[kawaivpc1]

 
http://shop.iriverinc.com/astell-kern/akt5p.html
 
 
It's officially on sale on Ebay and Amazon:
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Astell-Kern-AK-T5p-Headphone-Premium-Earphone-Brand-New-/281573918338?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item418f1d0682
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Astell-Kern-Beyerdynamic-Limited-Headphones/dp/B00RGS8PEM
 
http://www.projekt-akustik.de/Kopfhoerer/Kopfhoerer-Over-Ear/Astell-Kern-AKT5p::3529.html
 
 
 
What do you guys think about this model?
Does it sound better than current T5p models?
Its current retail price is $1399.
 
Please share your experience and opinion.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

http://shop.iriverinc.com/astell-kern/akt5p.html


It's officially on sale on Ebay and Amazon:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Astell-Kern-AK-T5p-Headphone-Premium-Earphone-Brand-New-/281573918338?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item418f1d0682

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Astell-Kern-Beyerdynamic-Limited-Headphones/dp/B00RGS8PEM

http://www.projekt-akustik.de/Kopfhoerer/Kopfhoerer-Over-Ear/Astell-Kern-AKT5p::3529.html



What do you guys think about this model?
Does it sound better than current T5p models?
Its current retail price is $1399.

Please share your experience and opinion.

I compared the AKT5p belonging to head-fi.org's founder jude to my own Beyer T5p at The Southeastern Michigan Headphone Meet today. I drove either one with the AK240 with the equalization set "on" and to the preset for these headphones. I used them in single ended mode (mainly because I could not figure out what combination of cables and outlets and adapters led to balanced mode!)

The AKT5p sounded a bit better... greater in soundstage, a bit more bass, and a touch more treble detail than my T5ps. Not sure how they would sound on some other source (should have tried... didn't think to!)

 

[kawaivpc1]

Interesting...

Design-wise, AKT5p looks a lot better.
I think we will have to wait at least eight more months till they reduce its price and see some used ones on ebay.

So far, many people have said AKT5p is better.
I guess they're right.

If you have compared them, please feel free to write here!

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Just an additional note:
 
The Beyerdynamic A 200 p tiny DAC / amp that I bought for my T 5 p was actually built by Astell & Kern and labeled by Beyer (it still has A & K on its back). 
 
Now with the AKT5p, we have the reverse collaboration - a Beyer T 5 p headphone tuned and sold by A&K as the AKT5p, just as the Astell & Kern AK10 is tuned and sold by Beyer for its T 5 p.
 
So...  I SHOULD have been comparing the AK240 + AKT5p to my A 200 p + T 5 p, rather than hooking my T 5 p straight into the AK240.  That might have used a better pairing of amp and headphone!

 

[kawaivpc1]

Well, AK10 is a big failure in terms of sound quality.
So many people have mentioned that it doesn't improve that much sound. Its max is 24 96 and doesn't do DSD.
They have dropped it price to $180 a month ago.
I believe this product will be discontinued in this year or by early next year. Geek Out and Oppo HA-2 do 32bit 382khz, DSD at price of 299 dollars.


while, this AKT5p seems like a real deal.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Well, AK10 is a big failure in terms of sound quality.
So many people have mentioned that it doesn't improve that much sound. Its max is 24 96 and doesn't do DSD.
They have dropped it price to $180 a month ago.
I believe this product will be discontinued in this year or by early next year. Geek Out and Oppo HA-2 do 32bit 382khz, DSD at price of 299 dollars.


while, this AKT5p seems like a real deal.

I dunno... I really like my A 200 p (of course, I ONLY use it from the iPhone 5 or iPod Touch Gen 5, which do not do 24 96).
 
It seems to have earned #10 spot among the amps reviewed here on head-fi.org.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/beyerdynamic-a200p-portable-mobile-dac-headphone-amp-for-iphone-and-android-phones-black-silver/reviews
 
Maybe there were more changes to get from the AK 10 to the A 200 p.

 

[kawaivpc1]

I think iBasso D55 is better. D55 is now 210 dollars on Ebay. It sounds like nothing else out there.
 
 
I wish I can test AKT5p. I was about to purchase Ultrasone's singature pro closed headphone. Then, someone mentioned that T5p is much better and I found this new AKT5p. It looks better and I like the "A" logo.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

  I think iBasso D55 is better. D55 is now 210 dollars on Ebay. It sounds like nothing else out there.
 
 
I wish I can test AKT5p. I was about to purchase Ultrasone's singature pro closed headphone. Then, someone mentioned that T5p is much better and I found this new AKT5p. It looks better and I like the "A" logo.

I think I can assure you that you will NOT be disappointed with a AKT5p!  I love my T 5 p, with or without the Beyerdynamic A200p driving it, and the AKT5p driven by the AK240 was even better. 
 
My other choice I was considering with the T 5 p was the Fostex TH 900.  It generally was thought to have better sound than the T 5 p by those who heard them both, but it also had much poorer sound isolation.  My "logic" was that for listening in a noisy room (which is why I was looking for a good closed headphone), I needed the extra isolation offered by the T 5 p, and subleties of very good vs. excellent sound would be lost in the noise!
 
I finally heard a Fostex TH 900 at the meet Saturday where I compared my T 5 p to the AKt5p... more deep, more colored, less analytical, and less noise insulating than the T 5 p.

 

[kawaivpc1]

 
I think I can assure you that you will NOT be disappointed with a AKT5p!  I love my T 5 p, with or without the Beyerdynamic A200p driving it, and the AKT5p driven by the AK240 was even better. 
 
My other choice I was considering with the T 5 p was the Fostex TH 900.  It generally was thought to have better sound than the T 5 p by those who heard them both, but it also had much poorer sound isolation.  My "logic" was that for listening in a noisy room (which is why I was looking for a good closed headphone), I needed the extra isolation offered by the T 5 p, and subleties of very good vs. excellent sound would be lost in the noise!
 
I finally heard a Fostex TH 900 at the meet Saturday where I compared my T 5 p to the AKt5p... more deep, more colored, less analytical, and less noise insulating than the T 5 p.

I'd love to get my hands on it.
I just can't find an opportunity to do so at the moment.

 

[TraneTime]

  I'd love to get my hands on it.
I just can't find an opportunity to do so at the moment.

I'm a little late to the party on this thread but I heard the AKT5p at a meet a few weeks ago.  I listened with my AK120 (1st generation) mated with a Glove Audio A1 using the balanced connection as well as the AK380.  It sounded excellent with a tighter, though less forward, bass than the TH900.  (I've got a TH900.)  The Fostex does have a larger sound stage.  This might be due to the leakage people remark about when they've heard the TH900.  The AKT5p is completely closed while the TH900, while being closed backed, has a gap between the metal surrounds and the cups. It's similar to the Sony MDR R10 which also had a gap between the cups and pads and also had a large soundstage.  Anyway, if you get the chance to listen to the AKT5p I think you'll really like it.        

 

[kawaivpc1]

The problem is its price.

 

[TraneTime]

The problem is its price.

Yeah.  Unfortunately the price is an issue.  However, I did see a used one for sale on Head-Fi a few weeks ago for about $800.  I offered to buy it and was corresponding with the seller when he simply stopped communicating with me.  I don't know why unless he got cold feet because I'm new to Head-Fi and also new to PayPal.  But there are less expensive ones out there.