[chawya22]

Thanks. The change log really doesn't give you any indication that this was a pretty major UI change. It's disorienting at first.

 

[ozzymo]

Yea the change logs don't go into much detail and they don't provide updated manuals; so we just have to orient ourselves with the new changes.  I actually like the new UI on the AK240.  I was mainly looking for a little increased stability as the music player app would crash occasionally and sometimes no matter what menu I was on; it would bounce back to the artist menu all by itself.  So far everything seems good.  

 

[madFloyd]

Can you go back to an earlier firmware if you wanted to?

 

[Marcner]

The UI is definitely cleaner, but how do you get to settings? I am sure I am missing something.

 

[tarainfo]

I was really frustrated at the new firmware.
In fact at the beginning, I thought that I had screwed up the upgrade
But then I began to use the AK connect app on both my iphone and my Ipad and then I was very happy
You can now control everything remotely on the AK240 from the App and also bring in remote MQS and other servers as well as
all the internet radio stations like Linn Radio and hundreds of others thru the AK240 with that app
 
I just wish some extended notice or manual had been available so I did not have be completely lost till I figured it out

 

[kerrys30]

 
The UI is definitely cleaner, but how do you get to settings? I am sure I am missing something.

 
when you pull down the menu on screen from top there is a settings icon now

 

[Marcner]

   
when you pull down the menu on screen from top there is a settings icon now

Thanks. I just found it, but very hard to access by those of us that are ham fisted. I seem to be accessing setting frequently and prefer its more prominent placement in the previous UI.

 

[MadGTI]

i am using my ak240 for almost a year now and the new UI did not bother me at all... i like the new design and its preset graphic artwork if your album or file dont have any artwork, the new firmware will auto fill the artwork...
also i noticed some gain on the volume...i love it... \

AND some minor changes on the sound quality...wider soundstage - not sure yet since i only listened less than an hour from the update....
will note more noticeable sound q changes...for now, the soundstage is a little improvement i noticed.

My AK120II after update has more bass and lush vocal. Treble remains unchanged. Soundstage is wider.

 

[jwbrent]

  I was mainly looking for a little increased stability as the music player app would crash occasionally and sometimes no matter what menu I was on; it would bounce back to the artist menu all by itself.  So far everything seems good.  

 
I had an anxious event today with my SS. I was burning in my new AKT5ps and all of a sudden the volume went to full and the control, both knob and screen, didn't work at all. Rebooting it brought things back to normal, but I was afraid I might have damaged my new headphones. Fortunately, they are fine and sounding quite excellent.

 

[bflat]

FW 1.25 versus 1.18
 
The Good

1. Faster SD Card scan - I think it's faster by 50%. I clocked in at 25 sec for about 3000 tracks. I think it about a minute before.
2. Home screen buttons can be changed in order of priority by holding down and dragging any of the buttons to one of the spaces. Not sure if this was possible before.
3. All lists (artist, playlist, etc) have an option menu at top that opens up 3 functions - add to play queue, add to playlist, delete.
4. Playlist list features album artwork in the background. Not just pretty, but can't remember how many times I swore I was missing a playlist when I just couldn't read it right in front of me. Visual=better.
5. Song and album lists have album art - same as playlist, I can pick out specific album covers much faster than written title.
6. Current selection save - let me explain. When you are listing to a specific song on a playlist or album, it use to be that you lost which playlist or album you were on when you went back to home page. Now, every time you play a song via playlist, album, artist, etc, it will remember your path to that song even after you go back to the home page. One can easily select an artist then a playlist and bounce back and forth to each one from the home page. Very cool.
7. Now Playing screen - when you tap on the album cover, it hides the info and menu bars. Before, you would always get the No Lyrics message first which was pretty annoying. Now lyrics, add to playlist, and info options are on a overlay bar at the bottom of the album art.
8. Swipe skip - not sure if this was possible before, but when you hide the menu bars of the album artwork, you swipe up or down on the album art and it functions just like skip forward/back.
9. EQ sliders are much easier to adjust by dB steps. This was really annoying before and I found the "drawing" the curve pretty useless because the precision was so crude.
10. Some may disagree - I find the removal of the alphabet scroll an improvement. I rarely used that option since most of the time what I was looking for was somewhere in the middle of 2 sequential letters so it didn't really speed up my scrolling. Now I get pretty close to what I am looking for on initial scroll and only take a few more seconds to zero in.
11. Album list can be viewed as both list or thumbnails. Again for me, visual=better.
12. List filters have been expanded to sample rates (separate for PCM and DSD). Very nice feature.

 
The Meh

1. Removing setting from home page and putting in top drop down menu with an nondescript icon that looks like a nut.
2. New skins, just slight differences imho
3. AK Connect - some may disagree but I personally don't have any use for it since I have my own streaming Synology server.
4. Volume display changed to 150 max instead of 75

 
The Bad

1. Store tab - can't get rid of it and pretty useless imho unless you are a Groovers+ or Qobuz customer and even with that all it does is save you from having to copy your files from PC to AK.

