Astell&Kern KANN ULTRA Portable Audio Player

CAN ULTRA

Turbo for your music!

The KANN series from Astell & Kern sets standards worldwide for its impressive performance and crystal clear sound. The success story continues with the KANN ULTRA, the fifth product in this outstanding series. This player offers the highest output power of all Astell & Kern devices, triple output sound, an optimized processor and an intuitive user interface for an incomparable sound experience.

Powerful sound:

• Four gain stages deliver up to 16Vrms output power, comparable to desktop hi-fi systems.
• Dual DAC ES9039MPRO for highest resolution and unique sound quality.
• Separate pre/line out connectors for versatile audio configurations.

Triple Output, Triple Sound: The KANN ULTRA presents a unique triple output mode that is perfectly matched to demanding headphones, sensitive IEMs or external devices. Astell&Kern's Teraton Alpha technology enables separate amplifier and sound designs for the headphone output and the line/pre-out connections.

1. Headphone Out: Sophisticated headphones can be operated directly on the player, without an external amplifier.
2. Pre-out: For connection to external amplifiers, with specially developed preamplifier.
3. Line-out: Direct output from the DAC, ideal for external audio devices.

Four gain levels for every listening need: The KANN ULTRA offers four preset gain settings and outputs up to 16Vrms to drive the most demanding headphones and IEMs. Balanced and unbalanced AMPs optimize currents and reduce noise.

TERATON ALPHA technology: A&K's ultimate sound solution for noise reduction, efficient power management and consistent gain. TERATON ALPHA delivers unmatched audio reproduction.

Latest ESS flagship DAC: Equipped with two ES9039MPRO DACs for vivid, full-bodied sound. The updated DAC reduces power consumption, noise and distortion.

Lightning-fast user experience: Next-generation octa-core processors ensure a fast and responsive user experience. The new Crimson user interface enables easy navigation and offers numerous improvements for streaming and music playback.

Crossfeed for immersive audio experiences: Turn on crossfeed to experience a pleasant, centered sound in headphone environments. Detailed settings allow for individual customization.

Technical data:

• 5.5-inch HD touchscreen
• Supports numerous audio formats and high-res playback up to 32bit/768kHz
• Various gain levels and output options
• octa-core processors
• Crimson user interface for easy navigation
• Crossfeed for immersive audio experiences
• LED displays for real-time information
• 8,400mAh battery for up to 11 hours of playback time

Experience a new level of sound quality and user-friendliness with the Astell&Kern KANN ULTRA. Treat your music to the best!

Technical Data: General

• Model KANN ULTRA
• Body Color Astro Gray
• Body Material Aluminum
• Display 5.5 inch HD 1080 x 1920 touch screen
• Supported Audio Formats WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA
• Sample Rate PCM: 8kHz ~ 768kHz (8/16/24/32bits per sample)
  DSD Native: DSD64(1bit 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128(1bit 5.6MHz), Stereo
  DSD256(1bit 11.2MHz), stereo / DSD512(1bit 22.4MHz), stereo
• output level
  HEADPHONE OUT
  [Low Gain] Unbalanced 2Vrms ¦ Balanced 4Vrms (Condition No Load)
  [Mid Gain]Unbalanced 4Vrms ¦ Balanced 8Vrms (Condition No Load)
  [High Gain]Unbalanced 6Vrms ¦ Balanced 12Vrms (Condition No Load)
  [Super Gain]Unbalanced 8Vrms ¦ Balanced 16Vrms (Condition No Load)
  – PRE · LINE OUT
  Unbalanced 2Vrms ¦ Balanced 4Vrms (Condition No Load)
• CPU Octa-core
• DAC ES9039MPRO x2
• Decoding support up to 32bit/768kHz bit-to-bit playback
• Input USB Type-C input (for charging & PC & MAC)
• Outputs –
  HEADPHONE OUT
  3.5mm(Unbalanced Out, Optical Out), 4.4mm (Balanced Out, only 5-pole supported)
  PRE · LINE OUT
  3.5mm(Unbalanced Out), 4.4mm (Balanced Out, only 5-pole supported)
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)
• Bluetooth V5.3 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™-HD, LDAC, LHDC)
• Dimensions 3.24” (82.4mm)[W] x 5.55” (141.1mm)[H] x 0.96” (24.4mm)[D]
• Weight About 13.75oz (390g)
• Feature Enhancements Firmware upgrade supported (OTA)
• Operating Temperature 0? ~ +40? (32?~104?)

Audio

• Frequency Response
  HEADPHONE OUT
  ±0.006dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced ¦ ±0.004dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced
  ±0.016dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced ¦ ±0.020dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced
  PRE OUT
  ±0.022dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced ¦ ±0.023dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced
  ±0.023dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced ¦ ±0.023dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced
  LINE OUT
  ±0.002dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced ¦ ±0.002dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced
  ±0.007dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced ¦ ±0.006dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced
• S/N
  HEADPHONE OUT
  115dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced ¦ 119dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
  PRE OUT
  110dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced ¦ 126dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
  LINE OUT
  110dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced ¦ 125dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
• Crosstalk
  HEADPHONE OUT
  134dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced ¦ 140dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
  PRE OUT
  128dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced ¦ 128dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
  LINE OUT
  129dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced ¦ 121dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
• THD+N
  HEADPHONE OUT
  0.0004% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced ¦ 0.0004% @ 1kHz, Balanced
  PRE OUT
  0.0012% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced ¦ 0.0005% @ 1kHz, Balanced
  LINE OUT
  0.0013% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced ¦ 0.0005% @ 1kHz, Balanced
• IMD SMPTE
  HEADPHONE OUT
  0.0006% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Unbalanced ¦0.0006% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Balanced
  PRE OUT
  0.0006% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Unbalanced ¦0.0006% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Balanced
  LINE OUT
  0.0006% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Unbalanced ¦0.0006% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Balanced
• Output Impedance
  HEADPHONE OUT
  Unbalanced Out 3.5mm (1ohm) ¦ Balanced Out 4.4mm (1.3ohm)
  PRE OUT
  Unbalanced Out 3.5mm (3.5ohm) ¦ Balanced Out 4.4mm (5.7ohm)
  LINE OUT
  Unbalanced Out 3.5mm (6.5ohm) ¦ Balanced Out 4.4mm (10.7ohm)

Clock Source

• Clock Jitter 25pS (Typ)
• Reference Clock Jitter 200 Femto Seconds

memory

• Built-in Memory 128GB [NAND]
• External Memory microSD x1 (Max. 1TB)

battery

• Capacity 8,400mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer
• Charge Time about 3.5hours (PD 3.0 Charger)
• Playback Time about 11hours (Standard: FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, Vol.50, LCD Off, Low Gain)