[singboo1000]

Singpoo thanks for your insight and your feedback on the players as I'm also considering to upgrade...

I'm.also leaning towards AK320 have to audition however no access to LPG...

I really recommend that you try both before buying if you can. It's a lot of money and will come down to your ears and personal tastes. There are reviews of the PAW that paint it as open wide and transparent, etc. I found it good for sure but actually preferred the sound signature of other devices including the AK 320.

For you it may be different...

 

[alvinmate]

Good advice thanks...for my home use I have Violectric gear which gives me great satisfaction...however for my travel companion on trains and for office I was initially thinking of getting ak100ii....then skipped all in-between to AK320 and still deciding... I bet this is better than ak240ss?

 

[singboo1000]

Good advice thanks...for my home use I have Violectric gear which gives me great satisfaction...however for my travel companion on trains and for office I was initially thinking of getting ak100ii....then skipped all in-between to AK320 and still deciding... I bet this is better than ak240ss?

I'm careful in using the term 'better'. There seem to be a lot of spec sheets, marketing and influencers out there...and let's not forget the price positioning. I'd say different. I liked the sound of the Ak100ii and the ak240ss. But couldn't tell much difference with the SS and the regular 240. Price difference seemed insane though. The 320 had a very appealing sound to me - I preferred it overall to the 240 which I also liked. It was cheaper to boot and the screen and ergonomics/UI speed were more to my liking.

I had started with the AK range by listening to the 100ii and 120ii. I tried the 380 and the sound was a big step up. 240 was great but different and the 320 sounded like the 380 with a lower ticket price. I don't listen to DSD files so that omission in the spec was okay for me.

Of the others that stood out for me; Value/performance FiiO x5ii; Letdown vs rave reviews iBasso DX80; Surprise performance but poor ergonomics/software PAW; Good also for value and performance Cowon P1 Plenue.

Wasn't at all blown away by the Sony range. Couldn't lay hands on the Onkyo DP-X1 to get a handle on that as it was an appealing option. Discounted based upon anecdotal feedback to date.

All totally subjective and personal taste of course. Point is that, on pure listening experience there's not a huge correlation with price in my experience so far and the Chinese manufacturers are making very strong inroads here if they could get the software together...

Also, try different headphone pairings with all as it makes a lot of difference on some devices I would have otherwise written off.

So I bought an AK 320 based purely upon listening to sample songs from my preferred genres and paired it unimaginitively with the AK5TP having also auditioned the regular version (as well as IEMs and a heap of other cans, some of which I loved but didn't get what I wanted from the 320). It felt like I was being stiffed on the price vs the lower price options that were in range of being as good to the ear. But damn, it does sound very, very good to my ears. Really wide and airy soundstage which is more akin to sitting listening to a hifi - exactly what I wanted. The device itself is extremely appealing in terms of quality and design and the user experience is just very easy and intuitive.

My 5c.

 

[mcemce13]

Yep, me upgraded from the Sony NWX2 to the Ak320 and the difference is really noticeable. Much more clear details and huge soundstage, its like the music is separated in layers and the voices are so much clear than the Sony. Before Sony had the Fiio X5 II, for the money/value was good.
 
I am using it with the ie800, really very happy with it. Also have a Mojo for desktop use, its very good value but still is not the Ak320 sound quality IMO

 

[Audiowood]

Yep, me upgraded from the Sony NWX2 to the Ak320 and the difference is really noticeable. Much more clear details and huge soundstage, its like the music is separated in layers and the voices are so much clear than the Sony. Before Sony had the Fiio X5 II, for the money/value was good.


 


I am using it with the ie800, really very happy with it. Also have a Mojo for desktop use, its very good value but still is not the Ak320 sound quality IMO

 


So AK320 better sound quality wise than Mojo? I am looking to downgrade from AK240 to Ak320..being researching..

 

[teros1]

  well maybe in theory yes and on paper yes and in reality yes, but to my ears i hear no difference at all 
 
things that have real impact on sound quality are
 
1- ear tips
2- ear pads
3- damping drivers
4-and maybe cables 
 
other than that nothing is audible to my ears, and I really thing what has been talked about is really something a listener would not perceive and would fail flat in blind tests
 
and i tried it with my freind and the results assured my finding above 

 
I'll admit that I am just getting into headphone/earphone systems and don't have much experience to the drivers of SQ.
 
But if we're going to start invoking DBT as the (only) standard for "sounding different," these Head-Fi forums will become a more orderly but far less interesting place (IMO).

 

[mcemce13]

Absolutely better the AK320, with sensible IEMs and Headphones the improved SQ is obvious. However, on not so sensible headphones you may like it more the MOJO, because is more punchy and sparkling. The difference is that the Ak320 is much more extended in lows and highs, and has a huge soundstage compared to Mojo. Also the Mojo is little more V shape sound with little recessed mids. The clarity of the mids in the AK320 is amazing, but at the same time the treble and low extension is great.
 
Don't get me wrong, Mojo I believe is the best value at that price and I don't think anything sub $1,500 sounds better. For sure sounded much better than the Sony NWX2.

