[reeltime]

  Any of you guys driving open-backed full sized cans straight from the AK240? Been thinking of getting a set to compliment my (C)IEMs, but I don't want to fall back down into the rabbit hole of amping and stacking - not to mention building a desktop rig that'll never see any use. I'm looking at the Philips Fidelio X2 as a cheap way to get my open-backed fix and they should be very easy to drive. But then there's the HD700... I could probably stretch my budget to a used set of those if I wait a little, but I wonder if the AK240 will be able to drive them properly on its own.

 
I'm don't drive headphones direct from the AK.  I wouldn't effort anything beyond IEMs and super efficient headphones (under 32 ohms).
 
I attach a Chord Hugo via lightpipe.  The Chord has more than enough to drive most open backed cans-- and you might consider a Mojo, a much cheaper sibling to the Hugo.  Both are nicely portable.

 

[chawya22]

   
I load my AK240 with a Mac.  I plug it in, a window pops up.  I drag and drop.  
 
I can even drag files OFF of the AK240.  Try doing that with an iPod... You can't (without aftermarket software).
 
Is it the best solution? No.  Does it work?  Good enough for me.  
 
I just want the sound quality.

You are definitely the exception. Android File Transfer is a necessary evil for Mac to AK users. Thirty plus years later, Macs in a lot of instances, are an afterthought for software support. When you realize that Android File Transfer is one step out of Alpha (1.0) and has been stuck there for four years, one would think that iRiver/A&K would channel minimal resource to making Mac transfers a little less painful. As you said, when it works, it works but when it doesn't you can waste endless hours restarting and troubleshooting failed transfers. 

 

[rbalcom]

  Any of you guys driving open-backed full sized cans straight from the AK240? Been thinking of getting a set to compliment my (C)IEMs, but I don't want to fall back down into the rabbit hole of amping and stacking - not to mention building a desktop rig that'll never see any use. I'm looking at the Philips Fidelio X2 as a cheap way to get my open-backed fix and they should be very easy to drive. But then there's the HD700... I could probably stretch my budget to a used set of those if I wait a little, but I wonder if the AK240 will be able to drive them properly on its own.

I listen to the AK240 with my HD800's at home. For me, the combination is great. I use the Balanced output with a volume setting of about 120 listening to Jazz and Blues mostly. Properly is a subjective standard that may not mean the same to both of us. Would be best if you could try before you buy.

 

[MacedonianHero]

 
I listen to the AK240 with my HD800's at home. For me, the combination is great. I use the Balanced output with a volume setting of about 120 listening to Jazz and Blues mostly. Properly is a subjective standard that may not mean the same to both of us. Would be best if you could try before you buy.

 
Agreed... my HD800S/HE1000/T1v2 with my AK240SS in balanced mode sound great!!! 

 

[jwbrent]

   
Agreed... my HD800S/HE1000/T1v2 with my AK240SS in balanced mode sound great!!! 

Hi MH,
 
How do you like the T1v2s? I have a pair of the AKT5ps that I use with my SS and I love the sound, but I'm thinking of buying a pair of headphones that I'll dedicate to my Hugo. I listened to an acquaintance's pair of HD800s (a couple year old version) and found they sounded excellent; I had veered away from these in the past due to its reputation of being on the analytical side. But since I like my AK/Beyers so much, I'm also thinking about the T1v2s ...

 

[MacedonianHero]

 
Hi MH,
 
How do you like the T1v2s? I have a pair of the AKT5ps that I use with my SS and I love the sound, but I'm thinking of buying a pair of headphones that I'll dedicate to my Hugo. I listened to an acquaintance's pair of HD800s (a couple year old version) and found they sounded excellent; I had veered away from these in the past due to its reputation of being on the analytical side. But since I like my AK/Beyers so much, I'm also thinking about the T1v2s ...

 
I liked my review pair so much I bought them. IMO, they are the best beyer headphones to date. The AKT5p's are brilliant closed headphones and the review pair of T5p v2 I have with me now are equally impressive. But open headphones do have advantages over closed...so if you don't require the isolation, I'd look at the T1s. But that said, these headphones require a dedicated desktop amp to sound their best.

