Rip vinyl direct to AK3xx DAPs with Astell&Kern's AK Recorder

Another show, another new portable player from Astell&Kern. This ~~year’s~~ ~~month’s~~ week’s newcomer is the AK300, the third model in the ‘3’ series that started with the flagship AK380 and was later augmented by the more affordable but non-native-DSD-ing AK320 (US$1795).

At US$795, the AK300 is more affordable still. Separating the AK300 from the AK320 is a single AKM4490 DAC, 64Gb of internal storage, a black finish and a thousand bucks.

One has to wonder just long the AK100 II and AK120 II will stick around given that the similarly-priced 3 series models’ asymmetrical form factor fits in with Astell&Kern’s ecosystem of amplifiers and dock add-ons (and the second generation models do not).

Which brings us to the big/ger A&K news arriving via the Fujiya Avic headphone festival in Tokyo. The AK Recorder – an screw-on device that turns the host device’s signal path on its head.

Input comes via a stereo mic that puts the ant in antennae – which bumps A&K into the pro audio space – or via mini-XLR input (cable supplied) or a single-ended 3.5mm mini-jack.

A live demo that wasn’t quite to be (a failed phono stage – it happens) showed just how the AK300 (or AK320 or AK380) can be used to digitise vinyl to DXD/DSD with no intervening PC required. The video shows the essence of the AK Recorder’s utility for the vinyl enthusiast:

Price? US$795. Neato!

Further information: Astell&Kern