'More drivers than a Formula 1 grid': A&K makes Christmas come early for audiophiles with its new premium audio player packing built-in quad vacuum tubes, plus new 'Tribrid' 9-driver IEMs to pair with it

Date:
Fri, 29 May 2026 11:48:14 +0000

Description:
Astell & Kern has unveiled a new DAP, called the SP4000T, and new in-ear monitors called the Clarus, and they're not messing around when it comes to audiophile appeal

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Astell & Kern unveils a new portable Hi-Res Audio player and earbuds SP4000T audio player has four vacuum tubes for Clarus in-ear monitors offer nine drivers in 'Tribrid' design
Astell & Kern has just unveiled its next two big releases, and though we're lacking practical details such as price and availability so far, as well as a few key details and specs, we're very interested in what's been teased so
far.

The two products are the A&K SP4000T, a premium audio player with some intriguing amplification, and the Clarus, which are new in-ear monitors with more drivers than a Formula 1 grid. Let's take a look at both of them. The Clarus in-ear monitors (Image credit: Astell&Kern) The Astell & Kern Clarus are the brand's latest wired IEMs, following the Luna unveiled just under a year ago , as its fourth pair of buds in this product line. Latest Videos
From You may like Meze's new Astru IEMs would be one way to make your brand-new MacBook Neo sing 'Hard-pressed to find a more affordable pair of IEMs' Astell & Kern's cheaper sub-brand just released budget 5-driver wired earbuds These new earbuds cost 30 times the price of AirPods Pro 3 and they might actually be worth it The Clarus have nine drivers built in, arranged in a 'Tribrid' architecture; that word soup basically means that the drivers are arranged in three separate groupings, targeting specific frequencies.

A&K hasn't revealed the exact drivers at play, but we do know there are dynamic drivers for low-end, Balanced Armature drivers for the mids, and MEMS for the top-end. According to the brand, clarity is the name of the game, hence the 'Clarus' moniker. The SP4000T player (Image credit: Astell & Kern) The bigger new release is the SP4000T. This is the long-awaited successor to the SP3000T , which we gave a glowing five-star review, and it justifies itself as a new model with clear upgrades.

The real draw to the SP4000T is that it has four built-in vacuum tubes, arranged in a quad formation, to allow for a warm sound profile in a greater number of variations than before. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

We've seen some double-vacuum tube portable audio players such as the
SP3000T or the Shanling M8T , which both used the same JAN6418 tubes that the SP4000T does but using four offers an even greater amount of versatility
than two would.

This number allows tubes dedicated to both the left and right channels, and
in combination with the amp and tube current adjustment, A&K promises three main sound profile modes: 'Triode' for rich harmonics and natural acoustics, 'Pentone' for power, and 'Ultra Linear' that mixes the two.

Another upgrade of the A&K SP4000T is the improved five-stage
anti-microphonic architecture, which goes further in stopping potential distortion in the vacuum tubes caused by them being in a portable device (tubes have historically not travelled very well). What to read next Burson's Stellar headphone amps promise head-fi heaven in spacecraft-inspired Star
Wars style 'An odd choice': Cleer has put audiophile-grade perks in open earbuds, and I'm confused Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 review: truly
exceptional open-backs for affluent audiophiles

It seems that A&K is opening itself up to more wireless music too, with upgraded support for LDAC and aptX Adaptive, and a new mode also lets you use the device as a wireless Bluetooth DAC for your smartphone. Not only that,
but a new dual Wi-Fi antenna means you can more reliably stream music.

Otherwise you're looking at a digital audio player running Android 15, which comes in either stainless steel or copper models, and also has a leather travelling case. It gets 256GB storage by default, but can be expanded up to 1.5TB via microSD.

While the exact price for the Astell & Kern SP4000T isn't known yet, I'm guessng it might cost more than the $2,999 / 3,199 / AU$5,299 asking price of the predecessor but if it performs better, it'll be well worth a place in
our list of the best Hi-Res Audio players . The best music players for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best hi-res music players 1. Best overall: Activo P1 2. Best budget hi-res player: Fiio JM21 3. Best step-up hi-res player: Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/more-drivers-than-a-formula-1-grid-a-and-k-mak es-christmas-come-early-for-audiophiles-with-its-new-premium-audio-player-pack ing-built-in-quad-vacuum-tubes-plus-new-tribrid-9-driver-iems-to-pair-with-it


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