The angled screen is also a nice touch that sets the SR25 audio player apart from not just the rest of the Astell&Kern DAP lineup but other hi-res music players on the market. It’s quaint, and that’s exactly how I prefer my devices, especially in a standalone music player that promotes the portability factor. The small size hearkens back to a day where you could easily navigate your phone with one hand and thumb, instead of trying to gallivant all over creation on the behemoths we call cellular devices today. I’m giving extra points to the SR25 MKII in the comfort department. The devices always have a nice weight to them, lending to the overall quality that Astell&Kern instills in their crafting process. The milled aluminum is sleek and precise. Every single one I pick up I have to admire for a short time before getting to the music. It’s no lie: the machining on the Astell&Kern music players is astounding. Combined with gold-plated connectors, you can be assured that you're listening to your music and only your music, without outside factors contaminating your listening experience. Astell&Kern combines these small parts to make a big difference in the quality of their products that no other manufacturer can match.” In other words, the aluminum body that Astell&Kern utilize in their music players are not just for aesthetics, but also serves a function of blocking external noise and interference. The use of laser ground extension technology gives you the best sound possible, without interference or distortion. The aluminum body on the SR25mkII provides maximum sound quality while suppressing noise as much as possible. ![]() Astell&Kern products are designed to achieve perfect integration at every angle. This is reflected in the crafting of the volume wheel which is processed precisely like the crown of a luxury watch for the best operating feel. “The vibration-free processing machines used by Astell&Kern are the same ones used by expensive Swiss luxury watch manufacturers. Only after mastering these techniques that Astell&Kern has developed, can the beauty of the metal shine through.” In additional to five-axis machining, Astell&Kern has perfected its crafting of metal through thousands of hours of trial and error. All metal must be processed at once without interruption. “In order to produce the unique style Astell&Kern is famous for, five-axis machining is performed instead of traditional three-axis machining used in general machining. Much of the credit for the stunning designs can go to the years of perfecting their proprietary machining process for their products. Astell&Kern products are often compared to art sculptures, with colorful faces and angles that are not found in other devices. So right off the bat you're not going to notice much difference with the original SR25 stylistically. Read on to see if it's a V2.0, or more like a V1.0.0.156. ![]() But we'll figure it out by the end of this review. An upgrade? A new version? Well.I'm not quite sure. Yet again, I was surprised to find out that they released another version of the SR25 - the mark II. Is the SR25 underpowered? Some would say yes - I would argue either way - but I think the targeted audience for Astell&Kern's entry level music player isn't going to run into problems most of the time with powering some of the biggest and best headphones on the audiophile market. ![]() It's not surprising really, considering the fact that if you're an aspiring audiophile or just wanting a smaller portable music player to take on the go with you, you're probably (hopefully) NOT trying to use $4000 power-hungry headphones with it. Apart from the smaller screen size, the only real downside to the DAP is the power output. The might of the device is not so much in its power output as it is in the number of features and high-performance specifications for an entry-level player. I called the SR25 DAP the "Mighty Mouse of Music Players" in my review of the device back in September.
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