Portables

Astell & Kern KANN Music Player Review

Mark Fleischmann | Feb 22, 2018

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $999 AT A GLANCE Plus Normal or high-gain output Full and microSD card slots Native 384/32 PCM and DSD support Minus Bulky Not as pretty as some other A&K players USB charger not included THE VERDICT Astell & Kern’s KANN is not only a subtly gorgeous-sounding performer loaded with features. It’s also a great value. Astell & Kern’s KANN (along with the recently announced AK70 MK II) makes its debut at a time when the dedicated music player is looking more and more like the passenger pigeon. Apple has just killed the innovative, shape-shifting iPod nano and the puny iPod shuffle, leaving only the now unprecedentedly cheap iPod touch, basically an iPhone without the phone, at $199. With Apple uncharacteristically catering to the middle of the market (let’s not even contemplate the $20 nano knockoffs on Amazon), that leaves the high-resolution musicplayer carriage trade to companies like Astell & Kern, FiiO, and HiFiMan, as well as newly hi-res-conscious big brands like Sony, Onkyo, and Pioneer.

Samsung UBD-M9500 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review

David Vaughn | Nov 13, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $400 AT A GLANCE Plus Plethora of streaming options Outstanding picture quality Dual HDMI outputs Minus No 3D support Flimsy disc tray No Dolby Vision support THE VERDICT This second-generation Ultra HD Blu-ray player delivers exceptional performance and value, especially for heavy Netflix or Amazon users. I’m in my 13th year of reviewing consumer electronics, and I’m continually amazed at the industry’s pace of innovation. In the span of about 20 years, we’ve gone from bulky, backbreaking CRT displays to flat-panel TVs that hang on the wall, as well as projectors that are smaller than the base of a vacuum cleaner—all at prices that the middle class can easily afford.

Sony UBP-X800 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review

Al Griffin | May 24, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $300 AT A GLANCE Plus High-quality video upconversion of standard Blu-rays Plays SACDs, DVD-Audio discs, and native DSD files Inexpensive Minus No announced Dolby Vision support No analog audio outputs THE VERDICT Sony’s ultra-affordable Ultra HD Blu-ray player offers solid video performance, and it also plays SACDs and DVD-Audio discs. Call it nostalgia, but the launch of an audio or video format strikes me as an opportunity to reflect on what came before it—especially now, with the sun threatening to set on physical media. When the Blu-ray Disc first appeared a little more than a decade ago, Sony was among its main flagwavers. Not only that, but the company’s PlayStation 3 console was considered by many to be the top-performing player in the Blu-ray format’s primitive days. Samsung and Panasonic were quick to push out standalone Blu-ray players, but the folks at Sony took their sweet time bringing their own model to market. When the BDP-S1 did arrive, it was well received for its picture quality—though it had design quirks, including an inability to play CDs.

Oppo UDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review

Thomas J. Norton | Apr 14, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $549 AT A GLANCE Plus Outstanding overall performance Detailed info screen Plays virtually everything Minus No headphone output No support for HDCD THE VERDICT Oppo’s first Ultra HD Blu-ray player has been eagerly anticipated by UHD enthusiasts everywhere. The wait was worth it. We’re now into the second year of the Ultra HD Blu-ray era, but up to this past January, Samsung, Philips, and Panasonic pretty much had the UHD player market all to themselves. That month’s Consumer Electronics Show, however, saw the introduction of models from LG and Sony, together with new ones from Samsung and Panasonic.

Sony TA-ZH1ES Headphone Amp/DAC

Steve Guttenberg | Mar 7, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $2,200 AT A GLANCE Plus Solid as a brick build quality Handles ultra-high resolution 768-kHz/32-bit PCM, and DSD native (up to 22.4 MHz) files Variety of single-ended and balanced headphone outputs Minus Not the most transparent sounding headphone amp THE VERDICT The Sony TA-ZH1ES is beautifully designed and built, though it doesn’t quite bring the MDR-Z1R headphone to its full potential. Not content with just launching a new flagship headphone in the MDR-Z1R, Sony simultaneously launched the TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier/DAC; like the MDR-Z1R, it’s intended to be a statement of Sony’s best technology.

