[twister6]

Keep forgetting to mention, even so the title of this thread for Hiby R8 says Snapdragon 625, the actual SoC used in R8 is Snapdragon 660 SoC 8-core processor running at max 2.2GHz clock rate, 8x Qualcomm Kryo 260 Gold/Silver architecture and Adreno 512 GPU.

 

[kp297]

Keep forgetting to mention, even so the title of this thread for Hiby R8 says Snapdragon 625, the actual SoC used in R8 is Snapdragon 660 SoC 8-core processor running at max 2.2GHz clock rate, 8x Qualcomm Kryo 260 Gold/Silver architecture and Adreno 512 GPU.

Explains why the R8 is so fast and responsive. Loving how this DAP can actually KEEP UP with my rapid actions.

 

[DarginMahkum]

In the meanwhile, in a galaxy far far away, based on the "produce to confuse" product diarrhoea concept, the evil empire strikes back with the same old same old... But this time surprisingly with 4.4mm output and LDAC. Of course, no mentioning of which controller it is (probably Snapdragon 425).

https://www.astellnkern.com/eng/con...scg=CG210210&spos=3&tcg=&tpos=0&gcode=SC36280

 

[kp297]

In the meanwhile, in a galaxy far far away, based on the "produce to confuse" product diarrhoea concept, the evil empire strikes back with the same old same old... But this time surprisingly with 4.4mm output and LDAC. Of course, no mentioning of which controller it is (probably Snapdragon 425).

https://www.astellnkern.com/eng/con...scg=CG210210&spos=3&tcg=&tpos=0&gcode=SC36280

Awwww it’s so cute watching them catching up

 

[DarginMahkum]

Awwww it’s so cute watching them catching up

And how do you like the sound so far? Any comparisons?

 

[kp297]

And how do you like the sound so far? Any comparisons?

Sure! I’ve used the R8 for three hours so far. The R8 is super fast and responsive. As a device, I love it and it blazes through apps with ease. The screen is fabulous. A breath of fresh air.

So off the bat, I still miss the smooth rich sound from the Cayin N8. The N8 is still the king of portable player sound quality IMHO, but that’s the only part where the N8 can still wear the crown. N8 falls short for UX.

R8 sound quality is definitely in the neutral realm, but less bright than Lotoo Paw Gold Touch. I can listen to the R8 without treble fatigue that I got on the Lotoo, however it does retain the edge of some EDM songs. The R8 renders sound in an enjoyable and listenable neutral signature. Kinda like the Odins and more enjoyable for me than the Lotoo. The Turbo mode FOR SURE increases soundstage on equipment like Odins, but I need to listen to it more to ascertain which gear benefits more than others. I don’t see a situation where I would turn turbo off, but need to test more. In summary, R8 on Turbo seems like the way to go. If R8 owner has DX220 MAX, I would be interested in comparison to that.

My favorite portable neutral player up to this point is Shanling M5s. The R8 is a definite improvement, but I think my experience speaks to how AMAZING the value of Shanling DAPs are.

 

[davidmolliere]

In the meanwhile, in a galaxy far far away, based on the "produce to confuse" product diarrhoea concept, the evil empire strikes back with the same old same old... But this time surprisingly with 4.4mm output and LDAC. Of course, no mentioning of which controller it is (probably Snapdragon 425).https://www.astellnkern.com/eng/con...scg=CG210210&spos=3&tcg=&tpos=0&gcode=SC36280

Yeah well, let's see this as a good sign, at long last a 4.4 output! And the ESS9068AS is a good DAC, I had a listen at the ESS output from SE200 and it's pretty good. With more powerful amp that might be interesting... especially given the 1099$ price tag... something is happening at AK

Edit : Hmmm, of concern is 1.8ohm output impedance balanced, not great.... not as bad as M15 with its 3ohms OI but...

 

[DarginMahkum]

Yeah well, let's see this as a good sign, at long last a 4.4 output! And the ESS9068AS is a good DAC, I had a listen at the ESS output from SE200 and it's pretty good. With more powerful amp that might be interesting...

I actually prefer the ESS DACs to AK DACs. I tested the R8 and MAX line-outs to the same amp, and (still) preferred the sound I am hearing from MAX. It was the same characteristic I was hearing from phone-outs. But, that didn't hold me back from selling the MAX due to the Frankenstein's monster design and performance.

For someone using streaming services, R8 is such a huge leap with its overall user experience, it is difficult to go back to anything else. The new KANN is most probably using the SD425 which is 4xA53 (same as Cayin N6ii), which can never keep up with the SD660 of R8.

 

[arijitroy2]

One of the few reaons I dont go for AK players is the non-support for UAPP! I dont get that!

 

[davidmolliere]

I actually prefer the ESS DACs to AK DACs. I tested the R8 and MAX line-outs to the same amp, and (still) preferred the sound I am hearing from MAX. It was the same characteristic I was hearing from phone-outs. But, that didn't hold me back from selling the MAX due to the Frankenstein's monster design and performance. For someone using streaming services, R8 is such a huge leap with its overall user experience, it is difficult to go back to anything else. The new KANN is most probably using the SD425 which is 4xA53 (same as Cayin N6ii), which can never keep up with the SD660 of R8.

Yeah sure, SQ is one thing but not only, for streaming as you say the overall user experience is key... R8 is strong there and a unique proposition...

I checked KANN Alpha spec and... of concern is 1.8ohm output impedance balanced, not great.... not as bad as M15 with its 3ohms OI but... this means with lower impendance IEMs possibly the signature will be skewed...

 

[DarginMahkum]

If R8 owner has DX220 MAX, I would be interested in comparison to that.

Both I and @twister6 wrote some impressions in the back posts.

One of the few reaons I dont go for AK players is the non-support for UAPP! I dont get that!

UAPP needs Google Play Services and Store, which AK software platform does not support. AK has their own skin / launcher that does not allow this. As I understand, the new KANN is also based on Android 9 but it is the same user experience as before, meaning from UI will stay the same as before. Some people might prefer that, but I would prefer standard Android.

 

[gLer]

The one thing I DO like about the new A&K Alpha is the price. Something is definitely happening at A&K for them to release a "lower price" player with specs that, at least on paper, suggest desktop-class performance. Will wait and see what it actually sounds like, but at least the pricing is heading in the right direction for a change. Unfortunately it seems the Alpha is still hamstrung with no full Android support, but again this might not be important to everyone. I'd love to see an R8-spec player in a slightly smaller form factor in the lower $1K price bracket, and the Alpha's pricing at least suggests that we'll see this happening over the next 12 months or so.

 

[gLer]

So are you saying it’s not really 768k that I’m hearing on a Tidal track, for example?

That's correct. The software is not upsampling to 768K, that's just the max unfold bitrate. If the track is encoded at 24/44.1 (like many are) MQA, that's what you'll be getting.

 

[kp297]

The Dunu Luna and R8, this is on another level. This may even have better synergy than with the DMP Z1. Am I thinking insane thoughts???

 

[aaf evo]

Couldn’t resist, bought an R8. Looking forward to comparing it to the Max. To me the Max is the best DAP I have heard but I enjoy a snappy UI so we’ll see how this goes!