Astell & Kern AK380 Copper edition brings sonic benefits

The AK380 Copper edition is, as you've probably guessed by now, made from copper (a solid 1.7kg block to be precise), which is coated to prevent oxidisation.

Astell & Kern says copper results in “superior electrical conductivity and shielding performance”, and the company claims it has a different sound signature to the regular, duralumin-based AK380.

Elsewhere, the player is exactly the same as the standard model, packing in dual 32bit DACs, advanced jitter reduction and native DSD playback. Internal storage is 256GB and a microSD slot allows for expansion over 384GB.

Only 500 units of the Copper edition will go on sale, with each player costing £3299 - a £300 premium over the standard model. The UK allocation will be available from select stockists and A&K’s Amazon page from late January.

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Max was a staff writer on What Hi-Fi? and subsequently spent a good few years writing news and features for various technology and hi-fi publications, before jumping on a plane in search of a more fruitful life in Australia. Now based in Byron Bay, he writes about tech, health, fitness and style.