With the AK UW100, Astell&Kern has released its first set of truly wireless in-ears, equipped with interesting hardware.
What first catches the eye about the (specifications of) the new Astell&Kern AK UW100 fully wireless in-ears is the 32-bit DAC. Together with Bluetooth 5.2 with support for the aptX Adaptive codec (and others) it seems to be capable enough already. Especially if you consider that the mentioned DAC is a separate chip, in the form of the AK4334. This is in contrast to the vast majority of headphones and in-ears that simply use a standard DAC available within the Bluetooth chipset.
Six hours playing time
Furthermore, Astell&Kern Knowles deploys Balanced Armature drivers, which should guarantee a more detailed reproduction compared to a regular dynamic driver. What of course is very important with these kinds of truly wireless in-ears is the playing time on a full battery. In the case of the AK UW100 that’s six hours, which is very useful. And if you need to refuel while on the road, you can do so off-grid via the included charging case, good for three charges. In a hurry? Ten minutes of charging will give you another hour of playing time. Obviously, hands-free calling is also one of the available options. The Astell&Kern costs €299.