Astell & Kern, famed for its five-star portable music players, has teamed up with Campfire Audio, a US manufacturer of premium earphones, to introduce the AK Solaris X in-ear monitor.
Based on Campfire Audio’s Solaris 2020, the new X model has been designed and tuned especially for Astell & Kern players.
Campfire Audio's high-end wired headphones are all hand-assembled in Portland, Oregon. The AK Solaris X is, the company says, a culmination of its acoustic technology and design.
Each earpiece comprises a specially designed single balanced armature driver, with Campfire Audio's Tuned Acoustic Expansion Chamber (TAEC) tech for the high frequencies, a single updated custom balanced armature for the mids, and a specially-tuned 10mm dynamic driver for the mids and lows.
That custom balanced armature driver within this hybrid system has been designed specifically for the AK Solaris X and is smaller in size than its predecessor.
The AK Solaris X comes with a balanced 2.5mm pure silver cable (a 3.5mm adapter is supplied). You also get beryllium/copper MMCX connectors, which promise more resilience against wear and tear compared to their regular brass counterparts.
Campfire Audio has also sourced the AK Solaris X's handmade cork case from a small boutique shop in Portugal that works side by side with people with physical disabilities.
The Astell & Kern AK Solaris X is priced £1499 / $1500 / AU$2199 / €1799. In the UK, it will be available exclusively in-store at Harrods and Selfridges from mid-July.
Looking to pair your new buds with the freshest music player in town? The five-star Astell & Kern Kann Alpha, previously available only in Onyx Black, is now arriving in a new Urbanely Blue colourway, alongside new support for the music management platform, Roon. It is available now from A&K, priced at £1099 / AU$1599.
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