I don't think much of the SR15 at all, except I knew it was the cheapest.

I found that with my 64 Audio N8 CIEM & EA Lionheart running 2.5mm balanced, the SR15's sound signature is surprisingly similar to the SP1000cu. The SA700 sounds different with a more forward vocal than SP1000cu, SP1000m and SR15.

I have also compared other brands' compact DAPs, but nothing come close to the SR15 in terms of size, SQ, smooth UI & user experience, lack of annoying hisses/popping noises, aesthetic design and build quality. Don't discount the SR15 (like I initially did) just because it is an entry level AK DAP, I can see AK has put in lots of efforts in the development and sound tuning of SR15 and IMO, it absolutely hits the sweet spot in terms of price, SQ and portability while many other manufacturers failed. To me, the SR15 is a landmark product from AK.

In the end, I got a SR15 and really enjoying it a lot. Out on the road or in any less than ideal listening environment, using my CIEM and streaming Tidal (mix of HiFi and Master quality), I don't feel that I missed out anything (SQ-wise) as compare to the SP1000cu.

I still keep the SP1000cu for quiet evening listening though.

Oh, one more thing, out of all AK current DAPs, I think the SR15 (and probably the SA700) deserves to be use "naked" without any leather cases (which are usually quite thick and they hide the brilliant tilted screen design elements). Just hold the bare SR15 in your palm, feel all the edges and the contrasting feeling between the aluminium body and smooth back plate, admiring the perfectly executed industrial design and complex geometry of the machine from various angles while listening to your favourite tunes is quite an enjoyment.

I really wish AK can keep developing the SR15 while retaining its form factor/design, or perhaps bring us some meaningful special editions with heavier case materials (brushed SS, CU or brass?) and higher native DSD support etc.

i drop it and got a big scratch on the glass and a dent on the Side

 

[Dorick]

Seems like alot of people are having issues with the latest firmware update, any potential fixes found yet? Or just tough it out till they release the next update?

 

[pilgrimbilly]

Seems like alot of people are having issues with the latest firmware update, any potential fixes found yet? Or just tough it out till they release the next update?

I'm toughing it out - following the if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it principle.

Everything currently working 100% for me and my needs, so not taking any chances.

 

[krzysztof4101997]

I also have version 1.13 and it's ok. It's better not to change