What will replace ipod for quality portable music. ?

[Richard Barrett]

That looks like an interesting piece of gear, BeefO, which I'll definitely be bearing in mind if/when I decide to augment my iBasso DX50. I was wondering, though, why a South Korean company would have a name like that, apart from no doubt wanting to sound a bit like Bowers & Wilkins or some other Anglophone boutique brand. On their website I read the bizarre explanation "Astell means ‘Stars’ in Latin and Kern means ‘Center’ in German" - neither of which is true!

[Beef Oven!]

That looks like an interesting piece of gear, BeefO, which I'll definitely be bearing in mind if/when I decide to augment my iBasso DX50. I was wondering, though, why a South Korean company would have a name like that, apart from no doubt wanting to sound a bit like Bowers & Wilkins or some other Anglophone boutique brand. On their website I read the bizarre explanation "Astell means ‘Stars’ in Latin and Kern means ‘Center’ in German" - neither of which is true!

I was surprised to find they are a South Korean firm, given the name, and like you I surmised the reason for the David Brown-Lagonda/Alvis/Crocket & Jones/Sturmey Archer/Brompton branding!

[teamsaint]

Now thats proper post truth.

Anyway, Beefy, you're a one man advertising machine.
Please stop posting pictures of nice things to buy. Council tax just went up £20 a month.

And there's a general election coming....and we all know what that means......

Anyway, on the bright side, I'm off out to see the Saw Doctors tonight.

[Beef Oven!]

A&K AK/70 has been returned for a full refund.

Gapless playback was erratic. Most distracting. Unacceptable. Back to the drawing board.

[Beef Oven!]

I will look into FiiO and iBasso who both have some new models since I bought my last DAP (FiiO X3 2nd Gen).

[teamsaint]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Resolution-Walkman-3-1-inch-Display/dp/B01NBSVZK7/ref=gbps_img_m-5_69ab_e91ee8a0?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=ee8103aa-ec2e-4b17-abda-4d994dbf69ab&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=14235985031&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=YVS9FEPJVT2QKFMN0SG1

These any good ?

[Beef Oven!]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Resolu...PJVT2QKFMN0SG1

These any good ?

I imagine so. It's the upgrade to the Sony NWZ-A15, which I have. I'd vouch for it. There are some annoying things about the European Union version though.

The European Union won't let us decide how loud to play our music - they do it for us and insist on putting a volume limit on it. It's horrendously quiet and you can forget driving anything other than the most sensitive headphones. It also has a volume warning every 26 hours, where it lowers the volume right down, bleeps for about 7 seconds and flashes a warning on the screen to check the volume. The last time it happened to me was at the very end of Bruckner 8 after I'd been listening for about 78 minutes - all I caught was half the final cord. I was livid!

You can't actually switch it off! Even when you put the hold switch on, if the player gets touched in your bag it will still come on and tell you that the hold is on! I often turn it off, forget to put hold on and it starts accidentally to play music and the next time you go to it to listen to some music, the battery is dead.

Another bad point is that it doesn't use a standard micro USB slot, it has its own Sony one which means you can't piggy-back it with a portable headphone amplifier or use your other chargers.

Nor does it act as a DAC.

Very good sound quality, lots of extra storage via micro SD cards, good screen, cheap, small and light.

A couple of my kids went to the states for a holiday and tried to bring me back a US non-EU draconian version, but they couldn't actually find one in the electrical & hi-fi stores (LA and SFS).

[teamsaint]

I imagine so. It's the upgrade to the Sony NWZ-A15, which I have. I'd vouch for it. There are some annoying things about the European Union version though.

The European Union won't let us decide how loud to play our music - they do it for us and insist on putting a volume limit on it. It's horrendously quiet and you can forget driving anything other than the most sensitive headphones. It also has a volume warning every 26 hours, where it lowers the volume right down, bleeps for about 7 seconds and flashes a warning on the screen to check the volume. The last time it happened to me was at the very end of Bruckner 8 after I'd been listening for about 78 minutes - all I caught was half the final cord. I was livid!

You can't actually switch it off! Even when you put the hold switch on, if the player gets touched in your bag it will still come on and tell you that the hold is on! I often turn it off, forget to put hold on and it starts accidentally to play music and the next time you go to it to listen to some music, the battery is dead.

Another bad point is that it doesn't use a standard micro USB slot, it has its own Sony one which means you can't piggy-back it with a portable headphone amplifier or use your other chargers.

Nor does it act as a DAC.

Very good sound quality, lots of extra storage via micro SD cards, good screen, cheap, small and light.

A couple of my kids went to the states for a holiday and tried to bring me back a US non-EU draconian version, but they couldn't actually find one in the electrical & hi-fi stores (LA and SFS).

cheers. I might give it a swerve,even at the Black Friday price.

Ever thought of doing Amazon reviews?

[Beef Oven!]

cheers. I might give it a swerve,even at the Black Friday price.

Ever thought of doing Amazon reviews?

What's the Black Friday price?

(No, I've done about 5 reviews in 15 years!)

[teamsaint]

What's the Black Friday price?

(No, I've done about 5 reviews in 15 years!)

£129, as per the link.
"Deal of the day." cheaper than the US price I expect,and they probably actually have stock,plus you don't have to fly across the Atlantic.

[Beef Oven!]

£129, as per the link.
"Deal of the day." cheaper than the US price I expect,and they probably actually have stock,plus you don't have to fly across the Atlantic.

I thought the BF prices were meant to be jaw-droppingly crazy reductions ..........

[teamsaint]

I thought the BF prices were meant to be jaw-droppingly crazy reductions ..........

yes.
that's what you're supposed to think.

[Beef Oven!]

ts, what earphones will you use? If you are using in-ear sensitive ones, then I'd go for this. It's a very good price and the pros outweigh the cons.

[teamsaint]

ts, what earphones will you use? If you are using in-ear sensitive ones, then I'd go for this. It's a very good price and the pros outweigh the cons.

I don't have any decent in ear ( or any other ) phones, so it's all a bit academic ATM, as you have put me right off, and in any case I'm hoping for a storming BF discount on a Kindle Fire 10.

Trying to identify some decent headphones for Xmas is a bigger priority.

Plus I'm boracic right now.:sadface:

[Beef Oven!]

I don't have any decent in ear ( or any other ) phones, so it's all a bit academic ATM, as you have put me right off, and in any case I'm hoping for a storming BF discount on a Kindle Fire 10.

Trying to identify some decent headphones for Xmas is a bigger priority.

Plus I'm boracic right now.:sadface:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AKG-Reference-Open-Back-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B001RCD2DW/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1511219233&sr=1-17&keywords=akg+headphones

Edit: And this price is amazing - a few years ago they were £499!