[n00b]

in the a&norma series nothing I've seen yet, but in case you missed it there's the new modular SE180: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ast...he-first-modular-dap-from-astell-kern.957402/

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

Version 17.12.1 of Amazon Music app is available on apkpure:

https://apkpure.com/amazon-music-stream-and-discover-songs-podcasts/com.amazon.mp3

 

[Luis Mad]

I managed to install 3.6 beta 1115 using the instructions of riclib in the Se200 thread on how to create the apkpure https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ast...-with-multiple-dacs-head-fi-tv.935878/page-65
I have been using it for a couple of days and now this last version of Beta has very few bugs and it is finally really usable with hires. Previously I could only use it with lossless, hires had too many bugs. Now, the result is excellent to my ears. Apple Music hires in the SR25 and feeding balanced the Denon Ahd7200, excellent combination. Apple music has improved incredibly. They are continuously changing and incorporating more lossles and hires versions. Looking forward to the final official 3.6 but this version is totally worth it.

 

[tbrobison]

Curious about why my SR25, with Amazon Music HD ver. 17 12 1, says that the track quality (while streaming a hires file) is: 24-bit / 96 kHz
Device Capability: 24-bit / 48 kHz
Currently Playing At: 24-bit / 48 kHz

Shouldn't device capability be: 24-bit / 96 kHz?

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

Curious about why my SR25, with Amazon Music HD ver. 17 12 1, says that the track quality (while streaming a hires file) is: 24-bit / 96 kHz
Device Capability: 24-bit / 48 kHz
Currently Playing At: 24-bit / 48 kHz

Shouldn't device capability be: 24-bit / 96 kHz?

It's a known bug with Amazon Music; doesn't affect just the SR25 (I've heard it happen on a few Android DAPs at this point). The quick workaround some of us have found is to go play a 24/96 track from your local library stored on the SR25 for about a minute, then going back into Amazon Music. Hopefully the device capability updates.

For what it's worth, I haven't seen a single update that fixes this universally yet and I doubt we'll see one for a while. This one's on Amazon to fix and there's just way too many supported devices to account for. Will probably take a while.

 

[rlw6534]

It's a known bug with Amazon Music; doesn't affect just the SR25 (I've heard it happen on a few Android DAPs at this point). The quick workaround some of us have found is to go play a 24/96 track from your local library stored on the SR25 for about a minute, then going back into Amazon Music. Hopefully the device capability updates.

For what it's worth, I haven't seen a single update that fixes this universally yet and I doubt we'll see one for a while. This one's on Amazon to fix and there's just way too many supported devices to account for. Will probably take a while.

I'd recommend going for 24/192 which AFAIK is the highest available Amazon quality. Oddly, I sometimes get 24/192 as the device capability on Amazon after a fresh boot but other times have to play a 24/192 file beforehand to make it work.

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

I'd recommend going for 24/192 which AFAIK is the highest available Amazon quality. Oddly, I sometimes get 24/192 as the device capability on Amazon after a fresh boot but other times have to play a 24/192 file beforehand to make it work.

Yep. 24/192 would give even more potential headroom. I can just never remember what tracks I've stored that are 24/192, but have plenty of 24/96. Happens to be what I select at the time.

And, to be fair, I've caught Amazon misreporting their own bitrates on more than one occasion. For example, this album by Wheel is only available in 24/48 (even if you buy it directly from the artist or via Qobuz, yet Amazon reports 24/96:

https://music.amazon.com/albums/B08QBHZKG1?ref=dm_sh_jDCAKADPvjPHKDkcTWY7lgEgF

Then there's the chronic issues I've been having where trying to save playlists for offline listening results in generating 3 copies of the same playlist when I switch to offline mode. Amazon's app needs work.

 

[rlw6534]

Yep. 24/192 would give even more potential headroom. I can just never remember what tracks I've stored that are 24/192, but have plenty of 24/96. Happens to be what I select at the time.

And, to be fair, I've caught Amazon misreporting their own bitrates on more than one occasion. For example, this album by Wheel is only available in 24/48 (even if you buy it directly from the artist or via Qobuz, yet Amazon reports 24/96:

https://music.amazon.com/albums/B08QBHZKG1?ref=dm_sh_jDCAKADPvjPHKDkcTWY7lgEgF

Then there's the chronic issues I've been having where trying to save playlists for offline listening results in generating 3 copies of the same playlist when I switch to offline mode. Amazon's app needs work.

The other thing that bugs me about Amazon Music is that it appears to upsample to the device capability even when playing lower rate tracks. You can see this on DAPs that report the bitrate in the status bar (not A&K, although I wish they did). I can't hear the difference but I still don't like it...

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

The other thing that bugs me about Amazon Music is that it upsamples to the device capability even when playing lower rate tracks. You can see this on DAPs that report the bitrate in the status bar (not A&K, although I wish they did). I can't hear the difference but I still don't like it...

