Astell&Kern A&Norma SR15 High Resolution Portable Music Player/mp3 Player/Digital Player - Dark Grey

Really, really nice! I was debating between this and the ak70 mk2 as the wonky look of the SR15 didn't convince me, in the end I took a chance on the SR15 based on specs but oh boy! I'm glad, this is a thing of beauty, sort of reminds me of the monolith in 2001 Space Odyssey! Sound is outstanding, my Beoplay H7 sounnd as they never sounded before, both wired and on Bluetooth. I will be using the SR15 mostly to play Tidal Hi-Fi, the stock app is a light version of the android full player and with no offline option but, to my sweet surprise, it streams Masters-quality content which the android counterpart cannot do, however I also downloaded and installed the full Tidal apk from apkPure as it's easier to navigate (the Spotify apk can also be installed but to play lossy music on this dap would be sacrilege). I love it, it's crazy expensive for my pockets, it sounds warm, dynamic, detailed, it looks awesome, solid, I'm glad I bought it and I recommend it.Update: I loved this player's audio capabilities for the few days I had it to test it but in the end it had to be returned. I simply could not justify the price-tag: Ui is very limited, screen is too small and I ended up browsing Tidal on my phone, adding music to my favorites to then go back to the SR15 to play the chosen albums. In addition Bluetooth range is limited to few meters at best, disappointing when compared to huge range my phone has. For me it's back to usb-dac+phone combo!

great open sound,spotify app and tunein app work well.impressed with the depth of the sound stage, makes listening to flack recordings a great experience.

Cons:Battery life is poor especially if you listen to Tidal or Apple Music via wi-fiCharging it takes too long!Wi-Fi is BAD! Like REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD You can't be too far from ya router or it will start cutting out if you have a Wi-Fi booster then you'll be fine! I had to buy oneListening to HQ music can make the player hot! If you have it in a case (which i don't cos I love the feel of it) and have it in your pocket it will get very hot!All my bluetooth headphones, Bang & Olufsen H5, Sony WF-1000XM3 & Powerbeats Pro sound POOR! like i had the volume to the max and I could barely hear the musicPros:Sounds AMAZING! Especially Tidal Premium MAQ musicApple Music works perfectly! You can also change the theme to dark mode and download tracks to listen to offlineThe headphones I use Shure SE535, Fiio Fa7/FH7 and Sennheiser HD25. The music i listen to Electronic, Hip-Hop, R&B & House! I'm not one of these pretentious audiophile guy that listens to Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton!All in all I love this player! I love how it looks, I love how it feels and I love how it sounds! It's definitely worth the cash! NO BUYER'S REMORSE :)

This worked for two years and then the battery failed. It was difficult to source a replacement battery. In the end a specialist took more than two months to find one and install it. For such an expensive product this is hugely disappointing. The new battery did charge but I suggest you avoid such an unreliable player.

This is a great little machine. Easy to use and makes beautiful music (I have all my music on FLAC flies because it makes the tracks sound sweet.) (Although for portable use it’s a waste of money if you don’t get decent headphones. I have Sennheiser Momentum Headphones for the best all round listening and Sennheiser Momentum Earbuds if I’m travelling light.)I have no trouble with the off-kilter design. I think it’s rather nice (but a bit pointless)I have a little credit-card sized holder for 8 micro memory cards, each for a different genre of music, but the built in memory is useful for my favourite listening at any particular time. (It says don’t keep changing the micro cards, but it’s not a problem if you’re careful.)My main criticism is the over priced and useless case (which I didn’t buy) I previously had a Fiio and that has a great case with a built in pocket for the credit-card sized micro-card holder, however I bought a YOLOCE mini headphone case (you get 2 for £8.99) and the Astell & Kern jams in there nicely, together with the micro card holder.Very happy with all this.

For the short time it works, sound is decent, but it’s operating system is clunky - need to re-enter WiFi password every time, and then Tidal app consistently crashes in offline mode. Not good, despite the polished appearance. Avoid.