Astell & Kern AK Jr. – The Smallest High-Definition Music Player with Stunning Realism
The AK Jr Portable High Definition Music Player is a magnificent music player from Astell & Kern and actually a portable audio system that is capable of awesome sound quality worthy of a studio. It supports MQS which is a high definition digital music format which aims for distortion-free sound without any data loss whatsoever. AK Jr supports lossless 24-bit WAV files or FLAC files that are useful for record production.
The AK Jr also includes single-channel Wolfson WM8740 DAC that features mind-blowing sonic quality and sound detail. AK Jr can be used as an external DAC especially when connected to your own Mac or PC through the USB connection. The player also includes 64GB of flash memory and is extendable to 64 GB more through a separately sold card. So music lovers can enjoy up to 128 GB of high-definition lossless music any time anywhere.
The touchscreen provides fantastic control over playback, while the aluminum body provide the user with a smooth analog feel. The battery lasts up to 8 hours of playback and the device includes screen protectors and micro-USB cable too.
Salient Features of the AK Jr.
- Mastering Quality Sound (MQS) is one of its best formats
- Integrated Wolfson WM8740 DAC for high definition quality and detail
- Wirelessly stream music to Bluetooth-compatible devices
- 128 GB of complete Storage Space including 64 GB of internal memory
- Built-in 1450mAh Rechargeable Battery with 8 hours of playback support on a single charge
- 10 Band equalizer with extended frequency control in .5 dB increments with support for custom EQs
- Full Touch Screen with smartphone feel and touch support.
The simplified design is based on the original design by the company with a raised screen and secure grip. The full aluminium body support smooth one-handed operation too. The player also supports DSD that is a digital audio format that defines high resolution audio for the future.
NWZ-A10 Series – Comparison with AK Jr.
With a compact size at 66 grams, the new NWZ-A10 Series High-Resolution Walkman® is touted to be the smallest high resolution audio player that is more than a match compared to the big shot musical gadgets. The superior sound, accompanied by subtle details of the music player is reminiscent of the quality, found only at the recording studio or during a live performance.
- Enjoy favourite songs with the awesome sound quality rendered by the Walkman player. The player boasts of DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) that restores the sound lost during compression with immense purity and natural quality.
- The player has the ability to upscale compressed audio with an ability that is clearer than any CD output.
- Since it is integrated with the S-Master HX Digital Amplifier, the player can lower the distortion in all frequency ranges and is perfect for High-Resolution Audio.
- The HX digital amp technology is one of the prime features of the player while the DSEE HX™ upscale existing music to its high-resolution quality, like you are hearing the same song in a concert. The sound is reminiscent of its original source, which is the level of quality that is expected from the greatest music players produced.
- ClearAudio+ is one technology from Sony that defines high-quality sound that the company has cultivated as an audio brand throughout its business history. This technology can reproduce the original stereo sound, with booming bass lines and brilliant volume control across tracks.
- Stream music through the Walkman portable MP3 player through speakers or even with wireless headphones. It also supports Near Field Communications (NFC) and seamless Bluetooth® connectivity that allows users to use their enabled devices pair them with other devices and activate the connection. One would not need any wires, and thus there is no hassle!
Nisarg is the Business Development Manager at Nimblechapps, a top mobile game development company and has been with the organisation since its inception in 2014. He likes to update his knowledge on changing trends in technology and marketing and pens his thoughts regarding the same on various blogs and LinkedIn.