oh yeah? is this a problem? don't A&K promise to replace the battery for life or anything? thanks

I used my sp1k for 4years almost everyday, battery still so healthy, so idk u why u complain without using themselves

@@tip3y592 I own them and agree with the dude. Why do you choose to be dense?

@@marsoblivi0n945 All batteries have a limited lifespan, so it is a valid concern. Not to mention, who doesn't want their expensive DAP to live forever?

Yeah, I was really impressed with the SQ and performance for the price.

Sure thing - in most cases the 4.4mm balanced connection is going to be preferred for basically what you said - it provides the amp additional "headroom" so that you can achieve the same SPL at lower volumes. That typically means you'll be getting less distortion from the amp to. You also get the benefit of the connection being less prone to interference.

So I never got to hear an original KANN, I've only heard Cube and Alpha, and I do think it's an improvement over Alpha in the feeling of transparency and the treble delivery, but I remember when Alpha came out there were some people who felt the original still sounded better.

Interesting. It's possible that adjusting the gain level could have some effect. In theory there could be some difference from the cable material as well (copper tending to be "slower" than silver). I'm not sure I've ever felt that it was too fast, though there may be something in the presentation of the mids or highs that makes it sound a bit aggressive.

@@BloomAudio Yes, it is really a bit aggressive for soft genres for me, I listened Kann Max for about one hour today... Now I'm looking towards softer players with a soft feed, such as Shanling m8 and similar ones. Thank you for the answer!

So I think you would probably still do well at lower volumes with headphones like the LCD-X or Arya, but with something more demanding like a HIFIMAN HE6se, you would see some advantage in the KANN Max, even at lower volumes - party because you're going to have to push the player harder to achieve the same moderate volume.

Hi. Is it hot due to high gain/high volume?

@@mrmrgaming medium gain and volume 120

@@Ivan_Zanicchi Ok thanks. My main issue is that screen looks too small for my eyes :-)

Both the Pathfinder and U12t would be excellent options to pair with the KANN Max. Pathfinder and KANN Max have particular synergy in delivering a natural, full sounding bass.

I haven't had the chance to listen with the LCD-3, but I'm a little skeptical of any DAP I've tried really getting the most out of it. I think either KANN Max or DX320 will do okay with it, but it seems to really shine with higher levels of desktop power and current.

I know it's pretty inconvenient, but I'd recommend running the updater and then doing a factory reset (eject the card first). I've run into a couple issues where an A&K DAP had some unexpected behavior out of the box, but firmware update + factory reset permanently fixed the issue.

@@BloomAudio I tried both. I had to end up getting an exchange in the end. But they were very quick with helping me.

You can't do multiple listeners on the one device. There seems to be some kind of priority assigned to each output, so having a cable plugged into 3.5mm, 2.5mm, and 4.4mm will only output to the 4.4mm.

Absolutely! hello@bloomaudio.com

Thanks will be in touch

I don’t know the ins and outs of your headphones. I will answer assuming they are built with an unbalanced plug on the end. If you just use a balanced cable that has a converter that then goes to unbalanced, you probably won’t see much difference beyond it just being louder. If you send your headphones in to be professionally converted to balanced with a matching balanced cable, you will for sure. I did that with my Grado 325s and it is night and day. These mid range headphones now sound premium. Btw, I love the Kann Max too. I was an entry level user with an AK 70 Mk2. I went to go upgrade to the next current level up. The sales person wisely had me compare it to the Kann Max and I immediately bought the Kann Max. I’m relegating it’s duty to primarily Bluetooth, and shop duty. The Kann Max is my friend for home and office audio.

It's an excellent match with the Utopia, but I would prefer the SP2000T in the hybrid tube mode as the best match for the Utopia personally.

We no longer had an Kann Alpha demo when the Max came out to compare. The sound is VERY similar to Alpha to my ears. Kann Max feels just a little more detailed and resolving.

Hi, that's an inexpensive stand I purchased from Amazon. It's quite good though: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NWC3L95/

Honestly they just need to take one of their portable DACs, stick an SD card reader on there and give it the playback functionality of an iPod Nano…I’d buy it.

@@BloomAudio me too. I have the sony a55 and the hibyr2 . Use the rope string around my neck ans use wired

SP2000t has a bigger soundstage a more holographic delivery, and feels crisper with transients in cymbals. KANN Max is a little smoother up top and has more presence in the bass.

@@BloomAudio thx u kindly,

How does it fair in SQ vs the SE200? @bloom Audio

@@LT15313 I'd say that the SE200 has stronger SQ overall, but I might prefer the KANN Max over the ESS channel on the SE200 for the tuning.

@@BloomAudio thanks for the in depth and honest reply! Love the channel.

While the power is the main draw, it's honestly just a nice, simple DAP with really solid tuning and general sound quality. I use it all the time with IEMs because the sound feels really natural to me.

Have you tried it with the Bathys, does the DAC work with the Max?

I wouldn't say that it "collapses" but DX320 is significantly smoother and faster in its operation inside of apps, while KANN Max feels pretty solid when you just use it by itself, but feels somewhat sluggish when you use them side by side.

I didn't have much trouble with it in general. Are you finding that it's sluggish to respond or that it isn't responding well to touch? I always have trouble with touch, but I've found the Max to be generally responsive.

@@BloomAudio that it isn't responding well to touch. Usually only reacts to the second or third touch (swipe) But I think it is a bit better with last firmware.

The SQ and tuning on the SP2000 still is significantly better than the KANN Max, but I think KANN Max is much closer to the high end A&K sound that KANN Alpha or KANN Cube were.

@@BloomAudio thanks

The tripod stand I use for the shots of the KANN Max's screen? I can't find the exact one, but it was a $25 purchase off Amazon from the search "phone tripod stand"

I think if you're in the market for a high-end DAP and prefer the Astell&Kern aesthetic and brand philosophy over iBasso or HiBy, KANN Max is a really solid value in the $1000 range. It's also great if you want to be somewhat mobile with planar magnetic headphones. But for many, yes, KANN Max would be overkill.

Yes, you can install Apple Music on the KANN Max.

DX320 bass is more linear while KANN Max feels like it has just a touch of midbass emphasis. Mids are similar while DX320 has a little more sparkle at the top and feels faster with cymbals and the like.

@@BloomAudio just wondering, are u on the stock or new firmware on the DX320?

@@Viewer13128 I updated everything to the latest firmware on all the devices.

@@BloomAudio sorry but i find this description bit confusing. In Blooms Audio written review, someone wrote that the Max has more emphasis on a sub bass, where the dx320 highlights mid bass more. Also from my experience with both devices, the Max has more sparkle in trebles, where the dx320 is more pronounced in higher mids. So in my opinion the Max has more sub bass and more sparkle in trebles and the 320 is more linear with it's delivery, doesn't highligts anything except a slight emphasis on the higher mids.

Any battery service will need to be done by the manufacturer. In most cases, you would mail it in for service.

@@BloomAudio Why ? What's simpler than popping out the old battery and inserting a new one in its place ?

@@elguinolo7358 That's a good question. It seems like most manufacturers are designing their devices without the ability to replace the battery. I think it's more that it's easier for the engineers to design a device if they're not worried about the user removing the battery.

oh you again! lolz

Wrong, Its actually pronounced "Kar-Nen" thats why it has 2 N's