Astell & Kern AK Jr

sound, usability, performance, design, portability

price, reliability

93% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

sound, usability, performance, design, price

size, memory

89% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Sleek and highly portable design ; Rich, clear, and powerful sound ; Strikingly expansive, dimensional sound stage ; Ample storage ; Excellent value for the genre

Battery life could be better ; Wish for Wi-Fi

We wrote in our AK240 review that few people can really justify its exorbitant cost, making it all but prohibitive for most listeners. But that tall spire of inaccessibility has moved enticingly within arm’s length thanks to the AK Jr.. Offering a...

Small and lightweight ; Can operate as a USB DAC ; Relatively inexpensive

Dog-slow user interface ; Sharp bottom edge ; No Wi-Fi support

We love the AK Jr for its portability, strong feature set, and clean interface, but its sluggish responsiveness taints an otherwise great high-resolution audio value.

Visit the Apple Website and scan the banner across the top: Mac, iPad, iPhone, Watch, TV, Music, Support. Where’s the iPod? You’ll have to hit Music and scroll down a bit for the link to the iPod page. There you’ll find the surviving touch, nano, and...

Beautiful aluminium design ; Delivers gorgeous sound ; Works as DAC amp

Slightly sharp metal corners ; Software responsiveness is not fantastic ; Screaming out for streaming service support

While it's not cheap, the AK Jr is blessed with good looks and great sound quality to make it one of the best ways to take your high res audio out and about.

Tidy styling, fine build ; Decent battery life ; Proper volume levels ; Balanced, brisk sound

Only affordable by A&K standards ; That tactile frame is a little pointy

An audio treat. Just add headphones for ultimate portable pleasure

The Astell & Kern AK Jr offers excellent design and great usability -- from the dedicated volume dial to the no-nonsense menu. Great-sounding sonics and able to drive many different types of headphones. Able to put dedicated USB DACs to shame.

The corners on the casing are pointed, which can make it uncomfortable to hold, and the case that fixes the problem runs an extra $50. Making playlists could be more straightforward. Relatively short battery life at only nine hours. Sound quality isn't...

The Astell & Kern AK Jr marries classic design with class-leading sound, making it one of the best high-res players for the money.

The Astell & Kern AK Jr offers excellent design and great usability -- from the dedicated volume dial to the no-nonsense menu. Great-sounding sonics and able to drive many different types of headphones. Able to put dedicated USB DACs to shame.

The corners on the casing are pointed, which can make it uncomfortable to hold, and the case that fixes the problem runs an extra $50. Making playlists could be more straightforward. Relatively short battery life at only nine hours. Sound quality isn't...

The Astell & Kern AK Jr marries classic design with class-leading sound, making it one of the best high-res players for the money.

Super solid aluminium brick; Features a touchscreen; Volume knob is a superbly tactile way of controlling sound; Includes hardware buttons for pause, play and song skip; Gapless music possible by pressing the “G” button on screen; Charges over...

Expensive; Edges may feel a bit intrusive; No way of downloading missing album art;

Superb looks and build quality Slim and pocketable Bluetooth connectivity 64GB of in-built storage Incredibly detailed sound, works well with good headphones Extensive file format support

Slightly weak mid-range Battery life could have been better A bit expensive

The Astell & Kern AK Jr is a strong product, considering its price and the focus on standing out. It looks good, is beautifully built, and has the specifications, format support, and connectivity that help justify the Rs. 34,990 price tag. For...