Habit is a terrible thing because it makes you feel like everything is taken for granted – I copied it
When I picked up the recently released new machine, the Astell & Kern CT15 player, the first thing I did was not to record any new songs into the machine; instead, connect the WiFi, install NetEase Cloud, and shout "Hi, Avery" to start the AI voice assistant to see if it would help me find the songs I wanted to listen to.
Yes, as I copied the famous quote. When people are now accustomed to voice assistants, such as Siri and Xiao Ai, it is normal to call them on the road, in the car, and at home to deal with some simple things. That is in the industry's pioneering headphones and portable audio and video field, why is there no such voice assistant to help me find songs and play music? In this way, Astell & Kern ate this "crab" and took the lead in installing the AI intelligent voice assistant in the new model of the former sub-brand "ACTIVO", CT15.
CT15×ACTIVE×Astell&Kern
Complex triangular relationships?
In 2018
Regarding the protagonist CT15 this time, I had to pull up the two brands of ACTIVO and Astell & Kern to taste their relationship. Two years ago (that is, in 2018), I shared the previous generation of CT15", "CT10", which hangs on THERIVER sub-brand ACTIVO, CT10 is its first product, positioned to serve the younger generation and tailor-made for the mass consumer group who like music.
What are the intersections between ACTIVO and Astell & Kern (AK)? In fact, the CT10 and CT15 machines are equipped with the "TERATON" module created by the AK team, which highly integrates the DAC, clock, power management, and amplification circuits of the core of the lossless music player, and integrates the packaging; in terms of tuning, it is also completed by the AK team to ensure that the module has a professional sound quality level. At the overseas press conference, about the concept of the TERATON module, it not only serves player products, mobile phones, home audio, PC and even car audio and other fields are the place where the TERATON module can show its fists.
CT15, as the successor, naturally inherits this TERATON module. In addition to meeting the basic playback and control functions, the AK team has also long added aptX HD Bluetooth protocol, MQA technology, USB DAC functions to the module, CT15 is not only a new product of highly integrated modules, but also the mainstream audio technology of the time, becoming the best choice for the cost-effective Top 1 + consumer MQA portable player.
In 2019
In the middle of October of this year, Avery and China held a strategic launch conference on the theme of "BE THE ULTIMATE" at the No. 1 Yunsong Concert Hall in Shenzhen Bay. At the meeting, in addition to announcing that the ACTIVO brand will be classified under the AK, the person in charge of the Korean side also immediately took out the new machine CT15, and showed the new machine AI voice assistant function at the meeting; when he shouted "Hi, Avery and" with a non-standard Chinese, CT15 popped up the guidance interface to guide the person in charge to continue to search for the corresponding tracks with voice and play it instantly.
Thanks to the compact size of the TERATON module, after the integration of internal resources, AK's designers can continue to cultivate in the fuselage space and begin to add cutting-edge technology functions. In this way, CT15 became the world's first player to support AI intelligent voice. In the case of connecting WiFi, pull down the top menu, light up the "AI" Logo symbol, whether it is connected to a wired headset, a Bluetooth speaker or a PC connected through a USB DAC, shout "Hi, Avery and" to perform voice control, play the specified track, adjust the volume, query the weather and news, these can be achieved through the CT15 built-in AI intelligent voice.
In 2020
Only affected by the epidemic, CT15 from the release to the sale of the actual delay of nearly a year, was jokingly called by netizens "may be one of the most procrastination products in the history of AK."
Since it has dragged out some time, CT15 will not only have the new feature of AI intelligent voice, right? Yes, before I waited for the flagship to receive, customer service reminded me to download the 1.06 firmware on the agent's website, which will open the OpenApp function, that is, support the installation of streaming music Apps; and in the list of supported Apps this time, in addition to common QQ music and Apple Music, many people's long-awaited NetEase Cloud Music and Kugou VIP HIFI have been supported. This time, as long as the storage space location is sufficient, you can even install all the mainstream streaming music apps in China and listen to them casually.
