[fumanchu]

Yes, I can wait and even benefit by attending meets and sampling some options. Are those products you mentioned capable of the AK120 sound quality? In the end, SQ will drive my decision with the convenience factors such as file management a distant second priority. Then again, practicality (ease of use while running, driving, distracted) is quite important since I'm often preoccupied.

 

[VladGuardian]

fumanchu:

Are those products you mentioned capable of the AK120 sound quality?

Are you questioning me?

I only could tell you that AK120 has:
- great UI (a minimalist's dream)
- not buggy (almost), when comparing to hifimans, colorflys, ibassos
- almost great high-detailed sound with excellent scene
- if you like heavy genres and prefer them, probably YOU SHOULD look for some other player (that's my personal impression from AK120, my IMO, so take it with precaution...)

 

[fumanchu]

Thanks for the response, Vlad !

My interest in Music takes me many places and I find myself wanting to learn Artist/song name on occasion. Obscure and dated musicians just haven't been drilled into my radio brain as top 40 might be; not all old timers get reborn like Rodriguez - Sugar Man!

I'll have my eye out for the AK120 when its price comes down, looking forward to a listen.

Long Live Freedom in Ukraine !!!

 

[sutjahjo]

Anyone here upgrading to AK240?

I have, just today!

 

[Mooses9]

Eh too much griping over the cost of the 240 the 120 is 1300.00 what we're you expecting.

I think Iriver is playing their customers. Esp when it comes to the price range. Don't get me wrong the 120 sounds excellent and I'm happy with it. And I feel like it does a excellent job of replacing my amp dac day and interconnects all rolled into one and that is the 120.

I river hasn't really been at the forefront of the audiophile scene in a while. Imo since the ihp 140 came out.

So I'm sure they are overzealous and that's where the pricing comes into play.

 

[ianmedium]

Yeah, I am not really griping, just want to wait till I hear it. If it really is head and shoulders of my 120 and amp then I probably will get it but at this point and with being so very happy with the sound of the 120 it is going to have to be some improvement.

Its more about stopping jumping on the latest thing every year for me. That route lays madness I feel and at this level in my experience improvements are never shockingly better but more subtle and more to do with ones individual tastes. Right now the 120 with TU-05/T5P or FAD Piano Forte's covers all my musical bases. If this were my last set up I would never feel short changed.

 

[burtomr]

If this were my last set up I would never feel short changed.

 
Well, as your online therapist, I can point out that your statement indicates the best course of action for you would be to immediately un-subscribe from this thread and delete the HeadFi bookmark from your browser, and/or simply turn-off your Internet service. Then the anxiousness will subside over a period of several weeks allowing you to return to the human race instead of the audio chase.
 
That will be $200 please...

 

 

[Saraguie]

   
Well, as your online therapist, I can point out that your statement indicates the best course of action for you would be to immediately un-subscribe from this thread and delete the HeadFi bookmark from your browser, and/or simply turn-off your Internet service. Then the anxiousness will subside over a period of several weeks allowing you to return to the human race instead of the audio chase.
 
That will be $200 please...

 

Not only are you expensive, your patients don't feel good after following your advice 

 

[ianmedium]

You two are hysterical!

 

[thestefster]

So I have trawled the net and this forum and am just wondering if someone can answer for the question around the USB 3 DAC support. I have a new Macbook Pro.. two weeks old. I cannot get any sound out of the AK120. It shows up as a device on the Mac and seems to allow music to it but no sound in the headphones. Same as my desktop Windows 8 PC.
 
Does it - or does it not work.
 
Thanks guys.

 

[beemarman]

  So I have trawled the net and this forum and am just wondering if someone can answer for the question around the USB 3 DAC support. I have a new Macbook Pro.. two weeks old. I cannot get any sound out of the AK120. It shows up as a device on the Mac and seems to allow music to it but no sound in the headphones. Same as my desktop Windows 8 PC.
 
Does it - or does it not work.
 
Thanks guys.

Mine didn't work on my new Dell with USB 3. I think it says only USB 1 or 2 supported.

 

[Bluebear]

So I have trawled the net and this forum and am just wondering if someone can answer for the question around the USB 3 DAC support. I have a new Macbook Pro.. two weeks old. I cannot get any sound out of the AK120. It shows up as a device on the Mac and seems to allow music to it but no sound in the headphones. Same as my desktop Windows 8 PC.

Does it - or does it not work.

Thanks guys.

The only external DAC devices I see with USB 3.0 ports are from iFi Audio, e.g. their iDSD NANO http://www.stereo.com.sg/store/product.php?cPath=663_859&products_id=2922. But it is still using USB 2.0 format as transport protocol according to its specifications. It claims to be future proof to support higher bitrates with more firmware upgrades, so its existing USB 3.0 port could receive some real digital signals then. I am not sure if its current form can work right off a USB 3.0 connection on the PC side. Need someone who owns one to test it out.

 

[onlychild]

I've spend some time trying to figure out the USB dac thing with my AK120.  It worked perfectly on my late 2012 retina macbook but does not work on my 2013 retina macbook. 
 
What I have discovered is the way the apple has implemented usb on the new MacBooks is what is causing the issue, because my late 2012 had only usb 3.0 ports and it still worked. 
 
If you go to the apple logo, then "about this mac" and then "system report" then "usb" -->  what is happening differently with the new MacBooks is that the ak120 is on the same "hub" as the internal keyboard and trackpad.  On the late 2012 macbook it was on its own separate "Hub" and not shared with any of the internal peripherals.
 
I got a usb hub (actual physical hub) yesterday with usb 2.0 and 3.0 ports and it still did not work on the new macbook.  Hoping this is something that apple fixes, but I doubt it as they are probably not seeing it as an issue.
 
Anyone have any suggestions I can try?

 

[DrSheep]

What chipset your USB hub uses?  For a long time, and I think this is still true, that the VIA VL812 chip is the only one on the market that gives the ports enough power with it's 5Volt design, so most OEM uses it for their hub design.  However, its firmware has a few bugs and does require update that most users are not aware.  If yours uses the VL812, then try the tool from Plugable and see if the firmware needs to be updated to 9081.
 
p.s. this is the USB 3.0 hub I use now along with my Win 8.1 pro PC, which gives me ZERO power draw issue and sync with my AK120 no problem.
p.p.s. how many amps your hub's power adapter outputs?  Most of the time for USB devices if the computer sees it, but doesn't work like it should for stuffs that normally does NOT require drivers, like HDD, flash storage, or sound device, then it could be that the hub doesn't get enough power from the power supply and/or USB port from your computer.

 

[onlychild]

Found on the apple forums that the next Mavericks update 10.9.2 is going to have new USB drivers to fix dac issues for the Haswell MacBooks.   Hopefully the AK120 dac issues will get resolved.  I'll post here once the update is available.