Review : Astell & Kern AK Jr
Posted on 04 August 2015
Astell & Kern Jr reviewed on Headfonia.com by Nathan
Read the full review here : http://www.headfonia.com/astell-kern-ak-jr-who-you-calling-junior/
Conclusion :
Jr lacks some of the functionality (optical output) of the AK100 and AK120 it has replaced. Its corners are stupidly sharp, its screen larger, but no more accurate. Its GUI is easier to navigate, but with a battery life that tops out at around 8 hours, it won’t carry the modern work day through.
Jr has a few serious design flaws. But, in my opinion, it is A&K’s best current portable DAP. It is slimmer, lighter, and less arbitrarily designed than either the AK240 or the AK380. And it’s less expensive and has a more straightforward UI than both the AK100ii and AK120ii.
The pudding on the pie is its rocking of Wolfson’s wonderful WM8740 DAC, plugging a niche that’s been empty since 2013. Which means the following: I love the AK Jr. And I hate that it misses a few things.
