Astell&Kern A&norma SR25 MkII

When I reviewed the original A&norma SR25 (HFC 465), I couldn’t name a single thing that needed improving, let alone fixing. I ended the review with the thought that, at a reasonable £650, A&K’s entry-level model was probably as much quality portable digital audio player anyone would ever need.

My mind hasn’t changed, but the SR25 has. Now available in MKII guise, Astell&Kern talks of: “improvements all round, making the best even better”.

The most obvious change is the inclusion of a 4.4mm, 5-pole balanced output to sit alongside the existing 2.5mm, 4-pole balanced output, making the MKII compatible with just about everything in the high-end head-fi arena. Naturally, a regular 3.5mm jack is here, too. Aesthetically, the distinctive and comfortable-to hold form factor hasn’t changed, but the aluminium chassis is now Mercury Dark Silver rather than the lighter Moon Silver of the original. The watch-winder volume wheel on the side has a more defined ‘soft click’ action that feels decidedly upmarket.