The newly introduced feature of the 4.4mm balanced output port is exciting, however, the most important part is how we implemented it. Unlike other manufacturer’s products, KANN ALPHA has physically separated the 2.5mm and 4.4mm outputs using micro relays. When 2.5mm and 4.4mm structures are connected only to the mute circuit they do not prevent noise interference that may occur because each signal is not properly blocked. KANN ALPHA boasts noise-free output because we built in an independent structure that completely blocks interference from outputs that are not being used and to be switched off therefore preventing the noise from occurring.

MQA hardware rendering is built into the ES9068AS DACs and supports MQA 8x rendering. MQA-CD playback is also supported on KANN ALPHA when playing MQA-CDs using the AK CD-Ripper. You now do not need special, expensive equipment to play back master quality audio CDs. Enjoy the original master sound through the dedicated hardware renderer installed in KANN ALPHA.

KANN ALPHA boasts excellent performance measurement for crosstalk. Channel crosstalk is how much signal leaking there is between the L and R channels. The higher the crosstalk number, the better the separation between channels and the deeper and wider the sense of space that can be felt. As evident with the newly developed audio circuit design, KANN ALPHA features a never before seen Crosstalk measurement of -141dB(High Gain), which is unmatched by any other portable audio products in its class.

KANN ALPHA supports the same powerful 12Vrms output as the existing KANN CUBE, however the player has been optimized to be more compact.This is achieved through the miniaturization of numerous parts such as resistors and capacitors, by rearranging various components and through circuit optimization.This resulted in the modification of more than 60 parts during the development process.Ultra-small tantalum capacitors, which were developed exclusively for Astell&Kern through a collaboration with Matsuo Electric in Japan to meet our high performance requirements, supply stable power to the player and suppress electrical noise.This redesigned power circuit used in KANN ALPHA also allows us to achieve 14 ½ hours of continuous playback.