Astell&Kern KANN Max Brown Mud – Limited Edition MP3 Player

The KANN series is a portable player lineup loved by audiophiles all over the world for its performance focused on high output and clear sound. KANN MAX, the fourth product in the KANN series, builds on the advantages of the KANN series with higher output and portability. It provides 4 levels of gain and up to 15Vrms output so that a wide array of headphones can be driven in an optimal state.

By integrating the proven design of KANN series into a lighter weight and smaller sized player, we have realized both ultra-high output and low noise. KANN MAX features ESS ES9038Q2M Quad-DAC together with Astell&Kern’s unique audio technology to provide the best performance you can feel from a portable DAP.

Features
4-step gain level with maximum 15Vrms output.
Perfect circuit design with ultra-high output and low noise in an even smaller sized player.
Equipped with ESS ES9038Q2M Quad-DAC that reproduces clear, exceptional output
TERATON ALPHA, the epitome of Astell&Kern audio technology32-bit/768kHz, Native DSD512 SupportBluetooth 5.0 and 24-bit codec (Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC) support
ReplayGain that automatically adjusts volume to be consistent across tracks
Ultra-High Output in a Smaller Size Device

KANN MAX takes the identity of the series to the next level to provide a perfect experience with high power and clear sound. It provides 4 stages of gain level and ultra-high output of up to 15Vrms, which was previously only possible with a stationary headphone amplifier. Astell&Kern KANN MAX Brown Mud can perfectly drive even the most sophisticated headphones with high impedance.

KANN MAX offers a smaller size and weight than the KANN APLHA player, which boasted the best portability in the existing KANN series. Although smaller in size, all power-related components have been analysed and the power circuit has been redesigned several times to achieve 13 hours of continuous playback.

Perfect Circuit Design That Achieves Both Ultra-High Output and Low Noise
As the output increases, so does the noise level. KANN MAX is equipped with ultra-high output, does not allow any noise and conveys Astell&Kern’s philosophy of delivering the original sound as it should be, without compromise. Together, we have completed the perfect circuit design to achieve this.

KANN MAX applies an analogue volume controller to deliver a rich dynamic range without loss. By separately configuring the power supply IC for each Audio Block divided into DAC, Volume, and AMP, KANN MAX is designed to stably supply the power required for each Audio IC. Through this design, the interference ripple noise of the DC-DC power supply (the shaking noise phenomenon that occurs when power is supplied) is removed. Audio noise that can be heard amplified like audio sound in OP AMP is minimized.

Ultra-high output and low noise in the KANN MAX was achieved through different circuit design, including creating and dividing a limited PCB that is the same size as KANN ALPHA into 12 layers and reviewing the physical size of the device applied to the AMP circuit.

Perfect Circuit Design That Achieves Both Ultra-High Output and Low Noise
As the output increases, so does the noise level. KANN MAX is equipped with ultra-high output, does not allow any noise and conveys Astell&Kern’s philosophy of delivering the original sound as it should be, without compromise. Together, we have completed the perfect circuit design to achieve this.

KANN MAX applies an analog volume controller to deliver a rich dynamic range without loss. By separately configuring the power supply IC for each Audio Block divided into DAC, Volume, and AMP, KANN MAX is designed to stably supply the power required for each Audio IC. Through this design, the interference ripple noise of the DC-DC power supply (the shaking noise phenomenon that occurs when power is supplied) is removed. Audio noise that can be heard amplified like audio sound in OP AMP is minimized.

Ultra-high output and low noise in the KANN MAX was achieved through different circuit design, including creating and dividing a limited PCB that is the same size as KANN ALPHA into 12 layers and reviewing the physical size of the device applied to the AMP circuit.

General Specifications 
Body Colour Brown Mud
Body Material Aluminium
Display 4.1-inch, 720 x 1,280 touchscreen
Supported Audio Formats WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DIFF, DSF, MQA
Sample Rate PCM: 8kHz ~ 768kHz (8/16/24/32-bits per Sample)
DSD Native: DSD64 (1-bit, 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128 (1-bit, 5.6MHz), Stereo / DSD256 (1-bit, 11.2MHz), Stereo / DSD512 (1-bit, 22.4MHz), Stereo
Output Level [Low] Unbalanced 2Vrms / Balanced 4Vrms (Condition No Load)
[Mid] Unbalanced 4Vrms / Balanced 8Vrms (Condition No Load)

[High] Unbalanced 6Vrms / Balanced 12Vrms (Condition No Load)

[Super] Unbalanced 8Vrms / Balanced 15Vrms (Condition No Load)

CPU Quad-Core
DAC ESS ES9038Q2M x 4 (Quad-DAC)
Decoding Support up to 32-Bit/768kHz Bit-to-Bit Playback
Input USB Type-C Input (For Charging & PC & MAC)
Outputs Unbalanced Out (3.5mm), Optical Out (3.5mm)
Balanced Out (2.5mm, only 4-pole supported | 4.4mm, only 4-pole supported)
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz)
Bluetooth V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC)
Dimensions 2.68″ (68.3mm) [W] x 4.6″ (117mm) [H] x 0.92″ (23.6mm) [D] Weight About 10.76oz (305g)
Feature Enhancements Firmware upgrade supported (OTA)
Operating Temperature 0℃ ~ + 40℃ (32℉~ 104℉)

Audio Specifications
Frequency Response ±0.023dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.026dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced
±0.035dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.072dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced
S/N 114dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 115dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
Crosstalk -124dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ -135dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
THD+N 0.0003% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 0.0004% @ 1kHz, Balanced
IMD SMPTE 0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Unbalanced │ 0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Balanced
Output Impedance Unbalanced Out 3.5mm (1ohm) │ Balanced Out 2.5mm (1.6ohm), 4.4mm (1.6ohm)
Clock Source
Clock Jitter 25ps (Typ)
Reference Clock Jitter 70ps
*Audio specifications will be based on Low Gain

Storage Capacity
Built-In Memory 64GB [NAND] External Memory microSD x 1 (Max. 1TB)

Battery
Capacity 5,600mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer
Charge Time About 3.5 hours (9V 1.67A Fast Charging) | 5.5 hours (5V 2A General Charging)
Playback Time About 13 hours (Standard: FLAC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz, Unbalanced, Vol. 40, LCD Off, LED On, Low Gain)

Supported OS
Supported OS Windows 7, 8, 10 (32/64bit); MAC OS X 10.7

Country	South Korea
Brand	Astell&Kern
Colour	Brown
Display	4.1-inch, 720 x 1,280 touchscreen
Continuous Playback Time	About 14.5 hours (Standard : FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, Vol.80, LCD Off, Low Gain)
DAC	ESS ES9068AS x2 (Dual DAC)
Built-in Memory	64GB [NAND]
External Memory	microSD (Max 1TB) x1
Streaming	Native TIDAL, Install Apps
Product Weight	305g
Dimensions	2.68″ (68.3mm) [W] x 4.6″ (117mm) [H] x 0.92″ (23.6mm) [D]
Google Product Name	Astell&Kern Kann Max Brown Mud

What Is Included

Media Reviews