Description
The Astell&Kern KANN Max
The Astell&Kern Kann Max is a brilliant blend of style, design and stunning high-power performance in a more compact format!
Engineered to Powerful Perfection
The KANN series is a portable player lineup loved by audiophiles all over the world for its performance focused on high output and clear sound. KANN MAX, the fourth product in the KANN series, builds on the advantages of the KANN series with higher output and portability. It provides 4 levels of gain and up to 15Vrms output so that a wide array of headphones can be driven in an optimal state.
By integrating the proven design of KANN series into a lighter weight and smaller sized player, we have realized both ultra-high output and low noise. KANN MAX features ESS ES9038Q2M Quad-DAC together with Astell&Kern’s unique audio technology to provide the best performance you can feel from a portable DAP.
- 4-step gain level with maximum 15Vrms output.
- Perfect circuit design with ultra-high output and low noise in an even smaller sized player.
- Equipped with ESS ES9038Q2M Quad-DAC that reproduces clear, exceptional output
- TERATON ALPHA, the epitome of Astell&Kern audio technology32-bit/768kHz, Native DSD512 SupportBluetooth 5.0 and 24-bit codec (Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC) support
- ReplayGain that automatically adjusts volume to be consistent across tracks
Ultra-High Output in a Smaller Size Device
KANN MAX takes the identity of the series to the next level to provide a perfect experience with high power and clear sound. It provides 4 stages of gain level and ultra-high output of up to 15Vrms, which was previously only possible with a stationary headphone amplifier.
KANN MAX can perfectly drive even the most sophisticated headphones with high impedance.
KANN MAX offers a smaller size and weight than the KANN APLHA player, which boasted the best portability in the existing KANN series.
Although smaller in size, all power-related components have been analyzed and the power circuit has been redesigned several times to achieve 13 hours of continuous playback.
Perfect Circuit Design That Achieves Both Ultra-High Output and Low Noise
As the output increases, so does the noise level. KANN MAX is equipped with ultra-high output, does not allow any noise and conveys Astell&Kern’s philosophy of delivering the original sound as it should be, without compromise. Together, we have completed the perfect circuit design to achieve this.
KANN MAX applies an analog volume controller to deliver a rich dynamic range without loss. By separately configuring the power supply IC for each Audio Block divided into DAC, Volume, and AMP, KANN MAX is designed to stably supply the power required for each Audio IC. Through this design, the interference ripple noise of the DC-DC power supply (the shaking noise phenomenon that occurs when power is supplied) is removed. Audio noise that can be heard amplified like audio sound in OP AMP is minimized.
Ultra-high output and low noise in the KANN MAX was achieved through different circuit design, including creating and dividing a limited PCB that is the same size as KANN ALPHA into 12 layers and reviewing the physical size of the device applied to the AMP circuit.
Perfect Circuit Design That Achieves Both Ultra-High Output and Low Noise
As the output increases, so does the noise level. KANN MAX is equipped with ultra-high output, does not allow any noise and conveys Astell&Kern’s philosophy of delivering the original sound as it should be, without compromise. Together, we have completed the perfect circuit design to achieve this.
KANN MAX applies an analog volume controller to deliver a rich dynamic range without loss. By separately configuring the power supply IC for each Audio Block divided into DAC, Volume, and AMP, KANN MAX is designed to stably supply the power required for each Audio IC. Through this design, the interference ripple noise of the DC-DC power supply (the shaking noise phenomenon that occurs when power is supplied) is removed. Audio noise that can be heard amplified like audio sound in OP AMP is minimized.
Ultra-high output and low noise in the KANN MAX was achieved through different circuit design, including creating and dividing a limited PCB that is the same size as KANN ALPHA into 12 layers and reviewing the physical size of the device applied to the AMP circuit.
General Specifications Astell & Kern Kann Max
| Model | KANN MAX |
| Body Color | Anthracite Gray |
| Body Material | Aluminum |
| Display | 4.1-inch, 720 x 1,280 touchscreen |
| Supported Audio Formats | WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DIFF, DSF, MQA |
| Sample Rate | PCM: 8kHz ~ 768kHz (8/16/24/32-bits per Sample) DSD Native: DSD64 (1-bit, 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128 (1-bit, 5.6MHz), Stereo / DSD256 (1-bit, 11.2MHz), Stereo / DSD512 (1-bit, 22.4MHz), Stereo |
| Output Level | [Low] Unbalanced 2Vrms / Balanced 4Vrms (Condition No Load) [Mid] Unbalanced 4Vrms / Balanced 8Vrms (Condition No Load) [High] Unbalanced 6Vrms / Balanced 12Vrms (Condition No Load) [Super] Unbalanced 8Vrms / Balanced 15Vrms (Condition No Load) |
| CPU | Quad-Core |
| DAC | ESS ES9038Q2M x 4 (Quad-DAC) |
| Decoding | Support up to 32-Bit/768kHz Bit-to-Bit Playback |
| Input | USB Type-C Input (For Charging & PC & MAC) |
| Outputs | Unbalanced Out (3.5mm), Optical Out (3.5mm) Balanced Out (2.5mm, only 4-pole supported | 4.4mm, only 4-pole supported) |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz) |
| Bluetooth | V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC) |
| Dimensions | 2.68″ (68.3mm) [W] x 4.6″ (117mm) [H] x 0.92″ (23.6mm) [D] |
| Weight | About 10.76oz (305g) |
| Feature Enhancements | Firmware upgrade supported (OTA) |
| Operating Temperature | 0℃ ~ + 40℃ (32℉~ 104℉) |
Audio Specifications
| Frequency Response | ±0.023dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.026dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced ±0.035dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.072dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced |
| S/N | 114dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 115dB @ 1kHz, Balanced |
| Crosstalk | -124dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ -135dB @ 1kHz, Balanced |
| THD+N | 0.0003% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 0.0004% @ 1kHz, Balanced |
| IMD SMPTE | 0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Unbalanced │ 0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Balanced |
| Output Impedance | Unbalanced Out 3.5mm (1ohm) │ Balanced Out 2.5mm (1.6ohm), 4.4mm (1.6ohm) |
Clock Source
| Clock Jitter | 25ps (Typ) |
| Reference Clock Jitter | 70ps |
*Audio specifications will be based on Low Gain
Storage Capacity
| Built-In Memory | 64GB [NAND] |
| External Memory | microSD x 1 (Max. 1TB) |
Battery
| Capacity | 5,600mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer |
| Charge Time | About 3.5 hours (9V 1.67A Fast Charging) | 5.5 hours (5V 2A General Charging) |
| Playback Time | About 13 hours (Standard: FLAC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz, Unbalanced, Vol. 40, LCD Off, LED On, Low Gain) |
Supported OS
| Supported OS | Windows 7, 8, 10 (32/64bit); MAC OS X 10.7 |
*Audio was NOT muted during measurement*The image/specifications may be changed without notice to improve product performance and quality
Gavin M. (verified owner) –
Richard at Audiologica was always available to talk & his response times to any issue were swiftly dealt with, highly recommend. Found the Kann Max to be immaculately engineered & not sharp to the touch on corners as some reviewers have said, but stunningly sharp, in looks. It does take some burning in to smooth out the edgy detailed sound & to establish a solid blue-tooth connection to phone. After some burn in time, the sound is warmer full bodied & punchy with an awesome base underpinning the scale & spectrum of the tonal ranges. I would say the sound is to my ears, smooth & polished, with a taught base that still gives many textured layers, not so organic, neutral or flat, but be ready for an exciting informative listen which will have you captivated for hours on end.