Skip to main content

Hi-fi corner: Astell&Kern gets smooth with the new AK320 hi-res audio player

astell kern ak320 1800 portable hires audio player astellkern hi res players 1 the manual
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Last week at CES 2016, luxury audio brand Astell&Kern showed off a gorgeous new addition to its expanding collection of Hi-Res portable audio players, the new AK320. Dubbed a “mid-level” device for the brand, the AK320 costs $1,800 to bring you towards audiophile nirvana.

AK added some brand new components to the AK320, including new AKM AK4490 DACs (digital to audio converters), stepping away from the Cirrus Logic chips the company has used in the past. And having spent a few minutes with the device, we think that was a good move.

Related: Behold the most expensive headphones in the world: Sennheiser’s $55,000 Orpheus

The new chips are arranged in a dual-mono setup for brilliant stereo separation, reams of sonic space, and all the detail you could want. So go ahead: pore over every lip puff and cymbal swell to your heart’s content. What’s more, we found the new chips offer just a golden drop’s worth of extra warmth that really went down smooth for our ears. We got to hear a few remastered Beatles tunes from Abbey Road, and the drums, bass, and guitars were nothing short of luscious, with a touch less bite at the attack. Even the snappy snare of MJ’s Billie Jean was toned down a tad.

AstellKern-AK320-portable-Hi-res-players-8 The Manual
Image used with permission by copyright holder

As for other features, the AK320 can play back up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM (downconverted to 24/192) and single-rate and double-rate DSD high resolution audio, though DSD files will be converted to PCM. In addition, the AK320 will sit in AK’s new AK380 Cradle docking station, which boasts balanced XLR outs that allow you to use the player as your Hi-Fi hub when not on the road.

Additional features include a 4-inch WVGA screen and 128 GB storage, with an additional 128 GB available by adding a microSD card.  The player also features a parametric EQ that can be changed by imperceptible .1dB increments, a machined aluminum body, unbalanced and balanced analog outs, Wi-Fi, and more. Like other AK players, you can also use the device as a USB DAC for your computer, to bypass your poor internal sound card.

If you’ve got the scratch, and you’re looking for brilliant portable sound, you can order the new AK320 now.

A version of this post first appeared on our “brother site” Digital Trends.

Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is an audio engineer, musician, composer, and all-around lover of all things tech, audio, and cinema. Hailing…
Love Dune 2? The best Denis Villeneuve movies, ranked
Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve has had a very prolific career.
The official poster for Dune: Part Two.

Thanks to the box office success of Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve is now firmly established among the top directors in Hollywood. It's an overnight success story that only took 26 years to come to fruition. And over the past decade, Villeneuve has taken it upon himself to make some of the best science fiction movies of the century. But Villeneuve has already proven that he can do a lot more than sci-fi.

To celebrate the director's films, we've narrowed them down to the 7 best Denis Villeneuve movies ranked from seventh to first. And there is no "worst" among these Denis Villeneuve movies.

Read more
The Ghostbusters have a new ride in Frozen Empire, courtesy of Mercedes Benz
Mercedes Benz Sprinter plays a pivotal role in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
The ECTO-Z makes its debut in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Later this month, the Ghostbusters will be back on the big screen in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. And while three generations of the team are coming together, there is a big addition to the crew: The ECTO-Z. At an event in New York City, Mercedes-Benz officially unveiled the Ghostbusters' new ride, which is a customized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that follows in the footsteps of the iconic ECTO-1 from the first three films.

Given the larger size of the second and third-generation Ghostbusters team, it was only natural that they would need a vehicle that could carry all of them to the scene of a haunting anywhere in NYC. As for the name, it comes from original team member Dr. Winston Zeddemore, as played by Ernie Hudson. Ghostbusters: Afterlife established that Zeddemore is now the financial backer of the Ghostbusters and the de facto leader of the team.

Read more
Everything points to Apple TV+ making a change you’re not going to like
Is an ad-supported tier coming to Apple TV+?
The Apple TV Plus Logo

It turns out that TV worked pretty well under its old model. According to a new report from Business Insider, Apple TV+ may be the latest streaming service that's set to introduce an ad-supported tier and charge those who don't stream with ads a premium fee to access their great shows and movies.

At this point, the report is still speculation, but Apple has made several recent hires in the advertising space that seem to suggest the direction they're planning to take. The company recently hired former NBCUniversal ad executive Joseph Cady to serve as executive vice president of advanced advertising and partnerships, a move that comes following the company's hiring of another former NBCUniversal executive, Jason Frum, who joined Apple's video ad sales team.

Read more