Astell&Kern announces the launch of four new products at High End 2019 Munich.

Astell&Kern will unveil four new products, including two new portable players, an amplifier and In-Ear Monitors at High End 2019 in Munich, Germany on May 9, 2019. These four new products are targeted at high-end audio/headphone enthusiasts and feature improved performance compared to their existing models.

The new products are as follows:

A&ultima SP2000

The SP2000 is the latest flagship portable player from the Astell&Kern A&ultima line, integrating the latest flagship Asahi Kasei DACs, the AKM AK4499EQ.  The SP2000 features two AK4499EQ DACs, arranged in a dual-mono configuration.  The SP2000 is the first Astell&Kern player to use separate, independent audio channels between the Unbalanced and Balanced outputs. This design offers 6Vrms for Balanced output and 3Vrms for Unbalanced output.

The SP2000 supports up to 32-bit/768KHz bit-to-bit playback of PCM audio and native playback of DSD up to DSD512.  It also features an Octa-Core CPU, a 5-inch touchscreen, 512GB of internal memory (double that of previous Astell&Kern players), MQA support (pending final testing and certification) and dual-band Wi-Fi with a stereo antenna, for improved network performance when streaming music. The A&ultima SP2000 will be available in Stainless Steel and Copper bodies with a unique crown pattern volume/power wheel.  The A&ultima SP2000 will be available in July 2019 for £2999/$3,500.

KANN CUBE

The KANN CUBE is the next generation of player in the Astell&Kern KANN Performance series of portable high-resolution audio players.  The KANN series of portable high-resolution audio players are equipped with a more powerful built-in headphone amplifier, which provides high power output that allows KANN players to drive any headphone without the need for a separate amplifier.

KANN CUBE features two 8-channel ESS Sabre ES9038PRO DACs in a dual-mono configuration.  The new 5-pin Mini XLR also makes it easy to connect to a home HiFi audio amplifier. KANN CUBE features a Quad-Core CPU, 128GB internal memory, 7,400mAh battery capacity for about 9 hours of music playback and support for MQA (pending final testing and certification).  KANN CUBE will be available in June 2019 for $1,500 (UK pricing TBC).

SP1000 AMP 

A new amplifier module for the SP1000 will also debut at the High End 2019 Show.  The Astell&Kern SP1000 AMP delivers high gain balanced 10 Vrms and unbalanced 6.2 Vrms output, providing more power to drive more power-hungry headphones. The SP1000 AMP docks with the SP1000 player to provide a one-piece, seamless device for charging and volume controls.  Equipped with a 3,700mAh battery, the SP1000 AMP supports continuous music playback of up to about 9 hours. The SP1000 AMP will retail for $800 (UK pricing TBC) and will be available in June 2019.

AKT9iE IEM

Astell&Kern expands the partnership with Beyerdynamic with the release of the new Astell&Kern AKT9iE, an IEM and update to the highly successful AKT8iE.  The AKT9iE is optimised for use with Astell&Kern Digital Audio Players (DAP).  The AKT9iE features a newly designed acoustic vent port and filter that are used to complement the bass and deliver much smoother musical highs. The AKT9iE is available in July 2019 for $1,100 (UK pricing TBC).