[Goldlion973]

  I know that Cowon always publishes their DAP file limitations with internal and external memory but none of these companies (FiiO, iBasso, AK) seem to do that... my AK100 MK2 seems to at least get upward 5,000 song files (67xx actually). Not sure about 10,000 or even 25,000

(are those microSD cards filled with 120kbps mp3s?!?!?!)

 
You think the figure is only for internal memory? Would have felt that they'd count the SD cards in with that as a total file count its capable of reading / processing.

 

[Goldlion973]

  Omg, the price went up 4X. 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SDHC-SD-card-to-micro-SD-TF-extension-adapter-FPC-cable-for-mobile-phone-/221149974785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337d90d101
 
But here another version. 
 
http://dx.com/p/sd-to-microsd-transflash-card-converter-module-27001

 
How many files do you have stored on the 120 STVC? Have you gone past the 10,000 limit yet?

 

[stvc]

Far away from 10k. Only 3.3k.

 

[jlbrach]

I have been listening to my 120 titan with my shure 846 IEM and I must say the sound is glorious....spacious,well defined,great separation and detail and simply dead quiet so all you here is the music....i have plenty of problems with the UI but damn the thing sounds fantastic

 

[ianmedium]

Having come from an HM801 the UI on this is a dream in comparison. I soon got used to just going through the list of artists. I know a lot of folks have been talking about extra memory but I just use the on board for my high resolution flies and then two 32G cards, one for general and the other for classical. I named them that way as well so as to aid choosing the right card and seeing as all the hi rez is onboard that is easy to find as well.

I have never filled my cards or the on board to capacity because it is so easy go go home at the end of the day and change albums if I so wish. less hassle than going through reams of albums!

 

[burtomr]

I have never filled my cards or the on board to capacity because it is so easy go go home at the end of the day and change albums if I so wish. less hassle than going through reams of albums!

 
Agreed.
 
Which brings up the issue with the 'new' AK240 with just (1) SD slot and all the rest of the storage internal. This is a step backwards IMO. Now you have to plug it in to change the majority music files. Why-oh-why they didn't continue with (2) SD slots is hard to understand or appreciate.

 

[ianmedium]

I must admit the two slots I find, for the reasons I have given are such a useful feature.

 

[jwbrent]

Given the native playback of DSD64 and 128 files and the likelihood users of the AK240 will purchase these files, I think the memory is too small. I downloaded the DSD Counting Crows album from Super HiRez and it was 2.2GB. I assume if it was a 128 file (realizing it may be a long while before there is a large selection of DSD128 files available), it would be double the size. 256GB is just not enough, especially for the projected price of the AK240.
 
They should just put in 512GB of memory and raise the price accordingly ... or, change the memory card slot to SDXC so 128GB and 256GB cards can be used. I've read nothing about the imminent release of 128GB microSD cards.

 

[jwbrent]

I am enjoying the sound of my recently purchased AK120. I have about 250 hours of playtime on it by now and my feeling is that it is a worthwhile upgrade over my previously owned AK100. The 100 (v2.30) had a slightly warmer presentation in the upper midrange that was engaging with some of the music I own. There's always the EQ but I tend not to use it for purity sake as well as battery life.
 
I really like how A&K tightened up the volume knob compared to the overly wiggly 100 knob; however, I was not happy with the continued issue of album art not showing on many of my songs (v1.37). I understand I can resize my album art to 500x500 pixels, but I have too many songs to bother with that. A&K should fix this in a future firmware update. Also, I'd be interested in finding out if other users with DSD files loaded have album art since I did resize those and still, no artwork. Finally, I noticed on my DSD files there is a slight tick noise between tracks instead of the usual silence on the rest of my files—reminiscent of my earlier owned Colorfly C4 Pro when the sample rate converter was engaged.

 

[Goldlion973]

Yeah, easy to hot swap SD cards.
 
Am not sure if I want to upgrade to a RW mod + 71b amp which would come to £1000+ or if I should sell the 120 and get the AK240... the mini jack for balanced is putting me off.

 

[nashton]

  I actually called iRiver today and spoke to a tech today who told me that yes there is a 10,000 song limit that the unit can scan and as such only 10,000 songs can be accounted for in the players internal memory....i use the folders for the players internal memory and the micro cards but this is not how it was explained to me initially....i was originally told that the internal memory and that on each of the micro cards would be combined together and then properly shown in either the album or artist icon....unfortunately that is not the way it works sadly...I have 25,000 songs on my titan unit and the only way for me to access them is by using the folders rather than having everything combined together.......I told the tech that it was absolutely ridiculous that a product that allows for 256 GB of space is limited to cataloguing 10,000 songs......sound-wise it is a great product which is why I will put up with all of the UI issues...that said there is a lot of work left for iRiver to bring the UI experience up to that of the sound quality.....for the time being i will settle for some better way to navigate my music and hopefully the ability to scan and catalogue all of my music not just 10,000 songs

I'm with you. This is a premium-priced product with a UI that's appropriate to a cheap small 8GB player. There's no way I'll be paying for any further A&K products unless there's a dramatic increase in basic functions like dynamic playlists, ratings support, much faster library scanning, real playlist support, etc. There are more players coming out for 24-bit music - A&K are going to find they are over-pricing and under-delivering.

