Astell&Kern : KANN Cube, high-res digital audio player

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Astell&Kern-KANN-Cube

Astell & Kern has renewed Kann portable audio players with the new Kann Cube . The aluminum body exhibits a revisited design and features square lines that convey a feeling of strength. The body measures 87.75 (L) 140 (A) x 31.5 (P) mm with a weight of 493 grams. It is therefore a bulkier and heavier product than the previous version. On the front , there is a 5 inch LCD screen with touchscreen with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels .

The digital-to-analog conversion is entrusted to a double DAC ESS ES9038PRO SABER in dual-mono configuration. The converters are capable of supporting sampling rates up to 384 kHz / 32-bit. Compatible file types include WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA (via a future update). As for sampling frequencies, Kann Cube manages PCM between 8 kHz and 384 kHz and DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256 (up to 11.2 MHz) without conversion to PCM.

KANN-Cube-Specification

Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n (2.4GHz) and Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP, AVRCP and aptX HD ). You can also connect PC and Mac via the USB Type-C port which also allows fast charging. Other connectors include an audio output on a 3.5 mm jack, an optical output (always on 3.5 mm), a balanced output with a 4-pin 2.5 mm connector and a Mini XLR output (5 pins).

The technical specifications show an impedance of 1.2 ohms on the headphone output and 1.6 ohms on the balanced output. The 7,400 mAh battery guarantees up to 9 hours of battery life . Quick charging allows you to reach 100% after 4 hours. The tracks can be stored on the 128 GB of integrated NAND memory . Who wants to expand the capacity can take advantage of the microSD slot .

With a reported May 2019 launch date, an MSRP of $1,499 USD, the new Cube will be available in Astell & Kern dealers worldwide in June 2019.