Astell&Kern has launched a small but suitably pricey range of in-ear monitors named after classic songs. Engineered by Jerry Harvey Audio (JH Audio), designer of in-ear monitors for musicians as diverse as Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars, Pitbull and The Rolling Stones. Its founder, Jerry Harvey can claim to have made the first ever 2-way, custom-fit earpieces, created when he was a sound engineer touring with Van Halen (presumably not in the Dave Lee Roth days, when they actually rocked – Ed). The flagship Layla model, named for the Eric Clapton song, contains 12 custom-made drivers, plus what Jerry Harvey describes as “the most sophisticated crossover network used in an in-ear design”, but then he would, wouldn’t he.
Key Layla features:
Full carbon-fibre body with burnt titanium bezel
All new proprietary driver designs
12 drivers: four bass; four mid-range; four high-frequency
Stainless Steel Tube Waveguide
Adjustable bass
Multiple sizes of eartips
3.5mm unbalanced and balanced 2.5mm 4-pole cables
Carbon fibre and black aluminium carry case
Price £1999
Little sister to Layla – and named after the Rolling Stones song – Angie, has the same crossover design and eight custom drivers.
Jerry Harvey says Angie delivers “a very accurate representation of whatever source it has to reproduce. The audio signature is reference quality.”
Key Angie features:
Red and black Kevlar shell, with machined black aluminium bezel and inset carbon fibre
All new proprietary driver designs
8 drivers: two bass; two mid-range; four high-frequency
Stainless Steel Tube Waveguide
Adjustable bass
Multiple sizes of eartips
3.5mm unbalanced and balanced 2.5mm 4-pole cables
Machined aluminium carry case
Price £899