Astell&Kern is back with the latest addition to their KANN series of high powered, technically advanced digital audio players. Power hard to drive headphones on the go with this powerful, portable DAP.
Astell&Kern is back with the latest addition to their KANN series of high powered, technically advanced digital audio players. Power hard to drive headphones on the go with this powerful, portable DAP.
Astell&Kern is back with the latest addition to their KANN series of high powered, technically advanced digital audio players. Power hard to drive headphones on the go with this powerful, portable DAP.
Astell&Kern is back with the latest addition to their KANN series of high powered, technically advanced digital audio players. Power hard to drive headphones on the go with this powerful, portable DAP.
Last updated at 03/21/2026 11:35:31
Astell And Kern Kann Alpha Onyx Black Portable Audio Player Ak Kann
Free delivery
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ASTELL & KERN KANN Alpha
originally posted on addictedtoaudio.com.au
Purchased this as an upgrade from a FIIO Q5 and it's great to no longer have to tether to my phone. I also upgraded my IEM's to the Sony IER-Z1R which are a great match with this unit along with my Meze 99 Classic headphones.Only issue to date is the built in Tidal app on the Alpha keeps skipping tracks intermittently though this was solved by sideloading the full Tidal app. Finally I'd like to thank Mary for all her help and professional advice.
originally posted on richersounds.com
Very happy with my Kann Alpha. The difference to other players is night and day. If you want a high quality audio player, the Kann Alpha can deliver.
originally posted on headamp.com
I can only compare the Alpha to my Fiio M11 Pro and IFI xDSD, and I can tell you between the features, sound quality, and form factor, this is a true winner! I was previously looking at the Kann Cube and the SR25, but I'm glad I waited because this one has the power of the Cube paired with incredible sound quality. I was worried that the Sabre DAC would be inferior to the AK DAC's that are on most other A&K DAP's, but this DAC shines! Wide soundstage, clarity without that dry analytical sound, and power to drive even the most power hungry cans like the Ether CX, MDR-Z1R, and my go to IEM IER-Z1R. If you're on the fence, take a chance you won't regret it.
Astell And Kern Kann Alpha Onyx Black Portable Audio Player Ak Kann
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
ASTELL & KERN KANN Alpha
Purchased this as an upgrade from a FIIO Q5 and it's great to no longer have to tether to my phone. I also upgraded my IEM's to the Sony IER-Z1R which are a great match with this unit along with my Meze 99 Classic headphones.Only issue to date is the built in Tidal app on the Alpha keeps skipping tracks intermittently though this was solved by sideloading the full Tidal app. Finally I'd like to thank Mary for all her help and professional advice.
Very happy with my Kann Alpha. The difference to other players is night and day. If you want a high quality audio player, the Kann Alpha can deliver.
I can only compare the Alpha to my Fiio M11 Pro and IFI xDSD, and I can tell you between the features, sound quality, and form factor, this is a true winner! I was previously looking at the Kann Cube and the SR25, but I'm glad I waited because this one has the power of the Cube paired with incredible sound quality. I was worried that the Sabre DAC would be inferior to the AK DAC's that are on most other A&K DAP's, but this DAC shines! Wide soundstage, clarity without that dry analytical sound, and power to drive even the most power hungry cans like the Ether CX, MDR-Z1R, and my go to IEM IER-Z1R. If you're on the fence, take a chance you won't regret it.
I received my A&K KANN Alpha promptly from HeadAmp on Oct. 20, one day after the ship date. Because it's newer technology, I was hoping it would sound better than my Sony NW-WM1A Walkman. I've never had an A&K player before, but decided to buy it due to the inclusion of a 4.4mm balanced output. The interface is new to me, but easy to get used to.I've now used it with these 'phones: Meze Empyrean, Dan Clark Ether 2, Focal Stellia, Shure SE846, Massdrop x Noble Kaiser 10, and a Drop + THX Panda wireless headphone. Only the Stellia didn't seem to be a good match with the KANN Alpha. All of the others are sounding really good with the Alpha; possibly the Meze Empyrean is the very best and most neutral with this player. This new A&K is certainly a sonic upgrade compared ... MoreI received my A&K KANN Alpha promptly from HeadAmp on Oct. 20, one day after the ship date. Because it's newer technology, I was hoping it would sound better than my Sony NW-WM1A Walkman. I've never had an A&K player before, but decided to buy it due to the inclusion of a 4.4mm balanced output. The interface is new to me, but easy to get used to.I've now used it with these 'phones: Meze Empyrean, Dan Clark Ether 2, Focal Stellia, Shure SE846, Massdrop x Noble Kaiser 10, and a Drop + THX Panda wireless headphone. Only the Stellia didn't seem to be a good match with the KANN Alpha. All of the others are sounding really good with the Alpha; possibly the Meze Empyrean is the very best and most neutral with this player. This new A&K is certainly a sonic upgrade compared to my Sony Walkman, and the A&K is less expensive. The A&K is more refined and also more detailed and transparent. Some users might want a more aggressive high end if they are into electronic music or rock. I mainly listen to classical, jazz & folk, and this player is just fine for my taste in music.Only a few complaints: The internal memory is only 64GB. My Sony Walkman has 128GB. You can add a microSD up to 1TB for the KANN ALPHA. I went to my local Micro Center store and bought their 512GB microSD for $60. It's working fine so far.The A&K is a bit bulkier and heavier than my Walkman, but I can carry it comfortably in a shirt pocket. I would prefer more rounded edges, but that's not a deal breaker. It also gets surprisingly warm in use, unlike my Walkman.If you buy one, look for the user manual in a directory of the internal memory. A printed Quick Start Guide is included in the package. A nice touch is the included screen protectors.
I have received this dap about 3 days after the order. I used to have an ibasso dx200 but since it broke down I bought one of this kann alpha. The sounds are great especially in the balanced output that can provide great dynamics behind the clear background. The most important thing is the improvement of the feature due to technological advancement. And also there is enough power for different kinds of headphones
Excellent products, price and customer service at addictedtoaudio. I boughr Hifiman Arya and Astell&Kern Kann Alpha. The best $2,000 planar headphone at the moment. Sounds superb. The KANN is very powerful and can drive the headphone with enough headroom.
I upgraded from NW A-55 and first time holding KANN Alpha is an amazing feeling. With inclusion of 4.4mm balanced output sound is very clean and detailed but gets harsh when it plays lossy track files. It is a beautiful piece of tech built like a tank, but portable and packs enough juice to last multiple days without charging. My only complain is with their restricted operating system, hope they will fix it in future.
Only slightly negative is the Android platform not able to play ROON ARC “lossless”. DAP is not used as desktop DAC. Other than the Android issue with ARC, the DAP is great. I do need several 1TB micro ssd to get a good portion of my ROON library for lossless play. Sound, functions, ability with gain settings to play most headphone’s effortlessly is a bonus. Rodrigo was very helpful, more purchases to follow
Previously i've a dragonfly red then a FIIO M11, but i've rediscoverd my music with the new Kann Alpha, the sound is more clean , detailled even with my EIM or my Grado .It was a real pleasure to order this DAP on this site, the Kann arrived 2 days after his official relesase.
