Pucksound Posted December 2, 2021 Posted December 2, 2021 Hi all, i just received my A&k 25. It looks great (at least until my poor screen protector application) and sounds good too. I managed to put the Android / Mac conversion software on and have been happily loading up the micro sd card. now to the main point. I decided to try plugging into a Bose speaker with a mini Jack to mini Jack cable. The ‘line out’ menu confused me. What is the correct level? At first I had no sound, i think this was operator error. I eventually did get audio and nothing exploded so I guess whatever I did was correct (or at least not terribly incorrect) so…. Wht setting is best for plugging into a speaker?
CatVsGrizzly Posted October 26, 2022 Posted October 26, 2022 Hey Astell and Kern owners. I was interested in buying a SR25 (II), but the cost is a bit too high for me to go in for a blind buy. I live at the Sunshine Coast (QLD) and unfortunately there aren't any stores where I can trial them. I was wondering if anyone lives in South East Queensland, owns a SR25, and would be happy for me to pop over and try it? Its a bit of an odd request but would be massively apprciated. Happy to shout a coffee for the troubles.
betty boop Posted October 26, 2022 Author Posted October 26, 2022 just as an update with my unit, been enjoying it still.. until we got a little kitten and its mother in... the kitten obviously knocked my unit off my desk at some stage.. found it on the carpet ...some how while the unit is well protected with the case the one bit not protected - the glass top ended up with a few scratches ... the fussy bugger i am i dropped into addicted to audio... who were very nice about things.. even though not a warranty fix it went back to korea and the factory to get back to new with replacing the scratched top... and yep came back like new and at a very reasonable cost i must say.. great to have back and like new again and continue to enjoy ! lovely units these ... just pure luxury ! in DAPS not only in use but in sound as well 2
Madness20721 Posted December 3, 2022 Posted December 3, 2022 I have a Kann Alpha, and I really wish A&K would push an Android Auto apk. I am fine listing through the aux port in my car stereo, but it would be nice if I could plug it into my usb port and use the steering wheel controls to move from one song to the next instead having to reach over to find the button on the side of the player. I'd like to see the track info on the car stereo as well.
Madness20721 Posted December 7, 2022 Posted December 7, 2022 (edited) On 04/12/2022 at 4:01 PM, figjam said: Your car audio system doesn't have bluetooth? Yes, but bluetooth is compressed audio. Not my first choice. Also, I can't have two bluetooth devices connected at the same time. My smartphone is always connected via bluetooth in the car. Edited December 7, 2022 by Madness20721
figjam Posted December 7, 2022 Posted December 7, 2022 3 hours ago, Madness20721 said: Yes, but bluetooth is compressed audio. Not an issue for car audio would have thought?
Madness20721 Posted December 9, 2022 Posted December 9, 2022 On 07/12/2022 at 1:58 AM, figjam said: Not an issue for car audio would have thought? I paid $1,100 for this DAP. I refuse to settle for compressed audio, anywhere, anytime, especially if some of it is 24-bit.
betty boop Posted December 9, 2022 Author Posted December 9, 2022 On 4/12/2022 at 9:47 AM, Madness20721 said: it would be nice if I could plug it into my usb port and use the steering wheel controls to move from one song to the next instead having to reach over to find the button on the side of the player. I'd like to see the track info on the car stereo as well. cant plug into usb port ? i havent tried with my AK unit, but i can and report back. to be perfectly honest in a car environment there isnt so much a requirement of hi-res.. even my iPhone going through apple car play wirelessly sounds great as does dab+ so not a huge reason for me to hook up via usb. in our mazda when hook things up off usb it definitely can skip tracks etc even info comes up for the track... not tried the ak though
figjam Posted December 10, 2022 Posted December 10, 2022 On 9/12/2022 at 11:57 AM, Madness20721 said: I paid $1,100 for this DAP. I refuse to settle for compressed audio, anywhere, anytime, especially if some of it is 24-bit Fair enough, but I would still wager that the Bluetooth connection wouldn’t be the weakest link in a car audio system.
Madness20721 Posted January 1, 2023 Posted January 1, 2023 On 09/12/2022 at 12:29 AM, betty boop said: cant plug into usb port ? i havent tried with my AK unit, but i can and report back. to be perfectly honest in a car environment there isnt so much a requirement of hi-res.. even my iPhone going through apple car play wirelessly sounds great as does dab+ so not a huge reason for me to hook up via usb. in our mazda when hook things up off usb it definitely can skip tracks etc even info comes up for the track... not tried the ak though The stereo system will not recognize the A&K when it's plugged into the USB slot.
figjam Posted January 1, 2023 Posted January 1, 2023 (edited) On 4/12/2022 at 9:17 AM, Madness20721 said: I have a Kann Alpha, and I really wish A&K would push an Android Auto apk. I am fine listing through the aux port in my car stereo, but it would be nice if I could plug it into my usb port and use the steering wheel controls to move from one song to the next instead having to reach over to find the button on the side of the player. I'd like to see the track info on the car stereo as well. Are you using car mode on the player? At least you wouldn't have to search for the buttons on the side. Edited January 1, 2023 by figjam
Madness20721 Posted January 1, 2023 Posted January 1, 2023 13 minutes ago, figjam said: Are you using car mode on the player? At least you wouldn't have to search for the buttons on the side. Are you aware that car mode only allows you to view the album artwork in portrait or landscape mode? It doesn't make the player interoperable with the car's stereo.
figjam Posted January 2, 2023 Posted January 2, 2023 22 hours ago, Madness20721 said: Are you aware that car mode only allows you to view the album artwork in portrait or landscape mode? It doesn't make the player interoperable with the car's stereo. Page 41 of the manual suggests otherwise.
