[Saraguie]

A little late to the party. I found this and interestingly it list an impedance of 3. Which for IEMs of 16 is still a bit too much.
 
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edelight.de%2Fi%2Fastell-und-kern-ak120-64gb-gapless-dual-dac-high-end-player-von-ingo&act=url

 

[Swimsonny]

I think they have given us the fixes we wanted and added the big price and extras like dual
DAC just so it sits above the AK100 and does not replace it and make it obsolete. So now they have two offerings instead of killing off the Ak100, which they probably still have a load of stock for.

 

[audionewbi]

The European markets has a high VAT which I believe is about 20%. I am guessing the price when and if it is release to the US will be less than a 1000 USD. 
Right now the AK100 is selling for $699. Adding 250 USD ro that will increase the price to $949. The 1200 is the MSRP and it includes a 20% VAT. 
 
Quote:

as i said, the new AK price must be 1000$ or slightly less but not 1300 Euros !!! apply FX rate to see my point.
 
i disagree about mods because they came due to demand... but if AK100+mod =700-800$ and AK120=1277E*1.3=1660$ the difference becomes prohibitive. come on, for this money i can buy a good high-end DAC for my rig. who will be willing to spend this money on a player which will sound only marginally better? or are we talking here about repackaged to portable Nagra or Scarlatti?
 
AK is really nice product so this will be a pity IF corporate greed and overestimation of success will kill this product. this is not the first time to happen to good brands when they cut the branch on which they seat
 
even self-proud Apple had to cut prices when Jobs returned to Apple with iCube design, remember the story?

 

[Gintaras]

come on, dual DAC and gapless for doppel price? even BMW would not think about doing this no matter selling highly overpriced cars... so Iriver, you must be kidding... that pricing suggestion sounds absurd to tell the least. i just hope this was late April 1 joke and the real world price will be more competitive and realistic.

 

[audionewbi]

In no way, shape or form I am supporting such a high price but as I said earlier our enthusiasm towards such modification is the result of such high price for the AK120. I promise you that, infact I blame this thread as this is the largest and most talked about thread on the net regarding the AK100. 
Also to be fair it is still priced better than the Terra player

 

[tm.chen]

This is a bad move.
 
Pushing out the AK120 at this time makes the AK100 owners feel like guinea pigs. Not that I am disappointed with my AK100, but I feel that there are certain kinks that should be taken care of first.

 

[Mimouille]

Quote:

The European markets has a high VAT which I believe is about 20%. I am guessing the price when and if it is release to the US will be less than a 1000 USD. 
Right now the AK100 is selling for $699. Adding 250 USD ro that will increase the price to $949. The 1200 is the MSRP and it includes a 20% VAT. 
 

How do you compute less than 1000$ ? The current price is 1299 EUROS which is 1700 USD ! Even if you take 20% you are far above 1000 USD.

 

[audionewbi]

The AK100 was priced 899 USD and yes I am aware that it is price at Euro but the thing with such product is they market it quiet differently. For example the CK100PRO cost 700 AUD in here where as they are selling for 384 AUD in japan.
 
There is a bit of politics involved on the product pricing, product marketing (why the same product is named differently at different part of the world) and their availability. 
 
Quote:

How do you compute less than 1000$ ? The current price is 1299 EUROS which is 1700 USD ! Even if you take 20% you are far above 1000 USD.

 

[Mimouille]

Quote:

The AK100 was priced 899 USD and yes I am aware that it is price at Euro but the thing with such product is they market it quiet differently. For example the CK100PRO cost 700 AUD in here was as they are selling for 384 AUD in japan.
 
There is a bit of politics involved on the product pricing, product marketing (why the same product is named differently at different part of the world) and their availability. 
 

Maybe. What I know is I am not getting it as this price ! (says the guy who bought a Tera Stealth)

 

[Gintaras]

Audionewb, tell me how many owners of Terra? now how many have AK or RWAK? this is your answer. i never could force myselt to get excited about Terra due to many limitations this player has and found its pricing intrasparent and not well thought. also i have not see many people talking about iBasso DX100 because of its price.
 
AK100 just hit the jackpot because it was priced on the edge between sane and insane. and now AK120 will be priced beyond insane.
should i tell i am disappointed? and remember many people who have AK or RWAK will not feel tempted to upgrade... because dual DAC and gapless for the price of two AK100 is way too much.
 
this forum actually is not guilty and i hope Iriver reads our comments and will think about pricing policy again because for the price i found in their add prospectus i will not buy AK120 even if i become a billionaire overnight. i understand AK120 might be better but for such a price i can buy AK100 and have enough pennies left for excellent IEMs + amp :-D
 
right, Europe is craphole when it comes to shopping and prices. however i do not see the point of ripping off customers just because they happen to live in Europe. at least Apple policy matching prices except FX rate is indeed wise policy. however 1277 euros is way beyond and cannot be explained by 20% VAT alone.

 

[audionewbi]

There is no certainty right now that the AK120 will be released to US but in general the companies are willing to reduce the profit margin on certain region compared to other one by assuming the reduction of the price will be made up for by the increase volume of bulk selling to their various distrbutors simply because they assume there is more demand for it.
 
Also the taxes of importing goods come down to various treaty each country have with each other.The VAT prices we see is what the consumer pays not necessarily the distributor. This is as much as I can share without been impolite to companies active on head-fi.
 
Quote:

Maybe. What I know is I am not getting it as this price ! (says the guy who bought a Tera Stealth)

 

[Gintaras]

Audionewb, on math: AK120 = 1299 euros on seller site in Germany. 1299 E = 1688$ at 1.3 E/$ rate. excluding 19% German VAT AK120 at seller shop costs 1092 E alias = 1420$ !!!
RWAK 100 all in = 950$ + 50$ leather case = 1000$... price difference AK120 to RWAK100 = 688$ grossed for VAT and 420$ net of VAT !!! even 420$ is NOT peanuts and canNOT be explained by FX... since rate goes in reverse suggesting netto price in euros must be cheaper.
 
i do not know who is this genius who appoints price on new products at Iriver
 
i would not be worried too much if not love AK100 product and wishing this company good success. i personally can easily pass AK120 and buy iBasso or HiFiman or HiSound offerings if i wish. problem is great product warrants good pricing policy which would keep its sales up.
 
ok, taxes, for every place they are different. in Europe common rule is apply VAT on purchase price+shipping. this helps European bureacrats to force people pay more even when price itself is below shipping costs.
 
what you rightly noticed that American market is special because of its size and rich people, this is why every company wants to get a slice of the pie and is even prepared to dampen prices for the sake of sales volumes. Europe is totally different story, overtaxed and inefficient and fewer rich people around.

 

[audionewbi]

Dont forget they are added features so I suppose they do add to the cost. Once again European prices are always going to be higher than the rest of the world. There are other hidden taxes they need to pay in Europe. I would be surprised to see the same price presented for the American market as there are so many loop holes in the US market which will naturally bring the prices down alot.
 
The MSRP of AK100 was around 800 USD and it selling price is currently 699 USD, the MSRP is always going to be higher and it is done so on purposes. 
 
Not to be rude but the distrbutor cost of the AK100 is less than 420 USD.

 

[Gintaras]

audionewb, excuse me but added features canNOT be worth as much as 420$ according to my calculus. you mean one more WF DAC and gapless for 420$? my foot ... i better try iBasso or HiFiman 902 :-D

 

[H20Fidelity]

I think they should of revised the current model correcting the output impedance before even thinking of another.