{"id":2793,"date":"2018-02-18T13:24:33","date_gmt":"2018-02-18T05:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nxtmag.tech\/?p=2793"},"modified":"2018-02-18T13:24:33","modified_gmt":"2018-02-18T05:24:33","slug":"astell-kern-ak70-mk2-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nxtmag.tech\/my\/2018\/02\/18\/astell-kern-ak70-mk2-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Astell & Kern AK70 MK2 Review: Keenly-priced"},"content":{"rendered":"

Astell & Kern is fully aware of a new wave of budding audiophiles and budget conscious ones. Over the years they have developed a number of digital audio players (DAP) of the more affordable variety that still captures the essence of what makes Astell & Kern players so highly sought after.\u00a0<\/span>Perhaps it’s also due to pressure from the competition, but with the AK70 MK2, Astell & Kern have themselves a bona fide entry-level, audiophile-grade DAP. <\/span><\/p>\n

As the name suggests, the MK2 is an improvement over its predecessor, although it does feature a brand new look to go with it. It doesn’t stray too far from Astell & Kern’s signature designs with fairly sharp edges, and unlike its predecessor, it’s only available in black.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"AK70<\/p>\n

As an entry-level model, it surprisingly sports a dual DAC configuration \u2013 something that’s usually reserved for mid-range models at the very least. There’s no way to tell if it’s purely down to this new configuration, but the MK2 is a clear improvement and boasts a wider sound in every sense of the word: it’s more dynamic and displays a marked improvement in musical detail. It is still, however, classic Astell & Kern \u2013 a relatively neutral presentation with a crispness as well as tight bass that makes it one of the benchmarks in the audiophile world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The AK70 MK2 is relatively modest when it comes to specs. No ambitious 32-bit shenanigans here, this DAC natively supports up to 24-bit\/192kHz files and doesn’t have native DSD support. However, that’s not critical in a player of this class. However, there’s no support for MQA streaming, which we feel, is a bit of a letdown as it would have made this an exceptional, versatile player regardless of price category.<\/span><\/p>\n

With 64GB of storage built-in with a microSD slot for an additional 256GB storage and support for balanced headphones, there’s little more to ask for in a (budget) top-class player. Even the user interface is fairly smooth and not sluggish \u2013 quite unlike most entry-level models.<\/span><\/p>\n

The AK70 MK2 isn’t cheap, but it’s a good way to get a taste of what it’s like to own an audiophile grade DAP.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verdict<\/strong><\/h3>\n

4.5\/5<\/span><\/p>\n

With a fairly comprehensive feature set, the AK70 MK2 won’t come across as a DAP that has been ‘nerfed’ significantly. It’s a very cultured device that has no major compromises and is capable of delivering a stellar sound befitting its price. While you can certainly buy excellent DAPs for less money, few will sound as enjoyable as this one.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

S$999<\/p>\n

www.engsiang.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Astell & Kern is fully aware of a new wave of budding audiophiles and budget conscious ones. Over the years they have developed a number of digital audio players (DAP) of the more affordable variety that still captures the essence of what makes Astell & Kern players so highly sought after.\u00a0Perhaps it’s also due to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2794,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2793","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"yoast_head":"\nAstell & Kern AK70 MK2 Review: Keenly-priced - NXT Malaysia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With a comprehensive feature set, the AK70 MK2 won't come across as a DAP that has been 'nerfed'. 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