Madness20721 Posted January 2, 2023 Posted January 2, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, figjam said: Page 41 of the manual suggests otherwise. Car mode in the manual doesn't help at all. It tells you how to get in and out of car mode and how to change the orientation from portrait to landscape. Nowhere in the manual does it talk about the player and the usb connection in relation to car mode. Anyway, it won't work with Android Auto, and A&K have no plans to develop an Android Auto apk. Edited January 2, 2023 by Madness20721 Edit
Dolphy Posted January 2, 2023 Posted January 2, 2023 I can confirm, Car Mode is purely for changing the display and simplifying the UI. If you want to control the device, just connect it via Bluetooth.
figjam Posted January 3, 2023 Posted January 3, 2023 Which firmware do you guys have? I just tested Car mode and I could Play/pause, skip, go back, toggle shuffle, change repeat mode, look at now playing list and rotate from portrait to landscape. It certainly eliminates the need to reach for buttons on the side, which was one of Madness's main problems when connected via aux.
Madness20721 Posted April 24, 2023 Posted April 24, 2023 On 02/01/2023 at 7:19 PM, figjam said: Which firmware do you guys have? I just tested Car mode and I could Play/pause, skip, go back, toggle shuffle, change repeat mode, look at now playing list and rotate from portrait to landscape. It certainly eliminates the need to reach for buttons on the side, which was one of Madness's main problems when connected via aux. How are you connecting your player? via bluetooth will let you control playback through the car stereo, but I'm talking about connecting via usb, which is not compatible with the A&K. Sure, I can connect via bluetooth, but then I have to turn the volume on the DAP all the way to the maximum, or turn the volume of the car stereo extremely high. Car mode like you're talking about still requires you to touch the player.
08Boss302 Posted May 25, 2023 Posted May 25, 2023 Considering my first DAP and the SE200 is on the list. I am bit concerned with no android support and reading all 76 pages of the SE200 thread on another site there were issues with loading apps and keeping them updated etc and also it seemed A&K were not quick with firmware updates at times. The SE200 has appeal to me based on the 2 dac chips it runs and the options it brings but not being super computer savvy i am worried that trying to learn to side load rather than just going to google play like i've read you can with Fiio or Shanling my experience will be frustrating. Anyone able to share their user experience with A&K products and the general day to day usage? I would loading my own files via 1tb micro card and also when at home streaming via Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal so the use of apps is important to me - so is offline music from teh apps - which i have read you are not able to do from the native apps installed but can do if i side load using APK which I have never heard of or had to do before. Other options right now are potentially Fiiio M11plus and Shanling M6 pro Cheers.
Keith_W Posted May 25, 2023 Posted May 25, 2023 I have an A&K SP2000T. When I bought it, listening to streaming was not a priority so I didn't care that it didn't have Tidal preinstalled. Now that I have Tidal, I found out that you need to sideload the app into the player. I followed the instructions on the A&K website to the letter (you need to install and APK loader program first, and then run that to unpack the Tidal APK). The APK loader does not show up as an executable option in my SP2000T, despite showing up in the actual folder the instructions told me to place the APK loader. I wrote to A&K support and got a useless generic reply pointing me to the help website DESPITE me telling them that I had already followed all the instructions in the same website. I have since given up. If streaming is important to you, make sure it is already installed. Alternatively, get your dealer to install it for you before delivery. If you do not take delivery of an A&K product that is ready to do what you need it to do, without any additional steps on your behalf, don't buy it. 1
08Boss302 Posted May 25, 2023 Posted May 25, 2023 6 minutes ago, Keith_W said: I have an A&K SP2000T. When I bought it, listening to streaming was not a priority so I didn't care that it didn't have Tidal preinstalled. Now that I have Tidal, I found out that you need to sideload the app into the player. I followed the instructions on the A&K website to the letter (you need to install and APK loader program first, and then run that to unpack the Tidal APK). The APK loader does not show up as an executable option in my SP2000T, despite showing up in the actual folder the instructions told me to place the APK loader. I wrote to A&K support and got a useless generic reply pointing me to the help website DESPITE me telling them that I had already followed all the instructions in the same website. I have since given up. If streaming is important to you, make sure it is already installed. Alternatively, get your dealer to install it for you before delivery. If you do not take delivery of an A&K product that is ready to do what you need it to do, without any additional steps on your behalf, don't buy it. Thank you. Your experience is exactly my concern. Ultimately, as much as I am keen on the two DAC options it presents (AKM & ESS) I am equally less keen on the side loading thing and lack of ease and functionality that other DAPs with Google Play will bring. Whilst I would be using my own files for say 80% of the time, for the money spent I would definitely want the option to use streaming apps and be able for them to function normally and update when required - plus have the offline music option. I think ultimately, its the latter requirements and former concerns that will likely see me look to the other brands I mentioned which seem to be consistently well reviewed and with users which is arguably more important that professional reviews and easy to use.