In addition, on the basis of retaining the physical buttons, volume twisting and sleek and compact body design, the CT15 replaced the more solid and better shielding effect of aluminum as the fuselage shell material, and the color was also added from the black/gold colors announced at the beginning, and an additional blue was added. For consumer users, there are more colors to choose from, how to play in the hand is very comfortable, and the sound quality is good enough.
It is worth mentioning that if you still feel that CT15 will wear and scratch, this time the original opportunity to give away a leather protective case can be used. Although there will be no such sleek grip, it is worth it in exchange for ct15 complete protection.
Soft and smooth tone
Great for pairing with today's entry-level headphones
The CT15 uses a CS4398 DAC chip that AK polishes very thoroughly. The specification supports 24 192kHz and DSD256 decoding, and also supports MQA format, which basically meets the needs of mass consumers for lossless sound quality (or that sentence, the average person rarely goes to find resources in too high format); sound quality, or sound performance, there is an AK team to check the whole process, shaping CT15 in one ear, can give you a soft and smooth listening experience.
Vocals
I started by using CT15 with IKKO OH10 and listening to Kumagi Apricot's new album なにが心にあればいい?. OH10 this headset can be said to represent the current entry-level thousand-dollar headphone style: high-pitched rounded and non-stimulating, low-frequency volume is moderate but the dive is fast enough, and the vocal performance is clear and three-dimensional. And Kumagi Apricot's new album, which belongs to the healing system she is good at, the slower-paced pop music, can easily highlight her sweet tone and simple and relaxed soundtrack against a clean background, which can show the advantages of these entry-level thousand-dollar headphones.
In the second track of the broadcast, "Lucky", you can easily feel the condensed, ear-catching vocals; the charm of Kumagi Apricot's transparent and pleasant voice is displayed at this moment, and the more you listen, the more you are attracted by a brilliant light, and you can't get rid of it. With the accompanying band, the sound of guitar and drum kit recording details, the COMBINATION OF CT15 and OH10 can also be easily restored, making kumagi apricot's singing voice render a strong sense of healing.
musical instrument
Here I will change to AK× Baiya's T9ie and CT15 to listen to Aaron Rossan's "Unaccompanied Violin". To be honest, the CT15 as an entry-level model is a bit difficult to control the T9iE, but the reason for choosing this flagship headset is because the high-quality characteristics of the T9iE are very suitable for detecting where the potential of the player goes; and this a cappella violin work is an excellent recording favored by audiophiles.
Playing the second track, "Fuga", the T9iE lived up to expectations and showed Aaron Rossan's superb skills. In particular, the strong sound emitted by the performance of the larger force, as well as the sound of the hall reverberating in the space, the sense of space and momentum expressed under the interweaving of the two, it is difficult to imagine that it is released by a violin, but Aaron Rosan did it. The CT15's own soft tone, and T9iE with the help of each other, make the piano tone become warm and smooth, for burners who do not like the "dry" tone of the violin, this set of collocationS I think will make you happy to accept.
synthesis
The nature of the CT15 is not to make you feel stimulated listening experience, so it is very suitable for pairing with headphones that have no personality style, tend to be high resolution and have a sense of thin lines. Suitable music genres, mainstream vocal types (Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States) are basically out of the question, but if it is more bass EDM or singing, you need to use CT15's built-in EQ to correct it.
To say that the deficiencies, I have seen the media of the previous review have said that the Micro USB port and only provide a 3.5mm headphone port. For the former, I can only say that this is somewhat limited by chips and circuits; the latter, presumably Aili and the target consumer group, are hoping to solve the need for sound quality improvement most simply and quickly. Want a more feverish device, AK has advanced products to choose from?
What kind of group is CT15 suitable for? In fact, as mentioned above, in addition to beginners, for players who use larger players or desktops on weekdays, a CT15 as a backup machine can be said to be just right. Wired headphones, you can listen to it when connected; wireless headphones, CT15 are also supported, NetEase Cloud, QQ Music, connected to WiFi can be listened to.
In addition to the mass consumer group, like me using KANN CUBE, or some of the more important players, as well as desktop players, CT15 with rich functions happens to be a backup machine, seamless connection of various devices, AI intelligent voice assisted operation, perfect function, convenient operation, sound quality is guaranteed, the old burners please play out the "true incense".