The above graphic appeared in the Soundaware M1 (Esther) thread at head-fi. What cued me into the M1 was Musica Acoustics's posting a picture of it on their Facebook page.
Read moreMusashi Sound Technology's AK240 mod: AK240 R
Now that the AK380 is out and the AK480 is on the horizon, the question on many people's mind is: is it worth upgrading my AK240? After all, the AK380 is defined by Astell&Kern's own maladroit marketing department as the evolution of a masterpiece (and that masterpiece itself being an end-game prodcut). If advertising copy were the measure of performance, the AK240, Be[ing] The Ultimate, couldn't be bested.
Read moreRumour: the mighty Astell & Kern AK480
Disclaimer: ohm image generally doesn't host rumours, but with a scoop this big, and this mofo is BIG, ohm makes a jump. I was approached by an anonymous source deeply familiar with, or employed by, Astell & Kern.
That the recently announced AK380 doesn't feature Ultimate in its copy was the first hint that it wasn't their top model. That was the first clue that something else was coming. Last year, Head-fi fooled everyone with a mockup of an AK480 on 1 April.
Read moreBullshit to the limit: CNET on the Cowon Plenue M
Here's an actual paragraph from Steve Guttenberg's review of the Cowon Plenue M:
With my Audeze EL-8 headphones the sound was big, warm, and inviting. Bluegrass diva Gillian Welch's vocals, banjo, and guitar were fully present and transparent, but the sound was definitely not thin or too lean, so acoustic instruments sounded like themselves. Switching over to the more expensive and bulkier Hifiman HM-901 music player the sound was slightly clearer, with better resolution, and the bass had a touch more oomph with the Audeze and Oppo 'phones. Curiously, with Sony MDR 7520 headphones the two players sounded more alike, but I preferred the HM-901's user-interface. I also used the Plenue M as a desktop USB digital converter/headphone amplifier. I didn't have a Cowon Plenue 1 player on hand to compare with the 'M player.
Read moreBack to the first-gen iPod nano
Remember this guy? I do. And I've been loving mine since 2005 or 2006 (honestly I can't remember). Anyway, the first-generation iPod nano is the subject of this week's Headfonia: Back To The Future.
The 1st-gen iPod nano is the most beautiful, simplest-to-use pocketable iPod, ever. Here's a spoiler:
“The nano requires a bit of work, but it is more than just an amazing MP3 player. It is an icon. And my love and devotion to it is Biblical.”
Check it out: BACK TO THE FUTURE FRIDAY: THE ORIGINAL IPOD NANO
Headfonia: Mezzo Audio MSAK100 and MSAK120
In July, I meant what I said: Mezzo HiFi's MS-AK100 is the single best-performing DAP I've laid ears on. Finally, I get the full word out about it at Headfonia.
By all means, read it: Mezzo Hifi MS-AK100 And MS-AK120 – Perfect Nipples
The Shozy Alien DAP
The Alien and the iPod shuffle
For years I've had a hankering for a screen-less audio player that was small, friendly, and sounded great. Something that could replace, or complement, my original iPod shuffle.
Finding one has proven impossible. In 2006, Apple ruined the shuffle series. The 2nd generation shuffle sounded poor, hissed more than the first generation, and frequently got lost in the wash or broke its clip. Worse yet, it required a cable.
Read moreNo, Tyll, the AK240 isn't revolutionary
The AK240 is a great-sounding player. It is an expensive player. Inner Fidelity's Tyll thinks it is revolutionary. Its price certainly is.
Read moreMezzo HiFi's MS-AK100 and MS-AK120 mods
Fore: MS-AK120; aft: MS-AK100
Long-time readers will know that I disapprove of iRiver's handling of the AK series. The AK100, which has been on the market for just over a year and a half, feels old. In Japan, pristine models are selling used for anywhere from 23.000¥ to 35.000¥, which is 40% - 55% off MSRP. (By contrast, a used iPod of the same vintage sells used 75-85% of its new price.)
Read moreAK DAP Mini Shootout: Why subjective volume matching is a waste of time
Four days ago, headfi moderator, warrenpchi, published the beginning of what looks to be a legendary Astell & Kern shootout in the already legendary AK120/100ii thread. He went to great lengths to volume match each device by ear.
Yes, by ear.
“This actually took MUCH longer than I anticipated. It seems simple, but you’d be amazed how long it can take to subjectively match levels between five devices using 6 different tracks of varying genres and file qualities.
I began by going through all of the test tracks above to find a comfortable volume level on the AK120 - the device that I am most familiar with. It had to be loud enough that I felt confident in hearing the most intricate of details, but not loud enough that I would be subjected to too much discomfort.”
Warren, it IS simple. Calibrate each device to a single, pre-recorded frequency-neutral tone. Use a split cable, not your ears. And by all means, don't bring out a bunch of songs to do it.
Matching volumes by ear is cognitive dissonance. Not only is it not possible, it is wasteful of effort, time, and, when published, wasteful of headfi bandwidth. At worst, it is deceptive.
Myriad problems ensue even when matching via line outputs. The most insidious is current variability between devices, which can render differences in volume between tracks normalised to the same mean volume levels.
Why? When not fed ample enough current, headphones will return various anomalies, including the loss of contrast, and sound pressure in certain frequencies, all of which affect perceived volume levels.
Hire the best ears in the world. Give them the rest of their lives to match volumes. They will fail. It is neither possible - nor an expedient use of someone's life. It is far quicker and accurate to simply split the output between a single pair of earphones and a sound card. Match the volumes against a frequency-neutral calibration signal. Voila!
Subsequent volume differences indicate output defaults. They cannot be normalised across devices. I won't even get into the problems of various stimuli that trick the ear to thinking it hears one thing when it hears another.
I wish you luck Warren, but your test has already begun on the wrong foot.
Source: Mini Astell&Kern DAP Shoot-Out