
Its DP-X1 ($899) offers a unique set of features and capabilities at a highly competitive price. One of the latest manufacturers to toss its portable player hat into the ring is Onkyo. And the plethora of choices continues to grow.

Obviously, the portable player market has “blown up” into a massive business driven by an increasingly mobile customer base. Other manufacturers including Sony, Questyle, Calyx, Colorfly, iBasso, and Fiio have all come out with high-resolution, high-performance players whose prices range from less than $300 to $1300. Astell&Kern alone offers seven players, from the AK Jr ($499) to the AK380 ($3499).

Flash forward three years-nowadays audiophiles have a plethora of options. When I reviewed Astell&Kern’s first offering in early 2013, the AK100 ($699), the concept of a high-performance portable music player was new and the AK100 was unique.
