Set consisting of the Astell & Kern SR25 portable digital audio player and Dan Clarke Aeon 2 headphones.
The least that can be said about the ultracompact A&K Norma SR25 is that, for the price at which it is offered, it is nothing short of groundbreaking because, among other features, it supports digital files encoded in native DSD up to DSD256 and PCM up to 32 bits/384 kHz, a feature until now reserved for the Astell&Kern elite. Added to this is the new "Performance Mode", which automatically adjusts the memory depending on the size of the file being played to optimize sound quality. Logically, the correct playback of high-resolution audio files like the ones we just mentioned requires having a very high-performance management processor – a design with four cores to be exact – and an extremely fast memory access speed, as well as an appropriate signal path to process the relevant signals. In terms of connectivity, the A&K Norma SR25 includes balanced and unbalanced analog outputs and a USB-C input (for charging and data transfer to PC and Mac computers), adding high-resolution wireless connectivity via Bluetooth aptX HD and LDAC. The cherry on top of this impressive Astell&Kern player is an entirely aluminum construction executed by an ultra-sophisticated five-axis machine tool identical to those used in the Swiss watch industry.
The Dan Clarke Audio Aeon 2 Closed are closed-type circumaural headphones, which makes them ideal for listening with nearby people or in means of transport by not "taking" as much of their sound to the outside as the open type. Equipped with a “V-Planar” transducer designed from scratch using the magnetic motor of the American firm's reference model, the fabulous Ether 2, whose structure has been inverted 180 degrees to eliminate flow elements from the diaphragm to the ear. The flow elements have also been simplified, concentrating them in a single construction, eliminating empty air spaces to improve internal air flow. On the other hand, highly precision machined flow structures replace injection molded components, while the higher level of transducer damping has allowed for improved resolution and dynamics, as well as smoothing the frequency response curve. Specifically, we must highlight a warmer and more complete tonal expression and a much broader soundstage. The sum of the aforementioned innovations is reflected in headphones that restore music with all its emotional impact: visceral bass, transparent mids and detailed highs, all presented in the context of a deep and immersive soundstage that places said music “outside the “head” of the user to create a uniquely satisfying experience.
A&K SR25 Features:
- Hi-Res portable audio player with exceptional quality/price ratio.
- Capable of reproducing bit by bit PCM signals up to 32 bits/384 kHz.
- Capable of bit-by-bit playback of DSD signals up to DSD256 (11.2 MHz).
- Managed by a quad-core processor.
- Printed circuit board with optimized signal paths.
- Equipped with a Cirrus Logic CS43198 double D/A converter.
- Hi-Res wireless connectivity via Bluetooth aptX HD and LDAC,
- Built-in USB DAC functionality (via USB-C).
- Balanced analog output with 4-pole connector.
- 64 GB internal memory (expandable by an additional 1 TB microSD).
- Body made entirely of aluminum.
- 3.6 inch high definition touch screen.
- Frequency response: 20 - 70,000 Hz, +/-0.12 dB (balanced mode).
- Crosstalk of -144 dB @ 1 kHz (balanced mode).-
- Signal-to-noise ratio of 123 dB @ 1 kHz (balanced mode).
- Reference synchronization clock with jitter level of 25 ps.
- Dimensions: 63 x 108 x 16 mm (W x H x D).
- Weight: 178g.
Aeon 2 Closed Features:
- Headphones with very high performance and exceptional quality/price ratio.
- Helmets with improved flow structures closed at the back.
- Equipped with new generation V-Planar planar magnetic transducers.
- Transducer support made of precision-machined aluminum.
- “Memory metal” (NiTinol) headband covered in dyed leather.
- Synthetic protein pads.
- Articulated folding design.
- Standard equipped with dedicated connection cable.
- Designed and manufactured in the United States.
- Sensitivity of 92 dB/mW.
- 13 ohm impedance.
- Weight: 340 grams.
Price of the pack.
SR25 with silver finish.
Aeon 2 with finishes to choose between black or red/black.
