When I set out to cover the World of Headphones section at High End 2025, I knew it’d be a major undertaking, but I didn’t think it’d stretch to three separate articles. Yet here we are—this time, I have reports on a pair of Asian companies whose new products seriously made their presence felt at High End 2025, as well as some new headphones from Dan Clark Audio that are sure to cause a stir among fans. Pricing is in US dollars, euros, or both.
Korean brand Astell&Kern managed to nab a huge piece of real estate right at the front of the World of Headphones section, so its display was not just visible, but unavoidable. And for good reason, as the firm used High End 2025 to introduce a new flagship digital audio player, the SP4000. Boasting four AK4191EQ modulators and four AK4499EX DAC chips, all running off ultra-low-noise, low-dropout voltage regulators, the SP4000 is nothing to sneeze at.
Astell&Kern SP4000 personal audio player
Conveniently, it’s based on the Android OS, which means it can run music apps like Spotify, Tidal, or Qobuz natively. Importantly, Astell&Kern has figured out a tricky way to prevent the Android OS from resampling the audio, keeping the music bit-perfect from front to back. The SP4000 also features a High Driving Mode setting and the company’s Enhanced Signal Alignment technology. It’ll be available in both black and polished finishes. The A&K rep told me that the brand expects to announce pricing next month—and I’ll postulate that it’s likely to be several thousand of whatever your currency of choice is. I was also told that Astell&Kern is optimistically aiming for a late-June release date.
I tested the SP4000 using a pair of IEMs Astell&Kern made in collaboration with esteemed in-ear manufacturer 64 Audio. It all just works—I cued up “I Want a New Drug” by Huey Lewis and the News, and the music sounded clean and clear, and completely free of noise and other sonic anomalies. That’s to be expected for a top-shelf player like this, but I also noted that the SP4000 was as easy to use as it was to listen to. Running Android means that the SP4000 works less like a niche audio product and more like one of the electronics you’re used to already, meaning it’s hard to get lost or do anything that will screw the thing up. I didn’t get to spend much time with the player, unfortunately, much less with a pair of headphones I was familiar with, but my first impression was a good one.
Next, I wandered into Chinese manufacturer Moondrop’s exhibit. It was just as impressive as Astell&Kern’s, and featured a bonkers number of new products and larger-than-life posters announcing the brand’s collaboration with the video game Honkai: Star Rail. The brand representative seemed really surprised when I said I hadn’t yet heard of his company, so we both set about remedying that. It seemed like everything in Moondrop’s exhibit was new in some sense, but as far as I could tell, there were four particular products that were new for High End 2025.
Pill earphones
The first, and perhaps most significant, is the Pill, a pair of wireless IEMs that come housed in a capsule-shaped case, hence the name. The Pill ’phones clip around the outer ear, but actually are surprisingly comfortable. I was somewhat agog at the quantity and quality of the bass these little things could deliver. At just $49.99, the Pill earphones might have the best bass of anything under $50—or even a lot more than that. These will be a very capable entry to great sound for a lot of people.
I saw the Harmon earbuds (which were designated “Price TBD” at the show but appear to be available for $349.99 on the Moondrop website), driven by the über-cool DiscDream 2 Ultra CD player ($349.99), which has a sharp aluminum case and can drive headphones via a single-ended 3.5mm output or a 4.4mm Pentaconn jack. Like the Pill, the Harmon IEMs had excellent bass and a real sense of space.
Moondrop DiscDream 2 Ultra CD player
Moondrop’s Para II circumaural planar ’phones (also noted “Price TBD,” but listed on the website at $349) are quite new and look sharp with their shining metallic earcups. The very latest from Moondrop, though, are the Horizon over-ear headphones, which have dynamic drivers. Again, no price was provided, but unlike the other products, the Horizons do not appear anywhere on Moondrop’s website. Apparently, they’ll be released sometime in the coming weeks or months. I had a chance to hear them perform and was impressed by the wide, red-blooded sound, again with Moondrop’s signature slamming bass. Notably, though, that bass doesn’t infringe upon the mids or highs in the slightest. Both the Para IIs and Horizons have a build quality becoming of ’phones in the $1000-plus range, so I was a bit taken aback by Moondrop. This is another Chinese company to keep an eye on.
Moondrop Horizon headphones
Finally, I stopped by the Dan Clark Audio booth to have a look at the California company’s latest. Here, I encountered the flagship E3 headphones, which go for €2459 in Europe or $1999.99 stateside. The E3s have a well-earned reputation as some of the most accurate headphones available, and based on what I heard of them, driven by an Eversolo and Luxsin electronics stack, I can’t help but concur.
Dan Clark Audio E3 headphones
Unveiled in Munich were Dan Clark Audio’s new mid-tier Noire XO headphones, an open-back version of DCA’s recently introduced Noire X closed-back ’phones. The Noire XOs will retail for €1399 here or $1299.99 in the US. Supposedly, the big hype about the Noire XOs is that they’ve been deliberately tuned to follow the Harman preference curve, which makes them appealing to many, but also somewhat unique among the Dan Clark Audio lineup. To my ear, they sound pleasingly warmer and bassier, but less detailed, than the top-of-the-line E3 headphones. I’ve no doubt these headphones will find success with a lot of audiophiles, especially since they are a more accessible entry to Dan Clark Audio’s range.
Dan Clark Audio Noire XO headphones
That’s all I have from my last go-around at the World of Headphones at the final iteration of High End Munich. But we’ve got a couple hundred other rooms, booths, and exhibits to check out, so don’t go anywhere. And of course, there will be a World of Headphones section at High End 2026 in Vienna!
Matt Bonaccio
Contributor, SoundStage!
