Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

The Latest Breaking News from Activo

Astell & Kern's off-shoot brand just dropped some of the best budget audiophile earbuds of the year — and you won't believe how cheap they are

Astell & Kern's budget-brand, Activo, is back again — here's what I thought of it's new pebble-like in-ear monitors.

TechRadar

Astell&Kern unveils a new pair of earbuds – and you won't believe the price

The new Activo wired earbuds look amazing value.

'Hard-pressed to find a more affordable pair of IEMs' — Astell & Kern's cheaper sub-brand just released budget 5-driver wired earbuds

Astell & Kern's budget arm has unveiled new wired earbuds, the Scoop, which offer five drivers and multiple connection options for under £100.

TechRadar

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Activo's affordable wired buds feature a five-driver array for "full-bodied" bass and "articulate highs"

Activo gives you the Scoop

What Hi-Fi?

These Activo IEMs are an absolute bargain – but there's a catch

Activo's new five-driver IEMs are going to be extremely affordable, but you can't buy them just yet

These quintuple-driver wired earbuds just landed for only $80 – and I want to know how

Who says audiophile-grade listening gear is too expensive? Astell & Kern’s affordable Activo arm just launched five-driver IEMs for $80

TechRadar

Activo’s triple-driver earbuds are back in black with a big bundle discount

The Activo Volcano IEMs return with a new colour option and a Hi-Res Audio player bundle

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

MP3 players are making a comeback – I tested 15 to find the best

Ditch the subscriptions and algorithms of the music streamers with our pick of the best modern digital audio players

The Guardian - UK

Best MP3 players 2025: Top portable audio players tested by our expert

A dedicated digital audio player can change the way you listen to music – here are my top picks

The Independent UK

I tested the solid budget IEMs that bring Astell & Kern’s audiophile talents to the masses, and they go hard in ways I didn’t expect

The Activo Volcano are well-priced and deliver impressive low-end output, but they’re bested by rivals on instrument separation, comfort and design.

TechRadar

Activo's new wired IEMs promise to excite your ears for an unbelievable price

Astell&Kern's lifestyle brand delivers high-spec in-ears for a surprisingly low price point.

Activo's wired in-ear headphones aim for an explosive sound that won't break the bank

Activo debuts its affordable Volcano wired in-ear headphones featuring a triple driver array and a stable, comfortable fit.

What Hi-Fi?

Activo Q1 review: IEM earbuds for the masses?

Activo's wired in-ear monitors promise a lot –but can they deliver on their cut-price aspirations?

I tried a Hi-Res Audio player for the first time –and it's a game-changer

The Activo P1 is an exciting option for those looking to get into audiophile listening – for a great price.

Get all your
news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One news app.

What Hi-Fi?

Activo P1

The Activo P1 portable music player aims to deliver Astell & Kern’s high-quality performance for a more affordable price, but it fails to deliver.

TechRadar

Activo Q1 hybrid IEM headphones review: impressive and affordable audiophile IEMs

Astell & Kern's hi-res player now has matching high quality headphones that won't break the bank –joy!

Tom’s Guide

I'm bringing the iPod back with this new luxury MP3 player

Activo's new P1 audio player is a lovely piece of audiophile tech — and it might have just replaced my iPod.

What Hi-Fi?

Activo's premium IEMs have been designed "to please audiophiles on the move"

The Activo Q1 are hybrid IEMs which blend 9.8mm dynamic and balanced armature drivers.

Get all your
news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One news app.

Astell&Kern Activo Q1 in-ears offer an affordable audiophile alternative

The new Activo Q1 hybrid IEMs promise audiophile-grade sound for a decent price.

TechRadar

Activo Q1 are the inexpensive wired earbuds made for our favorite budget hi-res audio player

The Activo P1 hi-res audio player stunned us for value when it arrived in July, and now it's got a set of IEMs designed for it.

Wallpaper

Pocketable audio: five ways to take audio out and about while staying smartphone free

FiiO’s elegant portable CD player tops our list of portable audio players, along with the debut device from new brand Activo

TechRadar

Activo P1 music player review: Astell & Kern audio quality for considerably less cash

Astell & Kern's new, more affordable audio brand hits the ground running with great sound and a decent price too.

This Hi-Res Audio player keeps the quality but drops the price tag

Astell & Kern's new Activo brand delivers serious specs for more affordable prices

What Hi-Fi?

We found 5 surprisingly affordable hi-fi gems at High End Munich

Our team hunted the world’s premiere hi-fi show to find its hidden affordable gems

What Hi-Fi?

Astell & Kern's affordable Activo P1 portable music player could be a Sony Walkman alternative

Unveiled at High End Munich earlier this year, Astell & Kern has officially launched the Activo P1 portable music player for a more affordable price tag.

People

Steve Hogarty

44 stories

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Organisations

Read news from The Economist, FT, and more,
with one subscription

Topics

Places

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.