
Chinese: 
当我们在店里刚听说新的kann要发售时，
我们认为艾利和得到的关于一代kann的反馈不应该是：它很棒，
但是，你能把它弄得再大一些，或者更重一些么？
但显然这就是艾利和得到的反馈，因为现在我们有了Kann Cube，
一个真的很巨大的数字音频播放器。在它与上代机型比较时，一代的kann竟会给人一种娇小的感觉
Kann Cube相对于一代机型基本就是在任何方面都放大一倍
双倍的价格，双倍的推力，双倍的尺寸
如果你想毁了你的牛仔裤的话你可以把它放到口袋里
但它应该属于便携设备而不是随身设备
也就是说Kann Cube更多的是全尺寸台机的一种替代方案
和游戏本与常规台式电脑的关系相似
你可以带着它辗转于不同地方
最后，它还装有一个大屏幕和艾利和独家定制的十分讲究的操作系统
虽然它不像一些机器比如飞傲M11那样时髦，但我们已经发现

English: 
Here at the store, when we first heard there
was going to be a new version of the Kann,
we didn’t think the feedback Astell & Kern
got about the first version was: "It’s good,
but, can you like, make it bigger, and like,
heavier?"
But evidently that’s the feedback A&K DID
get, because now we have the Kann Cube - a
truly gargantuan digital audio player that
makes the original model look positively svelte.
The Kann Cube basically doubles down on what
seemed outrageous about the original Kann
- double the price, double the power, double
the size.
You could fit it in your pocket if you wanted
to ruin your jeans, but this is definitely
more of a TRANSPORTABLE than a portable.
In that sense, the Kann Cube is even more
of an alternative to a full size desktop setup
in the same way that a gaming laptop is an
alternative to a regular desktop.
It’s something that you're gonna move between
desks and between rooms.
To that end, we have a large display running
AK’s relatively elegant, customised OS - and
while it isn’t as snappy as say, something
like the Fiio M11, we’ve generally found

English: 
AK players to be unmatched when it comes to
software stability out of the box.
The display also has a slight angle, which
is quite nice when you realise this means
the display tilts towards you when you use
the Cube on a desk.
In terms of inputs and outputs, the Cube mixes
things up from the original.
We have the same 3.5mm single ended and 2.5mm
balanced outs, but instead of the dedicated
3.5 and 2.5 mm line outs from the Kann, we
now have a single Mini-XLR balanced output.
Apparently this 5 pin Mini-XLR connector is
optimised for line out since it bypasses the
main headphone amp section of the Cube.
Now we weren’t able to test this connector
because we don’t currently have the cables
for it, but we imagine it would be useful
when using the Cube as a DAC for something
like a STAX setup.
Now you can still use the normal headphone
outs as line outs, where you’ll get a standard
2V output - but you might not end up using
them this way all that often considering that
you can basically plug almost any headphone
into the Kann Cube, and you will get truly
astounding levels of power on reserve.

Chinese: 
通常艾利和的设备开箱即用，在软件稳定性上是无与伦比的
屏幕还有一个小角度，这相当赞
因为当你把Cube放在桌上使用时，它的屏幕会朝你倾斜
在输出和输入方面，这台机器把前代机型的所有接口都考虑到了
它有3.5mm单端输出，2.5mm平衡输出，但除了与一代kann相同的3.5mm与2.5mm线路输出
它多了一个Mini-XLR 平衡线路输出
显然这个5极迷你XLR接口是为线路输出优化的因为它
跳过了Cube的耳放线路
现在我们无法测试这个接口因为我们现在还没有对应的线材
但是我们认为把Cube作为解码对于有些设备会很好用
比如STAX(声的诗)的设备
你现在依旧可以把耳机输出当成线路输出来使用，在这种情况下
输出电压为恒定2V — 但你可能不会一直使用这种方式
因为你可能随时会把任何一个耳机插到Kann Cube上
而这之后你会听到震耳欲聋的声音

