Astell & Kern KANN MAX Hi-Res Portable Audio Player — Anthracite Grey

Drive anything. Hear everything.

If you’ve ever loved the resolution of a hi‑fi rig but wished you could take that authority, headroom, and black‑background clarity with you, the KANN MAX is your pocket‑sized solution. It delivers the control to wake up high‑impedance headphones, the finesse to keep sensitive IEMs whisper‑quiet, and the confidence that every format in your library will play at full fidelity—without add‑on amps or dongles. In Anthracite Grey, it looks as serious as it sounds.

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Why Audiophiles Choose This Player

• • Sound quality: Quad ESS ES9038Q2M DACs and Astell&Kern’s TERATON ALPHA power/noise optimization produce a clean, dynamic presentation with exceptional separation and a deep, quiet background. Reviewers consistently note the MAX’s control, width, and clarity with both IEMs and full‑size cans.
• • Engineering: Four selectable gain levels culminating at a massive 15 Vrms mean effortless headroom for difficult loads—all with ultra‑low noise thanks to a refined analog volume control, multilayer PCB, and gold‑PVD‑coated output jacks to minimize contact noise.
• • Practicality: A compact KANN chassis, 13‑hour rated battery, and 64 GB onboard storage with microSD expansion to 1 TB keep you listening longer with your library in tow. Fast charging gets you back to music quickly.
• • Compatibility: 2.5 mm and 4.4 mm balanced plus 3.5 mm single‑ended (with optical out) cover every cable you own; Bluetooth 5.0 supports aptX HD and LDAC; Wi‑Fi enables streaming, AK File Drop, and BT Sink for high‑quality playback from your phone.
• • Unique edge: Roon Ready certification brings seamless, bit‑perfect integration with your home ecosystem—rare in a truly portable powerhouse.

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What’s Included

• • KANN MAX player: Anthracite Grey finish, quad‑DAC architecture, 4‑step gain up to 15 Vrms.
• • USB‑C to USB‑A cable (1 m): Charging and data.
• • Three screen protectors: Extra insurance for the 4.1‑inch display.
• • Quick start guide and documentation.

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Technical Specifications

Specification	Value	Notes
Product Type	Portable hi‑res digital audio player (wired + Bluetooth)	2.5/4.4 mm balanced, 3.5 mm SE/optical; BT 5.0 with aptX HD/LDAC.
DAC	ESS ES9038Q2M x4 (Quad‑DAC)	Independent allocation per channel maximizes separation and S/N.
Output/Gain	Low/Mid/High/Super up to 15 Vrms (bal.)	Drives high‑impedance headphones without external amps.
Formats	PCM up to 32‑bit/768 kHz; native DSD512; MQA 8x	Bit‑to‑bit playback with full hi‑res support.
Wireless	Wi‑Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz); BT 5.0 (aptX HD, LDAC); BT Sink	Streaming, file transfer (AK File Drop), and phone‑to‑player playback.
Storage	64 GB internal; microSD up to 1 TB	Carry thousands of albums offline.
Battery	5,600 mAh Li‑Polymer; up to ~13 hours; 3.5 h fast charge (9V/1.67A)	Real‑world endurance with fast top‑ups.
Outputs	2.5 mm bal., 4.4 mm bal., 3.5 mm SE/optical	Gold PVD contacts reduce jack noise.
Output Impedance	1.6 Ω (bal.), 1 Ω (SE)	Low impedance for IEM friendliness.
Dimensions	68.3 × 117 × 23.6 mm	Pocketable for its class.
Weight	~305 g	Dense, solid build with precise controls.

Additional audio performance (manufacturer): FR ±0.023 dB (20 Hz–20 kHz, SE), S/N up to 115 dB (bal.), THD+N as low as 0.0003% (SE).

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Professional Recognition

• • Award: Red Dot Design Award 2022 — Product Design Winner, recognizing KANN MAX’s industrial design and user‑centric engineering.
• • Reviews: Headfonia highlights the MAX’s “very high power with very little noise,” quad‑DAC refinement, and streaming‑app flexibility via Open APP Service—praise echoed by owners for its authority and staging.
• • Platform integration: Officially announced as Roon Ready, enabling high‑quality, bit‑perfect playback in your networked system.
• • Community notes: Early Head‑Fi discussion praised sound and drive, with some users flagging 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi reception and UI responsiveness as areas that improved over firmware cycles. If you primarily play local files or use BT Sink, these concerns are largely moot.

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The Bottom Line

KANN MAX is the rare portable that marries desktop‑level headroom with the composure and silence audiophiles demand. Quad‑DAC precision, four‑stage gain up to 15 Vrms, and meticulously engineered power/noise control let your headphones perform at their natural best—while balanced I/O, modern Bluetooth codecs, and Roon Readiness keep it versatile at home or on the move. In Anthracite Grey, it’s every bit as serious as it sounds. If you want a player that simply gets out of the way and delivers the truth in your music library, KANN MAX belongs on your shortlist.

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Notes for newcomers and experts alike:

• For sensitive IEMs, start on Low gain; output impedance is kept low to preserve frequency response.
• Streaming and wireless features operate on 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi; for best performance, keep a solid signal or prefer local playback.
• The 3.5 mm jack doubles as an optical output for integrating with external DACs when desired.

All specifications and package contents have been verified against official Astell&Kern materials at the time of writing.