[Solude]

Wait now. It's approx $500 more for 240 from 120. You get bigger internal memory, twice the size, DSD and expensive materials.

 
The AK240 also has the XMOS processor the others don't.

 

[irvin59]

The AK240 also has the XMOS processor the others don't.

How does that help SQ?. I hope a lot as I bought an AK240 yesterday. Glad to have DSD-love the sound on my home rig.

 

[kantana]

How does that help SQ?. I hope a lot as I bought an AK240 yesterday. Glad to have DSD-love the sound on my home rig.

The XMOS is to natively decode DSD.

 

[Solude]

 
The XMOS is to natively decode DSD.

 
And provide full usb dac support.

 

[PhilW]

  Dont hook Chord Hugo to the AK240 Warning: You will be digging deep

 2nd That

 

[Bluebear]

   
And provide full usb dac support.

 
What would be a not-full usb dac support? How would a semi usb dac support work?

 

[Solude]

uac1 enabled usb dac provided by firmware software = semi usb dac support
uac2 enabled usb dac provided  by dedicated processor and driver = full usb dac support
 
Or put in other terms... the other AKs only support up to 24/96 and do not always stay in sync with input.  Ie if used for anything other than music, the video and audio are out of sync.  Not an issue for XMOS based dacs like the AK240

 

[Jedaite]

Hi, there was another high-res portable music player that everyone here used to talk about before the Ak240 hit the market...
 
Its name started with C... Cavali, Calisto... I can't remember... I do remember though it was from a Korean manufacturer I guess. Can you help me with this?

 

[Currawong]

@Jedalite: Calyx M.

 

[harmonix]

 
The XMOS is to natively decode DSD.

I think you are mistaken about the XMOS chips function.
 
Nice thing about the web is it's so easy to get info.
Bad thing about the web is most of this info is wrong.

 

[harmonix]

How does that help SQ?. I hope a lot as I bought an AK240 yesterday. Glad to have DSD-love the sound on my home rig.

It doesn't but can actually make it worse if done badly.
What it does do is it's one of the most compatible chips with many devices in handling the USB 2.0.
Flip side is it does require power (5V) to function and thus presents an opportunity for noise contamination.  Like everything else its all in how it's implemented. 

 

[Sylafari]

  I think you are mistaken about the XMOS chips function.
 
Nice thing about the web is it's so easy to get info.
Bad thing about the web is most of this info is wrong.

 
So your saying Astell and Kern is lying to us on the AK240 page?
 
Per the AK240 page:
 
In order to answer these three questions, we have decided to use the Cirrus Logic CS4398 chip in the Dual DAC setup with an added exclusive XMOS chip that will allow for Native DSD support.

The process of setting up Native DSD support was not an easy task. Since the main CPU does not process Native DSD, we needed a chip that will work with it. It took us a long time, but we made it work. Through countless hours of testing, we were able to achieve Native DSD playback by having the main CPU process the data, send it to the exclusive XMOS chip, then through the DAC to deliver the sound.
 
That or I'm reading something wrong 

 

 

[Solude]

You are right.  Presume harmonix thought the XMOS could only be used as a usb receiver.  Which is what it also does in the AK240.

 

[LemanRuss9]

so,compared to the DX100,how much battery life does the AK240 have? My DX100 can't hold as long as 1 hour

 

[kantana]

  so,compared to the DX100,how much battery life does the AK240 have? My DX100 can't hold as long as 1 hour

Time to replace the batteries then, I used to get 7 hours from my DX100 when new and still get more than 5 hours from them 2 years later.  AK240 gets about 8 hours for 16/44 play back.  Hires tracks drain faster.