Astell&Kern A&Norma SR15 High Resolution Portable Music Player/mp3 Player/Digital Player - Dark Grey

Really, really nice! I was debating between this and the ak70 mk2 as the wonky look of the SR15 didn't convince me, in the end I took a chance on the SR15 based on specs but oh boy! I'm glad, this is a thing of beauty, sort of reminds me of the monolith in 2001 Space Odyssey! Sound is outstanding, my Beoplay H7 sounnd as they never sounded before, both wired and on Bluetooth. I will be using the SR15 mostly to play Tidal Hi-Fi, the stock app is a light version of the android full player and with no offline option but, to my sweet surprise, it streams Masters-quality content which the android counterpart cannot do, however I also downloaded and installed the full Tidal apk from apkPure as it's easier to navigate (the Spotify apk can also be installed but to play lossy music on this dap would be sacrilege). I love it, it's crazy expensive for my pockets, it sounds warm, dynamic, detailed, it looks awesome, solid, I'm glad I bought it and I recommend it.Update: I loved this player's audio capabilities for the few days I had it to test it but in the end it had to be returned. I simply could not justify the price-tag: Ui is very limited, screen is too small and I ended up browsing Tidal on my phone, adding music to my favorites to then go back to the SR15 to play the chosen albums. In addition Bluetooth range is limited to few meters at best, disappointing when compared to huge range my phone has. For me it's back to usb-dac+phone combo!

Not very impressed with this player for the price. Having just upgraded from a Sony NWZ-A15 I was expecting a huge difference in sound quality over this little entry level Hi Res compatible player.Just for info I use this player with Shure's SE846's and to make this review I'm just going to list the Pros and Cons.Pros.Build quality is excellent, this thing feels rigid and tough. I have already dropped it on concrete by accident and it survived..UI is really nice once you get the hang of it and is very fast and responsive..Button layout is great, there are two skip buttons and a pause button on the side so you can change tracks without constantly getting it out your pocket..True Line-Out so this little thing really packs a punch, especially when connected to an old hi-fi, really makes it sound like an up to date modern system..Sound quality is excellent after a good burn in, although when paired with the SE846's there isn't a great deal of bass, which is a shame because I'm a bit of a bass head, but can't knock it for overall clarity and detail. Seems it's hardwired to a more lower mid focused EQ.Con's.Sounds rubbish until you give it a good burn in. When I first had it the treble was so shrill I found it unlistenable and was ready to return it..NO GAPLESS PLAYBACK with Hi-Res format content. This to me would have been a deal breaker had I known before buying it. I really can't stand having audible gaps in music that was designed to flow together. It's fine with 16bit standard files, like you would make if you rip a CD, or normal MP3/FLAC's etc, but I'm guessing if you're looking at this sort of price point in the first place is because you want to hear Hi-Res stuff..No continuous playback, so when it's finished playing a folder, it will just stop playing anything, doesn't move on to the next. It could just be me, but I find this really irritating, having to keep getting it out my pocket to play the next folder..Battery life is absolute rubbish. Hi res content at a moderate volume you'll get about 8 hrs. My NWZ-A15 had about 20hrs (no exaggeration) even after owning it for years..Price I honestly can't justify..EQ is terrible, doesn't make any difference when listening through my SE846's.The unit get very hot when in use, I've seen Astell & Kern give an excuse it's down to inadequate burn in, I've had mine for months, and it still gets very very hot..The design of the unit itself is not to everyone's taste..Slow as hell file transfer speeds, takes an absolute age just to rename a folder when its on the player..Protective cases for this thing are an absolute rip off..Heavy for a portable player.So yeah, more cons than pros, I would heavily recommend checking the unit out before buying it, as it's not perfect, and for the price it's really not a massive jump from a £100 Sony player. It definitely doesn't feel like a £400 jump in quality to me. So buyers be wary.

great open sound,spotify app and tunein app work well.impressed with the depth of the sound stage, makes listening to flack recordings a great experience.

Cons:Battery life is poor especially if you listen to Tidal or Apple Music via wi-fiCharging it takes too long!Wi-Fi is BAD! Like REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD You can't be too far from ya router or it will start cutting out if you have a Wi-Fi booster then you'll be fine! I had to buy oneListening to HQ music can make the player hot! If you have it in a case (which i don't cos I love the feel of it) and have it in your pocket it will get very hot!All my bluetooth headphones, Bang & Olufsen H5, Sony WF-1000XM3 & Powerbeats Pro sound POOR! like i had the volume to the max and I could barely hear the musicPros:Sounds AMAZING! Especially Tidal Premium MAQ musicApple Music works perfectly! You can also change the theme to dark mode and download tracks to listen to offlineThe headphones I use Shure SE535, Fiio Fa7/FH7 and Sennheiser HD25. The music i listen to Electronic, Hip-Hop, R&B & House! I'm not one of these pretentious audiophile guy that listens to Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton!All in all I love this player! I love how it looks, I love how it feels and I love how it sounds! It's definitely worth the cash! NO BUYER'S REMORSE :)

This worked for two years and then the battery failed. It was difficult to source a replacement battery. In the end a specialist took more than two months to find one and install it. For such an expensive product this is hugely disappointing. The new battery did charge but I suggest you avoid such an unreliable player.