 

[Goldlion973]

Missed that post, thanks for the info JLBrach so you're saying that the folders can be used to to store the 'excess' music and that the 10,000 file limit only applies to files in the music folder? So the scan only scans the SD cards and music folder leaving the others untouched? If so it won't add art work, obviously.
 
Personally don't have an issue with the device "only" counting for 10,000 tracks. The scan is annoying but its made so that you can utilize the dual SD card slots as a portable device so you can have a Genre on one card and a Genre on another to swap if/when need be. So far this device has raised the bar in what can be done in such a small and friendly device its near enough on par with the HM901 and that thing is a tank and suffers from a UI that's probably less user friendly than a real tank. If people want a device that can store their ENTIRE music collection of .WAV at 24/192 be able to fit it in their pocket and scan in a nano second as well as search for files then you're probably wanting a tablet with a larger screen and a decent amp/dac as seperate.
 
Can't buy a small form factor device, mod it then complain about its limitations. It is what it is and if its that bad they have the AK240 which can search and hold more files (I think).

 

[scook94]

I might be wrong but I think it's purely a limitation on the Operating System that it will only recognise 10000 tracks. I don't think it matters where they are. IIRC the OS/Firmware of the AK240 is changed to an Android based one so that it doesn't have this restriction. Again I might be wrong, if I wasn't posting from my phone I'd have done a bit more research.

 

[Goldlion973]

 AK120 Titan Talent yen in the ass to 128GB of capacity constraint was applied.
But Native DSD, MQS sources, such as the size of the growing
Portable Music Player response to the presence of a maximum capacity of 256GB
Applied. 256GB of MQS (24bit 96kHz, one 4 minutes, 90MB standard)
Can store more than 2500 songs for about capacity.

In addition, up to 384GB through 128GB external memory expansion.
 
http://www.astellnkern.com/kor/htm/ak240/ak240_feature01.asp

 
.lol. Cut and pasted from google translate, didn't add anything.
 
Figure can't be right though, wondering if anyone can read what it actually says?
 

  256GB의 대용량
아스탤엔컨은 AK120 Titan에서 128GB의 용량을 적용하였습니다.
하지만 Native DSD, MQS 등 점점 커지고 있는 음원 크기에
대응하기 위해 현존하는 휴대용 Music Player 최고 용량인 256GB를
적용하였습니다. 256GB는 MQS(24bit 96kHz, 한 곡 4분, 90MB기준)
를 약 2,500곡 이상 저장할 수 있는 용량입니다.

또한 128GB의 외장 메모리를 통해 384GB까지 확장이 가능합니다.

 

[ianmedium]

I am enjoying the sound of my recently purchased AK120. I have about 250 hours of playtime on it by now and my feeling is that it is a worthwhile upgrade over my previously owned AK100. The 100 (v2.30) had a slightly warmer presentation in the upper midrange that was engaging with some of the music I own. There's always the EQ but I tend not to use it for purity sake as well as battery life.

I really like how A&K tightened up the volume knob compared to the overly wiggly 100 knob; however, I was not happy with the continued issue of album art not showing on many of my songs (v1.37). I understand I can resize my album art to 500x500 pixels, but I have too many songs to bother with that. A&K should fix this in a future firmware update. Also, I'd be interested in finding out if other users with DSD files loaded have album art since I did resize those and still, no artwork. Finally, I noticed on my DSD files there is a slight tick noise between tracks instead of the usual silence on the rest of my files—reminiscent of my earlier owned Colorfly C4 Pro when the sample rate converter was engaged.

I have not had an issue with album art over 500x500 though I try to keep it to that or a bit lower. I have not yet successfully been able to have album art with DSD though. I hope they fix that in the next update. Having said that I have mine set up for the screen to go off quickly so it does not really matter.

As to the clicks. I have heard others say about this. I just listened to mine again to be sure and I hear no clicks.

I am not an EQ fan, never have been. I prefer to EQ in hardwear via system matching headphones and amp. Having said that I thought I would try this one and to my ears all EQ did was to take away the "magic musicality" that the 120 has (to my ears) It either just sounded louder or more blurred so I have not gone back to it since!