If you happen to suppose the marketplace for high-end DAPs is shrinking — suppose once more. Astell&Kern have introduced its newest entry within the Astell&Kern KANN collection of ultra-high output gamers. The $1,599 USD KANN Extremely can be obtainable beginning in November from Astell&Kern sellers.
CAN Extremely ($1,599)
KANN Extremely turns into the fifth participant in Astell&Kern’s KANN line of Digital Audio Gamers (DAP). The KANN collection of transportable high-resolution audio gamers are geared up with a extra highly effective, built-in headphone amplifier, which permits KANN gamers to drive any headphone, together with high-impedance headphones, with out the necessity for a separate amplifier.
Customers can choose between 4 ranges of achieve (low, mid, excessive, and tremendous achieve) for as much as 16Vrms of output to supply the exact output required to drive even probably the most demanding headphones.
The Astell&Kern KANN Extremely contains a Triple Output Mode that lets you join the DAP to headphones, IEMs, and different sources.
As a substitute of merely separating the output ports, Astell&Kern’s Teraton Alpha know-how permits for separate amplifier/sound design for the Headphone Out and Line/Pre-Out ports to supply the optimum sound for every port. A 3.5mm unbalanced and 4.4mm balanced port is supplied for each the headphone and Pre/Line Outputs.
The three output modes of the KANN Extremely are:
Headphone Out
The headphone out ports options 4 preset achieve settings and ultra-high output of as much as 16Vrms. The headphone port is designed to completely run demanding headphones with excessive impedance utilizing solely the built-in participant amp with out the necessity for an exterior AMP.
Pre-Out
Pre-Out mode delivers sound by a specifically designed Pre-Out amplifier, as a substitute of the high-powered Headphone out amp. The Pre-Out capabilities like a preamplifier and you’ll management the amount with the amount wheel.
Line Out
Line Out mode outputs the sound from the DAC straight with out going by an amplifier, ensuing within the lowest noise stage, and making it best for connecting to exterior audio gadgets. Line Out has a hard and fast voltage output (4 ranges – 1.4V – 4V) and no quantity management.
New DAC?
KANN ULTRA options the latest flagship DAC from ESS, the ESS9039MPRO in a Twin-DAC configuration. The ES9039MPRO is an replace to the favored ES9039PRO mannequin featured in high-end audio tools.
The ESS9039MPRO has a built-in stereo {hardware} MQA renderer and extra superior modulation than the earlier flagship ESS DAC to scale back energy consumption, noise, and distortion for enhanced audio efficiency. KANN ULTRA helps native 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512 playback and full help for MQA.
Astell&Kern has redesigned the AMP BLOCK of the KANN Extremely to make sure that the clear, high-resolution sound of the ES9039MPRO is clearly expressed by each port, and every output’s traits present its personal superior efficiency.
Different options discovered on KANN ULTRA embrace:
- Digital Audio Remaster Know-how (DAR)which was developed to ship effective sound at increased pattern charges. DAR know-how is developed to upsample the pattern charge of the sound supply being performed to transcend the boundaries of the supply format. The excessive pattern charge permits extra refined play and presents delicate and analog-like unique sound, serving to you to benefit from the richness of the unique sound, delicate variations within the nuance of the music and wealthy sounds at the next stage.
- Crossfeed mixes components of the unique sign from one channel and sends that sign to the other channel with a time distinction to middle the sound picture, like listening with audio system. This reduces ear fatigue that may happen with extended listening classes utilizing headphones. Detailed settings akin to Shelf Cutoff, Shelf Achieve, and Mixer Degree, assist you to regulate the extent of crossfeed in response to your listening preferences.
- DAC Filter settings assist you to fine-tune your sound type with the usage of seven DAC filters.
- ReplayGainwhich permits the participant to mechanically regulate the amount between tracks and preserve a constant playback stage.
- BT Sink permits KANN ULTRA to connect with an exterior gadget through Bluetooth, and performance as a Bluetooth DAC. Music from an exterior gadget, akin to a smartphone can now be performed again in high-quality, taking full benefit of the hi-res audio decoding within the participant.
- With AK File Droptransferring your music recordsdata from a pc or NAS is even simpler and extra handy. Utilizing AK File Drop, you may freely switch recordsdata wirelessly by a PC, smartphone, or FTP program positioned on the identical community. Music file administration is now doable with a cableless, wi-fi resolution.
First launched on the flagship A&ultima SP3000, KANN Extremely options Astell&Kern’s newly developed 4th era UX/UI which focuses on the method and expertise of listening to music.
The brand new theme is designed with a concentrate on the expertise of rediscovering songs that you’ve got forgotten; you may rapidly flick thru music classes with easy gestures.
A handy search characteristic together with album artwork has been added as a way to take pleasure in a digital show of CD album covers of your music assortment. It’s designed to offer you not solely the pleasure of listening to music, but in addition to create enjoyable when working the gadget.
With the brand new Crimson Theme, one of many major options of the 4th era UI, the graphics are easy and unintrusive, specializing in usability and intuitiveness. Three key ideas, Edge, Easy, and Darkish Mode, have been used to enhance usability and improve readability with a method distinctive to AK. The black and crimson theme colours are chosen to scale back eye fatigue, maximize battery utilization and cut back warmth era.
KANN ULTRA features a 5.5-inch 1080×1920 Full HD touchscreen, 128GB of inner reminiscence with help for microSD playing cards as much as 1TB, dual-band 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi, LDAC and aptX HD help for 24-bit audio playback wirelessly, DLNA networking, USB digital audio output, USB-C for knowledge switch and fast-charge help, and the flexibility to make use of KANN ULTRA as a USB DAC in your Mac or Home windows-based PC.
The Astell&Kern KANN ULTRA contains help for the most well-liked music streaming companies together with TIDAL, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify.
The design idea of KANN ULTRA is “Forceful Affect”. The design is an over-scaled quantity wheel knob that has been slammed and embedded into the physique of the KANN to visually symbolize its extra highly effective efficiency than its predecessor. With the KANN ULTRA, we continued the design identification of the KANN collection, which emphasizes the hexagonal columnar physique.
The brand new design minimized the seen parting traces, and the wheel protectors are designed in order that the outer fringe of the physique the place the amount wheel sits naturally acts as a protector and improves usability. These components emphasize the daring mass of the KANN ULTRA, representing primal energy by a strong chunk of steel.
Astell&Kern utilized ornamental components that join with the serrated sample on the amount wheel knob to make the wheel visually bigger and preserve a steadiness with the huge physique, whereas expressing the highly effective efficiency of the KANN ULTRA.
Moreover, the hairline spin ornament utilized to the rear of the wheel acts as a fragile element aspect together with the lettering engraving, exhibiting the amount wheel knob strongly embedded into the chassis. Because of the elevated dimension, the orientation of the amount wheel was redesigned to accommodate utilization in several environments, akin to on the desk, or held in your hand.
Roon Prepared help can be added in a future firmware replace pending testing and certification by Roon Labs.
Value & Availability
KANN ULTRA can be obtainable at licensed Astell&Kern sellers worldwide in November 2023 for $1,599.
Two circumstances for KANN ULTRA, made from high-quality leather-based from BADALASSI CARLO in Black and CONCERIA WALPIER in Navy, can be obtainable individually for $120.
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