Agreed. And while it might seem like a weird sticking point to not want upsampling/conversion, I'm a purist too. Find myself listening to local music on this more and more, it seems, especially since my Qudelix 5k came in. I can just use that over LDAC for all my streaming needs at this point and that little bugger can sing for its size.

The SR25 is still my baby, but it's my baby with a little less now. Maybe once the integration with these streaming apps improves I can reconsider, but it's just so much less headache to use a smartphone instead.

 

[tbrobison]

It's a known bug with Amazon Music; doesn't affect just the SR25 (I've heard it happen on a few Android DAPs at this point). The quick workaround some of us have found is to go play a 24/96 track from your local library stored on the SR25 for about a minute, then going back into Amazon Music. Hopefully the device capability updates.

For what it's worth, I haven't seen a single update that fixes this universally yet and I doubt we'll see one for a while. This one's on Amazon to fix and there's just way too many supported devices to account for. Will probably take a while.

Thanks, misery, I’ll give a go!

 

[rlw6534]

Agreed. And while it might seem like a weird sticking point to not want upsampling/conversion, I'm a purist too. Find myself listening to local music on this more and more, it seems, especially since my Qudelix 5k came in. I can just use that over LDAC for all my streaming needs at this point and that little bugger can sing for its size.

The SR25 is still my baby, but it's my baby with a little less now. Maybe once the integration with these streaming apps improves I can reconsider, but it's just so much less headache to use a smartphone instead.

Yeah, I've been using my old backup iPhone with a dongle for Apple Music Atmos and lossless lately. Reminds me that I have spent too many $$$s on DAPs with diminishing returns in quality. Although, with the imminent release of Roon for my SP1000M, I may start using it more...

I also have a 5K, and like it very much, especially the PEQ. Unfortunately, there's no LDAC in the Apple ecosystem...

 

[miserybeforethemusic]

Yeah, I've been using my old backup iPhone with a dongle for Apple Music Atmos and lossless lately. Reminds me that I have spent too many $$$s on DAPs with diminishing returns in quality. Although, with the imminent release of Roon for my SP1000M, I may start using it more...

I also have a 5K, and like it very much, especially the PEQ. Unfortunately, there's no LDAC in the Apple ecosystem...

Fair point and it seems silly to be stuck on AAC as a result. Like you, I'm amazed at what $100 can get you nowadays and can definitely see the DAP diminishing returns game. Are you happy with the SP1000M? Secretly hoping A&K eventually adds Roon Ready support to the SR series, though I know that would be a pretty hard ask.

 

[rlw6534]

Fair point and it seems silly to be stuck on AAC as a result. Like you, I'm amazed at what $100 can get you nowadays and can definitely see the DAP diminishing returns game. Are you happy with the SP1000M? Secretly hoping A&K eventually adds Roon Ready support to the SR series, though I know that would be a pretty hard ask.

Well, the SP1000M was supposed to be my endgame (upgrade from SR15), with Roon and streaming support promised at release, along with the premium AK4497 dac. As you probably know, A&K didn't deliver on Roon and the streaming support was spotty at best (and A&K support was terrible with promises and delays). Poor wifi and bluetooth were also issues and the rest of the DAP world moved on and improved on features and performance. Remember, this was almost three years ago and $2400. I suppose that I could live with some of the shortcomings (2.4 GHz wifi and ancient Android, really?) if the support had been premium and updates where frequent, but they weren't. It still doesn't actually have Roon, although it has been announced at Roonlabs.

I can't imagine that I would ever buy another A&K product, but the allure of "high-end" can be a real thing... at least for idiots like me.

But it sure is a nice looking and absolutely great sounding device...

 

[JasonNYC]

Well, the SP1000M was supposed to be my endgame (upgrade from SR15), with Roon and streaming support promised at release, along with the premium AK4497 dac. As you probably know, A&K didn't deliver on Roon and the streaming support was spotty at best (and A&K support was terrible with promises and delays). Poor wifi and bluetooth were also issues and the rest of the DAP world moved on and improved on features and performance. Remember, this was almost three years ago and $2400. I suppose that I could live with some of the shortcomings (2.4 GHz wifi and ancient Android, really?) if the support had been premium and updates where frequent, but they weren't. It still doesn't actually have Roon, although it has been announced at Roonlabs.

I can't imagine that I would ever buy another A&K product, but the allure of "high-end" can be a real thing... at least for idiots like me.

But it sure is a nice looking and absolutely great sounding device...

Latest update overnight was the SP1000M Roon firmware was in final review by the QA team. They are still saying last week of July, first week of August, but it looks like end of July. The QA team found an issue non-Roon related in final QA testing before release, which is what delayed it after being certified by Roon a few weeks ago.

 

[tbrobison]

Thanks, misery, I’ll give a go!

Well, I gave it a go and it.....works, sorta of. Now I see what you mean, misery. My SR25 is now playing 24-bit / 96 kHz, but it took a couple of tracks to get there, weird. In the big picture though, it's a great little dap that allows me to get fully immersed in the music with no interruptions. Now if I could just get Radio Paradise to work...