Introduction

When you see the words Astell&Kern, or even head over to the company website, you are likely thinking it is a western brand, and perhaps even a fancy luxurious one at that. If so, then the re-branding exercise from its parent company Dreamus, which itself was previously known as ReignCom, has worked well. Astell&Kern, often simply referred to as A&K, is a South Korean brand that was established in 2013 and is most known for its line of digital audio players (DAPs), as well as making the 2.5 mm TRRS balanced connectors popular. Over the years, it has also worked with other audio brands to bring out headphones and earphones as collaborations under the A&K name, of which none could truly be called its own—until now, anyway.


Today, we are taking a closer look at the AK ZERO1, which A&K claims to be its first set of IEMs that hasn't involved another major brand in the R&D. The AK ZERO1 is a tribrid set using three different types of drivers, which is a bold choice for a brand not generally associated with earphones. But a single look at them shows there is plenty to talk about, including the unique aesthetics and use of what A&K calls a micro-rectangular planar driver that is quite unlike anything else I have seen before. The AK ZERO1 is hand-crafted in Japan and aims to be a new start for the brand when it comes to reinvigorating the world of IEMs, so let's see how these bold words hold up in our review which begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below. Thanks again to Astell&Kern for arranging a review sample for TechPowerUp!

Specifications