 

[growltiger]

 
Can you move and rename files on a iDevice?  What DAPs actually allow these functions?

 I don't know about  idevices, as I find them so unfriendly that ​I tangle with them as infrequently as possible.  Trying to move a music file that my wife bought on her iPad, thinking she could give it to my son.....Hopeless.  However,  there are DAPs that avoid all the problems with Android file management by allowing the pc to see the device as a mass-storage device.  The iBasso DX90 does this perfectly, and it is possible to add, delete, tag etc files on the DX90 just the same as if it were another external drive (which is what the pc sees it as).    I was reasonably happy with the DX90 as a DAP too, but it doesn't compare at all to the AK240 in terms of SQ.   Although the business about files on the AK is annoying, it is bearable;  you just have to delete whatever you want to change, and start over.  It allows deleting and copying from the Windows file manager, no problem. If you want to edit tags, you need some other software, such as Media Monkey,  but that has to be done on the file resident on the pc, before it is copied to the AK device.  

 

[stevemiddie]

Firmware v 1.33 available

 

[jwbrent]

  Firmware v 1.33 available

Anyone update their firmware, especially Mac users?

 

[Saraguie]

 
Anyone update their firmware, especially Mac users?

Any purported change to the sound?  Why another FW release so soon to the last?
 

 

 

 

 

[jwbrent]

 
Any purported change to the sound?  Why another FW release so soon to the last?
 

 

 

 

Maybe AK has finally decided to address the issue that Mac users face: the unpredictable and often frustrating syncing issues due to Android File Transfer. The update notes list a couple AFT changes.

 

[Watagump]

 
Any purported change to the sound?  Why another FW release so soon to the last?
 

 

 

 

 
 
Too much popcorn son, you are gonna get fat. 

 

[Sorensiim]

 

[chawya22]

 
Anyone update their firmware, especially Mac users?

 
 

 
Maybe AK has finally decided to address the issue that Mac users face: the unpredictable and often frustrating syncing issues due to Android File Transfer. The update notes list a couple AFT changes.

I updated to FW 1.33 and found AFT to be just as erratic as before, if not more so. As an experiment, I copied a 1GB folder from my AK240 to my Mac desktop. No problems. Then I deleted that folder on the 240 and then recopied that folder from the Mac desktop back to the 240, that's when the trouble started. The usual warning messages "Can't Access Storage Device" or there was a problem with a file and then the 240 crashed, which has never happened before. I tried the copy and restore again. Same results, copy from the 240, fine - restore to the 240 produced errors. Either AFT is having an especially bad day or some deleterious changes were made to the 240 FW.
 
Just for giggles, I checked if the DAC problems had been addressed. Short answer, No, but it's been too soon since I reported the problem to Jimmy. Unless some other Mac user reports completely contrary results, I would recommend not updating (unless you like adventures).   

 

[jwbrent]

   
 

I updated to FW 1.33 and found AFT to be just as erratic as before, if not more so. As an experiment, I copied a 1GB folder from my AK240 to my Mac desktop. No problems. Then I deleted that folder on the 240 and then recopied that folder from the Mac desktop back to the 240, that's when the trouble started. The usual warning messages "Can't Access Storage Device" or there was a problem with a file and then the 240 crashed, which has never happened before. I tried the copy and restore again. Same results, copy from the 240, fine - restore to the 240 produced errors. Either AFT is having an especially bad day or some deleterious changes were made to the 240 FW.
 
Just for giggles, I checked if the DAC problems had been addressed. Short answer, No, but it's been too soon since I reported the problem to Jimmy. Unless some other Mac user reports completely contrary results, I would recommend not updating (unless you like adventures).   

I find if I delete any files via AFT, the 240 crashes more often than not if I try to copy over new files. So, I just reboot and that usually works, but not every time. I have about 15GB left of available storage on the internal drive and I will be happy when it is filled up so I don't have to ever deal with AFT again; the problem is, there's been a dearth of new hi res titles that I would consider buying. I only store hi res FLAC files on the internal drive. My CD collection is stored on a 200GB Sandisk card, all as ALAC files, and it is filled up.
 
I'm looking forward to a larger capacity microSD card ...