The Astell and Kern KANN MAX DAP recently made their world debut at High-End Munich; and with great fanfare because it represents a huge leap in performance for the category. DAPs are still relevant, even with all the advances in smartphone technology.

Astell&Kern was very kind to send us a sample for our stand at The show last weekend in Long Beach and we have two unit reviews coming up; eCoustics Sr. Headphone Editor, Will Jennings, currently has it under review and I will be following up with various headphones and headphone amplifiers.

I’ve had the opportunity to try out some of the older models from the Korean manufacturer, but this will be my first extended audition of any of their products; to say I’m excited would be an understatement.

Lean

The KANN Max follows in the footsteps of the highly respected A&K KANN ALPHA ($1,099 at Amazon), which Will owns and is the fourth model in the KANN line. In a side-by-side comparison, the MAX offers a slightly smaller footprint, mainly due to its slimmer design.

That said, the MAX stays true to A&K’s “brick-like” industrial design; you get a very solidly built product that looks like it was built to last forever.

The slimmer design doesn’t mean less playtime due to a smaller battery; Astell & Kern have constantly sought to improve both the sound performance of all their DAPs while improving battery life.

KANN MAX offers four different gain settings do it almost ideal for all IEMs and helmets; one can drive harsh planar and dynamic headsets with a flick of a switch up to a maximum of 15 Vrms.

A&K is also concerned about background noise; something important when the range and type of IEM and earphones likely to be used with it are so vast. To counter this, A&K separately configured the power IC for each section to minimize it. The power supply is also well shielded and designed to provide clean power to the DAC and headphone amplifier.

This design helps suppress DC-DC power interference ripple noise (the jarring noise phenomenon that occurs when power is supplied). Thus, the MAX provides high efficiency with a lower noise floor.

The MAX includes multiple ESS ES9038Q2M DACs in a two-chip-per-channel configuration. By using two DACs per channel, the output can be summed and further reduce distortion and improve resolution, so that the depth and realism of the sound source can be expressed to the fullest. The MAX supports native 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512 playback as well as full MQA support.

Connection options include unbalanced 3.5mm, balanced 2.5mm and 4.4mm headphone outputs. The MAX features Bluetooth 5.0 which enables faster transmission speed and greater range compared to Bluetooth 4.2, providing a more stable wireless connection. LDAC™ and aptX™ HD are supported to provide audiophiles with wireless 24-bit audio playback.

Other notable features include ReplayGain, which allows the player to automatically adjust the volume between tracks and maintain a constant playback level. A Bluetooth receiver also allows the MAX to connect to an external device via BT and function as a Bluetooth DAC. Music from an external device, such as a smartphone, can now be played in high quality, taking full advantage of the player’s high-resolution audio decoding.

With AK File Repository, transferring your music files from a computer or NAS is now even easier and more convenient. By using AK File Drop, you can freely transfer files wirelessly via PC, smartphone or FTP program located in the same network. Music file management is now possible thanks to a wireless and cable-free solution. This is how you will also download your Tidal or Qobuz catalog.

The MAX features a 4.1-inch 720 x 1280 HD touchscreen display, 64GB of internal memory with support for microSD cards up to 1TB, Wi-Fi, DLNA networking, USB digital audio output, USB-C for data transfer and fast charging support, and the ability to be used as a USB DAC for your Mac or Windows PC.

The MAX includes support for the most popular music streaming services including Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Apple Music and Spotify over WiFi. Roon Ready support will be available in a future firmware update pending testing and certification of the drive by Roon Labs.

The KANN MAX will be available in June 2022 from Astell&Kern authorized dealers in the United States and Canada for $1,299.

Three cases will also be available in June for the MAX, in high-quality vegetable-tanned leather from CONCERIA WALPIER and BADALASSI CARLO for $149. Personally, a case is a must for me, and the ones manufacturers offer through options like this are well worth the cost.

The sound (briefly)

Paired with the Meze Advar initially, which we have on tour and RangeHiFi gate; the unit features a 10.2mm dynamic driver and is quite easy to drive. The duo happily played together according to Will. He notes that the Advar presents itself with an authoritative growl and snap, as well as a very good impact. He compared the Advar to a condensed Meze 99 Classic in an IEM version.

I tried the MAX with the Auribus Acoustics Mount Everest (just like Juan, the designer of Everest) at THE Show. I came away with the MAX having adequate power, but I’ll note that I didn’t have time to fine-tune settings such as gain; so I had to turn up the volume a bit. Consumers who tried the MAX at the show noted the same, but due to the limited time for everyone, we agreed that more time would have allowed us to fine-tune the MAX to each of our preferred settings.

Look for a more comprehensive review from Will in July.

Or buy: $1,299 at Crutchfield

continue reading: View reports from THE Show 2022

Related video: Why buy a DAP? (Youtube)