The iPod Classic is being discontinued at the perfect time. When looking for a new device to store all the music that doesn’t fit on your smartphone, there is nothing better than iriver‘s Astell & Kern AK100 II. At this point, the title “MP3 player” sounds more outdated than “iPhone 3G,” but this device could not be more futuristic. With its sleek, simple design, touch screen and easily accessible controls (volume wheel, skip, pause) there is nothing standing between you and crisp, dynamic, studio-quality sound.
The device is, frankly, exquisite. Even with average Apple headphones, the quality of sound that comes from this small device is outstanding, an obvious step up from what the average listener is accustomed to. The volume doesn’t even have to be high to hear this phenomenal quality; you flinch at every snare and embody every silence from volume 10 to 100.
Aside from some difficulty transferring files to the device from a MacBook to the device, the AK100 II is relatively easy to use and extremely user-friendly. With all the features you need (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) and no excess (games, photos, etc.), the device provides enough memory to experience your entire music library in a new light.
Don’t know what to listen to first on your AK100 II? Here are a few songs that sound particularly impeccable on this device to get you started:
- “Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson
- “Don’t Know Why” – Norah Jones
- “ATTACK” – 30 Seconds to Mars
- “505” – Arctic Monkeys
- “Indian Sunset” – Elton John
- “The Rising” – Bruce Springsteen
- “Mambo Swing” – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
- “Tiny Little Robots” – Cage the Elephant
- “Folsom Prison Blues” – Johnny Cash
- “Drive” – Dispatch
- “Row Jimmy” – the Grateful Dead
- “Wolves at Night” – Manchester Orchestra
- “The Infanta” – the Decemberists
- “Radio” – Nude Beach
- “The First Days of Spring” – Noah and the Whale
- “Fire” – Jimi Hendrix
- “Valerie” – Amy Winehouse
- “Cat’s Eye Ring” – Steelism
- “Everybody’s Jumpin’” – the Dave Brubeck Quartet
- “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” – the Killers
- “Love in Vain” – the Rolling Stones
- “The Great Gig in the Sky” – Pink Floyd
- “Cold Day in the Sun” – Foo Fighters
- “Holy Rollers for Love” – Jakob Dylan
- “The Garden, Pt. 3” – Tea Leaf Green
– Kelsey Drain
The iriver Astell & Kern AK100 II is available for purchase here
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