[JmoonAK]

Hi guys,
 
Well I guess the cat is out of the bag now. Yes, we have a new model releasing in the Astell&Kern family, the AK120. An announcement about the AK120 will be made at the High-End Munich Show on May 9th. I'll try to answer as much as I can about the AK120.
 
The AK120 slightly longer compared to the AK100, but with the same thickness. It's to accommodate the 2nd DAC and the bigger battery.

​

Details about the AK120 can be found at our website: www.astellnkern.com, but here's a quick rundown of some of the main features in the AK120.
 

1. [size=10pt]High-End, Dual-Mono portable system equipped with dual DACs independently dedicated to separate left/right audio channels[/size]
2. [size=10pt]High-performance audio beyond standard Hi-Fi specifications[/size]
3. [size=10pt]SACD (Super Audio CD) & DSD format playback support[/size]
4. [size=10pt]Optical & USB external DAC function[/size]
5. [size=10pt]Up to 192GB memory storage capacity (64 Internal Flash, 64GB support in each dual MicroSD card slot)[/size]
6. [size=10pt]Gapless playback is supported[/size]

 
[size=10pt]The dual DAC setup of the AK120 is designed to give you a wider soundstage and broader dynamic range. The AK120 also brings a lot of features that many of you guys have been asking. I'm hopeful that some of these new features like DSD and Gapless playback support will get trickled down to the AK100 too. Head-Fi will be the first ones to know when this happens.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]Here's quick coverage of the AK120 at Digital Trends: [/size]http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/iriver-launches-new-high-end-astell-and-kern-ak120-portable-mqs-player/
 
The AK120 is available at some German retailers already at the price point of 1,299 Euros. No official launch date or pricing point to the US yet. Stay tuned for updates at our Facebook page and Twitter feed!

 

[davidcotton]

Very nice update!  Sounds like long last an update to the venerable i120.  Only thing is the price, nearly £1000!
 
Cheers

 

[AlanYWM]

Cost aside, it is kind of sad to have this news now when it is already selling in Germany and we have to find out through a news leak.

 

[Jeremy1234]

My heart is really broken and no mood liao as I had lost my AK100 and my UM Mage ( with TWG Elite cable ) during my photo taking last Saturday.
 

 

[Jeremy1234]

It's the AK120 an upgrade of the AK100 in term of sound quality ?
 

 

[JmoonAK]

Quote:

Cost aside, it is kind of sad to have this news now when it is already selling in Germany and we have to find out through a news leak.

We were planning on making an official announcement after the High-End Munich show, but our German counterparts and Head-Fi'ers got to it first. 

 

[Ivabign]

Do you think the next version of the AK100 will have the small metal bezel surrounding the volume control? I see aftermarket versions for sale on ebay for $30 or so.

 

[tupac0306]

I think it's time to return my ak100... 

  why didn't I wait for 3 more days..

 

[DICOM]

I'm curious whether installing the AK120 firmware will resolve the lack of gapless playback on the AK100.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

I think it's time to return my ak100... 

  why didn't I wait for 3 more days..

lol

 

[jamato8]

Still waiting for gapless on the AK100. This has been stated as something in the works for a long time by customer service from iRiver. So when?

 

[JmoonAK]

Quote:

It's the AK120 an upgrade of the AK100 in term of sound quality ?
 

Yes, the dual mono setup of the AK120 dedicates each DAC specifically to the right & left audio output channels. As a result, providing superior depth, clarity, and spaciousness to the audio. 

 

[JmoonAK]

Quote:

Still waiting for gapless on the AK100. This has been stated as something in the works for a long time by customer service from iRiver. So when?

We've been promised this for sometime now, but still haven't heard of a release date for the Gapless playback firmware flash from our dev team. I'm still hopeful that the Gapless feature on the AK120 will trickle down to the AK100's firmware. Thanks to all the Head-Fi'ers who have been patiently waiting for Gapless. Stay tuned!

 

[Trendin]

We've been promised this for sometime now, but still haven't heard of a release date for the Gapless playback firmware flash from our dev team. I'm still hopeful that the Gapless feature on the AK120 will trickle down to the AK100's firmware. Thanks to all the Head-Fi'ers who have been patiently waiting for Gapless. Stay tuned!

Setting release dates aside, can you specify whether lack of gapless playback is a hardware or a software problem? If it works with ak120, and it has same cpu.. Maybe in the ak120 its possible due to the 2 dacs?

 

[mela49]

Can u give me a honest answer? This changes:

-Gapless playback
-SACD (Super Audio CD) & DSD format playback support
-Preset EQ
-Amended UI

Will these changes depend on the hardware or the software? Is there a chance that they will be introduced to the AK100?