Astell&Kern Launches New R-2R DAP and IEMs at High End Munich 2023
- Thread starter JasonNYC
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drftr
Headphoneus Supremus
As you probably know the most time (=cost) consuming part is research, trial, and error. And those folks in Germany have wages that drive up prices for people with wages 10 times less all the same. Now, since you're based right around the corner of VE you could save this
drftr
Not so fat head
1000+ Head-Fier
I'm old school, I remember the crazy speaker systems of the 70's/80's.. Multi-multi drivers coming out all over the place, some sticking out on rods; trying to simulate a symphonic experience. If you notice, for the most part, we're back to simpler designs. They just couldn't integrate the sound and a single point source won out every time.
We're just coming back around, its a fad.
We're just coming back around, its a fad.
Not so fat head
1000+ Head-Fier
Meh, Sennheiser is German too, and one of my favorite brands; I've sent them enough checks to prove it. The next check will probably be for the IE600. Single point source at it's best. High quality driver equals great sound. Frequency and power robbing complex crossover networks have always been a pain for designers.
Not so fat head
1000+ Head-Fier
I've bought in the last 6 months, Audeze LCD-2C, Senn HD-660S, sony XM4 over ears, two AKG-N5005's, (others) and a disturbing number of TWS... My next purchase will probably be Black Friday... I'm looking at electronics (DAP) more these days.
Not so fat head
1000+ Head-Fier
I know what your saying, I'm more of a lurker when it comes to the kilo-buck IEM's. I earned a nice promotion last year, didn't adjust my W2, and happily sent Uncle Sam an extra $7,600.00 last month. I'm kind of shot for now...
I really do appreciate the expense and effort you and others put in checking the devices out.
It would seem the new AK DAP is more like a Cayin n6ii with an R01 motherboard than the N7.
N6ii Ti (which had the R01 board installed) was an R2R DAP that was priced a bit less but had most of these features along with interchangeable boards and an open Android system. I would guess that we will start hearing reports soon on how it really competes, and this could become a successor to my n6ii r01, but I doubt it, and I doubt it can achieve the SQ of my P6Pro.
N6ii Ti (which had the R01 board installed) was an R2R DAP that was priced a bit less but had most of these features along with interchangeable boards and an open Android system. I would guess that we will start hearing reports soon on how it really competes, and this could become a successor to my n6ii r01, but I doubt it, and I doubt it can achieve the SQ of my P6Pro.
Not so fat head
1000+ Head-Fier
OK, I checked out Vision Ears website. These guys look like the real deal, I'd like to hear what they've achieved!
davidmolliere
Headphoneus Supremus
They ARE the real deal believe me aside from VE8 being my very first custom and then purchasing Elysium and EXT products I have had a chance to share diner with Marcel, Amin and Oliver after a meetup and they're passionate about their work and such great and fun people too. Very open minded and curious about users feedback as well. Bottom line : they rock! Anything they build is worth a long hard look and both build quality, user & customer experience are top notch which is at this level member of a very select club of brands in terms of offering a full exclusive feeling experience.
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VE is the real deal for sure. Cant say the same for A & K.
Not so fat head
1000+ Head-Fier
A & K had a different name back in the 90's and early 2000's.. I bought several of their DAPs, and they were pretty good. Quality little buggers.. I think they made the Microsoft Zoon too.. zoon had great hardware, MS just screwed it up!!
You can see in the space between the low mids BAs and the high-mids BAs, THAT'S where the other 3000 dollars of the asking price went. Dark matter was used in a special "ol' switcheroo" factoring process to fill the gaps in the iem shell, where the actual expensive parts are supposed to be that explain the price, with the astonishingly still plenty of empty space of the pockets of the combined management forces of both A&K and VE. The process is known internally as "ripping off the customer" by "asking ridiculous amounts of money to see how much people are willing to pay for a couple of leftover drivers in a tiny metal shell". It as very advanced technique that can only be successfully implemented by the most professional and efficient effort of a marketing team that is always anxious to find new, fresh ways of combining words that sound cool with pictures that look especially cool.
Truly, a great and mysterious advancement that can be observed in the IEM world of late, where more and more of these ultra-expensive technologies pop up in every kind of earphone with a couple of leftover drivers from the shelf. I am excited to see where this will lead us to! Who knows, maybe in a few years we will have a couple of leftover drivers from the shelf where the leftover space between them costs 10k and more to manufacture!
He always laughs when he sees and hears about even more drivers
....which make the shells bigger, heavier,unwearable and more expensive
Ultimately, it will lead to a normalization in the implementation of these, which means less is more.
Yes his IEM was the best-selling IEM in the high-price segment many many years ago with over 100.000 Units worldwide
And last it was Apple that bought his patent for 1 million usd
(The integration of a balanced armature transducer into the sound channel of dynamic transducer element)
Other manufacturers can only dream of this...because they are not ahead of the game....as he was over a decade ago
If you charge 2000,3000,4000 or 5000 usd for an IEM nowadays, you should at least be able to come up with real innovations...which I simply miss with most of the IEM manufacturers.....but this is my humble opinion
NOMAX
PS.lol
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Not so fat head
1000+ Head-Fier
Get ready for a dark matter debate on head fi! 
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