Astell&Kern KANN MAX Portable Music Player

The Astell&Kern KANN MAX Portable Music Player is the 4th model in our acclaimed KANN series. Adored by audiophiles all over the world for its performance focused on high output and ultra-clear sound, the KANN MAX achieves a higher power output (15Vrms) than its award-winning predecessor, the KANN ALPHA.

By applying advanced design and audio technology, this newfound power is also housed in a more compact and lightweight chassis. The result is an even wider variety of headphones, can be optimally driven without the need for additional amplification.

Higher output, more compact design

As the power output increases, so does the noise level that adversely effects the audio performance. Through innovative integrated circuit design, Astell&Kern is able to achieve a low noise-level while hitting the new 15Vrms ‘Super’ output setting, and all inside a more compact design.

Superior quad DAC

The KANN MAX is the first player in the KANN series to use four ES9038Q2M DACs for high-output performance. By employing Quad DACs— with one DAC each allocated to four individual amp channels—the depth and realism of the sound source are capable of full expression.

Drives any type of headphone

The KANN MAX plays files up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and native DSD512, while supporting 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphones connections for accommodating a greater variety of headphones and in-ear monitors (IEM). In order to minimise contact noise from the output jacks, the headphone connector uses a gold PVD coating method instead of the typical rings employed by other products. This improves both design and function.

Playback power

Although smaller in size, all power-related components and the power circuit are able to achieve 13 hours of continuous playback. The KANN MAX harbours 64GB on-board memory that can be expanded up to 1TB via a microSD card slot, meaning users can carry thousands of hi-res albums with them at all times.

Features

• 4-step gain level with maximum 15Vrms output to support a wider variety of headphones without distortion
• Innovative circuit design with ultra-high output and low noise in an even smaller-sized player
• Equipped with ESS ES9038Q2M Quad-DAC for exceptionally clear and balanced sound
• Features proprietary TERATON ALPHA Sound Solution technology
• Supports playback of high-resolution digital audio files up to 32-bit 768 kHz/Native DSD512
• Bluetooth 5.0 and 24-bit wireless codec (aptX HD, LDAC) support
• Replay Gain function uniformly adjusts volume playback from sound sources up to 24-bit/192 kHz.

Technical Specifications

• Display: 4.1-inch, 720 x 1280 touch screen
• Supported Audio Formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF
• CPU: Quad-core
• DAC: ESS ES9038Q2M x4 (Quad-DAC)
• Decoding: Supports 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 | 4.4m, only 5-pole supported)
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz)
• Bluetooth: V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm aptX HD, LDAC)
• Dimensions: 68.3 [W] x 117 [H] x 23.6mm [D]
• Weight: 305g