It wouldn’t be Munich without the major attendance of one of the largest names in portable audio and 2019 is no exception as Astell & Kern announce no fewer than 3 new products to entice a purchase, courtesy of the new flagship SP2000 portable player, SP1000 amp and also new earphones in collaboration with Beyerdynamic with the T9iE.
Featuring the SP2000 first, Astell & Kern have gone overboard with the spec sheet yet again. Offering best in class power with an incredible 6.0V output over the 2.5mm balanced connection is a tonne load of power from an all in one portable. It also features a massive 512GB storage built in to the unit, meaning you can happy adorn it with hundreds of your favourite albums with plenty of room for more purchases. Available initially in Stainless Steel and Copper the new SP2000 will supersede the now 2 year old SP1000 and up the anti further with the addition of the AKM4499EQ DAC chips in dual configuration to offer the best precision possible from the AKM stable. I hedge my bets at the Astell & Kern SP2000 will be £3199 in the UK.
Next comes the very, very long awaited SP1000 AMP, boasting an incredible 10v of output on balanced high gain, the AMP is the partner every SP1000 owner has been craving. Available in 3 flavours upon launch in June, the SP1000 AMP can be ordered in Stainless Steel, Copper or in Black Onyx. With 9 Hrs purported battery life and both 2.5mm and 3.5mm output the new SP1000 AMP will get your SP1000 to similar power as the Kann Cube powerhouse.
The last addition comes in the form of a gorgeous pair of earphones with another collab with Beyerdynamic. Upgrading on their already tried and tested formula with their AK T8iE comes the aptly named AK T9iE. The details on these new earphones are pretty scarce at the moment, however we will update our facebook page as and when further info is available, such as price and availability.
Specification
SP2000
– AK4499EQ Dual DAC
– output power Bal 6V, Unbal 3V
– 32/768, DSD512
– body material : SS & Cu
– Memory 512G
– output : 2.5mm bal. 3.5mm unbal. (No 4.4 bal.)
– release : from July 2019
SP1000 AMP
– color : SS, CU, Black
– weight 200g (587g with SP1000, KANN Cube 493g)
– output power : High gain Bal. 10V, Unbal 6.2V / Low gain Bal. 6.2V, Unbal 2.9V (KANN CUBE Bal 12V, Unbal 6V)
– output : 2.5mm bal. 3.5mm unbal (No 4.4 bal)
– Only for SP1000 (not compatible for SP2000)
– release : from Jun 2019