Chinese: 
新Kann的3.5mm单端的推力基本上和上代Kann的2.5mm平衡推力差不多
那意味着我们可以用它的3.5mm单端输出来驱动600欧的拜雅T1
并且通过我们逐步尝试，在大约90/150的音量时就可以得到一个合适的响度
对于有着更大动态范围的古典乐来说，可能声音还得开的更大一些
这时就轮到2.5mm平衡口了，它可以提供几乎两倍于单端接口的推力
我们认为用2.5mm平衡口来驱动几乎所有耳机都没有问题
只要你有一个2.5mm平衡耳机线
并且这就是我们认为当你拥有一个Kann Cube时你最不得不考虑的缺点
到现在为止是很难找到一个自带2.5mm平衡线的全尺寸大耳的
现在越来越多的耳机随机送的是4.4mm平衡线，并且我们发现，

English: 
The Kann’s single ended 3.5mm output now
basically puts out as much power as the original
Kann’s 2.5mm balanced out, which means that
we could plug a 600 ohm Beyerdynamic T1 into
the 3.5mm output and get a good listening
volume at around 90/150 volume steps - though
for classical music with more dynamic range
you might have to go a bit higher.
That’s where the 2.5mm balanced output steps
in, supplying almost twice the power of the
single ended connection - we would feel confident
plugging almost any headphone into the 2.5mm
balanced outas you can find a 2.5mm balanced
headphone cable.
And herein lies what we think is the biggest
shortcoming you have to consider when you
get the Kann Cube: while it’s hard to find
full sized headphones that include a 2.5mm
balanced cable, more and more headphones now
come with 4.4mm balanced cable, and we find,

Chinese: 
许多我们的顾客都同意4.4mm标准更加坚固，这个因素使它可以作为更合理的标准
尤其是对于可能插在Kann Cube 上的全尺寸大耳
出于同样原因，我们认为在Kann上加一个更大的1/4英寸（6.35mm）单端输出是更加合理的
因为从3.5mm插头转成1/4英寸（6.35mm）插头
比反过来转换更加容易
是的，你可以使用转换头，或者定制线材— 但是这回事一笔额外的费用
并且看起来不简洁讲究
好在使用它驱动高灵敏度耳塞时，3.5mm单端输出是干净且安静的
三种不同的增益设置确实会让玩家
在使用不同类型的耳机时变得更加方便
并且在你用它驱动高灵敏度耳塞比如Campfire仙女座时
其底噪水平与更小推力的播放器比如ZX300基本相当
可是如果你想要在驱动高灵敏度耳塞时有更小的底噪
我们还是认为SE100会更好
到现在为止的播放器中，我们认为像飞傲M11这种带有2.5mm和4.4mm输出的

English: 
and many of our customers agree that 4.4mm
is a physically stronger connector that makes
more sense as a standard, especially for the
full sized headphones that the Kann Cube is
likely to be used with.
By the same token we think it would have made
more sense to put a larger quarter inch single
ended output on the Kann, since it’s easier
to go from 3.5mm to quarter inch than it is
the other way around.
Yes, you can get adapters, or custom cables
made up - but this is another expense to factor
in, and it’s not quite as elegant as it
should be.
Thankfully, when it comes to IEMs, the 3.5mm
single ended output is relatively clean and
quiet.
Three different gain setting really improve
the convenience when using a mix of headphones
and earphones.
And on a sensitive IEM like the Campfire Audio
Andromeda you get roughly the same level of
hiss as you would get with a lower power DAP
like the Sony ZX300.
Though if you want something even more immune
to hiss with IEMs we still think the SE100
does a better job.
So far as DAPs go, we think players like the
Fiio M11, which has both 2.5mm and 4.4mm outs,

Chinese: 
或是艾巴索DX220这种可更换输出模块的播放器
在使用上是比Kann Cube更加灵活的，即使他们推力没有Kann Cube大
但这是一个关于接口标准的竞争，并且如果你愿意使用转换头或者
定制线材的话，Kann Cube就能驱动市面上几乎所有的耳机
这个播放器不适合所有人，但我们认为艾利和已经从迫切需求大推力却又
不在乎带一个小砖头出门的玩家身上找到了商机
我是Minidisc TV的Lachlan，我们下次再见

English: 
or the iBasso DX220, with its interchangeable
output modules, offer more flexibility than
the Kann Cube, even if they don’t offer
as much power.
But this is what we get with a format war,
and if you are willing to put up with using
adapters or getting custom cables made, then
the Kann Cube will power almost every headphone
under the sun.
This is not a player for everyone, but we
think that Astell & Kern has identified a
niche of power hungry users that don’t mind
carrying around a small brick.
This is Lachlan for MinidiscTV, see you next
time!