 

[Sound Eq]

  Absolutely better the AK320, with sensible IEMs and Headphones the improved SQ is obvious. However, on not so sensible headphones you may like it more the MOJO, because is more punchy and sparkling. The difference is that the Ak320 is much more extended in lows and highs, and has a huge soundstage compared to Mojo. Also the Mojo is little more V shape sound with little recessed mids. The clarity of the mids in the AK320 is amazing, but at the same time the treble and low extension is great.
 
Don't get me wrong, Mojo I believe is the best value at that price and I don't think anything sub $1,500 sounds better. For sure sounded much better than the Sony NWX2.

can i ask then 
 
which iems have have low impedence and are sensitive and easy to drive like the shure 846.
 
As for example all sony iems I have sony z5 and sony xb90ex and the asg 2.5 and senheiser momentum honestly sound dull on the ak daps, so I will never buy an iem again unless I know it can be driven with authority with the ak dap

 

[joshuachew]

Yep, me upgraded from the Sony NWX2 to the Ak320 and the difference is really noticeable. Much more clear details and huge soundstage, its like the music is separated in layers and the voices are so much clear than the Sony. Before Sony had the Fiio X5 II, for the money/value was good.


 


I am using it with the ie800, really very happy with it. Also have a Mojo for desktop use, its very good value but still is not the Ak320 sound quality IMO

 


So AK320 better sound quality wise than Mojo? I am looking to downgrade from AK240 to Ak320..being researching..

The ak320 from the AK240 is an upgrade. I came from the 240. And on PCM, side by side with the 380 and 320 sound identical.

 

[plakat]

Anyone here using the AK320 with the AK amp?

 
Time to time yes, but the only case where I see an advantage with amp is with my HD800S balanced. In most cases (i.e. on the go with iems or even at home with T5p 2.Gen or DT1770)
 

  Absolutely better the AK320, with sensible IEMs and Headphones the improved SQ is obvious. However, on not so sensible headphones you may like it more the MOJO, because is more punchy and sparkling. The difference is that the Ak320 is much more extended in lows and highs, and has a huge soundstage compared to Mojo. Also the Mojo is little more V shape sound with little recessed mids. The clarity of the mids in the AK320 is amazing, but at the same time the treble and low extension is great.

 
I hear that differently, preferring the Mojo. But I did not buy the AK320 to carry an external DAC with me, and it does sound very good on itself. But not as good as the Mojo, which is more detailed to me, offering an even wider space around my head and sounds more imperative.

 

[joshuachew]

   
Time to time yes, but the only case where I see an advantage with amp is with my HD800S balanced. In most cases (i.e. on the go with iems or even at home with T5p 2.Gen or DT1770)
 

 
Does the amp improve the sound and is the colour and size mismatch annoying? If its not too much trouble Could I see how they look together size and colour wise?

 

[plakat]

   
Does the amp improve the sound and is the colour and size mismatch annoying? If its not too much trouble Could I see how they look together size and colour wise?

No problem, see below. To me the misfit its annoying (more the physical aspects than the colors which somewhat go together), but not up to the point of spending 2k€ extra just for aligning the edges (I have absolutely no use for DSD whatsoever). I don't think it actually improves the sound but it enables me to use headphones that are a bit more demanding (like the HD800S and the T1.2). What I don't like is the AK320 volume wheel, the solution on the AK380 looks much better and less prone to movement in the pocket (I use the lock setting though).
A leather thing is on the way to contain both AK320 and amp... but mostly I use the AK320 standalone.
 
Volume wheel is not aligned with the cutout on the amp:

 
Side of the amp stands out:

 
Actually both sides stand out at the top:

 
And the right side even at the bottom:

 

[joshuachew]

 
No problem, see below. To me the misfit its annoying (more the physical aspects than the colors which somewhat go together), but not up to the point of spending 2k€ extra just for aligning the edges (I have absolutely no use for DSD whatsoever). I don't think it actually improves the sound but it enables me to use headphones that are a bit more demanding (like the HD800S and the T1.2). What I don't like is the AK320 volume wheel, the solution on the AK380 looks much better and less prone to movement in the pocket (I use the lock setting though).
A leather thing is on the way to contain both AK320 and amp... but mostly I use the AK320 standalone.
 
Volume wheel is not aligned with the cutout on the amp:

 
Side of the amp stands out:

 
Actually both sides stand out at the top:

 
And the right side even at the bottom:

 
Thanks for that. I guess I'll just stick with using the 320 with the Hugo when I need a more powerful output. 

 

[plakat]

   
Thanks for that. I guess I'll just stick with using the 320 with the Hugo when I need a more powerful output. 

If you own the Hugo I'd keep that as its much more versatile than the external A&K amp, usable with a variety of sources and not just the AK320/AK380. In most cases the AK320 alone does work fine for me and when sitting down in a hotel room its just as easy to get out a Hugo as it is to attach the A&K amp. And the latter is not that cheap either...

 

[mcemce13]

I am using the Ak320 with the ie800