Portable Audio

If you've got cash to burn and you like your digital audio players to be chunky, angular and capable, Astell&Kern is probably already on your radar. The new Kann Alpha ticks all of those boxes and more.

The HapsBox portable music system has the look of a toy spaceship, but it's a powerful mobile music-making machine that's newbie-friendly while also being attractive to pros.

Zoom has revealed a new app-driven portable audio recorder. Whether you're out in the field, capturing the latest groove at band practice or producing your latest podcast, the H8 is like an all you can eat buffet for audio recording.

The Zound Industries/Marshall Amps collaboration has made a teeny addition to its Bluetooth speaker line. The Emberton is water-resistant, offers over 20 hours of playback and promises to throw out 360-degree sound "that only Marshall can deliver."

Luxury portable music gear brand Astell&Kern has announced the second product in its premium A&futura range, the SE200, which is claimed to be the first in the world to sport a multi-DAC design.

Everyone knows that LPs have experienced a resurgence, but it seems that the analog cassette tape may also be due for a comeback. With that in mind, a French entrepreneur is now offering a portable cassette player that's designed for modern times.

Late in 2018, Røde launched the Rødecaster Pro, the "world's first fully integrated podcast production studio. But its need for mains power made casting on the road a challenge. The Maonocaster solves that drawback thanks to a built-in battery.

The latest digital audio player from Astell&Kern is being pitched as the Korean company's most affordable high resolution player yet. The A&norma SR25 offers high res audio playback, long battery life and support for the LDAC Bluetooth codec.

Digital music players and smartphones pretty much caused an extinction event for portable analog audio. But RecordingTheMasters is banking on a comeback for tapes with the launch of Mystik portable audio cassette player.

While many of today's digital audio players aim for a slick modern aesthetic, the Shanling Q1 goes back in time for inspiration – to the curvy, colorful 1950s. The cutesy device supports Hi-Res music playback, and has cooked-in Bluetooth.

Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes, from portables you can hold in your hand to mains-powered table-top belters. And then there are those from Denmark's Soundboks – suitcase-sized beasts with concert-level output.

Astell&Kern released the first portable audio player with dual DACs in 2013, and it's the design of the AK120 that has informed the overall look of A&K's latest offering, the SA700.