HiFiMan SuperMini Music Player Review

Mark Fleischmann | Feb 8, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $399 AT A GLANCE Plus Balanced and unbalanced output Drives moderately demanding headphones Hi-res capable, including DSD Minus No album art No fancy DAC chip No user-accessible internal RAM THE VERDICT The HiFiMan SuperMini combines the sonics of a gentle top end and luscious mids with light weight, long battery life, and enough power to drive slightly less efficient headphones. HiFiMan was founded in New York by Dr. Fang Bian. The company now operates from China but does not outsource either manufacturing or design. Headphones come from a factory in Dongguan. Music players come from another factory in Kunshan. R&D runs in Shanghai, software is developed in Shenzhen, and headquarters are in Tianjin. Unlike so many storied audio brands that have cut loose from their original motivation, 11-year-old HiFiMan continues to reflect the vision of Dr. Fang.

Sony Walkman NW-ZX100HN Hi-Res Music Player Bundle

Mark Fleischmann | Nov 23, 2016

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $700 AT A GLANCE Plus Built-in noise cancellation for supplied earbuds Selectable DSD rolloff filter Up to 70 hours per charge Minus No MQA Challenging headphones will need more power THE VERDICT The Sony Walkman NW-ZX100HN delivers beautifully balanced and transparent sound in a not-too-bulky form factor with excellent ergonomics and the unique plus of built-in noise cancellation, but only for its proprietary earbuds. With the iPod classic gone, smartphones in almost universal use, and streams elbowing out downloads, is the dedicated music player obsolete? Or could it possibly be a retro survivor that mocks its replacement, the way the resurging turntable mocks the CD player? With emerging specialists like Astell & Kern, FiiO, and Questyle being joined in the market by old-school manufacturers like Onkyo and Sony, there seems to be growing interest in building high-quality players that do a better job of delivering highresolution audio than a phone does.

Questyle QP1R Music Player Review

Mark Fleischmann | July 19, 2016

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $899 AT A GLANCE Plus Three gain settings Heavy build and discrete components Clickwheel nostalgia Minus No touchscreen or apps No input for DAC use No Bluetooth THE VERDICT Although short on some bells and whistles, the Questyle QP1R is a dedicated music player that offers four-figure sound and build quality at a three-figure price. If you had chucked me into a time machine a decade ago, freed me today, then handed me the Questyle QP1R, naturally I’d mistake it for an iPod on steroids. With that clickwheel, it’s got to be an iPod, right? You’d have to explain to me that what Questyle calls the steering wheel isn’t identical to Apple’s clickwheel; here, the functions are divided differently among the wheel, its big central button, and the four vibrating touch-sensitive buttons around it.

Astell & Kern AK Jr Music Player Review

Mark Fleischmann | Apr 18, 2016

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $499 AT A GLANCE Plus A&K’s most affordable player Same Wolfson DAC as in classic models Flatter form factor Minus DSD converted to PCM Less than intuitive GUI THE VERDICT The Astell & Kern AK Jr is the least expensive music player from the company that has defined the state of the art in pocketable audio. Visit the Apple Website and scan the banner across the top: Mac, iPad, iPhone, Watch, TV, Music, Support. Where’s the iPod? You’ll have to hit Music and scroll down a bit for the link to the iPod page. There you’ll find the surviving touch, nano, and shuffle players, but no high-capacity hard-drive-based models or even the iconic click wheel. Apple (and to be fair, Apple isn’t alone) recognizes that most people now use phones for onthe-go listening.

Astell & Kern AK380 Music Player Review

Mark Fleischmann | Jan 28, 2016

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $3,499 AT A GLANCE Plus Compatible with DSD and 32-bit PCM Streams to and from other devices Extraordinary build quality Minus Breathtakingly high priced 32-bit capability is irrelevant to non-professionals THE VERDICT Astell & Kern’s AK380 offers copious network audio features and the unique plus of native 32-bit playback—but is it worth the high price to consumers? Shock lead of the year: Astell & Kern’s AK380 music player retails for $3,499. That’s an awful lot to pay for a pocketful of music. But it seems unjust to start a review of such a product by carping over its price before evaluating its merits. After all, not many people muster moral outrage over the price tags on Porsches, Patek Philippe watches, or 99-point offerings in Wine Spectator. Why should high-end audio units—including the Pono, a comparative bargain at $400— be the only perfectionist products to face puritan scorn? No, as a consumer, I wouldn’t pay $3,499 for a music player. But as a critic, I’m willing to consider cost-noobject items on their own terms.

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