Astell & Kern players get NAS streaming and Qobuz downloads

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A firmware update to the AK240 allows users to stream music - from MP3 to 24/192 - from a NAS device directly to the player, while all three current A&K players can now download music directly from Qobuz.

The free update to allow music streaming from a network-attached storage device (NAS) is available now for the Astell & Kern AK240, and is said to be on the way for the more affordable AK100 II and AK120 II music players.

The high-end A&K players of course major on high-res music playback and these files are also supported when streaming from your NAS.

MORE: Astell & Kern AK240 launches at CES

Also new is direct downloading from the Qobuz music download store. The A&K by Qobuz app was trailed back in May and is now available on all three current Astell & Kern portable music players with Wi-Fi access.

The Qobuz download store launched last month, following on from the launch of the CD-quality streaming service, and offers a solid selection of CD-quality or better albums to download. The albums are available in a variety of formats from ALAC to FLAC to WAV.

The new app allows you to browse and preview music on the Qobuz store on your player - and then download tracks straight to your player, removing the need for a computer in the chain

MORE: Qobuz review

MORE: Astell & Kern AK100 MkII review

Joe Cox
Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).