Astell&Kern SR35 High Resolution Digital Audio Player - Charcoal Grey

It took a bit of courage to fork out the high price of this player, but so glad I did. Superb sound quality be that via Bluetooth headphones, standalone speaker, car system or hifi system. Support was very good when I had a sound quality issue which turned out to be my error not reformating the memory card. Recommended the CD Ripper as well, makes loading of CDs very straightforward. Would I recommend the SR35, most definitely, your ears will thank you for it.

100% quality from Astell & Kern, what else to expect? Audiophile features that I’m not using immediately due to starting up with this Norma device. Coming from Apple and my iTunes library I’ve felt the growing desire to truly own the music I own and paid for to be heard on a device of my choice, not via an Apple product dictation and their software. You need to have basic file management awareness to get the best out of file transferring away from Apple if you’re doing the same exercise as me but it’s straight forward. 40+gb of iTunes library later and I’m enjoying christal clear music on this beautifully crafted piece of tech. I love the harsh angles and offset display that’s a design classic IMHO in this current saturation of bland mobile phone shaped alternative tech…… A great start regarding 1st impressions and I think worth the money when you look into the spec of the Norma and what you can expect to get out of it. Easy to navigate and use with what I think is good speed when navigating around menus and track searches (looks for anything related to a track name, album, artist etc) for downloaded music.

I was excited to own a high-end Astell & Kern, but the SR35 was disappointing. The screen is tiny, the expensive case interferes with touch, and the system is sluggish. Volume dial often gets in the way. Streaming (like Qobuz) needs a strong connection—playback often stutters. No digital output is a major flaw for audiophiles. Bluetooth doesn’t deliver full quality, and only one SD slot. I now prefer using Qobuz on my MacBook Pro with a proper DAC. Looks great, but not practical. I was excited to finally own a high-end product from Astell & Kern that was within my budget. I didn’t think twice before buying it. Unfortunately, after using it for some time, I’m quite disappointed. Pros: • The build quality feels premium, and the compact size is convenient for portability. • Ample storage (including microSD expansion) is a plus. Cons: • The screen is very small, making navigation difficult, especially with the expensive leather case (around £80), which interferes with touch commands near the edges. • The volume control dial can be frustrating—if accidentally touched, it brings up a menu that blocks other actions until it disappears. • The system feels sluggish, even when updated to the latest firmware. The interface often responds like an outdated OS. • Heavy dependence on a strong internet connection makes using streaming apps like Qobuz inconsistent—songs sometimes won’t load or play smoothly. • No digital output, which is a major letdown for a premium music player. You cannot connect it to a DAC via digital out. • Bluetooth audio doesn’t offer the high-res quality expected at this price point. • Only one microSD slot, which limits physical storage expansion. • Overall, the user experience is awkward and unintuitive. Now, I barely use it. I find more freedom and better connectivity using Qobuz on my MacBook Pro, where I can connect digitally to my DAC through the 3.5mm line out. In the end, the SR35 looks great and feels well made—but that’s about all it has going for it.

The Astell&kern SR2 is absolutely brilliant. Total premium player, took a bit of setting up due to poor instructions but worth every minute. Sound is just beyond brilliant as all the reviews will tell you. Delivery good and customer service via email brilliant.

Simply does not work. Tidal integration does not work. Literally worse than the SR15 and just end up using my phone as it simply does not work even on WiFi in my house. Avoid at all cost

Sounds great especially paired with good set of headphones. I use Focal Bathy headphones and the sound is great.

Good quality sound

Great design and sound but sadly the volume adjuster feels cheap and worst of all the Bluetooth connectivity is woefully poor - more than 1,5meters from the speakers and it loses connection. Really disappointing. Can’t help but think they need to get the basics right farther than being over technical. Bring back the IPod