Astell&Kern has announced its first true wireless earbuds, the AK UW100.
Known for its audiophile-standard media players and wired headphones, the brand claims to have utilised its high-end audio knowhow to design a pair of buds that will be available from April.
A significant part of their make-up is a dedicated 32-bit Hi-Fi grade DAC. The digital-to-analogue convertor is not part of the Bluetooth chipset (as in many wireless equivalents) and runs independently to ensure audio output is more accurate.
This is combined with balanced armature drivers (one in each ear) and aptX Adaptive for near lossless high-res audio support (24-bit 420kps).
Bluetooth 5.2 is also supported, as is Qualcomm True Wireless Stereo Plus for a more stable connection to a compatible smartphone.
There's no noise cancellation on board, although the UW100 buds offer passive noise isolation. An ambient mode is available for wearers to hear the outside world with a single tap. The touch controls can also be used to adjust volume, play, pause and skip tracks, plus answer calls and activate voice assistants.
A dedicated app is also available for iOS and Android.
The Astell&Kern AK UW100 earbuds sport six hours of battery life in the buds, with a further 18 hours in the charging case. Fast charging capabilities allow for an hour of playback after just 10 minutes of charge time.
They will be priced at £249 / $260 / €299.
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