Astell&Kern Fields Players, Amp & In-Ear Monitor in Munich

Astell&Kern is showcasing its latest product introductions at this week’s High End 2019 exhibition in Munich, which are targeted at high-end audio/headphone enthusiasts. They include two portable high-resolution audio players, an amplifier and in-ear monitors, and feature improved performance compared to existing models.

The flagship SP2000 portable player (July availability; $3,500) is in the Astell&Kern A&ultima line. It integrates the latest flagship Asahi Kasei AKM AK4499EQ digital-to-analog converters (DACs). It features two AK4499EQ DACs, arranged in a dual-mono configuration to provide a wider soundstage and better stereo separation and is said by the company to be the first Astell&Kern player to use separate, independent audio channels between the Unbalanced and Balanced outputs, with 6Vrms for Balanced output and 3Vrms for Unbalanced output.