Astell & Kern introduces AK240 Blue Note 75 Limited Edition

The Limited Edition version of the portable high-res player will come pre-loaded with 75 Blue Note albums in studio master quality audio - 24-bit/96kHz and 24-bit/192kHz. The albums range from Thelonious Monk's first sessions in 1947 all the way through to 2014 with Gregory Porter's album, Liquid Spirit.

MORE: Astell & Kern unveils new AK240 high-res audio player at CES

Each of the 75 albums will also come on a microSD card and will be packaged in unique cases that fit into a supplied, flexible display stand. A 100-page book completes the package and provides listeners with information on the 75 albums.

Meanwhile, the player itself will sport a blue finish and come with an accompanying leather case. In addition, the specific limited edition number from the 1000-strong run will be engraved into the player and its display stand.

MORE: Astell & Kern AK100 MkII review

A recent firmware upgrade for the AK240 means that you can now use the device to stream music. Your tracks can be accessed from the player itself, a computer or a NAS drive, with a wide range of file formats supported.

The Astell & Kern AK240 Blue Note 75 Limited Edition package will be available from late October from specialist resellers and can be yours for £5000.

MORE: High-resolution audio - everything you need to know

Max is a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?'s sister site, TechRadar, in Australia. But being the wonderful English guy he is, he helps out with content across a number of Future sites, including What Hi-Fi?. It wouldn't be his first exposure to the world of all things hi-fi and home cinema, as his first role in technology journalism was with What Hi-Fi? in the UK. Clearly he pined to return after making the move to Australia and the team have welcomed him back with arms wide open.