 
Untested

1. Sound quality - a bit difficult for me to gauge as I am also tweaking my Laylas at the same time. I also have an RWAK.
2. Bluetooth range/quality
3. Battery life

 

[Rico613]

  I had an anxious event today with my SS. I was burning in my new AKT5ps and all of a sudden the volume went to full and the control, both knob and screen, didn't work at all. Rebooting it brought things back to normal, but I was afraid I might have damaged my new headphones. Fortunately, they are fine and sounding quite excellent.

 
I had a cell phone alarm go off close to my ear and the damage to my hearing (about 5 KHz.) was actually measurable on an audiogram.  It took over a year for it to get back to normal.  I assume there would be permanent damage if something like that happened with CIEMs.  Scary stuff.
 
Which firmware was on your SS ?? 

 

[kerrys30]

Only got about an hours listen this morning on commute but if there is a SQ change with new firmware it is still as highly enjoyable as before

 

[jwbrent]

   
I had a cell phone alarm go off close to my ear and the damage to my hearing (about 5 KHz.) was actually measurable on an audiogram.  It took over a year for it to get back to normal.  I assume there would be permanent damage if something like that happened with CIEMs.  Scary stuff.
 
Which firmware was on your SS ?? 

v1.18. Fortunately, I wasn't wearing them at the time, so my ears are fine too. 

 

 

[bflat]

   
I had an anxious event today with my SS. I was burning in my new AKT5ps and all of a sudden the volume went to full and the control, both knob and screen, didn't work at all. Rebooting it brought things back to normal, but I was afraid I might have damaged my new headphones. Fortunately, they are fine and sounding quite excellent.

LOL, hope that means you were not wearing them when this happened! Your T5Ps should be fine. Beyer's specs say max power those can take are 300 mW and jet engine level 126 dB.  I'm not sure what the power rating is for the AK240SS, but the I've rarely seen portable amps put out more than 100 mW at 32 ohms.

 

[jwbrent]

  FW 1.25 versus 1.8x (I think that's what I was on prior to 1.25)
 
The Good

1. Faster SD Card scan - I think it's faster by 50%. I clocked in at 25 sec for about 3000 tracks. I think it about a minute before.
   1. I really like this change.
2. Home screen buttons can be changed in order of priority by holding down and dragging any of the buttons to one of the spaces. Not sure if this was possible before.
   1. This was possible before.
3. All lists (artist, playlist, etc) have an option menu at top that opens up 3 functions - add to play queue, add to playlist, delete.
   1. Never use playlists so this doesn't matter to me.
4. Playlist list features album artwork in the background. Not just pretty, but can't remember how many times I swore I was missing a playlist when I just couldn't read it right in front of me. Visual=better.
   1. As above but sounds good to me.
5. Song and album lists have album art - same as playlist, I can pick out specific album covers much faster than written title.
   1. Very good.
6. Current selection save - let me explain. When you are listing to a specific song on a playlist or album, it use to be that you lost which playlist or album you were on when you went back to home page. Now, every time you play a song via playlist, album, artist, etc, it will remember your path to that song even after you go back to the home page. One can easily select an artist then a playlist and bounce back and forth to each one from the home page. Very cool.
   1. Like this too.
7. Now Playing screen - when you tap on the album cover, it hides the info and menu bars. Before, you would always get the No Lyrics message first which was pretty annoying. Now lyrics, add to playlist, and info options are on a overlay bar at the bottom of the album art.
   1. Good, keep going.
8. Swipe skip - not sure if this was possible before, but when you hide the menu bars of the album artwork, you swipe up or down on the album art and it functions just like skip forward/back.
   1. Same as before.
9. EQ sliders are much easier to adjust by dB steps. This was really annoying before and I found the "drawing" the curve pretty useless because the precision was so crude.
   1. OK. Don't use the EQ much but I know what you mean.
10. Some may disagree - I find the removal of the alphabet scroll an improvement. I rarely used that option since most of the time what I was looking for was somewhere in the middle of 2 sequential letters so it didn't really speed up my scrolling. Now I get pretty close to what I am looking for on initial scroll and only take a few more seconds to zero in.
    1. We'll see if I like this change.
11. Album list can be viewed as both list or thumbnails. Again for me, visual=better.
    1. OK.
12. List filters have been expanded to sample rates (separate for PCM and DSD). Very nice feature.
    1. Oh, I like this a lot.

 
The Meh

1. Removing setting from home page and putting in top drop down menu with an nondescript icon that looks like a nut.
   1. No big deal to me since I don't go in settings very often.
2. New skins, just slight differences imho
   1. More is better.
3. AK Connect - some may disagree but I personally don't have any use for it since I have my own streaming Synology server.
   1. I'm still trying to understand what this does ...
4. Volume display changed to 150 max instead of 75
   1. Same resolution.

 
The Bad

1. Store tab - can't get rid of it and pretty useless imho unless you are a Groovers+ or Qobuz customer and even with that all it does is save you from having to copy your files from PC to AK.
   1. Oh, I hate this!!!

 
Untested

1. Sound quality - a bit difficult for me to gauge as I am also tweaking my Laylas at the same time. I also have an RWAK.
2. Bluetooth range/quality
3. Battery life

 
Thank you for the detailed information.