Skip to main content

Hi-Fi Corner: Astell&Kern’s new AK Jr portable makes hi-res affordable(ish)

astellkern affordable portable hi res audio player ak jr

Astell&Kern makes some of the most gorgeous pieces of high resolution portable gear  — inside and out — that you’ll find on the market. But for many listeners, even the company’s entry level units have approached the point of being cost prohibitive. Not anymore. AK today introduced the newest member of its high-resolution brood, the AK Jr, priced at $499.

If $500 seems like a pretty penny for a portable player, it’s actually extremely competitive in the world of high resolution audio on the go. The Jr matches well with Neil Young’s $400 Pono Player (if you can find one) and it’s practically a steal in comparison to the company’s flagship AK240, which comes in at around $2,500. And although you won’t find the AK240’s sprawling feature set, or glistening internal components like a double shot of Cirrus Logic 4398 DACs, the new upstart is no slouch.

Related Videos

Related: Trade out your clunky gear for this silver sonic jack of all trades

While the name might not inspire loads of confidence outside of Indiana Jones fans (Junior!), the AK Jr boasts the same Wolfson WM8740 DAC as the original AK100 offered, which is also a preferred chip for top quality digital audio conversion throughout the hi-fi world. The device also offers 64GB of native storage, as well as a microSD slot for up to 64GB of add-on storage to accommodate your high-resolution files. As you’d expect, the resolution tops out at 24bit/192kHz, and the player can handle most common file formats like WAV, FLAC, and Apple’s ALAC, as well as single-rate DSD files.

There’s no balanced output like you’ll find with the AK240, so the AK Jr won’t be as ideal as the hub of your home’s hi-fi system, but the player does include unbalanced 3.5mm output with an impedance of 2 0hms, which should be enough to push most high end headphones. And like the rest of AK’s line, the player can also double as a USB DAC for your PC to bypass your internal sound card.

While no word has been given yet for the AK Jr’s release date, the device will be on display at High End Munich from May 14-17, and at the T.H.E. Show Newport from May 29-31.

This post first appeared on our brother site, Digital Trends.

Image by Alex An

Editors' Recommendations

Best Black Friday TV Deals 2022: Sales You Can (and Should) Shop Today
best black friday tv deals 2022 lg 55 inch c1 series oled 4k uhd smart webos 2

There's nothing quite like kicking back on the couch after a long day and watching your favorite shows on a big, high-definition television. Whether you need to add a second or third TV to an entirely new room or you're looking for a significant upgrade for your living room, we strongly suggest adding a smart TV to your holiday shopping list. They're a massive upgrade over old-school "dumb" TVs, and thanks to the incredible Black Friday TV deals we're starting to see as retailers like Amazon and Best Buy start their Black Friday deals early this year, they are more affordable and accessible than ever before. Here are some you should absolutely shop today -- wait until Black Friday weekend (or worse yet, December) and you might just find yourself out of luck as the shelves clear out and retailers struggle to replenish stock in time for the holidays.
Best Black Friday TV Deals 2022

Insignia 24-Inch HD Fire TV -- $120, was $170
Hisense 32-Inch H55 Series HD Android TV -- $245
TCL 40-Inch 4 Series Full HD Roku TV -- $230, was $350
Insignia 58-Inch F30 Series 4K Fire TV -- $400, was $480
Samsung 70-Inch TU6985 4K Tizen TV -- $680, was $750
LG 55-Inch C1 Series OLED 4K webOS TV -- $1,500

Read more
There’s a HUGE Black Friday Apple Sale Happening Right Now
AirPods Pro on Table

We've got all the best Black Friday deals now that the sale season is heating up and we thought we'd focus on some fantastic Black Friday Apple deals going on right now. Whether you're looking for new AirPods or the latest iPad, there's something on sale for you here. Read on while we guide you through it.
Apple AirPods with Charging Case -- $119, was $159

Some of the best wireless headphones for running, the Apple AirPods are a great bet for anyone keen to enjoy their favorite sounds for less. They offer an easy setup with all your Apple devices plus convenient controls so you can easily double-tap to play or skip forward. Alongside that, there's quick access to Siri plus they automatically switch on as and when you need them to. What more could you need?

Read more
Khalik Allah’s Photos Speak Louder than Words
khalik allah feature magnumfeaturedimage

Khalik Allah does not grant interviews. Not often. "Wikipedia got me a year older, so a lot of articles have copied that for the last two years,” the 35-year-old photographer says. He rarely posts on social media, and save for a flash sale from his photo agency, Magnum, he’s had a quiet year in his home in Rocky Point, N.Y. What’s that quote from Flaubert, regular and ordinary in your life so as to make violent art? “Just building quietly,” he says, “not really putting too much work out into the world at the moment, keeping more of a distance.
Related Guides

Where to Find Artwork to Match Your Style
Contemporary Artists You Need to Know
Photography Tips for Beginners

Read more