[DAPpower]

Well, I don't have SR15 for comparison, but considering others referring to the original as having a thin and less engaging sound, I can tell you from my experience of playing with SR25 now - it's far from it. I hear a relatively balanced neutral natural fuller body tonality and good resolution, very similar to Plenue R2 and Hiby R5. But, it has a wider soundstage perception in comparison to R2 and R5, and more layered sound with better dynamics. It was just a quick comparison, but both R2 and R5 sound a little flatter in dynamics next to SR25 playing the same hi-res 24bit FLACs w/U18t. While it is positioned as A&K entry level DAP, the sound performance is more mid-fi, not entry level

So the sound is more balanced overall, this technically sounds a bit like the SP1000m I had.

How about the battery life and useage? Does it stand close to what they claim on paper?

How fast is the OS in terms of navigating the playback and settings?

 

[twister6]

Dont give me dreams
But what about the low end and vocal Mids?

Relatively neutral balanced signature with a more natural tonality. Don't expect bass boost or thin mids. Also, this is not a DAP with Class A amp so, you will need something beefier for your planar magnetic current-hungry cans

 

[twister6]

So the sound is more balanced overall, this technically sounds a bit like the SP1000m I had.

How about the battery life and useage? Does it stand close to what they claim on paper?

How fast is the OS in terms of navigating the playback and settings?

only had SPKM on loan for review last year. That DAP had a thicker warmer sound.

 

[Skullar]

Can anyone suggest me a DAP under 700 USD with a Warm SQ and ability to install streaming apps like Deezer/Spotify? Well, l buy a DAP as soon as the covid19 situation ends.

Ill pair it up with my upcoming IMR PB ONE.
*This will be my 1st DAP. I dont wannabget disappointed with the Sound. Other compromises are withstandable*

I would suggest not to go for warm dap woth PB One.
Go for something neutral and fine tune the rest with filters.
I have Rah myself which is basically same thing and even Sony wm1a was too warm for it.
Obviously you might find it different but i think it is much safer bet.

Also ithink that is not the thread. Ask in Rah thread for other opinions. Cheers

 

[gerelmx1986]

I am wo dering if they will also release a SE200

 

[sup27606]

Hiby R6 Pro has a lot of noise issues as per close sources. This link opened up the truth:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...iby-r6-pro-portable-music-player-review.9931/

I also read the Audio Science review while I was shopping for daps. I took a chance based on numerous sound impressions posted in different places and price. Upon listening, I don’t hear the measured noise having detrimental effect on the listening. What I hear is a good soundstage depth with warm tones and a smooth treble, exactly what the reviews talked about. From your posted question, it seems like you are looking for a dap with a budget price for casual rather than critical listening. I thought, R6 pro fits the bill quite well. The noise is not really as big an issue for the R6 pro as it appears from the posted link, certainly not a dealbreaker for me, from what I hear sonically.

Andromeda’s do render some noise, but nothing significant compared to many other amps and daps that have noise issues with andromeda’s. I don’t hear any noise with any of my other headphones or iems. At the end, it doesn’t matter which dap you choose, but in my opinion, the decision should come from multiple angles; measurements, sound impressions, features, price, battery life. Everything should be taken into consideration.

 

[JasonNYC]

There was already an existing thread started for the SR25 - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/astell-kern-sr25-the-next-a-norma-player.926918/

 

[thelaughingman]

One would expect a modern Bluetooth in a 700$ device, especially when much cheaper competition is offering Bluetooth 5.0 for almost a year now?

shocking right?

 

[Hanesu]

Well, I don't have SR15 for comparison, but considering others referring to the original as having a thin and less engaging sound, I can tell you from my experience of playing with SR25 now - it's far from it. I hear a relatively balanced neutral natural fuller body tonality and good resolution, very similar to Plenue R2 and Hiby R5. But, it has a wider soundstage perception in comparison to R2 and R5, and more layered sound with better dynamics. It was just a quick comparison, but both R2 and R5 sound a little flatter in dynamics next to SR25 playing the same hi-res 24bit FLACs w/U18t. While it is positioned as A&K entry level DAP, the sound performance is more mid-fi, not entry level

Great pictures! Looks even sexier on your pics than on the A&K page!

