ASTELL&KERN INTRODUCES THE ALL-NEW SECOND GENERATION AK70 MKII, A PREMIUM DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER

Astell&Kern is a company based in Gangnam-daero, Seocho-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Astell&Kern products are the perfect pick for Hi-Fi audio enthusiasts. Astell&Kern is renowned for offering DAPs that have revolutionised the audio industry. The AK70 MKII has a whole lot to offer with its advanced features. The AK70 has been reborn as the AK70 MKII through Astell&Kern's accumulated know-how. It is a power-packed performer with dual Cirrus Logic DAC chips with higher power output with refined sound signature. The AK70 MKII is a premium DAP (Digital Audio Player) that supports 24bit 192kHz bit-to-bit playback fused with AK Connect App, USB Audio (Digital Out) and balanced outputs. AK70 MKII delivers superb Hi-Fi audio quality in a pocket-sized portable device. The Astell&Kern AK70 MKII supports lossless files like WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, and DSF. It is capable of delivering high-quality sound whenever and wherever you want it. There is no longer a need to settle with compressed, lossy music. For those who prefer wireless, AK has incorporated Bluetooth V4.0 with support for A2DP, AVRCP & aptX HD in the unit.

DELVE INTO YOUR MUSIC WITH AK70 MKII'S DUAL DAC ARCHITECTURE AND EXCEPTIONAL AMPLIFICATION CAPABILITY

At its core, the AK70 MKII boasts a twin DAC architecture. It includes two Cirrus Logic CS4398s chips. A comprehensive stereo 24-bit/192 kHz digital-to-analogue system is the CS4398. Digital de-emphasis, volume control with a half-dB step, ATAPI channel mixing, selectable fast and slow digital interpolation filters, and an oversampled multi-bit delta-sigma modulator with mismatch shaping technology are all features of this D/A system. This technology helps to reduce distortion caused by capacitor mismatch. Following this stage is a multi-element switched capacitor stage and low pass filter with differential analogue outputs. The CS4398 also has a proprietary DSD (Direct Stream Digital) processor that allows for volume control and 50 kHz on-chip filtering without an intermediate decimation stage. It also offers an optional path for direct DSD conversion by directly using the multi-element switched capacitor array. The CS4398 accepts PCM data at sample rates from 32 kHz to 216 kHz; DSD audio data has selectable digital filters, consumes little power, and delivers excellent sound quality. This dual DAC architecture separates the "left" and "right" audio channels from input to output with higher audio output with the same refined sound signature of Astell&Kern. Any digital file resolution up to 24-bit/192 kHz can be played back by the AK70 MKII bit-for-bit. Although it will be downsampled or converted to PCM, 32-bit audio and single or double-rate DSD. Experience pure sonic bliss with the all-new Astell&Kern AK70 MKII.

SPECTACULAR AMPLIFICATION WITH HIGHER AUDIO OUTPUT DELIVERS A JITTER-FREE LISTENING EXPERIENCE

Astell&Kern engineers have revisited the design aspect while developing the AK70 MKII. With a substantial power output of 4.0Vrms from the balanced output, the AK70 MKII can drive a wide range of heavy, hard-to-drive headphones without a problem, thanks to Astell&Kern's latest audio design technology. While maintaining the natural and neutral tone and sound signature, Astell&Kern is famous for the newly designed audio circuit that creates authentic sounds by exceeding previous Hi-Fi Audio specifications, including SNR, Crosstalk, and THD+N, over previous models. The powerful AK70 MKII's sound quality will please even the most discerning music enthusiasts. The AK70 MKII delivers original sound using the 2.5mm 4-pole balanced output that Astell&Kern first pioneered on the AK240 (and other manufacturers soon adopted). The "balanced" out provides a more powerful audio signal with less noise interference.

AK70MKII DOUBLES UP AS A USB DAC FOR YOUR DEVICES WITH AK CONNECT AND AK CONNECT HD APP SUPPORT AND CD-RIPPER FUNCTIONALITY

A simple USB connection will allow the AK70 MKII to act as a digital music storage device and pre-amp to output digital audio through USB. The AK70 MKII transfers DSD in native format through DoP (DSD over PCM) and converts DSD to PCM for output for external USB Audio that does not support DoP. Connect to your PC/Mac computer, or another system, via a USB cable and use the AK70 MKII's hardware to provide better sound quality. The AK70 MKII, when used as a USB DAC, will bring out more detail and provide a better listening experience than your computer or any other device. When using the AK70 MKII as a USB DAC, playback up to 24-bit, 96kHz is supported to deliver a much richer sound through a larger soundstage and resolution that goes far beyond the limits of an embedded sound card. DSD data is difficult to playback using the PC's inbuilt sound card, but with the AK70 MKII, you only need to install Astell&Kern's DAC driver on your PC/MAC and play DSD with ease. The AK Connect and AK Connect HD apps are available for download from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The AK70 MKII allows you to; rip CDs by connecting their AK CD-Ripper accessory. Astell&Kern's unique CD-Ripper makes it simple to transfer your CDs to the AK70 MKII with 100% error correction. When Wi-Fi is available with the support for 2.4GHz, the Gracenote™ database will be accessed to download all of the CD's metadata. The AK70 MKII and AK CD-Ripper work together to make it straightforward to digitise your complete CD library.

FEATURES AN LCD DISPLAY FUSED WITH A LI-POLYMER BATTERY AND EXPANDABLE MEMORY SUPPORT WITH A STRAIGHT-EDGED ALUMINIUM CHASSIS AND NUMEROUS OUTPUTS, AND A PROTECTIVE CASE

The Astell&Kern AK70 MKII has a 3.3inch WVGA (480 x 800) TFT (Thin Film Transistor) LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display that is smooth and responsive. It is a display screen technology used in liquid crystal display (LCD). TFT LCD is an active matrix display that simultaneously retains pixels on a screen while also addressing other pixels. The transistor that controls each TFT LCD pixel causes the pixel to be switched "on" and "off" more quickly. The graphics are simple and unobtrusive, focusing on usability and intuitiveness. It hosts a Li-Polymer battery of 2,500mAh 3.7V and has a built-in storage of 64GB, but the microSD card slot allows you to expand your memory ((Max 256GB) x1) to store lossless files. The AK70 MKII has the same basic look as the original AK70. It has a straight-edged aluminium chassis, with a sloped front and volume knob on the right edge. The left edge has play/pause/skip/rewind keys, a MicroSD slot, Micro USB at the bottom, a power/sleep button on top, and 3.5mm and 2.5mm balanced headphone connections. The Astell&Kern AK70 MKII comes with a PU protective case which is "red" in colour with the packaging to protect the player from dust, scratches, and bumps. The material chosen for this purpose was developed by Synt3, a renowned polyurethane producer based in Milan, Italy. The inputs and outputs are conveniently accessible thanks to the protective case's design.