Skip to main content

The portable AK70 MK II delivers high-res audio without the sticker shock

Every audiophile wants access to their high-quality music files while on the go, and Astell&Kern has just released a suite of new gear to help fulfill that need. Priced at $700, the AK70 MK II is the first sub-$1000 dual-DAC portable audio player from Astell&Kern. Also new from Astell&Kern are the AK CD-Ripper MK II, and the Michelle Limited in-ear monitor.

The AK70 MK II features two independent Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC chipsets, one for the left channel and one for the right. The player supports high-resolution audio in nearly every format, including 32-bit/384kHz PCM and 5.6MHz DSD (though DSD files will be converted to PCM), and is DLNA 1.0 compatible. It also packs 64GB of internal storage with an additional 256GB of storage space possible via MicroSD card. Users will be able to connect both 3.5mm unbalanced and 2.5mm balanced headphone cables for listening. Those specs are impressive, especially considering this unit is priced just above the AK Jr. portable player’s original price, but is much more powerful.

Recommended Videos

The AK70 MK II also supports Wi-Fi, enabling users to stream music from other devices connected to the same wireless network, while also delivering firmware updates wirelessly.

While those features alone are promising, Astell&Kern have added in a number of other handy features, such as the ability to use the AK70 MK II as a USB DAC bypass for playing music files off your PC or Mac, which circumvents the computer’s internal sound card and allows for hi-resolution, high quality audio playback. The AK Connect App for iOS and Android is also supported.

The other notable feature is that it is compatible with Astell&Kern’s AK CD-Ripper MK II — an external CD ripper/optical drive that will be available in October alongside the AK70 MK II.

The entire process of ripping and transferring high-res audio can be a pain — especially if, like most computers these days, yours lacks an optical drive. And even if you do have one, many drives lack the proper support to prevent skips or read errors. Thankfully, the AK CD-Ripper MK II is specifically built and engineered to manage and reduce vibrations, supposedly preventing read errors while ripping CDs. Music can be saved as FLAC or Wave formats at various speeds. Simply connecting the AK70 MK II or other Astell&Kern portable music players with the included USB-C or micro-USB cables, and rip and save the files directly to the player — no PC needed.

Once the music has been ripped, the player can scrape metadata from the Gracenotes library over Wi-Fi and apply it to the saved files.

After you have the files ripped, saved, and transferred, the last piece of the puzzle is a great pair of headphones. Astell&Kern has also unveiled the Michelle Limited in-ear monitor to complement the AK70 MK II’s high-res audio capabilities. The monitors feature 3-way balanced armature drivers, and Jerry Harvey Audio’s patented FreqPhase technology, which manipulates the shape of each driver’s connect tube for more accurate sound.

The Michelle Limited include both 3.5mm unbalanced and 2.5mm balanced cables, both of which are compatible with the AK70 MK II, as well as other players. Three silicon tips of various sizes are also provided to help ensure good fit.

This entire set of new Astell&Kern’s equipment will be available in October. The AK70 MK II will retail for $700, while the AK CD-Ripper MK II and the Michelle Limited in-ear monitor will cost $400 each.

Brendan Hesse
Former Staff Writer, Home Theater
Brendan has written about a wide swath of topics, including music, fitness and nutrition, and pop culture, but tech was…
8 key things you need to know from Apple’s WWDC 2025 event
From a fresh look and updated names, to new features, more intelligence and live translation
iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 shown on devices.

The WWDC 2025 keynote ran for just over an hour and a half. For those of you who don't fancy sitting through the whole presentation, we've pulled out the key things you need to know from the latest Apple event.

1. Welcome to the 26 club

Read more
This 85-inch Toshiba 4K TV is only $650 today after a 46% discount
The Toshiba C350 Series 4K TV on a white background.

If you've always wanted a massive screen for your home theater setup, you need to check out one of the most interesting TV deals that we've recently seen: the 85-inch Toshiba C350 Series 4K TV for only $650, for savings of $550 on its original price of $1,200. The 46% discount is a limited-time offer though, and if it caught our attention, there's also probably a lot of other shoppers who are considering taking advantage of this bargain. You'll miss out if you take too long to think about it!

Why you should buy the 85-inch Toshiba C350 Series 4K TV

Read more
WWDC 2025: Apple announces iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and more
Major updates to iOS, macOS, watchOS, iPadOS, tvOS and visionOS
WWDC 2025 logo

Apple kicked off WWDC 2025 with its keynote presentation at its annual World Wide Developer's conference, and it was a bumper affair.

We were treated to a raft of updates across all of the firm's software platforms, as we were introduced to iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.

Read more