 

[Hanesu]

This is where things get interesting. The features of SR25, especially the Battery and Interface caught my eyes. I have been surfing all over the internet for reviews related to SR25, or else predecessor SR15. But Iv read that, the sound signature seems thin and not warmish or engaging. By warm and engaging, I prefer a punchy and dynamic low end and smooth mids.

Honestly, I have no clue where that "rumor" comes from, but for sure the SR15 does not sound thin! In my opinion it is the warmest sounding DAP in A&Ks lineup. Always get several opinions on Headfi before you believe something!

 

[der luda]

Honestly, I have no clue where that "rumor" comes from, but for sure the SR15 does not sound thin! In my opinion it is the warmest sounding DAP in A&Ks lineup.

Interesting, then it may be understandable that 2 people have told, who upgraded from the SR15 to the SA700. That you are disappointed by the lack of warmth and bass

 

[courierdriver]

No difference in sound, difference in robustness. 2.5mm is fragile. 2.5mm also doesn't make much sense with big cans, due to that same fragility.

I use only balanced output from my Fiio Q1MK2 and Radsone ES100. My Fiio is over 2 years old and I've never broken a 2.5mm plug. Not sure how people are using their gear, but clearly there are those who seem to treat their hifi components less gently than I do. Longevity is determined by how carefully you treat your gear. I'm curious as to how people who advocate for 4.4 Pentagon will be using their audio gear, if they are snapping off a 2.5mm balanced plug. I just don't get how this type of damage happens unless you are treating your gear roughly. If I was to spend a substantial amount of money (which I consider this device to be) I SAF wouldn't be swinging it around by the iem cable and making plugs snap. With my current 2 balanced 2.5mm devices, I use them at home with my phone and outside around my home. No heavy work or excercise. I don't put my devices in situations where there's a possibility that they could get damaged.

 

[tazzbass]

I also read the Audio Science review while I was shopping for daps. I took a chance based on numerous sound impressions posted in different places and price. Upon listening, I don’t hear the measured noise having detrimental effect on the listening. What I hear is a good soundstage depth with warm tones and a smooth treble, exactly what the reviews talked about. From your posted question, it seems like you are looking for a dap with a budget price for casual rather than critical listening. I thought, R6 pro fits the bill quite well. The noise is not really as big an issue for the R6 pro as it appears from the posted link, certainly not a dealbreaker for me, from what I hear sonically.

Andromeda’s do render some noise, but nothing significant compared to many other amps and daps that have noise issues with andromeda’s. I don’t hear any noise with any of my other headphones or iems. At the end, it doesn’t matter which dap you choose, but in my opinion, the decision should come from multiple angles; measurements, sound impressions, features, price, battery life. Everything should be taken into consideration.

Thats interesting! What about the Interface & battery compared to A&K Normas?

 

[sup27606]

Thats interesting! What about the Interface & battery compared to A&K Normas?

I have never really used a AK DAP, but heard people say good things about the user interface. Hiby’ s interface is closer to native Android than AK, at least from YouTube reviews. Hiby has access to the Google App Store which makes it easier to install different music player apps for comparison. With AK, you have to use APK to install apps, which is just a little bit less straightforward than Hiby. There is no problem with responsiveness of the interface, because Hiby uses reasonably good hardware.

Battery life gets interesting. AK25’s battery life is higher than most daps on the market, 21 hours according to the spec sheet (reviews will tell how long it is under practical use). If you are a heavy user and do a lot of streaming, you may benefit from the AK. Hiby’s battery life is I would say moderate (Officially 12 hours under similar conditions as AK). Nothing to point out, not better or worse than the competition, for a casual user like me with close access to charger at home, it works fine.

 

[Signal2Noise]

The TL;DR review would be: Yawn.