Astell&Kern AK Jr DAP

[AppleCrumbles]

I have had my original iPod Classic for literally a millenia now and it is becoming somewhat long in the tooth as it struggles to even start sometimes. I have followed the Astell and Kern range for a few months but all the units have been FAR too expensive. They have just released the Astell&Kern AK Jr which I have fallen in love with! Seems to fit the bill to improve on my portable DAP experience.

Has anyone here got experience with this unit?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I have had my original iPod Classic for literally a millenia now and it is becoming somewhat long in the tooth as it struggles to even start sometimes. I have followed the Astell and Kern range for a few months but all the units have been FAR too expensive. They have just released the Astell&Kern AK Jr which I have fallen in love with! Seems to fit the bill to improve on my portable DAP experience.

Has anyone here got experience with this unit?

That particular unit, no. I have read about it, but I haven't seen it and nor would I choose to buy it. As you probably know, it is designed as an entry level model.

However, I was given an Astell & Kern 120 (the original model) to try out and test for a few weeks, several weeks ago, and wrote about it in a thread I posted in the iPod section.

Like you, I have been a huge fan of the iPod classic, and was looking out for a replacement, and had sought advice from the store where I had bought several pieces by B&W. They recommended Astell & Kern and the manager gave me his to try out for a few weeks.

In a word, I loved it; superbly built, with sleek good looks and fantastic audio quality.

I shall be buying one, but not the model you have shown here. My recommendation - as with Apple refurbs - would be to buy the superseded model, - or, one of the superseded models - as the price reductions can be generous - rather than the current one.

The original A&K 100 is retailing at about half the price it cost two years ago, which makes it very attractively priced (but not, obviously, as cutting edge as some of the later models).