My entire listening environment is built around three guiding principles: 1) Top middle class audio, 2) Wireless connectivity and Accessibilty to/from Roon and Qobuz. This gem ticks the first two boxes, the third partially and will tick it completely soon.I used to have an AK120ii, which was a great sound wise but its connectivity was sub par, so I sold it and bought the Chord Mojo/Poly combination instead. Great audio quality but with my Shure SE846 IEMs I have a terrible hiss. I nevertheless used it for quite a bit. I am really happy though this SR15 came to my intention.I really like the sound, I have no hiss at all on my SE846, so very happy on that part. My complete CD collection is on a 512Gb card now and this works really well although it is above the 400Gb limit AK advertises with. I have to use the AK Connect functionality to access my HD Tracks, that works OK-ish (they play really well, but searching is a bit of a struggle). Searching on the SR15 is not very easy. I listen a lot of classical music and searching for composers is very important there but that can’t be done, I have to use the folder access.Therefore or I am really looking forward to the Roon compatability which is expected soon, it will give me a better user experience without having to fiddle with the small screen.The wireless connectivity is quite good functionally, but the SR15 does not have a very strong WiFi receiver in a technical sense. You better have a strong network. I received the item on 1.08 firmware and that was almost unworkable with WiFi, but after the 1.13 firmware, it seems a bit better and at home my connection is stable.The Qobuz software is almost the same as on my iPhone. I can download songs and use them on the go. The screen is a little small and with a cover you have to fiddle a bit, but it works as it should.I am a happy chap. Looking for the next firmware update, probably with Roon and I will be all set.

For the short time it works, sound is decent, but it’s operating system is clunky - need to re-enter WiFi password every time, and then Tidal app consistently crashes in offline mode. Not good, despite the polished appearance. Avoid.

3.5 Jack pushed in - this is another SR that this has happened - every other part of the unit is solid not sure why Astell and Kern would put plastic jacks in high quality units.Only had it 4 years second in 6??

Sound quality and battery life are much better than other portables, and Wi-Fi connection helps.

Davvero eccellente. Vale il prezzo del biglietto.

Después de haber probado varios aparatos e llegado a la conclusión que este tiene el sonido más refinado. En su rango de precios de lo mejor. Sonido bién afinado y equilibrado, tamaño genial para llevar en el bolsillo, le hace falta una funda eso sí pero son caras. Lo he comparado con Sony Walkman 507, ibasso DX150, fiio M11, Walkman 105. También he probado el fiio M11 Pro pero ya se va algo el precio. Supongo que para mejorar ya te tienes que gastar 1.400 o 2.000 €. Emparejado con unos auriculares Focal Listen y de miedo. Aconsejo el duo Astell, focal.

Je fais un examen point par point des aspects de cet appareil:- Fabrication: Il semble solide comme une pierre. C'est beau Tout très bien conçu. Bien que l’écran présente une légère inclinaison, la vérité est qu’elle est belle. Cette inclinaison est très légère. La ligne de ce produit est la moitié entre le modèle précédent (AK70) et celle de produits plus chers comme le AK320. Dans la main, cela rappelle beaucoup le AK300 .. seulement plus petit.- Le logiciel avait besoin de mises à jour. L'équipement est devenu très chaud et la batterie s'est épuisée rapidement. Très vite, quelques mises à jour sont arrivées pour résoudre ce problème.- Il a un S.O. très fluide et élégant. Dans cet aspect, tout très bien.- Actuellement un microSD 400 qui gère rapidement.- La batterie reste le point faible des produits A & K. Avec les fichiers flac, cela ne semble pas durer plus de six heures.- SON: Très très détaillé, clair, large. Cela me rappelle beaucoup les équipements précédents tels que les AK100 II et AK 70, mais beaucoup plus raffinés.- C’est un produit qui se démarque nettement des précédents produits de milieu de gamme (AK70, AK100 II ...)Peut-être sont-ils moins chers et ont une qualité audio similaire ... Mais la beauté de cette A & K est un avantage en sa faveur ... comme toujours dans le cas de A & K!En relation qualité / design / beauté / prix / avantages je lui donne un 10.

Great player and as described. Thank you.