If you've checked out our list of the best portable music players right now, you'll have noticed that one brand is currently dominating the market. South Korean manufacturer Astell & Kern knows its way around a portable music player, returning again with a new flagship model which it hopes will continue a hot streak of Award-winning hi-res audio players.
The audio brand has a new flagship player, the A&ultima SP4000, which will make its global debut at next week’s High End Munich Show, arriving alongside two new pairs of in-ear monitors – the Luna and the XIO, both of which will launch fully later this year.
We don't have official figures yet, but we have tested Astell & Kern's previous SP3000 flagship, which launched at £3799 / $3699 / AU$5499, so we can expect the new flagship player to sport a similarly high-end price.
The A&ultima SP4000 has been constructed around A&K's advanced 'Octa' circuit architecture, distilling the "purest essence of audio engineering" to provide a "refined yet powerful sound that is remarkably close to perfection".
The hi-res player's new circuit architecture is designed so that digital signals are delivered more precisely to a single DAC without the need to distribute noise, enabling improved signal separation and processing.
Further features look to enhance the new player's sonic talents. A&K's 'New Advanced Digital Audio Remaster' technology aims to add refinement and naturalness to music by restoring lost harmonics and using more powerful upsampling. The SP4000 also incorporates an advanced circuit board in pursuit of minimal signal loss and enhanced audio quality.
The SP4000 is capable of handling hi-res PCM files up to 32-bit/768kHz alongside DSD512, and the new player comes equipped with 256GB of internal memory for your digital library, and support for microSD cards up to 1.5TB. There's also wi-fi and DLNA network support, and USB digital audio output and a USB-C port for data transfer and charging.
The SP4000 grants support for the high-quality aptX Adaptive and LDAC Bluetooth codecs for 24-bit audio playback. The player's clever 'BT Sink' function allows the SP4000 to connect to an external device via Bluetooth, and to function as a wireless DAC.
A&K's latest player offers around 10 hours of continuous playback from a single charge, with charging taking around four hours to get fully juiced. The SP4000 is crafted from stainless steel, with a PVD-coated ceramic back, and comes with a Perlinger leather case.
What about those new in-ear headphones? Astell&Kern has collaborated with established headphones manufacturer 64 Audio to produce the XIO, a 10-driver IEM featuring an isobaric cone-to-magnet driver configuration. Housed in a stainless steel shell with a black coating, the monitor "combines technical sophistication with a rugged, luxurious finish".
Also arriving are the Luna, a new set of IEMs developed in-house by Astell&Kern. The Luna boast a full-range single micro planar magnetic driver, as well as hi-fi grade silver-coated and copper cables and an included 4.4mm balanced plug.
The new flagship SP4000 portable music player will go on sale this summer, with pricing to be confirmed. We'll let you know as soon as we have official figures. Both pairs of IEMs will be officially unveiled in Q3 of 2025, with more information set to land next week at Munich. Once we get it, we'll update you on prices and availability.
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