This portable high-res audio player will set you back R55,000

Purveyor of expensive portable music players Astell & Kern has a new flagship player it wants to shout about. And no, that price tag above isn’t a typo. In fact, we’ve rounded it down from its full price of R55,800.

Even if you’re not an audiophile, you can’t argue with its looks. If Tony Stark has a ‘flying through the air shooting rockets and bad guys’ playlist, this is probably what his headphones will be plugged into. And don’t even get us started on that gorgeously machined, textured volume dial. Mmmm.

The AK380 has received various upgrades over its similarly high-priced predecessor, the AK240, including dual 32-bit DACs and advanced jitter reduction, both of which should improve audio performance. There’s also an optional headphone amp module that the AK380 can slide into, though the price for this has yet to be confirmed.

The high-res music files themselves can be stored on the 256GB internal memory, which can also be expanded to cope with the larger footprint that high-res files have.

Controls are taken care of with a 4in touchscreen, and music and firmware updates can be downloaded directly to the player via Wi-Fi. Bluetooth means you can stream music to headphones or speakers too, though for best results you’ll want to stick to cables. Which will also be high-end and expensive, obviously.

If you want to give your music the best possible portable home, and have fifty-six grand to spare, then you can pick up an AK380 from June, though only serious audiophiles need apply.