betty boop Posted May 25, 2023 Author Posted May 25, 2023 24 minutes ago, 08Boss302 said: Thank you. Your experience is exactly my concern. Ultimately, as much as I am keen on the two DAC options it presents (AKM & ESS) I am equally less keen on the side loading thing and lack of ease and functionality that other DAPs with Google Play will bring. Whilst I would be using my own files for say 80% of the time, for the money spent I would definitely want the option to use streaming apps and be able for them to function normally and update when required - plus have the offline music option. hi 08boss, if scroll back to start of this thread will see i did have some issues loading apps via google play .. am not one with the google world more apple.. so probably my reason for my issues. regardless will see 3 years ago i was able to work my way through. it does work for all my own files and apple music, tidal etc... i dont use tidal anymore as not worth the money for me ... but i do use for lossless streaming all apple music has to offer. plus all the cd quality lossless stuff i loaded off my collection. yes google play is a little tricky but it does work...and if i can find my way through suspect most can... wish well in the process if starting off... if have some questions be sure to ask there is an owner A&K owner base who am sure will be happy to help 1
08Boss302 Posted May 25, 2023 Posted May 25, 2023 4 minutes ago, betty boop said: hi 08boss, if scroll back to start of this thread will see i did have some issues loading apps via google play .. am not one with the google world more apple.. so probably my reason for my issues. regardless will see 3 years ago i was able to work my way through. it does work for all my own files and apple music, tidal etc... i dont use tidal anymore as not worth the money for me ... but i do use for lossless streaming all apple music has to offer. plus all the cd quality lossless stuff i loaded off my collection. yes google play is a little tricky but it does work...and if i can find my way through suspect most can... wish well in the process if starting off... if have some questions be sure to ask there is an owner A&K owner base who am sure will be happy to help Thank you @betty boop I did read through yesterday and spent most of today reading online and watching some reviews. Its a real 50/50 type thing for me at present as the SE200 has so much I am keen on and quite a bit I am not, where as the Fiio M11 plus or Shanling M6 pro/ultra seem far easier to operate, have better after purchase service and firmware updates. I just sense that A&K don't run things as quickly or as seemlessly as some of the other brands out there, but I also know they make quite a boutique product and are very well respected. Can I ask, once you had Google Play loaded, were you able to load other apps? I currently run an LGV30 and use Media Monkey as my music program, I would like to continue to use this for my own files which are all FLAC and my micro card is 1tb and pretty full - though i would certainly also try the music player that is pre loaded on any of the DAPs and whichever one I end up buying. Other apps that are not music related are not really of interest so only Qobuz, Spotify and Tidal really for streaming with an offline music ability and if I can use Media Monkey that is also a big appeal.
betty boop Posted May 25, 2023 Author Posted May 25, 2023 1 hour ago, 08Boss302 said: Can I ask, once you had Google Play loaded, were you able to load other apps? I currently run an LGV30 and use Media Monkey as my music program, I would like to continue to use this for my own files which are all FLAC and my micro card is 1tb and pretty full - though i would certainly also try the music player that is pre loaded on any of the DAPs and whichever one I end up buying. hi o8, it mostly came with all apps and only needed a couple i had to load up through google play.. once i figured out how to do that .... it was just done. its one of those things where you load up the aps and thats it ..not had to bother about it since ? 1 hour ago, 08Boss302 said: Other apps that are not music related are not really of interest so only Qobuz, Spotify and Tidal really for streaming with an offline music ability and if I can use Media Monkey that is also a big appeal. mine has spotify and tidal and apple music, amazon music tune in radio as apps loaded which is all i need really i have not looked at Qobuz - hopefully someone else in the owner base can answer for you ? 1
08Boss302 Posted May 25, 2023 Posted May 25, 2023 7 hours ago, betty boop said: hi o8, it mostly came with all apps and only needed a couple i had to load up through google play.. once i figured out how to do that .... it was just done. its one of those things where you load up the aps and thats it ..not had to bother about it since ? mine has spotify and tidal and apple music, amazon music tune in radio as apps loaded which is all i need really i have not looked at Qobuz - hopefully someone else in the owner base can answer for you ? Thanks @betty boop with the apps you loaded how bout updates? Spotify and Tidal tend to run semi regular updates. Do these just update as normal once loaded? You just made me think, I'd probably grab the i heart radio app and listnr app too, but I asume if I can load google play the others should load from there. I think the SE200 only comes loaded with Tidal and its own music player for local files and thats it. but I found this article https://bloomaudio.com/blogs/articles/installing-apps-on-your-astell-kern-dap which was helpful. I get pretty impulsive with purchasing so could end up with something as soon as this weekend. Cheers,
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