Overview
The KANN Cube is the big brother of the KANN we introduced some time ago. The emphasis is clearly on the “big”. The High-Resolution Player is the ideal partner if you can’t turn up the large system in your own living room, but still, want to withdraw. Furthermore, the model is an excellent mobile replacement for the stationary components you have at home. To provide enough music on the go, the player has an internal memory of 128 GB, which can be expanded to a total capacity of 528 GB with a MicroSD card.
Optics and operation
The modern player has a high-quality, solid aluminum housing. Its angular design gives it an almost industrial look. The corners are only interrupted by the side volume wheel. On the upper side, there is a main switch and further narrow control elements (Skip-Pause/Play-Skip) are on the side. As you already know from Astell & Kern, the CAN Cube also has a touchscreen, in this case with a screen diagonal of 5 inches.
On the operating system side, Astell & Kern has also relied on the tried and tested Android. Apps like Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, TIDAL and many more can be installed in no time at all.
In order to connect the DAP to the computer and to charge the accumulator, a USB C port has been integrated, which guarantees a fast transfer or charging. And where we started with the topic living room: The KANN Cube is equipped with a 5-pin XLR mini jack, with which it can be connected to the home audio system or active loudspeakers. The appropriate cable is of course included with the player.
Technology and Sound
The highlight of the KANN Cube is certainly the D/A converter, which uses eight channels. The high-end player presents completely new dimensions again with the integrated, powerful headphone amplifier. This supports even the most demanding headphones, whereby the performance can be individually adapted to the respective game partner in three stages. A 2.5 mm symmetrical output on the top side almost doubles the performance compared to the previous model. Of course, the KANN Cube also has a 3.5 mm jack socket.
The KANN Cube is characterized by a high dynamic range, which has an extremely positive effect on reproduction. Also impressive is the spatial representation of the sound, which is also characterized by its freedom from noise. The high-frequency range sounds rich in detail and the bass range with its convincing bass tones is like a big one right at the front. The sound of this digital audio player is therefore on a remarkably high level.
Conclusion
An accurate sound representation is a goal, which was not only pursued with the CAN Cube but also achieved. Due to its size, the model has enormous power and offers a lot of power for the headphones, which you can only expect from an amplifier that is connected directly to the power supply. Of course, 500 grams is an impressive weight for a digital audio player, but the KANN Cube is undoubtedly one of the strongest in this area.
