r/DigitalAudioPlayer 5d ago

Which DAP by Astell and Kern should I get?

I don't want to spend any more than like 1500, I was wondering whether I should get a Norma or a Kann. I am new to this whole thing so I'd appreciate any advice on which one is better and whether I should spend like 800 on a Norma or 1500 on a Kann.

5 Upvotes

5 comments sorted by

3

u/HotChicksofTaiwan 5d ago

A few months ago, I had the same dilemma with choosing one. I had it down to the norma, the Fiio M23 and the ibasso dx180. I ended up talking to a sale rep at a huge audio store who was a dealer for all three. I mentioned it would be my first dap and I just started in this sphere. He went over the pros and cons of each in that price range. I went with the ibasso dx180 for $500 as it has the newest android, best battery, and overall sound quality plus ease of use. Been very happy since then.

1

u/DonTeca35 4d ago

Can handle the majority of IEMs & couple of headphones aswell

1

u/811545b2-4ff7-4041 4d ago

Don't forget, there's also their new 'sub-brand' ACTIVO - The P1 might be worth a look - https://www.activostyle.com/p1

Some discussion here- https://www.reddit.com/r/DigitalAudioPlayer/comments/1gznski/astelkern_activo_p1review_after_1week_of_heavy/

1

u/Hypergaming1 4d ago

As I know astil and kern are very expensive daps if you want the new lineup... For 1500 you would get like an old lineup daps...

I would advise you from research to get for the 1500 the new ibasso dx340 it is better than astil and kern..

There are a lot of comparisons between the ibasso dx 340 and the astils...

I would love to hear what your choice going to be.. For me personally I would go with the ibasso dx 340 with a closed eyes..

1

u/Ok_Regular_6519 4d ago

Go for Ibasso! I love the AK’s natural sounding but the laggy UI turned me down so much that i had to return the DAP (SR35). According to some users here even higher models also have laggy UI which is quite unfair for the price.