as ak380All our mobile devices these days are capable of playing music, even the cheap $80 smartphones, which is why it has become less compelling to purchase a separate device, like an iPod, just for music playback. However audiophiles are an entirely different breed of customers who believe that there are some media players out there that provides better quality audio, or at least are able to support lossless formats like FLAC.

Last year Sony unveiled such a device in the form of the Sony Walkman NW-ZX2 which was priced over $1,000, but if you thought that was expensive, Astell & Kern have recently taken the wraps off the AK380 which is made from a solid block of copper. The AK380 has been in the market for a while now, so this is basically the copper version which looks more luxurious and weighs quite a bit too at 1.7kg.

However because of its use of copper, it apparently produces a slightly different audio signature that may or may not sit well with you. However apart from that, it will share the same features as the regular AK380, which includes 32bit/384kHz dual-DAC design, a VCXO Clock that reduces jitter to 0.2 picoseconds, and native DSD playback.

Unfortunately the copper AK380 does not come cheap as it is priced at £3,299. It will also be a limited edition device with only 500 units planned for production, so if you have the cash to spare and you think this would be a fine addition to your media player lineup, you should be able to purchase it later this month.

Filed in Audio >Gadgets. Read more about .

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